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Paul Garbarini writes:

It's so easy, I thought I'd share.  A commercial
account asked me to fix some failed finishes on 20
table tops.  The guy who made them had some
contamination issues and had re-done them before he
went out of business.  The failure was a peeling up of
the NC coating.  Some of the tables had minor water
damage.  (It's a hotel.)

I scraped the loose finish with a razor blade, wiped
them down with naphtha, went over them with a
maroon scotchbrite and padded on a coat of de-
waxed shellac.  This is where the Golden PVA
conservation paints do a great job.  (nearly $20 per
oz.) I dipped an artist brush in isopropyl alcohol and
then the paint.  Starting with a light color for the
background, progressed with other appropriate
colors to get the match.  Each application of PVA is
followed by brushing a sealer of shellac. Each dries
very fast and you can build these translucent layers as
rapidly as the shellac will allow.

When the color is right, I level the area with 3M 500
on a block and pad on another light coat of shellac
before using satin Finish Up.  The last picture is right
before grain pens brought it all together.

The process takes about 20 minutes per.  And the
reason for the coats of padded shellac is Pledge.  The
trial table top fish eyed the Finish Up.

It's my answer to furniture powders which I have
never mastered.

Best to all,

Paul Garbarini
Charleston, SC











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