If it's wood it can be fixed and finished or refinished for a lot less than it would cost to replace it. All it takes is a little time and a little "know how." If you have the time, we have the know how and we'll be happy to pass some of it on to you. In this section, we'll go over -

water rings on tables

crazing on shellac finishes (aligator skin)

scratches, scars, dents and dings

So, if you're ready, let's go!

WATER RINGS

Have you ever had a party and one of your guests has set their drink down on your nice mahogany end table, leaving you with a nasty condensation/water ring? Well, now you don't have to look at that unsightly mess anymore. Here are three methods you can try, using material you might have at home,  to recover the beautiful look of your piece.

Method 1:
Rub with paste wax and 4/0 (very fine) steel wool. If this doesn't work after a few minutes of light rubbing, go to method 2.

Method 2:
Rub spot lightly with a soft lintless cloth moistened
with camphorated oil. Wipe immediately using a clean
cloth. If this fails, go to the next method.

Method 3:
Dip a small piece of cheesecloth in hot water to
which two to three drops of household ammonia have been
added. Wring cloth out tightly and rub spot lightly

There are also a number of products on the market that can help you get rid of these rings. My favorite product is Howard's Restore a Finish. This can be ordered via their website or you can drop me a note at rudy@stellasatticoldtown.com and I'll work out getting a can sent to you.

SHELLAC CRAZING

Your old china cabinet from the 1920's now has a type of finish that resembles something you'd expect to find on an alligator. Well, this is what can happen to old finished and there is something that you can do about it with out the expense of having your piece completely stripped and refinished. Follow the following steps and watch your lovely furniture come alive again.

1.  Determine the finish type on your furniture. Shellac will become soft in alcohol so if you take a piece of soft, lint free cloth dip it in alcohol and then rub it on an inconspicuous place to see if the finish softens. If it softens, you have shellac and you can begin to smoothen it. 

2.  To begin the process, you'll need some clean, dry, lint free cotton rags, a container and some denatured alcohol. Take a rag and form a ball with it. Wrap this ball with another rag to form a ball about the size of a golf ball. This is what you'll use to rub your finish.

3.  Pour some alcohol into your container.

4.  Dampen your rag ball in the alchohol and begin to rub the finish of your piece. Rub with the grain. After a miute or so of rubbing, you'll notice the crazing start to disappear. Becareful not to rub too hard or you run the risk of removing the finish entirely. All you want to do is to soften the shellac and redistribute it on the piece. If you remove it, you'll have to replace it with more shellac.

5.  Continue to rub until the desired finish is achieved.

(C) 2004 DiNicolo and Schulz Inc.  All Rights Reserved.