r/finishing • • 3m ago

How do I safely remove this existing sealant from wood / walls without damaging them?

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• Upvotes

Hi all! Not sure if this is the right subreddit for this, but hoping someone here might have some advice!
We bought our home in June and recently had two massive glass panels removed (shown in the first photo). They were part of an art installation/wine room setup right in the entryway of our home. Not really our style, so we decided to take them out.

We paid quite a bit to have the glass professionally removed, but now we’re left with this black, foam-like adhesive and clear sealant stuck to the floors, ceiling, and walls.

I started trying to remove it with a razor scraper but quickly stopped because I was worried about damaging the surfaces, especially the wood floors.
Does anyone know the best way to remove this stuff? Is there some kind of solution or adhesive remover that could help loosen it without damaging the wood finish? It’s really stuck on there, and I have no idea where to start.

My biggest concern is preserving the floors, so I’d love any advice before attempting anything else. Thanks in advance!


r/finishing • • 1h ago

First refinishing project; need advice

• Upvotes

A few photos

Wish I'd found this subreddit before diving into elsenet advice and the local hardware store. 😅 Please help me salvage this lovely mostly-veneer bookcase! It looks like it was used to hold various bottles in somebody's basement, but I want to put books in it.

Website said to use three grades of sandpaper, but I used the roughest (100?) on only the top and bottom, which are solid. I'm not sure that even that did enough on the bottom shelf.

I then started in with 250 on the veneer parts, which doesn't seem to be doing anything for the rings (see pic), but I also noticed some.tiny chips and stopped.

Hardware store sold me a cherry stain and varathane because of the low VOC. Warned me not to use steel wool or tack cloth, saying they would create problems with the water-based stuff.

Bearing in mind that I can't buy a whole lot more stuff, and that this is sitting in a garage...advice for how to make this pretty shelf at least not any worse than it was?


r/finishing • • 1h ago

Dark varnish beater sofa table makeover

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• Upvotes

Was originally planned all GF Persian Blue to match some other chairs. Sanding revealed a nice butcher block pattern under the dark varnish. GF nutmeg stain with three satin topcoats.


r/finishing • • 6h ago

Matching old pine finish

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2 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I have an old pinewood bed frame and I like its color (I know it is controversial). There were some big scratches on the side rails. I sanded them down and I am now trying to match it with rest of the bed. I tried General Finishes gel stain in American Oak color but was not quite happy with the results. The color was somehow off. I was wondering if anyone has experience with recreating this finish. I feel this finish on pine furniture used to be popular at some point and I am hoping someone knows how to make it. Thanks!


r/finishing • • 6h ago

AMA with Tallahassee Tung Oil: American tung oil, from orchard to finish - October 15

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2 Upvotes

r/finishing • • 8h ago

First Project – 1980ies GDR chairs

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2 Upvotes

Hi :) any ideas on what finish to use? Tung oil or shellac?
I‘m a complete newbie to furniture restoration so maybe sth. that’s not too difficult to use. Apparently they are made of teak.


r/finishing • • 13h ago

Need Advice Danish oil for kitchen countertop?

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3 Upvotes

I want to use Watco Danish Oil on top my oven countertop in the kitchen.
I dont want any frequent maintenance and i wont be eating on this countertop nor having any food touch it, but it will serve as a kitchen workspace for food (For example, having vegetables cut on a cutting board on this piece of wood).
Thanks!


r/finishing • • 6h ago

How would you restore this stool?

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1 Upvotes

r/finishing • • 7h ago

Fireproof varnish fumes

1 Upvotes

My landlord wants to put fireproof varnish on my bedroom door and have me sleep in the same room that same night. VOC fumes give me migraines and she really could have done it at any other time.

Can I make the argument that it's not safe?


r/finishing • • 9h ago

Veneer Restoration

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1 Upvotes

I am planning to try to repair this Thomasville ernest hemingway coffee table for personal use. There are some pretty deep scratches some down to the veneer in the finish. I have seen that I shouldn't refinish the table as it devalues it and can be hard to do with the thin veneer. Looking for tips on how to make the scratches shown less conspicuous. I bought some wax fill pencils for one deep divot which worked okay. I know the veneer already isn't in the best of shape and there's areas that won't look much different no matter what I do.


r/finishing • • 10h ago

Can I spray 2K over (3+ years cured, buffed with Meguiars) lacquer?

1 Upvotes

I bought a rattle can of 2k Spraymax for a fairly small project, but I don't want the excess to go to waste.

I was thinking of using it on a guitar body I built a few years ago, but if I want to spray it over lacquer that has been cured for 3+ years, would I need to anything special to it if it was buffed with Meguiars?

