Replies

1. 
   Howard_Acheson | Jan 07, 2002 02:13am | #1

   *
   Instead of the steel wool, use gray scotchbrite pads. They work better and are longer lasting.

   One the unit is totally dry, inspect the finish. If it is smooth, you can apply a couple of coats of interior varnish or poly varnish. Let the varnish cure until it no longer has an odor before you put any knick knacks or books on the shelve.

   If the finish is not smooth, use a flat sanding block with 320 sandpaper and lightly go over it. Don't get too ambitious. As soon as it feels better, stop. Apply a coat of varnish and let it harden for a cuople of days. This will give you something to sand without getting to the veneer. Lightly sand the varnish with 320 and apply two more coats.

1. 
   John_Adams | Jan 10, 2002 04:30pm | #2

   *I must have missed something in this thread .... but have you determined why the finish is turning white?

1. 
   wildone | Jan 10, 2002 04:53pm | #3

   *John,No, I do not know what has happened. I am not sure how to describe the problem. It is sort of like the finish is turning opaque in places. The four pieces are set against a wall. One end is also against a wall. The end with the white does not face the sun. We do not wax the units and the problem does not appear anywhere else. I assumed, maybe wrongly, that the finish was failing and that the best way to repair would be to over coat. I would appreciate any advice.

1. 
   John_Adams | Jan 14, 2002 10:10pm | #4

   *Just made it back! When lacquer clouds here in middle Tennessee, it's usually humidity related, sometimes disappearing within a week. Other times it's due to the rapid temperature drop in my shop/finishing area, when I open the door and windows and exhaust the spraying fog in the winter, after which I close it all up and relight the space heater, to warm it back up again! This goes away after an hour or so. My grandad used to wipe cloudy lacquer surfaces with vinegar, with unpredictable success, but that was usually water damage, and other times he had remarkable success wiping cloudy table tops down with olive oil, then removing it and waxing the top afterwards. If these don't work, you can indeed overcoat the lacquer with varnish, after a light scuff-sanding of the entire surface. If the opaque surface is confined deep within the finish, it will still exist, and you will have to sand through to it! I've assumed we're talking solvent based finishes, as I have no experience with the water based ones! Good Luck.John

1. 
   Steve_Schefer | Jan 29, 2002 12:48am | #5

   *The white cloudy stuff is oxidation. Probably caused by the stain not being completely dry when the lacquer was applied. It will continue to oxidize unless you sand that area down through the finish and then let it complete it's drying process. This can occur when all of the wood is not cut from the same sheet or properly aclimated. My rule of thumb is to never stain and finish on the same day or when it's raining.