Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Aug 21, 2009 12:40am | #1

   You can try scraping off the left over glue, doing it as smoothly as possible.  Then refinish those spots with the same schedule.  With care it can be done to be not very noticible.  If you still aren't pleased, it may be strip and refinish time. 

   By the way, the shellac should have made these glue spots stand out.  Scraping them off and redoing the shellac would have been a much easier repair. 

   And of course, this is a good time for the general reminder that a good wipedown with naphtha before appying any finish is a great revealer of glue spots. 

1. 
   1lpvinyl | Aug 22, 2009 12:20am | #2

   Thanks for the reply. I got 'er done. I first tried to match the finish in the blemishes. Never happen. Next I used a cabinet scraper to remove the old finish as well as possible. Then I started to work on the areas of blemishes. I used the scraper until I thought it looked good. I then rubbed the entire piece with min spirits to check for further blemishes. Seeing none I then sanded the entire piece with 100 grit paper. I figured I would need a rougher surface for the Gel Stain to adhere to. I did not sand too much. Just enough to even out the color.I cleaned up the dust and applied the Gel Stain and it turned out great.Just what I was looking for. I am new to woodworking but have quickly learned about the importance of an overlooked part of the craft i.e., fixing mistakes. I am going to devote a page or two on this very subject in my book,"The 35,000 Most Important Things to Know about Woodworking".

1. 
   davcefai | Aug 22, 2009 08:20am | #3

   I need to ask.People here often refer to "naphtha". This is not a product I have ever encountered in a shop. Is it distinct from "white spirit" (varnish and paint thinner)? Does it have a particular use or is it simply a general purpose solvent? Is it by any chance "lighter fuel"?I'm not sure if I am dealing with a "new" product or a transatlantic vocabulary difference.

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Aug 22, 2009 01:18pm | #4

   In the US, we can commonly find VM&P Naphtha in most paint and hardware stores, where the initials are Varnish Makers and Painters.  It is a relatively lighter fraction of petroleum products, faster evaporating and less "oily" than most paint thinners.  I like to use it frequently because of the faster evaporation, and because I believe, possibly erroneously, that it is manufacturered with slightly more consistent quality control than items generically labeled "paint thinner". 

   It is in some lighter fuels, and also commonly found as "Coleman fuel".  Actually there are, in industry, variants within the general term naphtha. 

    

2. 
   mike4244 | Aug 23, 2009 06:40pm | #5

   It is a general type of solvent.Works well to remove waxy substances like the wood crayons for nail holes.It is lighter fluid ,used to smoke and filled a zippo lighter with naptha. Much cheaper than zippo fluid. Now only use naptha for cleaning.

   mike

1. 
   davcefai | Aug 23, 2009 10:19pm | #6

   Do you have "white spirits" in your part of the world? I'm trying to work out if your naphtha is our white spirits or possibly an even more volatile fraction.I suppose that ultimately the only way to find out is to ask an American to smell some white spirits.

2. 
   SteveSchoene | Aug 24, 2009 01:26am | #7

   Naphtha is a subset of "white spirits". which in the US is mineral spirits.