Van treight furniture 'yellowed'

**frannydp** · 30th December 2011, 09:36 AM

Hi,
I have a latge set of Van treight furniture (15 pieces) that i have acquired and the outside of the furniture is very yellowed. i expect it is cigarette smoke as the insides of all cabinets, buffets etc is still the antique white it would have originally been.

Ive spoken to some local restorers and they've said "throw it out and buy new furniture

, full restoration would be expensive" but i dont want to do this and want help finding a way i can clean off the yellow. other than the yellow the furniture is in immaculate condition!!

A bit of info on the pieces... i think they are teak or oregon although im not entirely sure.
they have a smooth finish and the table (which was always covered) has a shinier apprerance than the rest of the furniture.

So far i have tried (on inconspicuous spots) :
white vinegar
apple cider vinegar
bicarb
bicarb/white vinegar
turps
wheel cleaner
engine cleaner (i know, sorry...thought i'd give it a go....)
cream cleanser

I have seen info on the u-beaut products, i want to know if they would work?

Owing to the fact that the items are in great condition other than the yellowing i dont really want to strip it back and ruin the existing finish if at all possible and because this set is such a large matching set, i dont want to part with....

Can anyone please make any suggestions of what could work??

So far i havent tried
TSP
Bleach
Methylated spirits
+any 'commercial' timber product

I am assuming its a painted and polyurethane coated piece (ive tried attaching some pics but im not sure if theyve attached properly)

I live in camden, i would be happy to take some of the furniture to anyone in sydney for advice, this is a labour of love for me, i am not restoring furniture to sell.

any help appreciated!!!!

Fran

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**tea lady** · 30th December 2011, 10:18 AM

Could also be yellowed just from the light!

It is amazing how much the color can change. Tassie oak or vic ash goes quite yellow. As does Pine! You do mention they are painter though!

I think you have done something weird with the pics. Not attached properly! You might have to read the instructions. In the FAQs up there, under "reading and posting messages"!

**Master Splinter** · 30th December 2011, 12:35 PM

There is a possibility that it is simply yellowing of the paint - white enamel paints are susceptible to this over time.

I think bleach or hydrogen peroxide may be looking like the only solution...however, on the off chance (a slim one, but worth a test) it is something polyurethane/plastics-aging related, have a read of this..... http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/

**frannydp** · 30th December 2011, 01:57 PM

I did think about the oxyaction washing powder, although i tried the vinegar/bicarb solution and that bubbled away but didnt lift the stain.
The company has since closed and im having a hard time finding information on the materials

**rustynail** · 30th December 2011, 03:33 PM

I had a lot to do with Vans and other furniture manufacturers back in the early 70. They were at the leading edge of new finishes and finishing methods, some of which were not as successful as others. Curtain spray application was in the early stages of development and many different mixes were tried. Whites and antique white were popular during this period. Early forms of both have, with time, shown a destinct tendancy to discolour due to UV. I would suggest your efforts to restore the existing finish will be in vain. Once you arrive upon a successful concoction, it will probably damage the remaining finish. Also, the discolouration may be taken as a sign that the existing finish is fast approaching its useby date.
Should you require a good polisher to refinish I can make recommendation, feel free to PM me.

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