As part of my conversion, I want to refresh the finish on the original cabinet (the cherry part in this pic). There is no major damage, the only issues are:
The original finish is kind of satin laquer, with wood grain/texture slightly visible.
What is the best way to deal with these two issues? I want to completely remove the clouding and make the small scratches/dents disappear as far as possible.
- minor scratches and tiny dents in the finish
- large areas of sort of cloudy tint resulting from stupidly wiping the cabinet with a wet cloth that had a little PVA in it
The original finish is kind of satin laquer, with wood grain/texture slightly visible.
What is the best way to deal with these two issues? I want to completely remove the clouding and make the small scratches/dents disappear as far as possible.
I would use super fine (0000) steel wool and rub it with the grain until it has an even satin shine/finish all over, clean them with mineral turpentine, then use a fine furniture wax like this - I have a similar Australian product to this and it made my KEF 103.2's come up beautifully. I just found a UK equivalent with the same ingredients.
Mine were dry and the veneer was just starting to crack. They also had glass/cup marks on the top and this got rid of them and also gave them a lovely lustre - and on top of that it smells like pine!
Mine were dry and the veneer was just starting to crack. They also had glass/cup marks on the top and this got rid of them and also gave them a lovely lustre - and on top of that it smells like pine!
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You might try cleaning/wiping down the area with a hydrocarbon based deglosser. I have done this with good results on furniture. After deglossing, a light wiping with some stain, then several coats of wipe on poly to finish. If the deglosser and stain don't give satisfactory results a careful sanding might be in your future.
Waxing can work wonders, however there's no 'magic' wax. I use a beeswax based salad bowl was on the various jewelry boxes and chests I make because it's soft and rubs out nicely. You can go with a hard wax, but buffing them is more difficult.
Be careful if you use steel wool on light coloured wood - I've done this in the past and found it left a dark grey steel powder in the grain which was impossible to remove without sanding the item back. Luckily that was on solid wood; with veneer you won't have the thickness needed for corrective sanding.
It's possible I just had a really poor quality 0000 grade steel wool but I'd test first if you try this.
I have a small area of the original surface which will end up under the new front baffle, so I can use this to try a method or two.
Good thread…I have a pair if KEF 104.2 that I was trying to give away…no takers…so I started using them again and realized how much I still liked them.
I decided to order the crossover cap kit from Falcon and some proper ferrofluid to service the tweeters.
The last bit of beef I have with them is the various scuffs, scratches and dings they have mainly on the front edge because of screens I had made (found them with none) having exposed staple heads on their back edges rubbing during various moves. I’ll have to try some if these ideas out.
I decided to order the crossover cap kit from Falcon and some proper ferrofluid to service the tweeters.
The last bit of beef I have with them is the various scuffs, scratches and dings they have mainly on the front edge because of screens I had made (found them with none) having exposed staple heads on their back edges rubbing during various moves. I’ll have to try some if these ideas out.
My experience with #0000 steel wool is that it is best used on curved surfaces. On a flat surface, it does not cut evenly, so it takes a very skilled hand to get even results on a flat surface. A better choice would be 600 grit sandpaper in a good flat sanding block. There is a risk of sanding through the finish of course, so go slowly, gently, and with care. Sand with the grain, light pressure.
After blocking it out to a uniform dull, I would apply a satin or semi-gloss polyurethane using a good brush... or wiped on with a folded paper towel. Lots of videos are available showing the right way to apply polyurethane.
After blocking it out to a uniform dull, I would apply a satin or semi-gloss polyurethane using a good brush... or wiped on with a folded paper towel. Lots of videos are available showing the right way to apply polyurethane.
You have to get the PVA glue off first before you start messing with the finish. There are several ways to do this. First I would try simple Dove dish detergent and warm water. Wash it slowly and take your time. Let the glue dissolve. It might take a half hour or so. Don't scrub it hard and don't use an abrasive pad. Hopefully that is enough to dissolve the glue and clean it off. If that doesn't work try warm vinegar. You can try denatured alcohol if the vinegar doesn't work, but test it first to make sure you don't remove the finish. The key here is to take your time. Be careful around the veneer seams and corners, don't get a lot of water/soap/alcohol in there. Naptha is a secret cleaner that guitar builders use, it's for filling Zippo lighters but works great for removing all kinds of things except for finishes. It really is a wonderful cleaner but no one uses it because it's lighter fluid. Don't use anything stronger than that because you may melt the veneer's adhesive or strip the finish off or worse. Hopefully soap and water worked and you never have to get this far, but If none of that works use a razor blade as a scraper and gently scrape off the PVA glue, this will take eons for a large area but it won't leave scratches if you do it right.
