Chinese medicine cabinet

[Michael Whistance]

 

Hi Everyone! I'm a newbie posting from Cape Town and probably breaking all the rules by posting as soon as I joined. The wife just obtained a mock Chinese Medicine cupboard with 20 drawers and asked me to refurbish it. I have begun to sand the top (pictures attached) but can't decide how to finish it so I am looking for your advice and guidance. The only other piece I have refurbed is a 1915 Haller wall clock for which I used an equal mix of linseed oil/turps/clear polyurethane after sanding and it came out quite well. The thing that worries me is that this cupboard has either a dark stain or coloured sealant of some sort so I think I would be sanding forever to reveal the actual wood texture in order to use the same method which is really a clear finish. I have a feeling there will always be some dark patches from the original finish. I've obviously done some googling but the number of options I end up with make me even more confused! - stain or oil or a coloured polyurethane or shellack or a mix of everything!! If you are kind enough to advise me try not to use product names as most likely they are not available here, rather describe what they comprise of or their classification so I can search for an equivalent this side of the world. Thank you for spending the time to read my post and I look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Michael.

 

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[lew]

@kmealy is our resident finishing guru. He should be along pretty soon and may be able to offer some advice.

[Grandpadave52]

Welcome to The Patriot Woodworker Michael. GREAT to have you join us especially given your location. We're honored to have you aboard.

 

I suspect the original color of this piece is some type sprayed dye finish. Assuming so, it's penetrated the wood fibers deep so you are correct it will take an enormous amount of sanding to remove. As Lew noted, @kmealy, Keith may have several options/ solutions to consider.

 

Glad you're here and looking forward to following along your progress on this piece. BTW, like your storage bin containers on your shelves. Thought I was looking in my own garage for a moment. Knew better after I saw the motorcycle though. I don't do those anymore.

[Gerald]

Welcome to the forum.

 

In order to avoid all that sanding try a gel stain . Gel stains cover better that ordinary oil based stains and by applying in levels you can adjust the color. This would be followed by a polyurethane.

[Michael Whistance]

Thank you Gerald, I'll start looking for a suitable product this side of the world, will post some pics when I'm done!

[Grandpadave52]

38 minutes ago, Michael Whistance said:

Thank you Gerald, I'll start looking for a suitable product this side of the world, will post some pics when I'm done!

Forgetful about the time differences. Current time is 10:50PM, EST 11/21.  What time are you there Michael?

Edited November 22, 2023 by Grandpadave52

[Michael Whistance]

As I write its 22nd Nov. 0723

[kmealy]

A few observations:

Most factory furniture, at least in the last 75 years, has been finished with a "toner".  This is a finish (almost always lacquer) with a coloring added (either dye or pigment).  The reasons for this are that it's quick to apply with spray and quick to dry.  It's also easy to repair in case of the common "transit damage".

 

I'm on a couple of FaceBook groups where I cry against "sanding off the old finish."   Two reasons for this, and the failures often appear.   The first is "sanding thru the veneer" and exposing inner layers of wood, particle board, MDF, or whatever.  Then you have a real problem.   It's hard to tell from the fuzzy photo of the top if this is solid or veneer.  Second is that sanding does not always uniformly remove the finish, so when applying a new stain, you are prone to very uneven absorbtion.   Much better to use a chemical stripper.  Yes, it's messy, but it's over soon, does not go thru many sheets of sandpaper, and does a better job.  Successful stripping will general only require a light sanding.

 

Once you get to that point, where you go next depends on what you want it to look like.  You can do natural, stained, "antiqued", film finish, in the wood finish, glossy, semi-gloss, flat, etc.

 

The (not so secret) recipe of equal mix of linseed oil/turps/clear polyurethane is very common and often sold under "Danish Oil" or other <made up name> Oil concoctions.  It works fine but depending proportions, is generally a flatter, in-the-wood, finish.  Drop the linseed oil and you will have what is generally called a "wiping varnish" that is very easy to apply and get good results.

[Michael Whistance]

Thank you for your response. I will be aiming for a semi gloss finish and will probably try a gel stain followed by a polyurethane topcoat.

Regards,

Michael.

[lew]

Thank @kmealy for jumping in!

 

[Grandpadave52]

11 hours ago, Michael Whistance said:

As I write its 22nd Nov. 0723

7 hours difference. Good to know as we communicate. Looking forward to seeing updates on this project as well as ongoing participation with us.