Refinishing Ethan Allen TV Stand

[Timothy McKee LB]

I recently picked up this used Ethan Allen Cambridge Collection TV stand.

It's in good condition except for light scratching on the surface of the top. I was thinking about refinishing it but was wondering if it was worth the effort.

Can you tell by looking at this picture if it's solid wood or veneer? It was very heavy to lift but I'm not certain.

Is there a way to refinish the top and sand out the scratches and match the stain to the rest of the piece or do I need to refinish the entire thing?

What kind of stain would you suggest? Does it need a topcoat? I plan on setting speakers on top of it but my tv will be mounted on the wall.

Thanks.277727

[Todd Burch]

I'm going to go out on a limb here, with flame retardant underpants on, and suggest to you that the majority of furniture made today, and even in recent history, isn't "stained", as in, with a pigment stain as you are (probably) referring to.

With that said, trying to match the finish may be difficult, regardless, as you will be using different varieties of apples to match an orange.

I can't see the scratches from your post, so I can't see how deep they are, or where they are, and what lies beneath the level of the scratch.

If, for instance, the scratches are only as deep as the thickness of the film finish, and you can see raw, uncolored wood, then you could confirm your piece is not stained, but merely has a tinted clear topcoat applied.

There are lots of ways that finishers have learned to get a nice looking, durable, and inexpensive finish on items. If you are happy with the look overall as is, perhaps a doily-over-scratch approach is in order.

Todd

[Timothy McKee LB]

Well, I feel only so-so about the color. I'm pretty nervous about embarking on a complete refinish cause it looks like it would take forever to evenly sand that thing, let alone, stain it etc.

The scratches are definitely superficial and there is no change in the color as a result. You can only see them if you look at it from different angles in the light. I just bought this piece used tonight after finding it for a bargain and haven't had a chance to get it out of my truck yet to really inspect the finish.

I suppose I could go with the doily over the top like you said. Especially since I'll be resting two fairly heavy speakers on the top of it. However, it's such a nice piece I was hoping I'd be able to make it shine and the doily approach might make it look like it belongs in grandma's house.

I'm very inexperienced with finishing. Is it possible to apply an alkyd finish to the top if the scratches are superficial and have them filled in?I have some good clear alkyd based finish leftover.

[Steve Schoene]

A complete refinishing shouldn't be started by sanding off the old finish but by removing it with a chemical stripper. That leaves the wood more accepting of new stain and finish. But I would strongly advise against refinishing. You would likely find significantly mis-matched woods that would be a challenge to finish evenly without skilled application of spray on toners in a multi-step process.

Since the scratches appear not to have penetrated the finish to the wood I would just scuff sand the top with 320 grit paper and apply a couple of coats of clear finish that can then by rubbed out to an even sheen. If it were mine, and if I were forced to repair the top, I would use a shellac which is actually probably sufficiently protective and has the advantage of being ready to rub out in a few days. The very last finish I would use is a polyurethane since this is more challenging to rub out evenly. Non-poly varnish is more durable of course but requires a month to become sufficiently cured to rub out. You should practice the whole process on some scrap wood since learning on the actual project is not a good plan.

I doubt that if it were mine I would attempt any refinishing. I might apply a tinted wax to hide some scratches. But light scratches are just a part of life.

[glenn bradley]

Is the top solid or veneered? If veneered, for something like an Ethan Allen piece I would be tempted to try something simple like a rub down with some Old English (http://www.oldenglishpolish.com/sf2_scratch.shtml)first to see if that met my needs.

