Selfsufficientish.com

Hi Guys,

I've just been gifted an unwanted desk from the offices I work. (I think they are turning their backs on a beauty, but its a lovely desk for me!) It's a 1950s/60s desk and its looking quite sad now, with LOTS of too-hot-mug rings and general wear and tear. The surface varnish has come off in places and generally it needs some love....

However! I know if I go into B&Q they'll try and sell me some hideously chemical compound that will go straight to my brain and wreck any chances of successfull study - thus removing the point of the desk in the first place! To counteract this scary scenario can anyone give me any sort of advice about improving the appearance of my lovely desk without poisoning myself and the environment into the bargain?

I'm happy to sand it, but being car-less, it will be moved straight into my new garden-less rented flat, and I'd have to sand it there and then, on the carpet! So any suggestions for treatment with little or no sanding would be brilliant!

Thanks in advance for your genius!

Miski

Sanding is definitely the best way if you don't mind the aching muscles and can appreciate boredom.
What you also need is a dust sheet, which can either be an old bed sheet or bought in B&Q.

If you want the chemical way then get some Nitromors paint and varnish remover, BUT make sure you get the non-caustic sort or you will get burns.
I don't think the fumes of the non-caustic sort are harmful but don't quote me on that.

The 3rd way if it's old varnish is to scrape it off, try a small part with an old knife.
Use the knife vertically so that you scrape the surface .. not cut, if it's the 'right sort' of varnish it will flake off.

Either way you certainly need a dust sheet and lots of patience. Oh and a dust mask too or you might find that 60's varnish was made from LSD
Good luck.

As already said, sanding is best.

The other option might be to go for something like the old leather topped desks if it's only the top in a bad state, get some thick fabric and pin that on instead.

I remember my dad restoring old Antique furniture using wire wool and Olive Oil and just spending hours rubbing and rubbing with a very fine grade wire wool... looked absolutely stunning when he'd finished! You could use beeswax also I would assume.

hello if you wanted to re varnish after you have stripped old varnish try www.ecopaints.com (they sell varnish as well as paint) ps your desk sounds nice I have lots of second hand furniture recovered , repainted, revamped etc etc and it is true old funiture is alot more sturdy, long lasting

I have this magic scraper thingy that I would use to take off the top layer of varnish. It is a scraper, but a very sharp, long handled one, I think it is made by harris and the blade can be sharpened and replaced (you'll find it in B+Q no doubt)
Anyway, I would use that to start, nice long strokes (this scraper is used at an angle and takes off a shaving at a time) then sand, then oil, I like the look that a mineral oil gives, or boiled linseed, but I think that olive is probably ethically better
The one thing you certainly need is elbow grease, and lots of it

Yes i must agree sanding is the best , its hard work but worth it what i do then with my old funiture is damp it down with a cloth to get rid of excess dust let it dry and then coat the timber with wax it gives it a beatiful natural finish and also protects the timber.
I put my wax on with a muslin cloth for a better finish leave it to dry and the buff it off.

thanks for all the tips! I didn't think of oil and wire wool, so i'll experiment and see what works...

*off to hunt for a dust sheet*

We've just turned a rather hideous old oak chest of drawers into a really lovely piece of furniture. I removed the original varnish with some things called cabinet scrapers. I found them on ebay. They are VERY easy to use and if you get a set with different shapes you can get into all sorts of corners. Then a quick sand down and we waxed ours with Briwax. It's now really lovely!

miskipiski wrote:some hideously chemical compound that will go straight to my brain and wreck any chances of successfull study

I remember when I was doing my OU degree, I encountered a hideous chemical compound that went straight to my brain and wrecked any chance of successfull study. It was called "Beer".

For varnish removal, I would recommend a straight edge scraper (rather than a flexiple wallpaper stripper).
We used one of them to scrape the old varnish off our kitchen table and it worked a treat with very little mess. I think it may have just been a steel ruler, in fact.

Alternatively, howabout a bit of polish, & maintain all the stories that the desk could tell.

pumpy wrote:Alternatively, howabout a bit of polish, & maintain all the stories that the desk could tell.

I like the idea...... saves a lot of elbow grease....

I was going to say the wire wool tip but if you use a mechanical sander then some have a dust bag on to suck up the dust. As we all know this doesn't work but what does is tape the nozzle of your hoover to the sander and use that as an extractor. whatever method you use always wear gloves, a face mask and eye goggles....

I was invincible once now I have emphasema and a damaged eye....

If the varnish is old (french polish type ) it will come off with methylated spirits, if it's modern varnish then a cabinet scraper or the flat side of a three way type of paint scraper should get it off without chemicals

Stuff that I've scraped I generally rub with a kitchen green scrubbit or O grade wirewool dipped in a 1:1 mixture of linseed oil and turpentine to feed the wood up

Hi ,
olive oil and very fine wire wool, if you add a few drops of orange oil to the olive oil it smells lovely

Apparently you can get rid of the drinks rings by ironing a thin cloth over the area with a hot iron.

Can't tell you if it works cos I don't possess an iron - or any clothes that require one.