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Some finishes are impenetrable by any stripper. That’s when you turn to stripping with a heat gun.
Strippers had no effect on this finish, which was probably polyester. A heat gun, used carefully so as not to burn the wood, did.
My daughter-in-law found a dining table she really loved and wanted to refinish it. I was visiting, so naturally, she asked me how to remove the old finish, which was damaged.
It turned out that the table was a reproduction made in Asia, nice enough looking, and well enough made, but the finish was impenetrable by any stripper. It was a thick, glossy finish that I concluded was polyester…because it looked like polyester (think of Yamaha pianos from several decades ago), not because I know a test for polyester.
I decided to try a heat gun. It was slow, but it worked.
This table was veneered, but it was fairly new, so the veneer wasn’t glued down with animal hide glue. Hide glue would dissolve with that much heat. But modern synthetic adhesives are resistant to heat.
I had no problem with the veneer lifting. I just had to be careful not to burn the wood.
— Bob Flexner
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As a professional restorer/refinisher I have come across many problem finishes, none as nasty as polyester, I did have some luck with polyester by covering it with plastic after applying commercial stripper to slow down the evaporation. After doing this several times on the piece I was able to remove the finish without having to resort to the heat gun.
Thank you for your very timely response! And thank you the options and your experience with their success.
You are right, I meant denatured alcohol.
I am not sure what I am going to do. The joint is not cross grain, but close to edge to edge so I may not do anything.
Thanks again.
Tom
Can you tell me what will happen to the shellac finish if I use a heat gun or clothes iron and water to heat a joint with glued with hide glue? I prefinished the pieces in the joint I now want to disassemble with the technique Chris S. discussed in the Feb. issue. I finished the two pieces by padding on Zinzer shellac cut with mineral spirits. Will I be able to repair the finish?
Thanks in advance for any help,
Tom