smell in the art deco walnut veneer

[wondering]

Hi there. What a great website!! Can anyone out there help me with the pong coming from the finish on my recently-acquired-aussie-made-art deco walnut veneer bedroom suite? Its not that old wood musty smell, though thats there too, but something in the veneer treatment. Its a sharp smell than turns a bit sour sometimes.Our local restorer/dealer said that it was something in the original treatment that sank right in and is impossible to get out, even when stripped right back. Is there anything I can do that addresses the problem...without a total strip? Perhaps a scented finishing oil? Any recommendations? You can see I'm a total novice!

[Slashbot_427]

Hi Wondering


Welcome to the forum

However not too sure about the smell....

[toolbagsPLUS]

G;day.

There is some stuff from the chemist called "nilodour" but for my money it smells worse that the odor you're trying to cover up sound like the scented wax could be the go or get an oil burner set up near it.

Sorry not much help but they could work. The other thing may be a few drops of gum turps. I generally put some in the finished restorations i do and it works a treat.


Cheers


Steve

[Virgil]

Air the thing out as much as you can. Keep the doors open, drawers out etc.

Put a couple of open containers of bicarbonate of soda in it. It is a great substance for absorbing smell.

Good luck with it.

Cheers,
Virg.

[KJ401]

It's likely the veneer is Qld. walnut. If so, the smell is from the timber itself, not from something applied or split on it. It was considered ideal for art deco fitouts in the 1920s and '30s until it became obvious the odour problem couldn't be solved.
Heard a lovely story from an elderly polisher about an extremely expensive fitout in a well known playboy's bedroom at Darling Point in the 1930s which had to be ripped out after his lady visitors kept complaining about the dog poo smell....
You can try sealing it with shellac, but frankly its just doing what Qld walnut does. Only other option is to try and camouflage it with scented drawer liners and the like. Nilodor wont work.

[wondering]

Thanks for the advice everyone!! I think that you might have solved the problem for me KJ. There's no hint of any mildew or staining inside and the smell is definitely coming strongest off the the untreated panels in the suite. I've aired it for a week, but one night with the doors closed and its back in full force. I'm going with a clove oil attack inside and a lemon-scented treatment on the veneer...and if that fails...its the playboy treatment! Oh well. Win some, lose some, eh?