mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Apr 14, 2014 7:39:52 GMT -8
59 Shasta Airflyte. Interior paneling Ash. The finish looks like a milky white-ish although transparent type stuff. Shiny too. Does anyone know what this finish is? Is it a polyurethane? I'm pretty sure it isn't Shellac. And what ever it is, can it be coated over for refinishing or must it be stripped or sanded down or what?
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Apr 14, 2014 7:44:04 GMT -8
59 Shasta Airflyte. Interior paneling Ash. The finish looks like a milky white-ish although transparent type stuff. Shiny too. Does anyone know what this finish is? Is it a polyurethane? I'm pretty sure it isn't Shellac. And what ever it is, can it be coated over for refinishing or must it be stripped or sanded down or what? The best way to tell if it's shellac is to find an inconspicuous place and drip a little rubbing alcohol on it. If it dissolves, it's shellac. If it's not, then it's polyurethane (Hamlet's was), and you can either put more poly OR shellac over it.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Apr 14, 2014 8:55:29 GMT -8
What did you do? I didn't know you could shellac over poly. Should it be sanded before I repoly over it?
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Apr 14, 2014 9:58:32 GMT -8
We had to replace all the paneling in Hamlet, so that part was easy. We wound up sanding everything else to bare wood (oversanded one small rea and went through the veneer... oops!), Then, since poly was original, we did it again. The original wood that was exposed to light is still darker by a couple shades than the new wood, but even over the past four years, the newer wood is aging. In about 10 years, they should look exactly alike. At any rate, give it a good clean and a light sand, and it should be fine
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Apr 14, 2014 12:16:19 GMT -8
I took some denatured alcohol to it and it disolved. Got all sticky and even smelled exactly like shellac. Must be clear shellac but I'm wondering how it got that milky whitish look? Or is that just the way clear shellac is? Now I need to experiment. It's not Amber that's for sure. I only have to replace one panel behind the goucho bed below the top of the window. That's where I need to match things up so most of it will be hidden.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Apr 14, 2014 14:11:12 GMT -8
I called Rustoleum who bought Zinsser Shellac products about 6 years ago and they can't help me either. Here are a couple of pics. What you see in the first pic is the inside of the trailer with it's original finish. Below I am holding up a small cabinet door that I sanded down in the middle and coated with clear shellac. You can see the difference. They must have tinted the shellac some how because it's not amber and you see what just clear shellac does. I suppose I will have to sand down all this beautiful finish and re-coat it with something but I don't know what to re-coat it with. I don't think I want to do just clear and I think Amber might be to red or too dark. At any rate it won't be the same that's for sure. So does anyone know how I get the same finish or do I have to go amber? Spray with poly? I'm at a loss here.
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Apr 14, 2014 14:50:33 GMT -8
Larry, It's just my opinion, but I think you are looking at "clear shellac" that has yellowed with age. It separates from the wood and looks milky like a factory base coat/clear coat paint job on a 1980's GM vehicle. If it were varnish the denatured alcohol would not have softened it during your test. I would mix (like a tint) a little amber with mostly clear and see how it looks against the old finish. A little amber over everything then finish it up with clear will bring together the different kinds and shades of old/new wood. It's still going to take four to six coats to gloss up.
Just be happy that the test showed that it's not varnish, which would all have to be removed.
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Apr 14, 2014 16:59:28 GMT -8
Mobil, I'm wondering if the shellac has turned that color from exposure to whatever elements over time. WHen you dripped the alcohol on it, did it turn a little cloudy first? On that piece of wood, did you try a clear coat over the existing coat? How did that look? The reason the sanded part turned out dark is because you were dealing with bare wood, and a clear coat of anything will make it look wet. the paneling looks like it's in excellent shape. Can you just leave it the way it is, or are there damaged spots that require refinishing? If so, you might want to consider a clear, non-yellowing poly.
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Apr 14, 2014 18:50:59 GMT -8
Larry, mine looks like that too. I sanded it very, very lightly and it turned to powder instantly. I wiped it off with some denatured alcohol and it looked pretty good but I'm going to put amber over it to match my amber birch. If I'd only known, I'd have probably done all mine in clear.
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bmxovich
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Post by bmxovich on Apr 14, 2014 19:04:38 GMT -8
Do a google search on re- amalgamating shellac. Lots of good info. It can be done to rejuvenate the old shellac to prepare it for the new finish coats. I typically try it on any shellacked surface to see if it can be salvaged. Anyway, it's just another tool to add to your bag of tricks.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Apr 14, 2014 19:47:19 GMT -8
In the second photo you see what sanded to bare and then clear coat does. I cleaned up the other parts on both sides with alcohol and then clear coated that and it looked exactly the same milky color but shinier. I'll have to do some more experimenting. I kinda like the look it has but I don't know that it looks that way from age. Never happened with birch anyhow. This is a tint of some sort. Same milky color on the hardware too.
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Post by vikx on Apr 14, 2014 20:58:29 GMT -8
I'm thinking it's been tinted as well. The ash is more whitish than my 57 Deluxe, which had clear shellac, yellowed with age. We had to scrape most of it and re-shellac. There where quite a few different woods in it and I ended up using a very busy birch for the walls and ceiling. (came with the trailer) It turned out to be quite a nice contrast with the ash cabinets. I like the idea of just a little amber mixed with clear to blend the tones. Also, if the old finish is flaky, scrape it with a plane blade before sanding, keeps the sandpaper from clogging so much.
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Apr 15, 2014 0:06:40 GMT -8
Mobil, this is what mine looked like behind the mirror, very light where it had not been exposed. image by susieqilvu
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Apr 15, 2014 8:03:20 GMT -8
Mobil, this is what mine looked like behind the mirror, very light where it had not been exposed. image by susieqilvu
Under your mirror is what this entire trailer looks like.
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Apr 15, 2014 9:13:20 GMT -8
I tend to agree with Vikx that it has been tinted. Showing my age here but my parents had an oak bedroom suite from that era that my mom called something.... white oak, maybe. When I first stepped in my trailer, that was I was reminded of instantly. The finish on the ash reminds of the finish on the bedroom suite so much. Apparently, it was a popular finish of the era.
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