Assess the scratches, are they through the finish or are they in the finish? If they are in the finish you can buff them out with a power buffer and rubbing compound and bring it back to like new appearance. But you have to buff the whole thing, actually both speakers, if you want them to match. You probably don't want to do that unless you have experience buffing out cars.
The best advise you have gotten is from @prarieboy on using wax. Wax can make some kinds of scratches seem to disappear so try wax before you do any buffing. If you are happy with it you are done! The best wax is a furniture wax although you can use shoe polish. Furniture waxes dry hard and really do provide moderate protection. Some are glossy some are not so ask around and try some out. There are many, many brands to choose from, I use Briwax but it's not for amateurs, it takes a little more work to get it buffed out. If you get a tinted wax make sure it matches the color well or it will only accent the scratches. It may be best to use stinky clear Minwax from Home Depot (or whatever hardware or finishing store you have nearby) - just open the window. Remember it's a two step process just like in Karate Kid, wax on, wax off. If you don't like the wax you can wipe it off with mineral spirits.
Don't use steel wool on neckked wood! 😉
Assess the scratches, are they through the finish or are they in the finish? If they are in the finish you can buff them out with a power buffer and rubbing compound and bring it back to like new appearance. But you have to buff the whole thing, actually both speakers, if you want them to match. You probably don't want to do that unless you have experience buffing out cars.
The best advise you have gotten is from @prarieboy on using wax. Wax can make some kinds of scratches seem to disappear so try wax before you do any buffing. If you are happy with it you are done! The best wax is a furniture wax although you can use shoe polish. Furniture waxes dry hard and really do provide moderate protection. Some are glossy some are not so ask around and try some out. There are many, many brands to choose from, I use Briwax but it's not for amateurs, it takes a little more work to get it buffed out. If you get a tinted wax make sure it matches the color well or it will only accent the scratches. It may be best to use stinky clear Minwax from Home Depot (or whatever hardware or finishing store you have nearby) - just open the window. Remember it's a two step process just like in Karate Kid, wax on, wax off. If you don't like the wax you can wipe it off with mineral spirits.
Don't use steel wool on neckked wood! 😉
It is indeed the Devil's abrasive - use at your soul and sanity's peril.
Scotch-Brite/Non-Woven/Abranet abrasives are your friend!
Be aware that once you have waxed it, your options of any other finishes are eliminated unless you can strip it off!
I would definitely sand back the finish and re-oil unless you are just after a cheap quick fix as a disguise.
I apologise for my misleading information about steel wool. I've only had good results using it; it seems I was fortunate! I use it all the time and have a number of grades. However, I've never used it on bare wood.
Be very careful if you use a sanding block on a veneered surface as it's quite easy to wear through at the edges. Try not to go to far over the edge.
We have a product here called U-Beaut Polish Reviver that's really good for removing old polish, wax and silicone. I guess there would be similar products in other countries.
Be very careful if you use a sanding block on a veneered surface as it's quite easy to wear through at the edges. Try not to go to far over the edge.
We have a product here called U-Beaut Polish Reviver that's really good for removing old polish, wax and silicone. I guess there would be similar products in other countries.
I use steel wool all the time as the last step in finishing any furniture project, including speaker cabinets, where the final sheen is satin or semi gloss. After I have applied 3 or more coats of polyurethane varnish, I apply paste wax with a steel wool pad and then buff it out with a cotton or microfiber cloth. So steel wool is very useful for certain things...
Yeah, I've been using it for at least 20 years with no ill effects. I've used it similarly to you, but when the poly is completely cured, I use the steel wool dry to give it a final even sheen, and then use a cotton pad with wax, then a dry cotton t-shirt to buff hard and get some heat into it.
This is one of the waxes I use. On that linked page the manufacturer actually says to use 0000 steel wool like you do.
I've also used steel wool on timber finished with boiled linseed oil.
