Replies

1. 
   BruceS | Sep 02, 2007 10:07pm | #1

   The problem is moisture penetrating the finish.  Be conservative in you repair attempts.  Do nothing for a week and see if it disappears.  Then cover the spot with a large terry cloth towel and go over the spot with a slightly warm clothes iron( just warm enough to keep your hand on and no hotter, NO STEAM EITHER) Then resort to the old Mayonnaise trick.

   Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

   
   

   ---

   Edited 9/2/2007 3:09 pm ET by BruceS

1. 
   Rich07 | Sep 02, 2007 10:10pm | #2

   What's the old mayo trick?

1. 
   BruceS | Sep 02, 2007 10:24pm | #3

   Just put on a thin layer of Mayo,  The oils in the Mayo pull out the moisture, but sometimes it might leave an oil stain.   So go the conservative route first.Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

1. 
   highfigh | Sep 04, 2007 04:32pm | #14

   "The oils in the Mayo pull out the moisture"I have to wonder if the oils aren't being dawn into the wood and displacing the water, instead of the oils drawing the water out. Oil and water don't mix and even with mayo being an emulsion, they're only suspended. I'm pretty sure gentle heat will remove it faster and leave mo residue. A heat gun or blow dryer, set to low and waved over the area should get rid of the ring.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

1. 
   Gretchen | Sep 04, 2007 05:58pm | #15

   I would rather take my chances with mayo and saran than heat, personally. And then wisping with the alcohol.  Heat also causes white rings and my "little" could turn out to be "too much".  I really cringed when I saw the iron suggestion, even from a pro.

   And finally, as a final solution, there is Howard's Restor-a-Finish.

   Gretchen

    

   PS. I LOVE your tag line. Makes me smile every time.

   Edited 9/4/2007 10:59 am ET by Gretchen

2. 
   highfigh | Sep 04, 2007 07:04pm | #16

   If setting a hot plate or dish only causes a ring, it's because of any moisture trapped under the plate/dish. The ring is caused by moisture that was trapped, right? Heating it but not trapping the moisture should take care of the problem and if I have to, I'll test my theory. DON'T TRY TO STOP ME!!!! I'M JUST THE GUY TO DO IT!!!!!!OK, I feel better now. I have a scrap of French polished maple and I'll go set a cold drink on it, let it come to room temperature and test the heat gun method. I have actually seen it dome this way. My parents had a small table and one of their friends set a drink on it, leaving a ring. Heat took care of it, and it's really easy to make sure the heat isn't excessive- if you can hold your hand in the stream of hot air for a long time, it's not too hot as long as you have normal sensitivity to heat.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

3. 
   Gretchen | Sep 05, 2007 05:36am | #20

   I will add this to my "arsenal" for white rings!Gretchen

4. 
   BruceS | Sep 05, 2007 02:27am | #17

   Maybe it's the same principle as adding dry gas(alcohol) to your gas tank to pull out the moisture(water) out of your gasoline.Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

5. 
   saschafer | Sep 05, 2007 03:39am | #18

   That only works because the methanol you're adding to your gas is anhydrous, or nearly so. Alcohol will absorb water from the atmosphere (or wherever) until it reaches an equilibrium of roughly 95% alcohol to 5% water. (That's why distilled spirits max out at 190 proof--it's all but impossible to remove that last 5% water.)

   I'm pretty sure that off-the-shelf denatured alcohol already has 5% water in it, just because it's not worth the effort to remove it.

   -Steve

    

6. 
   highfigh | Sep 05, 2007 03:45am | #19

   Kind of, the alcohol can mix with the water and makes it somewhat combustible, as opposed to the water causing the typical performance issues. Bad enough the gas has alcohol in it form the refinery, but then it takes on water and we need to add more alcohol to get rid of the water? I see several flaws with this scenario. I also used to work on boats, so I know they still have problems with the gasahol that range from just running bad to corrosion in carbs and injectors, fuel lines, rusting the inside of fuel filters and other fittings, damaging fuel tank senders, etc.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

2. 
   SteveSchoene | Sep 03, 2007 12:16am | #4

   Another thing that usually works is a light wipe with denatured alcohol.  But first follow Bruce's advice to do nothing for a week.  That is likely to deal with the water from the soap, less likely to deal with the ring.  Then the gentle heat, then do the alcohol swipe. 

1. 
   BruceS | Sep 03, 2007 02:42am | #5

   I didn't want to mention the alcohol treatment just in case the finish is shellac.  That can be a bit tricky the first time and didn't want to get him in trouble.Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Sep 03, 2007 06:04am | #6

   I can understand that, though with a quick swipe that's not super wet he won't be too likely to have a problem.  If the furniture came from a factory and was made since WWI, the finish is almost certain to be lacquer anyway. 

   If there is any question, it wouldn't be a bad idea to make a test on an inconspicuous surface before working on the top. 

   Edited 9/2/2007 11:05 pm ET by SteveSchoene

2. 
   forestgirl | Sep 03, 2007 06:32am | #7

   Bruce, if you use "regular" alcohol (rubbing alcohol) isn't it just as likely to work, but with less risk??forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   BruceS | Sep 03, 2007 04:47pm | #8

   You are correct,  Rubbing alcohol is a bit less potent than pure Ethel or methyl.  The isopropyl(rubbing)  has, and I forget at the moment how much,  a percentage of water in it.Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

2. 
   HowardAcheson | Sep 03, 2007 06:35pm | #9

   >> has, and I forget at the moment how much, a percentage of water in it.And, of course, it's water you are trying to remove from the finish. I wouldn't use rubbing alcohol.Howie.........

3. 
   BruceS | Sep 03, 2007 08:11pm | #10

   The amount of water in rubbing alcohol is minimal and it slows down the evaporation rate some. In a pinch I have used rubbing alcohol to strip shellac from old pieces and within an hour padded on new shellac with no ill effects.  But my regular fare for alcohol is Denatured.  A mix of ethanol, methanol and ketones.Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

4. 
   HowardAcheson | Sep 04, 2007 12:13am | #11

   From Wikipedia:""Rubbing alcohol, U.S.P. / B.P. is a liquid prepared for topical application prepared from specially denatured alcohol and containing 68.5-71.5% vol./vol. of absolute (ie. 100%) alcohol. However, individual manufacturers can use their own "formulation standards" in which the ethanol content usually ranges from 70-95% v/v.""Therefore rubbing alcohol contains about 30% water. More than I would characterize as "minimal".Howie.........

5. 
   BruceS | Sep 04, 2007 02:41am | #12

    However, individual manufacturers can use their own "formulation standards" in which the ethanol content usually ranges from 70-95% v/v.""

   Which means depending on the Mfg.  it can be between 5% to 30%.  I must have been using the good stuff.Work Safe,  Count to 10 when your done for the day !!

   Bruce S. 

    

6. 
   forestgirl | Sep 04, 2007 06:34am | #13

   Howie's pretty determined in his anti-alcohol stance, but I'm pretty sure quite a few restorers and repair people use it.  It's been a long time since I submersed myself in the whole refinishing/restoring thing, but I seem to remember that the key was to take a quick swipe, e.g., be careful not to put a bunch on the finish.  Just enough to dampen it, and evaporate.  I guess it carries the water with it??forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)