Todd Carpenter
08-03-2009, 9:43 AM
Short version:
I have an old buffet I've finally gotten ready for it's finish coats, and I'll be using the Target WB lacquer. I usually prefer a highly polished gloss finish, and I'm leaning that way, but I'm wondering if I'd be doing this peice an injustice?
How would you guys finish it? Gloss, Semi-gloss, or a Satin. I promise I'm just looking for opinions - not a debate...
Detailed version:
I've had this refinishing project following me around for several years now and I've finally gotten it stripped, stained, highlighted with glaze, two coats of BLO wiped on to highlight some of the figured grain, and sealed with Zinssers seal coat. I've been convinced not to use my old standby of WB Poly - I'm going to try the Target WB lacquer but I can't decide whether to go gloss, semi-gloss, or satin on this old buffet.
Here's the important info:
The good parts:
Drawers have some very nice burlwood, one is either a dark mahogany or walnut, and the other is a lighter wood maybe elm?
The drawers also have some book matched mahogany along with some carvings, and the large center drawers are framed with a nice ribbon cut veneer.
The doors have some nice quilted walnut doors with an elm burlwood pattern applied on top - not an inlay - so finishing the finish is going to tough at best.
The down parts:
This thing has been rode hard and put away wet... lots of dings, dents and large missing chunks of some of the nicer veneers - particularly in the book matched parts, the repairs show, but not if you're more than 3 feet away.
I've had to do many many repairs on this thing as it was literally falling apart - part of the reason I held off so long and some of it was poorly repaired - nails to hold hinges on, catched had been slammed to far into the doors, the parts where the catch mounted to the door, had to rebuilt - using epoxy because it's more sturdy than what's left of the doors.
Anyway - you get the idea - I don't think this was ever a very expensive peice - but now, it's turning into a really nice peice...
At first, I didn't have much hope for this thing either going back together or looking very nice at all... But I'm really starting to like this peice, it does appear to a bit of a diamond in the rough. I purposely highlighted the battle scars with a black glaze - I think it gives it some nice character - I could be all alone on this one... Anyway - I usually prefer a highly polished gloss finish, and I'm leaning that way, but I'm wondering if I'd be doing this peice an injustice?
How would you guys finish it? Gloss, Semi-gloss, or a Satin. I promise I'm just looking for opinions - not a debate...
Sorry for such a long winded post...
Thanks
Todd
I have an old buffet I've finally gotten ready for it's finish coats, and I'll be using the Target WB lacquer. I usually prefer a highly polished gloss finish, and I'm leaning that way, but I'm wondering if I'd be doing this peice an injustice?
How would you guys finish it? Gloss, Semi-gloss, or a Satin. I promise I'm just looking for opinions - not a debate...
Detailed version:
I've had this refinishing project following me around for several years now and I've finally gotten it stripped, stained, highlighted with glaze, two coats of BLO wiped on to highlight some of the figured grain, and sealed with Zinssers seal coat. I've been convinced not to use my old standby of WB Poly - I'm going to try the Target WB lacquer but I can't decide whether to go gloss, semi-gloss, or satin on this old buffet.
Here's the important info:
The good parts:
Drawers have some very nice burlwood, one is either a dark mahogany or walnut, and the other is a lighter wood maybe elm?
The drawers also have some book matched mahogany along with some carvings, and the large center drawers are framed with a nice ribbon cut veneer.
The doors have some nice quilted walnut doors with an elm burlwood pattern applied on top - not an inlay - so finishing the finish is going to tough at best.
The down parts:
This thing has been rode hard and put away wet... lots of dings, dents and large missing chunks of some of the nicer veneers - particularly in the book matched parts, the repairs show, but not if you're more than 3 feet away.
I've had to do many many repairs on this thing as it was literally falling apart - part of the reason I held off so long and some of it was poorly repaired - nails to hold hinges on, catched had been slammed to far into the doors, the parts where the catch mounted to the door, had to rebuilt - using epoxy because it's more sturdy than what's left of the doors.
Anyway - you get the idea - I don't think this was ever a very expensive peice - but now, it's turning into a really nice peice...
At first, I didn't have much hope for this thing either going back together or looking very nice at all... But I'm really starting to like this peice, it does appear to a bit of a diamond in the rough. I purposely highlighted the battle scars with a black glaze - I think it gives it some nice character - I could be all alone on this one... Anyway - I usually prefer a highly polished gloss finish, and I'm leaning that way, but I'm wondering if I'd be doing this peice an injustice?
How would you guys finish it? Gloss, Semi-gloss, or a Satin. I promise I'm just looking for opinions - not a debate...
Sorry for such a long winded post...
Thanks
Todd