sandpaper scratches aka Stop me before I kill (my wife's kitchen table) again

[scratchy]

Help! How do I fix a finish scratched with sandpaper a.k.a. Stop me before I kill (my wife's kitchen table) again.
---
Hi,
Maybe you can help me... In trying to clean up my wife's kitchen table, I've just made the surface worse.
In brief:
Using 600 grit sandpaper, I've scratched up the shiny surface of a 1960's table. I don't want to refinish the entire table, and I know my scratches are not down to the wood, but I don't know what to do to fix the table without causing more damage to the finish. I have hazy spots where I've sanded and I tried a wipe with Turpentine; I then tried "Howard Restor-a-Finish" but with no success.
Any helpful ideas of how to work the finish to restore it? I don't want to have to strip and completely refinish the table.
I want to restore the old finish and get a nice shine. Note that I tried only a small spot with Restor-a-finish to fix it, but that product says to NOT use a poly over it. Should I scuff it up all over with 0 steel wool and coat it? If the recommendation is scuff-and-coat; what do I coat with?
I'd really like to undo what I did and then, once nice and shiny, maybe add another coat of something to protect it- from me as well as my wife.
Thanks,
-Dan R
The full story:
Background: My wife buys a nice 1960's wood veneer table. I wanted to help by getting out a few white rings caused when she put something hot on the surface.
What I did: I tried using an iron on top of a wash cloth to remove the rings. No success. No anything- except that it warmed up the table. Ok- So I used light pressure with 400 grit sandpaper and wiped with a paper towel covered in turpentine. Took the rings right out. Check me out- I'm a hero.
So- now I'm all excited. I go over most of the surface lightly with the 400 grit, scuffing up spots in the finish that were a little scratched, and wipe with turpentine cloth and- well it appeared to work...
What I've got: But after it dries I realize that the spots where I scuffed are all scratched up, worse than before. It seemed like a good idea but wasn't. Now the table looks like mice have been ice skating around the surface, it is has hazy scratches all over it. So- I am fairly certain I did NOT go through the finish and that I've just scuffed it up and ruined the shine. I tried Restor-A-Finish (http://www.howardproducts.com/restora.htm) and another wipe with Turpentine, but with no success. I don't want to keep messing with it without getting some advice.
Any ideas?

[soundman]

:eek: ..... OH Sh...!

firsty 400 gritt isn't a real fine gritt as youv'e just found out.
& sand paper probaly wasn't your best choice.

Fine grade steel wool of some sort of buffing compuond would hav been a better choice.
AHH well.

you realy need to find out what sort of finish you have.


I'll leave the rest to one of the more experienced heads.
For now..... leave it alone.... till you get better information.

cheers

[MoonShine]

Yikes!, also hurt my wifes table about a year ago and saved it while she was out shopping. When she got back I basically said to her that I was polishing the whole table rather than fixing one little bad patch I'd botched up.

Not an expert here, but got hold of 2000 fine grade Silicone Carbide Wet & Dry and a small tin of Carnauba. Rubbed the area back for a while trying not to go in a circular action but moreso with the grain.

Then applied some dabs of carnauba wax and polished back immediately with another soft cloth and it came up shinier than the other 99% of the table. So had to do the lot.
'She who must be obeyed' was most impressed with the overall finish, and a huge sigh of relief from old Tim the Toolman....me! Phew!, got outa jail with that one.

[scooter]

Per rocker, wait for more experienced advice, BUT:

That white ring bit is a clue, I think a shellac finish does this.

Rubbing the whole surface with a fine rubbing/buffing compound should even out the sheen, and then progress to polishing up the whole finish. Similar to cutting then polishing a car prior to the advent of clear coat finishes.

Otherwise, I think you may be able to apply another coat of shellac, the methylated spirits (mineral spirits in the US) used as a thinner in the shellac partially dissolves the previous coat/s and it should bind together.

Note all the thinks and shoulds in the preceding paras.

Hope you get it sorted.


Cheers................Sean

[Stuart]

White marks are water, driven into the surface with heat. Not sure if it available over there (mail order ) but Ubeaut's Polish reviver may be the solution to both your problems (the white rings, and the damaged finish) Certainly won't make it worse!

