Cl2—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, March 29,1980
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
LEBANON - “When in
doubt, clean and condition
first. You can’t hurt fur
niture by cleaning and
conditioning and it might
save many hours of work,”
says Alletta Schadler,
Lebanon County extension
home economist
Speaking at a session
designed to help people
“resurrect” their old fur
niture, Letie advised par
ticipants to consider
carefully before deciding to
strip it and refinish it
In many cases, she said,
the value is more when the
old finish is cleaned than
when furniture is stripped to
the bare wood. “You have to
decide what your purpose
is,” Letie said.
She pointed out that hot
dry houses are hard on
furniture finishes, and that
putting a piece of furniture
in storage for a time may
also produce a haze on the
finish Smokers contribute a
film to furniture, and sudden
changes in temperature
from hot to cold also are
harmful to wood furniture
She suggested that
cleaning and conditioning a
few times a year, followed
by a paste wax will keep
furniture in good condition
The cleaner conditioner
recommended consists of
one part gum turpentine to
three parts boiled linseed oil,
mixed in whatever quantity
is convenient. She said the
cleaner-conditioner can be
mixed and stored in
definitely in a tightly
covered jar
To use, the cleaner
conditioner must be poured
over hot water. Letie used an
electric tile to keep the water
hot while working, but
suggests that a coffee pot
filled with water kept near
the working site can be ef
fective Pour the hot water in
Resurrecting wood furniture takes true grit
small amounts in a con
tainer, then add cleaner
conditioner. When the water
cools, discard it and start
with fresh hot water and
more cleaner-conditioner.
The turpentme-hnseed oil
mixture will float A soft
cloth or very fine (0000) steel
wool is dipped into the oil,
then used to apply the
mixture to the furniture
surface
the turpentine is used for
cleaning, and the linseed oil
feeds the wood. Letie
recommends working ~eally
hard with a soft cloth Work
on a small space at a time or
it will get tacky She said it
gets creamy as you work
Let the piece of wood dry
completely before waxing it,
since a second application
may be desirable Paste wax
is then used, rubbing
carefully with the grain
Letie cautioned, “You
must have cross ven
tilation ” She pointed out
that almost all furniture
refinishing products are
flammable and some of the
vapors are harmful when
inhaled She said, “Read all
precautions before
proceeding.
When waxing furniture,
Letis said, it should be done
on a dry day because a
humid day will cause it to
take longer and will result in
too heavy a coat. After
letting it dry, Letie said the
surface should be buffed
really hard for a finish which
will last longer She
cautioned, “Do not be in a
hurry ”
Mineral spirits can be used
for periodic cleaning of wax
buildup.
In dealing with white
marks on furniture caused
by moisture, Letie said the
most important thing is to let
it go for several days until
the wood has dried com
pletely “Don’t mess with it
right away or you may ruin
the finish ” She said a mild
abrasive is needed.
Toothpaste is one agent that
works, as well as cigaret or
cigar ashes Rottenstone
works best Pumice is more
abrasive than rottenstone
but can be used, and English
chalk whiting is a very fine
agent, used by cabinet
makers
Removing a white mark,
(Turn to Page Cl 3)
In some cases a more drastic step is needed than the cleaner-conditioner.
Here Letie works on a rocking chair with furniture restorer. 4%
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