Thanks everyone for all the great info here!
I rehab 100 year old 2 families in Albany NY and rent them out. I like to do very nice work, but obviously need to balance that with my costs.
I have run across lots of old trim (usually Chesnut!) where the clear finish has pebbled. Sometimes alligatored, but usually just pebbled. I was hoping to come up with a way to remove or minimize the pebbling without stripping the finish completely. I have this vague idea of using a solvent that has the right strength to soften and “reflow’ the original varnish but I kind of doubt that is possible.
Any ideas or suggestions? Stripping it just isn’t a cost effective option.
And what would you topcoat it with, if anything? I am told that trim of this vintage is probably varnished, though I never tested it. And it doesn’t appear to have been poly’d over.
Chris
Replies
Maybe you should leave it alone.
I was in a cabinet shop the other day and their finish guy showed me a sample piece of crown molding that had a finish that looked like it was 100 yrs old. It was cracked and alligatored and looked like it had been painted 3-4 times. Apparently, some customers are willing to pay large $$ for it.
Have you tried Forby's (brand) "Facelift" ?
I haven't used it myself, but was under the impression it was for stuff like this.
You might try one of the "refinishers" such as Formby's.
http://www.formbys.com/products/refinisher.cfm
That sounds worth a try, I will check it out and report back. Hope it is available is Gallon sizes, there is a LOT of trim.
<<I have this vague idea of using a solvent that has the right strength to soften and "reflow' the original varnish but I kind of doubt that is possible.>>
If the finish is original to the house, and has never been recoated with a modern polyurethane, you might be in luck.
First, try rubbing a test surface with a rag or 4/0 steel wool dipped in alcohol.
If that doesn't work, try doing the same with one of the proprietary "furniture refinishers." Formby's is one brand, but there are others.
One or the other of these might might partially melt the existing finish, getting rid of the alligatoring. If it does work, then you can wash coat with the stain of your choice, and top coat with a polyurethane.
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"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
your finish is possibly shellac - which can be reflowed with denatured alcohol -
on a scrap piece or discrete location, take a paint brush and wet the area with alcohol, sop up some fine steel wool with alcohol and work the area - if the finish softens and flows, then you have shellac - experiment a bit - take as much off as you need to get the look you want - then apply a fresh coat of shellac, you're good for another 50-100 years -
If it is shellac, and at that age it is highly likely, then this is the process I was told by a furniture person. I haven't tried it out in detail though.
Mix denatured alcohol and turpentine about 50/50. The turpentine keeps the alcohol from flashing as fast.
First, wipe off any dirt/grime/grease with mineral spirits and lint free cloths, like painter's rags.
Put some of the solution in a shallow paint pail or even pie pan. Dip 4 ought steel wool into solution and rub gently in a circular motion.
Wipe off with clean cloth.
If it doesn't give you the finish you want, you can move on to straight alcohol and just strip the shellac. Unfortunately, the color goes with it.
The above process is designed for slight crazing. I have my doubts about being able to do anything with actual pebbling. I'm not even sure what causes it.
Try using a TSP mixture to strip the finish.
I have acres of yellow pine trim and doors in our house with this "pebbled" finish. We successfully stripped all the finish in one step using this method.
Steps:
1. Prepare the Stipper Mixture- Dissolve about 1 cup of TSP to about a 2 quarts of warm water. Add a small amount of Wheat based wallpapper paste and let sit for about 15 minutes untill it thickens. The proportions aren't exact;the more TSP, the stronger it is. The wallpapper paste allows the mixture to be applied to vertical surfaces without dripping.
2. Apply a thick coating and let it sit for about 5 minutes. If the mixture works on your application , the finnish will come off down to the bare wood.
3. Scrape off as much finish as possible using scrapers. You may need a second coat, but probably not.
4. Using a 3M pad or equivalent, wash off the residue with a strong solution of TSP & water (no paste). Rinse with clear water.
Regarding finishing: time & money are the determining factors. The best looking would be 2coats of gloss polyurethane followed by 1coat of satin or semi-gloss poly.
ANother would be Waterlox Transparen( it's got a new name now). This is an oil/varnish mixture that can be appled with a rag ,is easily repaired and can be recoated without sanding.. Whatever finish you use, make sure it isn't dead flat.