[andy photenas]

bear with me cus i new on this forum but have a fair amount of finishing under my belt. another option is to figure out what finish is used on the piece. most pro finish shops use a pre cat lacqure with this type of item. now you would need to check with the finish company to make sure a normal spray can lacquer can work with pre cat this im not sure of.
The way you can check this is to find a spot on the piece that you can test if the finish dissolves when you put lacquer thinner on it. If it does you have a good chance of a spray lacquer working. I would check with the spray can tec ppl.
I know this sounds like a lot of stuff but lacquer is by far the easiest finish to use that i have worked with so fixing this finish is a dream! Its horrible as far as the fumes so take care if you use this product. also if anyone has anything to add or if im not right in anything i said pls add to this a correction is welcome :)

[John TenEyck]

It looks pretty good to me as it is. I would clean it with Murphys Oil Soap, and then mineral spirits if there is still "stuff" on it and then assess what to do. Like some others have said, maybe a little colored wax is all it needs. If the scratches are too obvious that wax won't hide them then you might consider filling them with colored shellac using a tiny artist's brush, then carefully sanding it level after you have them filled in/over filled. Once that is done you can spray the whole top with a coat of rattle can Sealcoat shellac, and then apply one or two new topcoats. Rattle can lacquer would be a good choice if you don't have spray equipment.

Whatever you do, don't try to sand off the finish. That is the wrong way to remove finish and if it is veneered your chances of sanding right through it are pretty high. Even if you do manage to get the finish off w/o sanding through the veneer (if it is veneered), sanding won't remove any underlying stain that is in the pores of the wood. Chemical stripper will, although you may have to do it two or three times. But I wouldn't strip it (or sand it). Just looking at the top suggests the color variation will be far more dramatic once the finish is removed.

John

[Timothy McKee LB]

I took a few up close pictures of the damage to the finish so you could have a look. I'm definitely decided against refinishing at this point, but I would like to improve it if possible because there is quit a bit of damage. More than I had realized.

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As you can see, there a ton of minor nicks along the base in the front, and minor scratching and nicks all over the top of the surface.

I know Ethan Allen has touch up markers that they sell and this color is "Viola 390".

After seeing these pictures does your advice change in any way?

[Todd Burch]

Wood appears to be cherry.

The scratches in the third pic look like they might buff out. Or, at least, buff down.

The spots in the second pic - I can't tell the reasoning for the discoloration. Is the lighter color due to powder from the pulverized finish, or captured dust, or it is unfinished wood?

The first pic shows some hard use, in the base molding, who's purpose is, interestingly enough, to shield abuse from getting to the rest of the piece. Mission accomplished. Lots of dents and dings. The wood is crushed. No manner of re-staining will cure that. Water drops can be used to re-swell the wood and lessen the dents and dings, if the film finish is broken.

When I build a piece out of wood, I bask in what I know will be a short-term life expectancy of being "pristine as I completed it." Then, it will finish its life in a, hopefully slow, state of decline. I don't worship my pieces, but I do thank them for being functional and serviceable. A new dent in one of my pieces, if I see it happen, will get a "oh well, it's wood!" from me every time.

I think color adjusting the imperfections to make them less noticeable would be my approach for this piece. I would not refinish it.

Todd

[Timothy McKee LB]

The second pic is unfinished wood from the looks of it. I just took another close look.

I'm definitely not going to be getting this thing looking like new, but if I can just get the dents and nicks to color match I don't think it would be noticeable unless you looked really closely.

Do you think I should contact Ethan Allen and try to get their exact "Viola 390" color retouch marker? After coloring all the white spots on the front and top surface how would I buff out the surface scratches and go about sealing it?

[Todd Burch]

It's already sealed, and you don't want to change that. No additional sealer required. The finish is most likely lacquer, so you could use #0000 steel wool, the finest abrasive pad, or, say, 3200 grit wet-or-dry aluminum oxide sanding paper. I would rub it wet, and then polish with pumice or rottenstone to match the luster of the surrounding area. Then wax.

As for calling Ethan Allen - why not.

If in the second pic, that's unfinished wood, then my first assumption on how this was finished is correct, which really means nothing at this point. You'll be fixing this with a brown marker.

Todd

[Todd Burch]

And yes, I suspect the majority of this piece is veneer over something man made. Looking at the back, under the bottom, and up under the top will all give clues.