Finish Revivers

Ways and means of reviving old finishes.

By Marylee MacDonald

Friends had bought a mansion in Hyde Park, Illinois, and as we walked through it, admiring the tall windows and panel doors, they were already moaning about the woodwork they envisioned having to strip. ÒWhy donÕt you use a finish reviver?Ó I said. TheyÕd never thought of this labor-saving approach, and yet itÕs one I used to spruce up a 2,600-square foot Queen Anne house, virtually by myself. Finish revivers can be used on furniture, mouldings, doors, paneling, and even floors. There are several ways to revive an old finish. Merely cleaning off the dirt and wax may restore the luster. For scratches on a tabletop, a gentle cleaning followed by recoating with shellac or lacquer may do the trick. Lightly dissolving the surface layer and rubbing out flaws with a soft cloth might work, or you might have to liquify the finish and brush it out. Even the last approach is easier than stripping.

Cleaning Intact Finishes
If the finish is dark or dull, but not cracked or crumbly, simple cleaning may be all you need. Start with the mildest cleaner first.

Mix one tablespoon Ivory Liquid in a quart of warm water. Whip it to create suds. Dip an old towel into the sudsÑnot the water. Water will turn shellac and lacquer cloudy. Suds will not. Rub a test area (about two square inches) vigorously, then towel dry.

If the surface is still dark, remove old wax by brushing mineral spirits on the test area. Allow to soak in for three minutes (less if itÕs a glossy tabletop). Vigorously scrub in the direction of the grain with a towel. Then allow the wood to dry for an hour and apply a bit of lemon oil.

If this doesnÕt take care of the problem, you can try a commercial cleaner, such as Briwax Furniture Cleaner (imported from England), which removes wax, smoke, and dirt. Floors have their own cleaners, such as Floor Revive, to deep clean and restore shine. A pleasant-smelling homemade cleaner OHJ has recommended for years is one cup each boiled (not raw) linseed oil, white vinegar, and turpentine. Put the ingredients in a one-quart container and shake vigorously.

In a test area, apply this mix with a paintbrush, let it sit for three minutes, and scrub with terry cloth. You can also use fine steel wool (#0000) or green 3M pads. (If IÕm going to apply clear finish later, I avoid steel wool; fine steel hairs catch in the wood grain.) Wipe off the excess with paper towels or rags (see ÒSafety First,Ó below).

If the cleaner is effective, go on to clean all your woodwork. You can clean newel posts and carved trim with a toothbrush. To clean inside turnings, use twine, working it back and forth like a shoeshine rag. The same tools can be used for the finish revivers. When the woodwork is clean and dry, apply lemon oil or paste wax, but not both. Lemon oil dissolves wax and turns it gummy.

More Than Cleaning
LetÕs say your finish is scratched, crazed, or crumbly. As long as the body of the finish is still there, a commercial finish reviver can help it rise again like Lazarus. These products range from those that coat scratches and remove water blooms to others that ÒmeltÓ the finish and allow you to brush it out.

For a lightly scratched table top you can use Jet Spray Lacquer, which touches up scratches, blending them seamlessly with the existing finish. YouÕll need to specify clear or one of several wood colors. ThereÕs a Blush Eraser that goes along with this product to get rid of those white marks from glasses. Or try Pad-Lac Padding Lacquer. The product kit includes a soft pad that spreads a thin finish over the existing varnish, shellac, or lacquer, leaving an effect similar to French polish.

If the surface is distressedÑwater rings, burns, checking, or crazingÑtry one of the products sometimes called Òrefinishers.Ó They range from gentle to very aggressive. Among the gentlest is HowardsÕ Restor-A-Finish, which does not dissolve the original finish but removes flaws as you rub with fine steel wool or toweling. It comes in nine wood colors. A similar product, designed especially for highly polished surfaces, is Briwax Reviver, which is rubbed in with a soft cloth.

A more aggressive reviver, BehlenÕs Qualarenu Amalgamator, softens old shellac, lacquer, and varnish so that you can brush the finish smooth. YouÕll need something this strong if the finish is alligatored. Be prepared to work quickly because the amalgamator only has a short ÒopenÓ time.

The product youÕre most likely to find in your local hardware store is FormbyÕs Furniture Refinisher. FormbyÕs definitely falls into the aggressive camp. Be sure to test in an inconspicuous location first and try several application methods, from 0000 steel wool to barely dampened terry cloth. FormbyÕs will cut through varnish, so it can be used to revive varnished woodwork, but if you put too much on, youÕll wind up with most of the finish on your steel wool or rag.

Home-Brew Finish Revivers
Saving money is a goal if you have rooms of architectural woodwork staring you in the face. In that case, you might find that a home-brew works as well as commercial finish revivers, especially if your woodwork is shellacked. You can try the following, starting with the first and working your way down. (HereÕs where youÕll be glad youÕve tested your old finish first.)

- 15 percent by volume lacquer thinner - 50/50 lacquer thinner and denatured alcohol
- pure denatured alcohol
- pure lacquer thinner

When you are not actively applying them, store these liquids in a widemouth jar with a lid. The volatile ingredients will off-gas, so suit up, with mask and gloves, for the work.

Dip steel wool or a 3M pad in the mix and rub with the grain until youÕre happy with the color. The finish dissolves, so work on about one square foot at a time. Stop when the tackiness disappears or when the color pleases you. You may have to go over the whole area a second time, with a lightly dampened pad, to remove lap marks.

The Final Touches
Allow the amalgamated finish to dry. To bring back gloss, rub tung oil on by hand with a lint-free rag. Go with the grain, wiping off excess. One coat provides a satin finish and two coats, gloss.

Another option is to recoat with shellac. You can use shellac over any other finish and itÕs highly reversible. For tabletops, consider a tung oil varnish. Tung oil varnish provides a durable surface, impervious to water.

Contributing editor Marylee MacDonald is a building consultant who lives in Evanston, Illinois.



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