However, I don't claim to be an experienced woodworker; just an amateur tinkerer.
This is one of the waxes I use. On that linked page the manufacturer actually says to use 0000 steel wool like you do.
I've also used steel wool on timber finished with boiled linseed oil.
However, I don't claim to be an experienced woodworker; just an amateur tinkerer.
Wax is easy to remove with mineral spirits. Also, if you are going to refinish it why worry about the wax? just sand it off.
Steel wool on unfinished wood will leave bits in the grain. This isn't bad on something like maple with a smooth grain, but is horrible on mahogany, walnut, and oak where the grain is heavier and deep. Steel wool will rust and leave stains under the finish in a humid climate. Woods like oak have tannins in them that react with the steel and cause oak to turn black. It's actually used as a stain by furniture makers. This is why furniture makers use brass screws and hardware on oak furniture, steel or iron will leave stains. Having said that, steel wool is the go to material for creating a soft satin sheen on finished furniture, like @hifijim does. Several coats of gloss finish and then steel wool the entire thing for a nice satin sheen that has good depth and isn't milky looking. I do that myself, but I think re-finishing is beyond what OP was asking.
There is nothing wrong with using wax. Wax is the safest finish. Wax is used by furniture restorers all the time. Wax is the only finish to apply to an antique because it can easily be removed and doesn't do anything to a hardened finish. Wax is a finish too and you should never combine different finishes, except for shellac*. Like @MrKlinky says applying oil over wax only creates a sticky mess that has to be scraped off and cleaned thoroughly before applying any other finishes. Getting oil and wax in the end grain can be particularly troublesome.
There is no way I would oil an existing finish without knowing what it was first. You can make a seriously ugly mess doing things like that. Sure it might look fine after applying oil today and next week but you might have an awful sticky surface next year that collects cat hair and dust as the finishes slowly recombine, or it might bubble at the seems, or peel off in sheets. AMHIK If I were to apply oil I would clean it thoroughly with soap and water, let that dry and wipe it down (using a bit of work, don't just wipe it) with mineral spirits. Next I would sand it lightly with 320 or 400 grit sandpaper, wipe it off with mineral spirits, and then apply the oil finish. Make sure it's clean before applying any finish! Or, you could simply wash it and apply wax and be done with it.
*One re-finishers trick is to clean the furniture, sand lightly and then, because the finish is unknown, spray a coat of dewaxed shellac then use whatever finish you want, oil, poly, lacquer, wax. Shellac is great as a barrier between different finishes, but make sure you have dewaxed shellac. Zinser is good stuff.
After this public service announcement I don't expect to see any more sticky grey oak tables come into my shop.
There is nothing wrong with using wax. Wax is the safest finish. Wax is used by furniture restorers all the time. Wax is the only finish to apply to an antique because it can easily be removed and doesn't do anything to a hardened finish. Wax is a finish too and you should never combine different finishes, except for shellac*. Like @MrKlinky says applying oil over wax only creates a sticky mess that has to be scraped off and cleaned thoroughly before applying any other finishes. Getting oil and wax in the end grain can be particularly troublesome.
There is no way I would oil an existing finish without knowing what it was first. You can make a seriously ugly mess doing things like that. Sure it might look fine after applying oil today and next week but you might have an awful sticky surface next year that collects cat hair and dust as the finishes slowly recombine, or it might bubble at the seems, or peel off in sheets. AMHIK If I were to apply oil I would clean it thoroughly with soap and water, let that dry and wipe it down (using a bit of work, don't just wipe it) with mineral spirits. Next I would sand it lightly with 320 or 400 grit sandpaper, wipe it off with mineral spirits, and then apply the oil finish. Make sure it's clean before applying any finish! Or, you could simply wash it and apply wax and be done with it.
*One re-finishers trick is to clean the furniture, sand lightly and then, because the finish is unknown, spray a coat of dewaxed shellac then use whatever finish you want, oil, poly, lacquer, wax. Shellac is great as a barrier between different finishes, but make sure you have dewaxed shellac. Zinser is good stuff.
After this public service announcement I don't expect to see any more sticky grey oak tables come into my shop.
@Arthur Jackson - your professional wood working and wood finishing experience is valuable asset to this site ... thank you.