Well, it has finally happened. After my 15+ year hiatus from modeling and any associated mishaps that may (or may not) have occurred during my former modeling days, a mishap has again occurred at “mi casa” (my house). Let me explain my story. Recently my wife and I decided to purchase a new kitchen table, as our old one was just too small when we were entertaining in our home. After I had got started back up with modeling, and before I had taken over part of the bonus room as my modeling cave, I had worked on the models at the kitchen table. Well, this weekend, I had sat down at the new table to just do some minor work on a couple of the builds I have been working on. I hadn’t planned on doing much painting so I didn’t figure much mess would be made. I had done pretty good, in my mind, and had covered said table with an old sheet and my cutting mat for that “just in case scenario”. Everything was all well and good until I was all finished and had started the clean-up process. I had been using a small container with some laquer thinner for cleaning out my brush that I had been using for applying Mr. Surfacer 1000. I accidentally bumped the container and over it went, spilling the contents onto the surface (now unprotected as I was cleaning up) and without thinking, I wiped off the surface with a rag. As you can imagine, a new wood table with a laquer finish and laquer thinner don’t mix too well. Needless to say, I am now in the Dog House and get to figure out how to best correct the mishap before we start entertaining with the holidays upon us. I’ve been reading that I can airbrush a light coat of straight laquer thinner onto this area and let it sit and evaporate naturally. Supposedly as it dries and cures it will soften the remaining laquer and cause it to regain some of the luster. Does anyone have any suggestions, other than not working on models at the kitchen table anymore?
Sorry about that. I’m not sure spraying the thinner will bring it to the original look. I wish I knew someone in the area I could refer you to.
Thanks Steve. I figured that if I have to I can do a good sanding on the entire surface and get a nice durable polyurethane varnish and recoat it. That is definitely not what I want to do, but it may be my only option.
in case your remedies make thing worse i would delay repair till after jan 1st for now holiday table clths are the temp. way to go
That was my suggestion as well DURR; however, that suggestion was thrown out of court, based entirely on my judgement (or lack there of) LOL
Jelliot523, please take solace in the fact that you are not alone here. Last year, my wife invited our nephews to spend a few weeks with us for the summer and provided them with a virtual rainbow of glowsticks to keep them entertained. I should have known there was trouble afoot when the sound effects of their “light sabre battle” came to an abrupt halt, but I was foolish enough to remain on the couch. The seven year old came inside and explained that his brother had broken his lightstick and tossed it on to the coffee table. The problem with kids that young is that they are fast little buggers; he was out the door before I could react. The green glowing goo from the shattered tube ate the finish, stripping a six inch long stripe down to bare wood. My solution was to scour down the area with 00 steel wool and then I used a stain pen I picked up at the hardware store. While the samples I had looked to be the same shade as the rest of the table, the stuff inside the pen just wasn’t close enough to make a decent match. So, I resanded and tried a can of stain which my wife deemed “good enough”, but the results were the same - close, but no cigar. So, I’m also stuck with the possibility of having to strip the entire table. If you and I can find some advice here, I’m willing to try it. However, if we are stuck having to go the hard route, I will be more than happy to send along two nephews who will have learned to sand and refinish to help you find a way out of the dog house!
Best bet is to find a cabinet shop in your area that would be willing to refinish just the top of the table for you. Modern furniture finishes are not typically the nitrocellulose lacquers we grew up with; they are more often than not a build of stains or toners plus a clear coat, which may be synthetic pre or post catalyzed (spelling?) lacquers. Some are waterborne, some are thinned with proprietary thinners. In other words, spraying a coat of conventional lacquer thinner sometimes worked in the good old days, but not very often today.
Hope this helps you get out of the doghouse!
Mike
I wouldn’t try to spot fix. Take the whole tabletop down to bare wood and refinish with something that will match the sides.
I’d suggest getting in touch with somebody who has experience and training in furniture repair. There’s just no telling what the original finish on that table is. Lacquer? Polyurethane? Oil? Oil-varnish mix? Shellac? If it’s shellac, you’re in luck. All you need is a can of denatured alcohol, a can of fresh shellac, and a clean rag. The others require their own solvents - and they can be pretty tricky.
If expert advice isn’t available, you could get a Homer Foormby refinishing kit. (Try Lowe’s or Home Depot.) The box will contain a stripper to remove ALL the old finish (eeeyow!) and a bottle of acrylic finish to replace it.
Another essential element of the project is an understanding mother-in-law. The best time to refinish the table is while your wife is spending a weekend with her mother. When she (your wife) gets back and sees the table looking brand new, preferably with a dozen roses sitting on it, you MAY get released from the doghouse. But don’t count on it.
Good luck.
Well… for time being you got the couch for a while til the missus cools down and the table is taken care of first. Other than that, everyone is entitled to stupidity in their lives. I agree with get the table fixed by a professional. Once that’s done, promise the missus you will never, ever do your models on that table again. Oh yeah - a couple dozen roses helps too.
It’s a good thing the temperature is going to be bearable for the next 10 days or more. The dog house won’t be too uncomfortable.
I know, I’m not helping. My wife said she would have shot me.
I can relate. Our oak kitchen table has a perfect circle dent where I dropped my Uzi barrel one day. My wife said, “Well, I guess that adds a little character.” Whew! Close call…[:O]
Gary
No suggestions, and I feel your pain; cuz I remember the first time I spilled superglue on the kitchen table, and it was only a year old…
Now, lo these many years later, my wife has kind of got used to it.
I think that’s gonna be about your only option, if you want everything to match in terms of luster.
Thanks all for the information and ideas. Yeah, I was kind of figuring that I’d have to either do the entire thing or have someone do it for me. Fortunately I have the tools available to do the whole thing, I was just hoping, by some slim chance, I could get away with the easy route. At this point in time, just getting myself out of the doghouse before the holidays is my main goal. Maybe, when I’m in Vegas next week I can take her to a nice dinner and a show and do some major kissing up! LOL
@Steve, yeah, I was making sure that I hid all of the weapons in the house or you would have seen my story on KTVB I’m sure!
Perhaps a high quality table cloth as a peace offering and temporary ‘fix’ until the table is refinished.
Oops missed the table cloth recommendation before mine. Looks like you’re down to refinishing (sand, restain, polyurethane seal). If you do any sanding you may have to restain the wood. You might have to sand and try different stain colors on an inconspicuous spot on the underside to find a match. Have you tried looking for a woodworking message board on the interwebs to get advice?
I have been a pro woodworker for most of my life. The best and easiest way to fix your problem has been stated here. Sand down the entire top and re-do it. If the top stain is a triffle different in color that the rest of the table, it will not be too noticeable, just match it as close as you can.