Refinishing Warning

[bases-loaded@juno.com]

Hi Terry -

I agree with the responses you have received so far: blushing, or cheap
lacquer are likely culprits.  A couple other possibilities come to mind,
although seeing the finish would make the diagnosis alot easier!   

Finishes can get a very hazy look when the entire film was built up with
a low sheen, like eggshell, or satin, instead of building with gloss and
just topcoating with the lower sheen.  Building with a low sheen gives a
real murky, ruddy look, almost opaque when really abused.  Also, some
lower quality water-based finishes can leave a nasty milky-look,
especially when viewed side-by-side with a good finish.  By itself, as in
this case, it can look pretty passable.  One other possibility is that
the film was built up too thick, beyond the finishes ability to maintain
clarity.  The "bar-top" look....

Sounds like you can do better, for sure!

Mark Potter
bases-loaded@juno.com
  
On Thu, 24 Jan 2002 09:31:37 -0500 "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
writes:
> I have a rosewood square grand to refinish and have been considering 
> subbing
> it out. Got a few estimates. Gave one guy the music desk to refinish 
> so that
> he could provide me with an example of his work.
> 
> My general experience with the quality of refinishers has largely 
> been
> whether they rub out the final finish or not, and how well they 
> remove any
> orange peel, etc.
> 
> I picked up the music desk at this shop yesterday. Looking at it in 
> his shop
> it looked nice. Not rubbed out, but a nice smooth satin finish. 
> Something
> looked a bit funny about it, but I told him it looked good.
> 
> Got back to my shop and compared it to a piece of rosewood I had 
> applied
> some tung-oil-based varnish to. OhmyGod. What a difference. His 
> piece was
> milky - it looked like it was finished with 2% fat milk rather than 
> varnish
> or laquer. Horrible, horrible, horrible. You could see the rosewood 
> grain,
> but it was translucent rather than transparent. I had never seen 
> anything
> like it. They guy would not disclose his product used or his 
> methods. I
> would kind of like to know - just so I avoid ever wasting my time 
> with it.
> 
> FWIW - make sure you see (and preferably can keep) a sample of your
> refinisher's work.
> 
> Looks like time for another wrestling match with refinishing!
> 
> Terry Farrell
> 
> 
>