Old french polish has melted or bubbled

[AngelaS]

I have 2 old french polished cedar book cases that are covered in lumps and bubbles or bumps. It looks like something has happened to the polish and it has maybe melted or sort of lifted. It's a bit hard to describe but looks a bit like it has little drops of toffee that has set hard. Where there have been books in place it hasn't happened as much.

I have discovered with lots of elbow grease, 0000 steel wool and u-beaut polish remover I can get rid of maybe 80% of the problem. (Also discovered on a small bit that metho cleans it up too, but fine line between clean and going through the polish).

Wondering if anyone can shed some light as to why or how this has happened? My thought was maybe heat over many years. And am I attacking it the right way?

Thankyou in advance.
Angela

[wheelinround]

This sounds like what ever cleaner your using is the culprit for starters.

The rest sound like your on the right track but maybe needs a refinish surface finishes do wear.

[AngelaS]

Thanks for replying wheelinround, I have only just acquired these from my grandparents and knowing the history they would have been lucky to have been dusted a few times in the last 60 years. They would have been subjected to quite a bit of heat (40 deg plus), do you think that could contribute to it?

[AlexS]

Heat could be the culprit. Also, some types of wood, such as rose mahogany, seem to exude a resin that has a similar effect on whatever finish is used.

[woodie2]

Hi all
French polish is just numerous thin coats of shellac then burnished in with the last coat with 0000 steel wool. Usually the shellac can maybe have 30 or 40 thin coats of shellac with a sanding in-between the coats. Heat, age and pressure can damage the finish.

I would suggest you sand the surface until you get a flat surface. Then you can re-coat the surface. The mirror (depth of finish) is created with numerous every thin coats of shellac.

Big job, but if the furniture is worth the effort, the effort is worth the look of the finished furniture.

[Master Splinter]

Metho is the solvent for french polish - it'll strip it off completely (unlike modern finishes which have to be sanded off). It's probably easier to strip it and french polish it from new if it's that much work to clean up the existing finish.

French polish is pretty beginner friendly in that it builds easily, and as long as you are not aiming for an absolute piano gloss finish, easy to apply.

[soundman]

If it is infact french polish...ie shelac......you may be able to reflow it rather than starting again...not exactly easy to do well but a hell of a lot shorter process than stripping the whole lot off and building a finish from scratch.

anything with any form of alcahol in it will damage a shelac bassed finish.

lots of things can contain alcahol...any alcaholic beverage of course, some domestic cleaners, some hand creams, suntan lotions..hell all sorts of stuff.

If you have not already got a coppy order Neil's " finishers handbook" that may be of help.

and yes if you do plan to strip right back lots of metho and rag will get it off faster than sanding and you wont ruin all the hard work that has already been done getting the surface smooth.

cheers

[jimbur]

lots of things can contain alcohol...any alcaholic beverage of course, some domestic cleaners, some hand creams, suntan lotions..hell all sorts of stuff.cheers

Yes, just about anything that is an aid to 'beauty' will damage french polish as well as some insect repellents and household cleaners.
It used to be common for dressing tables to have a glass cover to protect the finish from the various beauty aids. God knows what they do to the skin
Cheers,
Jim