[Ashore]

Mate Go to the u-beaut home page , as stuart said use the Reviver or the eee polish post a picture if you can and mabye a pm to neil for expert help.


Rgds

[scratchy]

Thanks all for your help! From what I have read, I do think it is a Shellac surface. I'd like to not only clean up the spot- but I want to add a coat of something that will protect the table more.

She made the white rings, so I get one free pass on the damage I did after getting rid of the white rings.

So- without refinishing it by fully stripping--- should I wipe it down with Naptha or another solvent, let it dry fully, scuff it up and then put on a coat of poly? Is that the recommended path to take?

[Stuart]

Poly over shellac? Don't
If it is shellac, then Ubeaut polish reviver will definitely help.

[Hickory]

No No, Don't Stop.... All you need to do is rub out the finish with either Pumice Stone & Oil or Rottenstone & oil. Both are available from WWing stores. The oil is Mineral Oil (Pariffin oil in some strange parts of the world)

My sister has a beautiful matching bookmatched veneered dining room table, with a high gloss finish. She has had it for over 35 years. Anyway. Whilst she and hubby were traveling across country in their motor coach (Sold house and all and lived in the motorhome for 4 years) she allowed her daughter-in-law to use the table. Needless to say when she settled back down and recovered her furniture, the table was damaged similar to yours. A hot dish had been set on the table and cooked the finish as well as numerous scratches and water marks (rings,) I was visiting her last spring when she asked how she should strip the table as it needed a new finish. I looked at it and said "Where is there a Woodworking store?" We went to Woodcraft store in Tampa, Fla. and bought Rottenstone. Then to the Drug store for Mineral spirits. Couple of old towels and some beach towels on the floor.. I worked in the Rottenstone and with mineral oil buffing and polishing and distroying my elbow till the ruined finish of the hot dish was almost invisible (The waves were there but you couldn't see them very well as the shine of the table reflected the room) Looked so good that the rest of the table looked dull and dirty. So I spent the rest of the afternoon polishing the whole surface.

So, for a box of Rottenstone (messy stuff and only used a tablespoon full) and a bottle of Mineral oil Three Manhattens and a few rags, she had her luster back and saved the finish.

[scratchy]

That sounds promising- especially the part about the Manhattans. Perhaps I'll finish it off with a Rob Roy.

So- essentially- you are saying I should polish it fine and that will undo the scraches on the surface. Ok.

Any ideas for what i could put over the varnish to give it a more protected coat?

[Paul B]

On my guitars that have a french polish finish, I take any marks out by wet sanding with P1200 grit wet and dry paper, then move on to P2000 grit, and then finish off with the same stuff I use to polish the car. The car polish is slightly abrasive plus it lays down a coat of wax to protect the finish. Your main worry should be about weather or not you sand through the finish with the wet and dry paper.

[Hickory]

Never use Car Polish on Wood products as it contains Silicone. Any attempt to finish after Silicone had contamidated the surface will result in "Fisheye" and "Orange peel" I won't even use the same rags in my shop after polishing the car.

As for surface protection, a good coat of Past Wax will protect from most re-occurances. Not "Pledge" or other household polishes (as they contain Silicone also) but Past Wax.. Johnsons, Bri-wax, Tre-wax, or your local brand. but a good paste wax. Rub on Rub off.

[MoonShine]

On my guitars that have a french polish finish, I take any marks out by wet sanding with P1200 grit wet and dry paper, then move on to P2000 grit, and then finish off with the same stuff I use to polish the car. The car polish is slightly abrasive plus it lays down a coat of wax to protect the finish. Your main worry should be about weather or not you sand through the finish with the wet and dry paper.

I do the same up to a point, checked out silicone free polishes in the Auto shop but a friend tipped me off to get hold of a small tin of Gilly Stephenson's Carnauba Wax.
Have found this one to produce a much 'wetter' looking shine than all the other polishes around, including carnauba & bee's wax which is dull compared to the carnauba by itself.

As Hickory mentioned, most car polishes contain carnauba but have silicone as well....can't remember the brand but it does specify Non Silicone. But went to Bunnings instead and tried the Carnauba...good tucker with mirror finish.

[Paul B]

Just looked at the bottle, stuff is actually novus plastic polish. Not car polish. No silicone oil, in it. Nothing with silicone oil gets into my workshop.