Replies

1. 
   peter28 | Nov 13, 2007 04:32pm | #1

   Charles,

   I would suggest you clean them first. A little soap and water is a wonderful thing. You can also use something like Fantastic. Spray it onto a paper towel and then wipe the surface with it. It will clean it quite well.

   Scuff sand as required and clean.

   My suggestion for a finish would be shellac. It will bond very well with the existing lacquer. It will dry very quickly and give you a bright fresh look. This way there is no need to strip to bare wood.

   You can use Sealcoat (blonde shellac) amber (orange) or clear (bleached).

   My first choice would be the Sealcoat. It's a little thinner (2 lb. cut) than the clear and amber (3 lb. cut) and can be used as is or thinned a little.

   The orange and clear will be better thinned to at least the 2 lb. cut of the seal coat. There are directions on the side of the can for this. Try a couple of different cuts to get the feel for it. You may prefer one over the other.

   The thinner is denatured alcohol.

   I'll bet you can dress those up with as little as two coats. Give them a light rubbing out when done, if required, with a grey scotch pad or some steel wool. You could also use a little wax with the pad or wool for an even softer feel.

   The learning curve with shellac is it dries faster than oil finishes. The brushing technique is different. Try experimenting on some pieces of plywood etc. to get the feel of it first. The other consideration is to use a pad to apply it. This will give you a coat that has no brush marks. It just takes a little touch. PRACTICE FIRST.

   Good luck.

   Peter 

    

    

    

    

    

1. 
   SchultheissC | Nov 15, 2007 04:57pm | #2

   Peter,Thank you very much for your suggestions.My main concern is that these lecterns take a lot of abuse, especially from metal belt buckles. Will shellac withstand this type of abuse?Thanks again,Charles