Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/wood-mode cabinets

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Expert: - 3/26/2010


Question
QUESTION: I have 10 year old cherry wood-mode kitchen cabinets and trim. The finish is natural with a dark glaze. The baseboards have a build-up of splashed-on floor cleaner. It appears that the only way to remove this would be to lightly sand the baseboards. Ideally I would like to not remove them. How should I proceed

ANSWER: Hi Beth, what type of floor cleaner are we talking about? it's likely that what you're seeing is damage to the finish from the cleaner....and that will have to be refinished or restored. If the baseboards can be removed, it will be the best way to facilitate the job. Most cabinets just have a 'kick' built in to the cabinet, and there's no 'baseboard'....

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QUESTION: Unfortunately the cleaner is a heavy duty tile and grout cleaner, pretty strong stuff. You are right that most of the molding is simply the cabinet "kick", but it extends around the kitchen with matching baseboards. If the boards cannot be removed easily without causing further damage, is there a solution to fix the finish of these boards? I was hoping to lightly sand them, and then apply some type of finish (poly or tung oil?)

Answer
They're likely sprayed with a catalyzed finish, and that's not easy to repair...and one should NOT apply poly over lacquer such as this. Tung oil will likely have little affect and will suffer the same fate rather quickly, as it's just not very durable...I would use a 0000 piece of steel wool dipped in a little mineral spirits and lightly wash them down with that. See what they look like wet with the mineral spirits. If it magnifies the damage and makes it look worse, then there's no easy fix...if it looks better, then you might be able to stain and finish them in place on your knees, but it will take the correct products and a little knowledge and skill...(all of which can be learned)...post back- Greg

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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