Hi.
I bought a new cherry dining room table two years ago and it's really
beautiful. The thing is, due to ignorance and a cat with sharp claws,
the finish on top has lots of scratches, and a large discoloration
that happened when I put a hot plate directly on its surface.
My questions are: can the finish be restored? If so, is there any
kind of material I could have it coated with that would be impervious
to cat claws and hot plates (it has scarred even through placemats).
If not, could someone suggest a wood/finish that is durable and
forgiving of use, and yet does not look totally plastic?
Thanks,
Jenn
Jenn,
First of all the CAT is YOUR problem . . . I won't even get into that other
then to mention 'training vs de-clawing'.
Now lets approach the finish. IF, I repeat IF the finish is a shellac based
one you MAY be in luck. New shellac dissolves, or 'merges' with the old. If
the scratches aren't too deep, and the discoloration is in the FINISH {and
NOT the wood}, a relative simple treatment MIGHT WORK. Wipe the surface with
denatured alcohol. Use a LOT of rags to 'suck up' the finish in the area of
the discoloration. IF it works you should see the scratches partially filled
and less obvious, and the discoloration gone. Now apply a couple of careful
coats of shellac. That's the 'quick & dirty' method.
For a REALLY good job, you have to start from the 'bottom up'. Hopefully the
table is SOLID Cherry, and not just a veneer !! You've got to find out WHAT
the finish is, and REMOVE it. {look on the underside of the table -
hopefully there is the name of the manufacturer and a model # . . . contact
them for as much info as you can get}. After you are down to 'raw wood' ,
simply prep & build a finish for YOUR circumstances. {Be warned . . . the
original 'beautiful' finish may have been due to a number of 'commercially
sprayed' dyes, stains, & glazes}.
The 'purests' say DON'T stain Cherry, let it 'age gracefully'. If you do
'stain' it; use an aniline dye. For YOUR purposes, and 'working environment'
a Poly is just about the only thing that will hold up. Yes, they tend to
look like 'plastic' . . . when put on too heavily, and the 'cool' hue isn't
taken into consideration. You should be able to add the *tiniest* amount of
the aniline dye to the Poly to just 'take the edge off' that inherent
coolness.
Get your self some pieces of Cherry and EXPERIMENT until you find what
pleases YOU and 'holds together'. From a chemical & mechanical standpoint .
. . several thin coats of poly should withstand the aggressiveness of your
cat, and give SOME increased resistance to heat. However, 'Hot Pads' ARE
recommended for pots, pans, and items with heating elements !!
Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop
"Jennifer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi.
>
> I bought a new cherry dining room table two years ago and it's really
> beautiful. The thing is, due to ignorance and a cat with sharp claws,
> the finish on top has lots of scratches, and a large discoloration
> that happened when I put a hot plate directly on its surface.
>
> My questions are: can the finish be restored? If so, is there any
> kind of material I could have it coated with that would be impervious
> to cat claws and hot plates (it has scarred even through placemats).
> If not, could someone suggest a wood/finish that is durable and
> forgiving of use, and yet does not look totally plastic?
>
> Thanks,
> Jenn
oh, dear, I think you missed the politically correct boat on that one!
dave
J.B. Bobbitt wrote:
> "Jennifer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Hi.
>>
>
> <snip>
>
>>.... is there any kind of material I could have it coated with that would
>
> be impervious
>
>>to cat claws and hot plates....
>
>
> We get this problem all the time. I'd suggest wrapping it in burlap, then
> applying a nice thick coating of plaster. That way it'll still look like a
> cat, but it won't be able to jump up on the table so easily, and it sure
> won't be able to scratch the table top. And you could spray paint it a nice
> terra cotta color; it'll look more like a statue that way.
>
>
>>If not, could someone suggest a wood/finish that is durable and
>>forgiving of use, and yet does not look totally plastic?
>
>
> Shellac doesn't look as plastic as polyurethane, but I'm not sure how well
> it'll stick to cat fur. Epoxy resin would be my choice; it sets up fast and
> is verrrrry durable.
>
> Hope this helps.....
>
> -JBB
>
>
Dave,
Yes to 'water-based'. That is the stuff I use when a project is of a
'working' nature; like a kitchen stand/cabinet or a dining table top. Also,
anytime I do anything in the house {gas heat and appliances - open flame
pilot lights} it is Joanne's preferred finish due to the pervasive burned
hydrocarbons smell that permeates the house.
When I want that rich, classic Amber tone with a relatively hard,
'handleable', surface/finish. . . out comes the Marine Varnish {short-oil
type, NOT Spar}.
Regards,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop
"Bay Area Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ron, I was surprised to read your comment about poly being "cool" in
> nature. I've used poly and find it imparts a definite amber tint. Were
> you by any chance referring to most waterborne polys, which of course is
> cool unless a tint is added
>
> dave
"Jennifer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi.
>
<snip>
>.... is there any kind of material I could have it coated with that would
be impervious
> to cat claws and hot plates....
We get this problem all the time. I'd suggest wrapping it in burlap, then
applying a nice thick coating of plaster. That way it'll still look like a
cat, but it won't be able to jump up on the table so easily, and it sure
won't be able to scratch the table top. And you could spray paint it a nice
terra cotta color; it'll look more like a statue that way.
> If not, could someone suggest a wood/finish that is durable and
> forgiving of use, and yet does not look totally plastic?
Shellac doesn't look as plastic as polyurethane, but I'm not sure how well
it'll stick to cat fur. Epoxy resin would be my choice; it sets up fast and
is verrrrry durable.
Hope this helps.....
-JBB
Ron, I was surprised to read your comment about poly being "cool" in
nature. I've used poly and find it imparts a definite amber tint. Were
you by any chance referring to most waterborne polys, which of course is
cool unless a tint is added
dave
Ron Magen wrote:
> Jenn,
> First of all the CAT is YOUR problem . . . I won't even get into that other
> then to mention 'training vs de-clawing'.
>
> Now lets approach the finish. IF, I repeat IF the finish is a shellac based
> one you MAY be in luck. New shellac dissolves, or 'merges' with the old. If
> the scratches aren't too deep, and the discoloration is in the FINISH {and
> NOT the wood}, a relative simple treatment MIGHT WORK. Wipe the surface with
> denatured alcohol. Use a LOT of rags to 'suck up' the finish in the area of
> the discoloration. IF it works you should see the scratches partially filled
> and less obvious, and the discoloration gone. Now apply a couple of careful
> coats of shellac. That's the 'quick & dirty' method.
>
> For a REALLY good job, you have to start from the 'bottom up'. Hopefully the
> table is SOLID Cherry, and not just a veneer !! You've got to find out WHAT
> the finish is, and REMOVE it. {look on the underside of the table -
> hopefully there is the name of the manufacturer and a model # . . . contact
> them for as much info as you can get}. After you are down to 'raw wood' ,
> simply prep & build a finish for YOUR circumstances. {Be warned . . . the
> original 'beautiful' finish may have been due to a number of 'commercially
> sprayed' dyes, stains, & glazes}.
>
> The 'purests' say DON'T stain Cherry, let it 'age gracefully'. If you do
> 'stain' it; use an aniline dye. For YOUR purposes, and 'working environment'
> a Poly is just about the only thing that will hold up. Yes, they tend to
> look like 'plastic' . . . when put on too heavily, and the 'cool' hue isn't
> taken into consideration. You should be able to add the *tiniest* amount of
> the aniline dye to the Poly to just 'take the edge off' that inherent
> coolness.
>
> Get your self some pieces of Cherry and EXPERIMENT until you find what
> pleases YOU and 'holds together'. From a chemical & mechanical standpoint .
> . . several thin coats of poly should withstand the aggressiveness of your
> cat, and give SOME increased resistance to heat. However, 'Hot Pads' ARE
> recommended for pots, pans, and items with heating elements !!
>
> Regards & Good Luck,
> Ron Magen
> Backyard Boatshop
>
>
> "Jennifer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Hi.
>>
>>I bought a new cherry dining room table two years ago and it's really
>>beautiful. The thing is, due to ignorance and a cat with sharp claws,
>>the finish on top has lots of scratches, and a large discoloration
>>that happened when I put a hot plate directly on its surface.
>>
>>My questions are: can the finish be restored? If so, is there any
>>kind of material I could have it coated with that would be impervious
>>to cat claws and hot plates (it has scarred even through placemats).
>>If not, could someone suggest a wood/finish that is durable and
>>forgiving of use, and yet does not look totally plastic?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Jenn
>
>
>
On Tue, 02 Dec 2003 22:14:27 GMT, "Ron Magen" <[email protected]>
brought forth from the murky depths:
>When I want that rich, classic Amber tone with a relatively hard,
>'handleable', surface/finish. . . out comes the Marine Varnish {short-oil
>type, NOT Spar}.
What's an example brand for that finish, Ron? I hadn't heard
of a short-oil marine varnish before, only long-. URLs?
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