Do I need some kinda remover before spraying, or a scuff sand, and which grit would be recommended if so?

(Current project, I'm using Aqua Coat, generous sanding up to and beyond 240 grit, and of course 2K)


r/finishing • • 11h ago

Question Best stain/sealer for old wood windows?

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1 Upvotes

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We have almost 100 year old windows. Majority of the stain is okay, but some spots look dry and need to be conditioned and protected. Not so much worried about matching stain at the moment, but I want something I can use on the entire frame - the stained parts and problem spots.


r/finishing • • 12h ago

I’m hoping to even out the black stains on this antique walnut drawer front. Any ideas?

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1 Upvotes

The wood is already finished. I’m not exactly sure what caused the staining whether it was mildew or a tannin reaction. It is not raised it seems to be behind the finish


r/finishing • • 13h ago

Does anyone know what kind of finish this is?

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1 Upvotes

r/finishing • • 18h ago

Question Can I spray 2K over (3+ years cured, buffed with Meguiars) lacquer?

1 Upvotes

I bought a rattle can of 2k Spraymax for a project but I don't want the excess that I need to go to waste.

Would I need to do anything special to lacquer that was buffed with Meguiars? Do I need some kinda remover before spraying? It's a guitar body I built years ago, but was never 100% happy with the gloss lacquer finish


r/finishing • • 1d ago

Question Sanding with the grain ... Or, how I've learned to stop worrying and love pine.

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6 Upvotes

My grandfather's grandfather was a carpenter, I'm told. I was happy to accept what he taught me as dogma, I never had any reason to question it until today.

"Never sand against the grain, always up and down with it."

When polishing something, ya take a different angle. Two of em, opposed at 90°. Cut. Cut across. Flat.

I tried it with the boringest piece of pine I had access to. It is no longer the boringest piece of pine I have access to.

What is this black magic?


r/finishing • • 1d ago

Question Stain and weatherproofing finish recommendations

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4 Upvotes

What products would you recommend for weatherproofing and or staining these cedar Adirondack chairs?


r/finishing • • 21h ago

Best way to remove circle without refinishing?

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1 Upvotes

This is a vintage table with a stained spot from a glass. How can it be removed without refinishing, can I try to polish everything, if yes, what is the best way to polish it?


r/finishing • • 22h ago

Need Advice Kitchen Cabinet Knobs

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1 Upvotes

The previous owner of my house painted the kitchen cabinet knobs silver. There are a couple that have worn and I can’t tell if it is brass underneath. What is the best way to refinish these?


r/finishing • • 23h ago

Question Can I use any foam brush with arm r seal?

1 Upvotes

I’m struggling to apply a smooth coat of arm r seal using the t shirt method. I’m thinking of using a foam brush but saw something about the solvents in arm r seal may dissolve the foam. I’m also struggling to apply thin and even coats. I notice I miss some spots and have to go back over or spot apply.

This is my first time applying anything and would appreciate any advice. I’m open to other methods as well. Might try a blue shop cloth.


r/finishing • • 1d ago

Need Advice Staining over end grain epoxy blotches

1 Upvotes

I drastically underestimated now much epoxy soaks into the end grain. I have a pocket in a maple piece where a magnet assembly resides potted with epoxy (part of a musical instrument electrodynamic pickup). There is a 10mm end grain wall between the pocket and the surface and the epoxy had soaked this wall all the way through. I planned to stain the final piece black but epoxy soaked parts won’t take the stain. What can I do except leaving the piece natural?


r/finishing • • 1d ago

Reviving a wooden table top

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2 Upvotes

Hello!

I snapped up this table at an op shop, and want have a go at reviving it (I'm completely new to this). During sanding (150-240-320 grit) I noticed a mark on the wood and I'm not sure if it's a stain or wood discoloration. Can any of you make out what it is? Should I keep sanding it, or use bleach?

I want to achieve a kind of French-polished look, and since it's a heavy traffic table, High-Gloss Polyurethane (Oil-based) is supposedly the way to go.

Any tips or remarks regarding my approach are welcome!


r/finishing • • 1d ago

Blotchy Oil Stain, can I cover with an all in one?

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1 Upvotes

r/finishing • • 1d ago

Question Matching an existing front door color

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2 Upvotes

r/finishing • • 1d ago

Question Restoring antique dinner table

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3 Upvotes

I want to restore this antique table that has seen better days. We think it is antique teak, treated with shellac (20 years ago maybe). We want to get rid of the moisture spots and get it presentable again. We do want to keep some of the character. I am considering chemically rinsing the shellac, and adding hardwax-oil toplayer with some pigment, to keep the darker look. Any advice is much appreciated