thanks. i just wanted to touch it up thats why i went with the fine sanding. didnt want to risk sanding too much... thanks ill check out the link

We need pics to see your cabinet . There is IMO no such thing as touching up a cabinet unless it is a scratch other than that it is a refinish period. As mentioned the sand paper is after you do a stripping and then the grits mentioned above.

tambour doors are extremely difficult to try and redo. I've done them. just give it a good scrubbing to get out the dirt, dry it well, wipe with mineral spirits, and rub a good wood restorer over it. if you try and do an actual stain, it may not match the sides (unless you want to do those too). On the spots where it's raw, give it a sanding to open it, and apply a little matching stain to those parts.

if you want to clear coat it, use a varnish, not a poly. poly will crack w/wood expansion. varnish meant for exterior wood, lets the wood move.

thank you! my sentiments exactly, i would never attempt to redo the tambour doors... i am not staining anything, im just going to oil it i think

jenn, you can try the Danish Oil Finish they sell in the can at the big stores. it's actually a varnish, very little actual oil in that stuff. (you can also add a little stain coloring to it) That will be all you'll need to protect it. Apply multiple coats every other day or so until it doesn't absorb.

But, degrease and clean this well w/a wood safe scrub brush and a mild cleanser. i use dawn. just dry well, especially the grooves. you'll see all the gunk come out.

i started, and i can see its coming clean, i used murphys oil soap with water. ill take it slow. i ordered a danish teak oil that dries slower so it soaks in more. doesnt have the mineral spirits in it i think.

noooo. no murphys! the stuff leaves a waxy residue. it's not even safe for wood floors. please,, use mineral spirits and remove that soap residue.

I have 100% real tung oil. Its very thick and needs a solvent in order to spread it. I use a natural citrus solvent. you can also use that citrus stuff to clean the wood if you don't mineral spirits. just please, no more Murphys. (nothing wrong w/mineral spirits,,,it evaporates)

ok thanx

That is too nice of a piece to ruin with witches brew and putting it in a bathroom.

How are you going to fit that in where the sides won’t be seen? It’s not designed to be a built in. You could do free standing, but it would need to be a foot smaller than where you want it to be used so that you can get to the walls on each side.

You really should join the FB group. Mid Century Modern Repair and Restoration. There’s a couple of those types of groups there. Most have very good info.

i wasnt planning to build it in. it will be freestanding, one side is a wall, and other is the toilet. the finish looks very nice. im not going to refinish, i am looking to restore the luster with danish teak oil and to clean the mold/musty ness inside the cabinet.

Sophie, it's nice but it's not some collector item. She wants to redo her bathroom w/mcm vibe and couldn't find a vanity that would work. So what's wrong with using this? it's not a built in. She's putting a stone top on it w/a vessel sink.

Quit being so negative about the simple things. It's a friggin' cabinet.

Are these ruined? No. on the contrary. Not many people have albums that need storing, so it's better that her piece gets a second life for something.

these vintage pieces are all so beautiful, but i m afraid the must and mildew/mold are going to be more than i can handle! the tambour door is lined in linen which also needs to be addressed. its not a simple "clean with soap and water" job. i have to investigate it. as for the look, this is perfect for my application. no question. its MCM its Danish, its original, its teak. couldnt ask for anything more perfect!

what do you mean, linen? show me a picture of it. I've redone one of these myself. turned it into a bar cabinet on the inside.

where is this mold/mildew? show me

i can take pics of it now cuz its in a dark place. tomorrow i will. the tambour door is made by taking these sticks of wood and appying them to a linen /canvas backing thats what makes them plyable, in order to move back into the cabinet. its just so beautifully crafted i want to cry. i cant tell if i see mold, but if mold is on the inside wood, then surely its on the fabric... i will air it out tomorrow and get a better feel for whats going on inside.

and the smell inside is a very heady mildew smell, (even after cleaning)

jenn,,,it takes days, sometimes weeks, for the smell to dissipate. Give it a chance. it's not mold. it's musty.

if you want to cover it, then use the oil base primer from Zinsser w/the smell/odor coverage. otherwise, do what I've advised. (I know you haven't let it sit in the sun enough, if at all) .

here is the one I redid. I cleaned the door just fine exactly how I told u.

this is how I got it. and yes, it had the musty smell. because of the discoloration of the door, I took the time to sand each groove by hand.

The person who wanted this asked for the aqua color, so that's what I did. Inside wasn't the best of shape so i covered the bottom w/material over a thin piece of luann.

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