I completed a swiss pear demilune table about a year ago. The top has a marquetry panel inset which is banded with satinwood and holly stringing. I just noticed today that the shellac has cracked and peeled from the surface over the stringing just at the front of the panel (where the holly runs parallel to the grain). We have had some significant and dramatic swings in humidity recently. Other wood in my house is moving alot in the last week (recently painted doors have cracked paint around the edge of the panel)
1) what did I do wrong
2) how do I fix it?
Thanks
Anna
Replies
As I understand your situation you have shellac failing at the junction between the holly stringing and the satinwood banding. That might be source for the stress on the shellac given the crossgrain movement with the humidity swings. The shellac may be reacting to that if it was applied relatively thickly. The solution will likely prove easy, because shellac is so easy to repair.
First I would smooth the surface a bit by very light sanding with 320 or 400 grit paper, and then I would use denatured alcohol to "reamalamate" the shellac over the damaged area. The amalagmation can be done with a pad dampened with DNA as if using it to pad on fresh shellac. It may take a bit of wiping to soften the shellac to let it flow again into the damaged area, and a light touch is needed to avoid having too much shellac get moved around.
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