cleaning old wooden sideboard

[scooterfiend]

I recently inherited an oak sideboard. There are a lot of quarter sawn panels.
What is a good method for cleaning a piece of furniture like this?
Because of some drips or runs of a varnish like coating in inconspicuous places I suspect it's been refinished. The finish isn't glossy and the wood doesn't seem covered. Appears to be like an oil finish.
It needs a thorough cleaning, a water based cleaner doesn't seem like a good idea.
I thought I'd ask you fine folks for suggestions.
Thanks,

 

[arjay]

If the protected areas still have some sheen,I’d guess shellac

 

[scooterfiend]

If the protected areas still have some sheen,I’d guess shellac

Cleaning suggestions?
I'm thinking shellac is a rather soft finish, correct?

 

[rkwood]

From your description of this piece, I would recommend the following steps for a thorough cleaning and polishing:

1) Clean with a Murphy's Oil Soap solution using a soft cloth. Let dry.

2) Use Old English Scratch Cover for Light Woods on areas with significant wear and scratches (be sure to test first on a small area not readily visible) OR appreciate the signs of age and use just as we appreciate the character of our older firearms.

3) Polish with Howard's Feed-n-Wax, then buff with a clean, dry cotton cloth.

Randy



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[Old TexMex]

A heat gun, and triangle draw scraper will work, use the heat gun judiciously.
[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1dEdumqO-Bc[/ame]

 

[Onomea]

Well, cleaning? Hmmm. Dunno about that, other than a good wipedown with a damp sponge?

I am no expert. Just a guy with very light and occasional experience, so take this with a large grain of salt, but:

I have had good luck greatly improving the look of well worn finishes on heavy, old wooden office chairs using a product called Howard Restor-A-Finish, purchased from Amazon. Following the application of this product, I use the same maker’s liquid wax. It looks much, much better than before.

On the other hand, if you want to go bigtime, and refinish, I recommend a finishing sander as a whole lot easier than using a chemical finish remover solution.

Good luck!

 

[Old TexMex]

Bronze wool may be sufficient.
Chemical are last resort,as Onomea says.

 

[Truckin]

We always use Murphy Oil Soap.

 

[italiansport]

Restor-A-Finish, can be bought at Lowes or Home Depot and is one on the best for restoring what you describe.
Jim

 

[g-dad]

Definitely Murphy Oil Soap! We've used it for years on. Another collection I have is antique sewing machines - pre 1900's. I use this on the cabinetry and then red oil. YMMV

 

[ameridaddy]

Cleaning suggestions?
I'm thinking shellac is a rather soft finish, correct?

Shellac is hard enough, but it's prone to water marks and an alcoholic drink spill will attack the shellac, but shellac repairs are very easy. 0000 steel wool rub out, cut dewaxed shellac with alcohol to 1 lb cut, apply with padded rag, let dry, lightly rub out, repeat until you like the look. A thin coat will dry in about an hour, depending on temp and humidity. It will bond and blend in to the existing finish like magic. Tung oil or boiled linseed oil is just as easy to repair as well, but needs about a one day drying time.

Find an area not too noticeable and rub it with mineral spirits, then alcohol, then lacquer thinner to see which one attacks the finish. Alcohol will soften shellac, mineral oil (paint thinner) will dull oil, lacquer thinner will soften a lacquer finish.

If it's not a shellac finish, then a light rubbing with a damp cloth followed by a paste wax should remove some dirt and brighten the finish. If it's shellac, carefully, lightly rub it down with 0000 wool moistened with mineral oil followed by dry cloth rubdown, then wax. Don't use anything with silicone in it!
Go slowly and enjoy the result.

 

[V1 Rotate]

I dunno if I would go on a gun forum to ask about the best way to clean an old piece of furniture. Why not a woodworking or furniture collector's forum, or some internet research? I admit we are all geniuses on this forum but it doesn't mean we know everything about everything.

I do know that there is no faster way of destroying the value of old good furniture than cleaning or refinishing it and destroying the patina.
Just saying.
Bill S.

 

[scooterfiend]

Thanks for all who responded. I'll consider all and proceed.
V1 Rotate, as much as I appreciate everyone's input, yours makes a lot of sense. Why didn't I think of that.

 

[arjay]

I would just start with a damp cloth and go from there.A lot of furniture polishes and miracle cleaners contain mineral oil and or silicone to give the finish a nice shine.If the clear coat is worn or has any breaks in it that stuff will get into the wood and make it a bear to ever refinish the piece.Not good!

 

[rustythread]

1. Clean with Murphy's Oil Soap
2. Using a 50/50 alcohol /lacquer thinner in an out-of-the-way place, see if you can melt and re-spread the finish. If so, use this to wipe down the entire surface, wiping from areas with remaining finish to those where the finish is thin.
3. Let dry, wax, and polish.
The above tends to preserve patina, and re-amalgamate the original finish rather than ruining it with sandpaper and having to start over from bare wood.

4. If steps above did not affect the original finish at all, now is the time to get out the steel wool and knock the surface down, then get into replacement finishes.

Hope I've remembered all the steps correctly--one of my part-time jobs while in law school was repair and refinishing of antique furniture, but that was 50 years ago.

You might check Alibris for an out-of-print book called "the Furniture Doctor", by George Grotz. Pretty sure this process is in there.

 

[BigBill]

I refinish gun stocks, repair abused gun stocks.

Murphy’s wood soap.
If stain is needed behr solar lux stain. Wear gloves. Match your color.
Forbes tung oil finish.

Expensive antique furniture that bubba used antique paint on goes to a pro furniture refinished. I get it back and hand rub the finish. I don’t strip good furniture unless bubba paints it.

 

[rkwood]

Here in the Pacific Northwest, it's (unfortunately) been kind of popular for the past several decades to refinish a lot of quarter-sawn oak furnature by stripping it and refinishing it with a thin coat of spray-on flat polyurethane that has been tinted with a brown stain. A single, thin coat leaves the wood sealed but a little dry, simulating an old finish. Keep in mind that this may be what you are looking at.

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[BigBill]

I picked up a military surplus fn49 that was refinished three times. I have no clue why bubba put three coats on top of each other. After stripping the wood stock I have the most awesome wood grain under the garbage.

 

[scooterfiend]

Thanks again to all of you.
Mike

 

[V1 Rotate]

Thanks for all who responded. I'll consider all and proceed.
V1 Rotate, as much as I appreciate everyone's input, yours makes a lot of sense. Why didn't I think of that.

Scooter, in my case this would be a perfect reason to let my natural laziness kick in and not clean it.

"Of course I could clean it, my dear, but that would totally destroy the value, character, and appearance. As a consequence, I'm SO DISAPPOINTED that I need to go sit down in the recliner."
Bill S