Last Sunday my wife served a huge plate of hot tomales in a heated plate, placed on our oak dining table, covered with a tablecloth but no protective pad. After dinner we notiiced an area under the plate’s location where the finish was discolored. The marred area is sort of a milky white and looks to be beneath the finish. The table top is oak veneer.
I remember reading not long ago the correct way to repair this kind of heat damage, but now it slips my mind. Any suggestions?
(Hint to tomale lovers: use a hot pad) Thanks, Gary
Replies
Usually the white marks are in the finish itself often near the surface, that's what you need to hope for. Since this is a heat ring your solution is basically to gently wet sand with fine paper--no coarser than 600 grit (CAMI) or p1200 (FEPA), and then repolish the surface to even out the sheen. If it looks like there is any chance of sanding through the finish, you need to stop sanding and would have to strip the top and refinish.
Remember you cannot sand a veneered top, it would have to be chemically stripped.
Try a "spray" of so-called Blush Remover before you resort to sandpaper. I suspect it is simply moisture under/through the finish.
Frosty
"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
No harm in trying the standard treatments for moisture related white rings, but this is pretty clearly heat related and represents damage in the finish, not moisture. Consequently, blush remover, DNA wipes, and mayonnaise aren't all that likely to be the solutions. That's why I began with a fairly pessimistic view. I hope I am wrong.
You can try covering it with a layer of mayonnaise and cover with saran.
Gary,
Here are a copule of links to good Liberon stuff for white rings. The links are to a british website but I'm sure Liberon sells their stuff in the US of A.
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp?pricing=INC&pf_id=22546&name=Liberon&user_search=1&sfile=1&jump=44&cid=KYQS9S1A0EAXHKUWGKUVIF0UXX00K4M2
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp?pricing=INC&pf_id=22555&name=Liberon&user_search=1&sfile=1&jump=48&cid=KYQS9S1A0EAXHKUWGKUVIF0UXX00K4M2
Lataxe
all,
I built a Late Georgian style desk once: it had ball and claw feet which I had carved. There were acathus leaves on the knees. The top was book matched walnut. I had over 20 hrs in the French polish I put on the top, The brass was all top end reproduction Ball and Ball stuff. The FIRST day I took it to work my boss put a hot dish on it and left a white mark. It took me a year to make the desk. I feel your pain.
After I recovered from my stroke, I was able torepair the white spot. Then I bought a tacky piece of glass to put over it.
In the back of Southern Living they advertise for a pad that can be made for the table that is heatproof. It probably is worth the money- $150.
Frank
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled