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Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/separation of topcoat when applied
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Question
I am trying to refinish the tabletop of a 1950s mahogany dining table. I am pretty sure it is veneered. First I used a 0000 steel wool to remove the old finish and applied ARM-R-SEAL satin oil and urethane topcoat to seal it. The topcoat separated...there were void all over the whole top. Then I used a furniture stripper to remove the topcoat that I had applied.I then used oooo steel wool to remove any residue and a tack cloth and vacuum cleaner to remove any dust particles. Then I stained it with Benjamin Moore red mahogany stain let it dry 4 hours and this time started to apply Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane in a Satin finish and it started to separate again. Help....what is the problem that the topcoats keep separating and drying with voids in them!! Michele
Michele, just a thought but are you applying an oil based product and then applying a water based product over it??? that could be you issue. Water and oil don't mix. Simple science. The other thing I am picking up from your question is the issue of drying time. When applying anything which is oil-based, you need to allow a minimum of 24 hours before applying a topcoat. Even if it seems dry to the touch, the oil product still needs a lengthy time to cure. I don't know if this will solve your problem but it certainly is something that jumps out at me in the wording of your question. Thanks for the question and have a good day.
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Answers by Expert:
maura macaluso
Expertise
I can answer most questions, regarding, wood sculpture, wood carving, carving tools and accessories and different types of woods.I am not an appraiser of carvings nor an antique dealer.
Experience
I do full design work, custom carving, restoration, fabrication, repair and refinishing. I can take a piece of raw wood and turn it into a work of art and I can help you do the same. I am "the" carving instructor for the new york city parks dept. I am heavily involved in carving on the internet and belong to many, many mail lists which are quite active. I am also an international promoter of woodcarving and am affiliated with many master carvers, notably nora hall, originally from holland, now in the U.S. and kalina pavlova, a bulgarian master carver. I routinely communicate with the top names in professional woodcarving nationally and internationally.
Organizations
the national association of woodcarvers. the woodcarvers of queens NY, the staten island woodcarvers. the northeast woodcarving association. the world wide carving internet list
Publications
chip chats-the national magazine of woodcarving. also at www.carvinginnyc.com
Education/Credentials
Self taught artist and sculptor, 40 years of drawing and painting as a hobby, 5 years of serious woodsculpting. I have my own website and have written a 300 pg book on carving. I have published online tutorials and pictorial projects
Awards and Honors
many first place awards
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