How does acetone effect patina?

**greeno1645** · 27th January 2023, 01:26 PM

Greetings! I'm new on this Forum. I'm a collector of antique Chinese furniture. In many cases, I find the pieces have been painted, heavily Minwaxed, or due to age, just have layers of old wax & dirt on the wood.

Since the furniture I collect is generally some form of rosewood, very dense and oily, I typically just get a soft rag soaked in acetone, and just wipe until the color and grain of the underlying wood comes through. Then, finish with wax.

However, recently I was told by someone that the acetone could be removing the 'patina' of the wood.

Can acetone remove 'patina'?

And just so we are talking about the same thing, how do you define 'wood patina'?

I've always felt that a wood's patina is the natural change in color of the wood's surface due to sun and general aging from use/handling.

As far as I can tell, I'm just removing old paint, discolored clear coat, and years of built up wax and dirt, but I perhaps I'm wrong.

Thanks for the help.

**Skew ChiDAMN!!** · 27th January 2023, 04:48 PM

Technically, patina is a thin film that forms on the surface of metals through oxidation or similar chemical processes. Think 'tarnish.'

When applied to wood/timber, it means pretty much the same thing. Personally I limit my use to mean the normal aging of the timber and original finish, but if you want to be literal about it that'd include the heavy layers of wax and dirt too.

In other words, yes you're removing the patina.

I wouldn't worry about it too much; so long as all you're removing is the outermost layers of wax & dirt and leaving the original finish untouched. Mind you, it can be difficult to tell when to stop. 'Tis far better to be safe than sorry if there's any intrinsic value to the piece.

**jack620** · 27th January 2023, 05:06 PM

Thomas Johnston is a antique furniture restorer who has a YouTube channel. It's a very informative channel. I highly recommend watching him. He starts almost every project by cleaning the piece with a product called Krud Kutter. I've never used it, but it's avalable in Oz:
Krud Kutter Cleaner Degreaser Stain Remover 946mL | Mitre 10

He's very careful to keep the original finish on the pieces he restores where possible, but not the crap that's built up on the finish over the years. He doesn't call that patina and nor would I.

**yvan** · 28th January 2023, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by jack620

Thomas Johnston is a antique furniture restorer who has a YouTube channel. It's a very informative channel. I highly recommend watching him. He starts almost every project by cleaning the piece with a product called Krud Kutter. I've never used it, but it's avalable in Oz:
Krud Kutter Cleaner Degreaser Stain Remover 946mL | Mitre 10

He's very careful to keep the original finish on the pieces he restores where possible, but not the crap that's built up on the finish over the years. He doesn't call that patina and nor would I.

I have been subscribing to Thomas Johnston YT channel for the past 3 years or so and find it very informative too.
I ended up buying some Krud Kutter from the US to try it. I find it to be terrific to clean very greasy surfaces. Somehow the product doesn't leave a film which can be a pain to remove. It is good to know that it is available in Oz now!

Johnston himself is a model of patience when it comes to scraping old wood glue from wood joints or restoring damaged veneer by re-glueing and/or replacing missing bits. I also noticed that he seems to use sanding paper as little as possible. Nothing flash about him except for 40 or 50 years of experience in the business!

Cheers
Yvan

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