Loading…
0
Rant: A client in Portland told me to just slap poly over old shellac
I was refinishing a 1920s oak dresser for them last fall, and they insisted the original finish was 'good enough' to seal. They said, 'It's just a clear coat, right? Put the new stuff on top.' I had to explain that shellac and modern poly don't mix, and the whole thing would turn into a gummy mess in a year. I ended up stripping it back to bare wood, which added two full days to the job. Has anyone else had to talk a client out of a bad idea that would have ruined a piece?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
markm275mo ago
How do you get them to listen? I show them a test patch where the finishes react, because seeing that milky, wrinkled mess changes the conversation fast.
7
simonmoore5mo ago
Sometimes the problem isn't the chemistry, it's the history. That shellac might have a hundred years of wax, oil, and who knows what soaked into it. Even if the finishes didn't react, you're basically locking contaminants under a plastic sheet. It'll never cure right or look clear. I've had pieces where the old polish bled through a new topcoat months later, creating permanent cloudy stains.
1