Refurbishing Red Cedar -Advice required.

[Jack Plane]

I have an Australian red cedar dining table (circa 1890) and the top is showing signs of wear and tear. My original intention was to strip it back and apply a 2 part clear epoxy. I have had all sorts of reactions to this plan ranging from “sacrilege” to “go for it”.

Has anyone got any thoughts on this (or alternative ideas)? Also, how does the epoxy go on the carved legs and ‘curly bits?

[bitingmidge]

Sacrilege!!

Unless you want a plastic table with a Cedar colour!

Epoxy will make it very durable, a bit like a table in a cheap Mexican Restaurant really.

Epoxy is not like using paint, and it's only "mostly" self levelling, which means you will have a lot of sanding/scraping to do in VERY hard material if you are looking to get a half reasonable finish. It is possible, but VERY difficult in small complicated pieces.

Even if I thought it was the right solution (which I clearly don't) I'd still say the same!

If you MUST do it, use a number of very thin layers, carefully sand after each one -120 is probably fine enough for the epoxy then use a few coats of clear varnish over the top to give it a final gloss finish.

Dont' do it though.

P


:eek: :eek:

[JB]

Definitely sacrilege. Shellac and wax would have been the original finish, but admittedly it is a bit impractical for table tops being easily marked by spills etc. However it's also easily refurbished.
If you must have a full-protection finish there's no need to go for two packs of anything which are only necessry for kitchen bench tops and bathrooms. Epoxy is a complete overkill. I'd go with a couple of thin coats of pre-catalysed satin lacquer, but you need a spray gun to apply it.
Definitely avoid any oil finishes on old pieces as the dry old timber sucks up the oil and can go very dark. And you can never remove it. Even lacquers and most estapols can be removed with paint stripper.

Having said all that, are a few signs of wear and tear so terrible? I reckon that's what old furniture is all about. A coat of wax would probably suffice. U-Beaut sell some suitable waxes, and also a few handy reviver potions.

[Duncanmck]

Shellace gives a depth of colour to a timber that is not achievable from a two part epoxy or a lacquer, but this is only my opinion. You are welcome to visit my workshop and have a look at cedar that is french polished, at least this may help you decide your final choice.

There are some other options. Burnt linseed oil can be applied and once it dries it is an incredibly durable finish. Tung oil is in this same category. The drying times between coats is long and the overall job will be in the multiple of weeks and not hours, but is worth it,

I haven't tried the Ubeaut hard shellac but it sounds similar to old fashioned mixtures of resins and shellac. This is definetly worth a try.

Shellac is still worth considering. Use a besswax as an initial coat after french polishing and then use a hard as a finishingf wax coat. The hard wax will protect against water or other stains. Rewaxing will need to be carried out every 6 months, but it should only take about 5 minutes to apply and then another 5 minutes to buff after half an hour.

Hope this opinion helps

Duncan

[ozwinner]

I have an Australian red cedar dining table (circa 1890) and the top is showing signs of wear and tear. My original intention was to strip it back and apply a 2 part clear epoxy. I have had all sorts of reactions to this plan ranging from “sacrilege” to “go for it”.

Has anyone got any thoughts on this (or alternative ideas)? Also, how does the epoxy go on the carved legs and ‘curly bits?

My god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What are you thinking???????????????????????
Poly on an antique will devalue it like anything........
If you want to preserve it, use shellac, never poly.

Al :eek:

[bitingmidge]

Hey Jack Plane, why not forget about restoring it, that's a lot of hard work!!!

Send Al a PM to arrange a swap for one of his pristine shop-made antique numbers... you'll get something you can't hurt with epoxy, and he'll get to practice shellacking!!

As for your mates that said "go for it"..... well get them in a dark room one at a time and take their advice!

Cheers,

P (just trying to be helpful!)

[Programmer]

I can only ditto what's been previously said. That wood is far older than you and I personally believe deserves some respect. OK, 'finishers' can 'go on' sometimes, but covering the poor thing with Supa Glue (as far as I'm concerned) is very, very BAD. ):

I suggest the following: (no particular order required)

a) Take it to a pro and get it restored correctly, you'll love it.
b) Tell your mates they've watched too much Dossa and Joe.

[ozwinner]

We went out to look at one the other night.

The bloke was spouting on about how good his 1890's cedar table was, how he thought it was worth squillions of $$$, he wanted $800 for a 4'x3' table.

It looked awfull, smothered in layers of poly, yeeerchhhhhh :eek: .
It was nice and shiney though.

We didnt buy it.

Al

[ubeaut]

Al is correct. You are most likely sitting on a pretty valuable piece of furniture and the easiest way to make it almost worthless is to put any type of modern day finish onto it.

1890's cedar would have been French Polished without a doubt. Shellac is the only way to go, and to those who say it isn't durable or is impractical, this post is the proof that when used correctly and looked after it is an excellent finish.

I have an Australian red cedar dining table (circa 1890) and the top is showing signs of wear and tear.

Not durable - This table is around 110 years old and showing signs of wear. I have seen poly finishes 10 years old that not only show signs of wear but are completely worn out and pealing off the timber.

Not only is using poly (or for that matter almost any modern finish) sacrilege but it's also down right criminal and whatever you do don't add to the criminal bit by sanding the whole thing back to raw timber trying to get rid of all the marks (patina) that is the story or history of the table, that is almost as devaluing as the poly. So is giving it a full blown French polish after sanding it back.

Ideally a 100 year old table should look like it is 100 years old but look like it has been lovingly cared for. There is nothing wrong with it showing the odd battle scar like when the candlestick blew over during the great storm of 1902, or the indentation of a signature from when the doctor signed the birth certificate of great aunt Bess, etc, etc.

As JB rightly said

are a few signs of wear and tear so terrible? I reckon that's what old furniture is all about. A coat of wax would probably suffice.

Maybe a going over with Polish Reviver will do the trick maybe not but worth a try and if it works you could save yourself a lot of hard work and headaches and save the tables integrity and value.

OK rant mode off...........

Cheers - Neil

[rsser]

Yeah; I'm with Neil.

There's also a Gilly Stephenson restoring wax that's reviewed in the current AWR.

[Ross]

Before you doing anything buy and read "A Polishers Handbook" by Neil Ellis.

Ross

[Jack Plane]

OK - You blokes can all get back on your bikes now.

After reading all your great responses and sort of working out that poly should be used as a name for a parrot and nothing else, I have taken the table over to my 84 year old french polisher mate.

He told me that some other idiot in my family (see, I'm not the only one) had laquered it at some stage and that was what was showing the wear and tear.

He is going to cut it back and polish it using UBeaut hard shellac.

Am I forgiven for the sacrilege now?

[ozwinner]

Maybe!!


Lets see some piccys of the finished thing.

Al

[Green]

I'm a bit late on this thread but I'm very interested as I also a ceder dining table from this period. It 7' x 4' and cost $500 at a second-hand furniture auction in Sydney about 2 years ago. I have seen poly restored tables at the auctions and they are completely lacking in character - mine is full of it (character that is). You can read in the wax the homework written with a heavy hand and a whole lifetime of use. My teenage children are constantly fighting over who will inherit it. Think carefully before any restoration.