The Society of American Period Furniture Makers
Tools and Techniques => Finishing => Topic started by: Alan Chase on October 31, 2006, 11:54:07 AM
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I am trying to refinish a maple end table. I had trouble trying to apply varnish, I kept getting "fish eyes". So I sanded the piece down to raw wood and reapplied stain. This helped but I'm still getting some fish eyes in the stain. I tried to seal with shellac but this doesn't allow the stain to penetrate deep enough to give me the color I want without vertually "painting" the piece with stain. Any suggestions?
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Alan,
I believe you have silicone contamination. You can wash down your stripped surfaces with "silicone wash" which may help. I've had some for years which I purchased from Mohawk. I'm not sure of a good source now but I know it is available. When you apply your top coats, you may have to add fish eye remover depending on what your top coat is. Silicone isn't usually a problem with shellac.
Craig
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I too have had that problem in the past and use a product I get from an auto supply house called "Smoothy". It will prevent "fisheye". If you used a stripper to clean down the furniture, depending on the product, may leave a wax residue which will give you the fisheye. Washing it down with lacq. thinner will help get rid of any residue prior to staining or finishing.
Hope this helps
Mike