Chat with a cabinet maker about shellac changed how I strip old pieces

He told me to let denatured alcohol sit for 5 minutes instead of scrubbing right away, and now I get cleaner results in half the time anyone else deal with sticky residue on antique veneer?

2 comments

2 Comments

wren8061mo ago

Feel for you on that sticky antique veneer issue. Had a similar mess with a dresser that had old shellac and glue residue that just would not budge no matter how much I scrubbed. Tried that 5 minute soak tip a few months ago and never looked back. Letting the alcohol sit really does dissolve the sticky stuff without destroying the finish underneath. Just make sure you test a small spot first to check if the veneer is loose. It made stripping my pieces way less frustrating.

hill.hugo1mo agoMost Upvoted

Wait, seriously? Five minutes of just letting the alcohol sit and it actually works that well? I've been scrubbing away at a sticky old tabletop for weeks with rags and elbow grease, getting nowhere. I'd convinced myself the finish was ruined and I'd have to sand the whole thing down. I'm going to have to dig out the denatured alcohol and give this a proper try this weekend, that sounds like a game changer compared to what I've been doing.