Fixing an unknown finish

[strong]

Hi all,

I have 2 store bought end tables from Crate and Barrel. During a home remodel they ended up being stored in the garage one upside down on the other. In between one of my helpers left a soft towel and a piece of rubber non slip shelf liner just like the stuff many use as non slip mat for the work bench. Unfortunately the non slip stuff left a layer of gunk in that nice grid pattern on the finish on the part it was laying on. A soft cloth and water alone didn't take it off. I'm not sure what the finish is.

I'm looking for advice on how to try and remove the gunk with out ruining the finish. These 2 end tables match a sofa table and I really don't want to have to refinish them all especially since they're only a couple years old and otherwise in perfect shape.

Thanks!

[PaulMarcel]

D'oh... flashback...

The finish is likely lacquer. Natural rubber left on lacquer will &*#% up the finish. It is like the oils of the rubber seep into the lacquer matrix and soften it up. It won't heal itself.

In my case, a big dining table got ruined by a rubber mat; that was my flashback.

Anyway, you need to know if it is really lacquer (and likely is). Get a quart of lacquer thinner. Put some on a rag and spread it around some inconspicuous area (underside of top?) and see if the "lacquer" softens; it'll take a little time and rubbing. If it comes off, you can strip the top and edges of the lacquer and either spray it yourself or get someone to spray it for you. A plastic squeegie or spreader made for epoxy would work well to scrape the lacquer off initially. Once you get near wood, I'm thinking I'd switch to very fine ScotchBrite; not certain how those pads react to lacquer thinner, though. Maybe try soaking one in it for awhile and watch; it may get gooey, but if it takes 20 minutes to do so, you can use a new pad every 10

EDIT: I'm thinking burlap will work better than the ScotchBrite once you're nearly done.

Have a plan for refinishing it. That is, don't strip the lacquer today and leave the top finished on one side for a couple weeks while you locate a sprayer. I'd try doing it the day before you spray it.

Edited August 17, 2010 by Paul-Marcel
Thought about burlap; people should think about burlap more... :)

[AceHoleInOne]

First try a conservative approach, the finish was probably softened and then re-hardened, just don’t know how bad the finish dimpled?

Try using mineral spirits to remove the remaining rubber. Once all the rubber is completely removed. Let the finish dry fully. Try using some automotive polishing compound. If your not seeing any improvement, try rubbing compound, then go back over that with the polishing compound. If that works, it's just a matter of removing the scratches from rubbing out the finish with the compounds, so switch to a random orbit sander and an Abralon high grit sanding pad.

I'm guessing, you probably have a toned “something” finish and a thin veneered wood, so good luck and hope things works out.

-Ace-