Finishing a Qld Maple Chair

[ian99]

I have a fairly large, 100-year-old armchair made from Qld Maple - or so I have been told - and am in the process of refinishing it and reupholstering the leather. Being a rank amatuer at wood finishes (ie polyu) I have bought Neil's book and read it through (twice!), because I don't want to stuff it up.

I have some finishing questions that sprang to mind after reading the book - would any old hands at this be able to shed some light please? From the book and messageboard the two most practical finishing options look like

1. A few coats of brushed-on shellac or french polish, and some traditional wax afterwards with 0000 steel wool; or
2. Application of organoil or danish oil, and maybe some wax.

I am not after a piano shine, only a kind of natural glow/lustre I guess ... the chair is "rustic" enough that a high shine would look wrong.

My questions are ... Which of these would be the most durable finish? The most suitable for Qld Maple? If a wax is applied, how often is rewaxing usually needed? Does wax have to be stripped off if re-danish-oiling is needed? Once the chair is reupholstered it will be difficult to refinish without taking the upholstery apart again, so I am looking for a finish that is going to last (another 100 years?).

The chair is not all that intricate, but there are enough nooks and crannies to make random orbital sanding practical on only about half the surfaces (but luckily the ones that are most visible) - does this rule out the organoil application technique as impractical?

And finally, are either of these finishes incompatible with leather upholstery (it will be rubbing against the wood in parts)?

There are a whole lot of questions there but if anyone could answer a few of them, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Ian.

[zitan]

Hi Ian99

What was the original finish? shellac will dissolve by brushing (with a toothbrush) with meths (gets very messy and don't smoke!) and no sanding should be needed. Anything else (poly, paint, lacquer etc) then it's a job and a half.

With old furniture it's best to use a finish that was originally used, but if this has failed it might be a good idea to try something else.

Oil (pure tung oil) is the most durable and is what I use. Getting a smooth satin sheen (looks glossy when viewed from a low angle) is easy but requires patience. Wax it if the surface doesn't feel slippery enough.

Do not use linseed oil.

Shellac will last about 200-300 years if the next generations care for it (rewaxing every now and then), and is dead easy to repair. If you've got intricate detail like carving or reeds, use shellac (best brushed on with a fine art brush). Careful not to apply too much at once or it will craze.

Then again the most durable finish of all is pure natural Rhus verniciflua lacquer - It'll last 2-3000 years if done properly.
(anyone know where I can get some from, or the tree itself? don't want anyone to come over with 3-week rashes though!)

In any case, use something that'll be available for the foreseeable future, and tell any future owners what you used.

Zitan

[journeyman Mick]

Originally posted by zitan
Then again the most durable finish of all is pure natural Rhus verniciflua lacquer - It'll last 2-3000 years if done properly.


Zitan,
care to divulge a bit more of this arcane knowledge with us? Or point us to a source of information as it sounds intriguing to say the least.

Mick

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day.

A quick google search comes up with this....

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Rhus%20verniciflua

[zitan]

Hi guys

Folks a little to the northwest of us are using natural lacquer day in day out and have been for a millenia or two. Someone out there must know how to get hold of some or at least bring some down our way. And here we are playing with our oils and shellacs! Well at least someone discovered Tung oil.

Japanese call it Urushi, very toxic, but who cares about a rash if you know it's going to last practically forever. I've heard of tests being done on a steel plate suspended in nitric acid covered in this material. The steel dissolves, the lacquer doesn't. What's more it can only cure in a humid environment. No need to worry about getting a DG for WP99 meths, or blooming, crazing etc.

All I can find as far as a supplier is concerned is:
www.mejiro-jp.com
(work through it to find their online catalogue)
And that was after several weeks searching! I haven't tried it out personally though, I think you need to have several trees growing outside your workshop if you're serious.

zitan