The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Some furniture polishes of the modern era have gotten a bad reputation for containing silicone, which I gather impairs adherence of finishing materials when repairs are later needed. Have you run in to this issue and where silicone polishes have been used, can you get it off short of refinishing?

Clay

The only thing I've used to get rid of silicon is repeated wipe-downs with paint thinner (mineral spirits). It's not completely effective as the silicone gets into the grain of the wood. Nevertheless, it seems to get rid of most of it. I'm sure that silicone has been the cause of some"fisheye" problems I've encountered with refinishing. Many layers of shellac and sanding were required to overcome that. I'd be interested in seeing others' experiences in dealing with it.

-Martin

It is a nightmare once it penetrates into the wood. Stay away from it!

I refinished a mahogany Edison Home that someone had faithfully treated with a silicone polish. I found that fisheyes could be avoided by wiping, (not brushing), several very thin coats of semi-gloss polyurethane varnish. The wiping with a cloth just barely wetted with varnish will apply a very thin coat that drys very quickly and will not fisheye. The thicker the coating, the bigger the fisheye. I think it's got to do with surface tension but I'm not smart enough to describe it scientifically.

I know some of you hate the thought of polyurethane and so do I however, the very thin application of semi-gloss does not have that ugly "plastic" look. Once sealed with the polyurethane you could probably then apply your favorite finish over the poly.

Also, this technique may even work with shellac, Deft or your other favorites. Experiment a little and let us know.