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Antiques & Collectibles

Interesting wood carvings, how to clean up?

linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I bought these 2 yesterday at an antique mall. I find them
really interesting and dimensional. I am having a hard time imagining what kind
of furniture or trim they originally were part of. They each have a peg or pegs
that were used for mounting. The finish is really dark, possibly too dark to
really see the detail. I do not know what kind of wood it is, other than where the finish is chipped, the color is redddish.

I am planning to use them as decoration, hung on the wall so the sides, where the best carving is, shows; unless I think of some better way of using them.

When I bought them I had planned to clean them up with mineral spirits and steel wood to remove grunge, sand off the remaining glue, saw off the pegs, then camouflage the chips by staining them to match.

When I got them in better light, though, I saw that the original finish is crackled. Am I better off stripping them completely and then re-varnishing? Thanks.

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Comments (6)

lindac92
8 years ago
A mix of Lacquer thinner and denatured alcohol sopped on and wiped off with a soft cloth, or paper towel will smooth out the crackled finish without completely removing it
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
8 years ago
Oh, neat! Thanks, Lindac! Stripping it and getting in all the grooves would be a pain. Just like a half and half mix? Do you have to let it sit a while to soften, or just wipe on or apply with a brush heavily, then wipe off?
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lindac92
8 years ago
Just sop on and wipe off...usually 2/3 alcohol to 1/3 lacquer thinner. Evaporates very quickly, very flammable and probably the fumes are not good for you....but not a lot worse than removing your fingernail polish!
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
8 years ago
I'll do it outside. I've used lacquer thinner for some things before (it dissolves etching resist): I recall it was very stinky.
jemdandy
8 years ago
Since the wood has a reddish color, it may be mahogany, walnut, or cherry. However, what you see where the finish is chipped off may not be the natural color. The wood may have been stained before the finish coat applied. Examine the chipped area. Is it the original surface of the wood, or has the surface layer been chipped off as well, revealing the true wood color?
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
No, the chips have actually broken off wood. As in, projecting bits of the carving have broken off. So what I am seeing is the interior. See the piece on the top photo, left hand. The color inside is redder than that. It looks brighter in this shot, I had to lighten the whole photo to make the details visible, as the stain on these pieces is very dark.

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