Glue, varnish or epoxy to seal a flaking cabinet?

[WesBaker51]

Hi Brains Trust!!

I have a one of a kind Chinese tv cabinet with a painted / varnished surface. It's starting to flack in certain areas but nothing major. 

I'd like to stop the flacking before it gets out of hand. I cannot sand the surface so here is my question...

Is there a product out there that works like an epoxy sealer that I can pour on the surface to seal those effected areas?

Thanks in advance   

[EricL]

Hello @WesBaker51

Thanks for sharing your question about sealing your flaking cabinet. Would it be possible for you to post a few photos of your tv cabinet? This will allow our members to assess its condition. We can then make recommendations on how to seal the finish.

There are products that bind and seal timber finishes. However, if you have a classical shellac-sealed cabinet other steps will need to be undertaken especially if you don't want to sand the furniture down. 

We look forward to seeing the photos of your tv cabinet.

Eric

[WesBaker51]

 

 

[EricL]

Hi @WesBaker51

Thanks for sharing a photo of your tv cabinet. I can understand why you're a bit hesitant to sand the furniture down. I suggest doing what is called a "safe clean" of your furniture first. I recommend using some soap and water mixed together and wiping the furniture down with a clean cotton cloth. This will not harm the finish on your cabinet and will remove any oil or wax on its surface. 

Notice that there are dark stains and dirt accumulated in certain spots of the cabinet. I suggest using a toothbrush and lightly cleaning it with your soap and water mix. At this point, while cleaning it with soap and water it should take a lot of the flaking pieces with it. Unfortunately, getting an exact colour match finish for your cabinet will be very difficult. Exposure to the sun and the environment has faded its original colour.

You now have to make a decision on which direction you want to take with this particular restoration. First, you can try to seal the furniture yourself. This involves you identifying the kind of sealer used on your tv cabinet. Once you identify the sealer, you can proceed with sealing it without changing anything about the cabinet. This means that faded areas and chipped corners will stay the same.

You'll have to do a test at the back of the cabinet with a clean rag and some methylated spirits. Dip a corner of the clean rag and rub a small hidden portion of the cabinet. If the lacquer softens and proceeds to rub off it is water-based, but if the surface only shines and polishes it is oil-based. 

The second is to engage the services of a professional antique restoration specialist. You'll have to hunt around and see if any of them have handled this kind of red lacquer before. If you do find a specialist, they should be able to repair the damage on the feet and around the faded areas of your tv cabinet. It will cost you a little more, but it will at least be professionally sealed and should be good for several years before it needs a refresh.

The third option is to seal the cabinet in wax. The drawback to using wax is that it is labour intensive, you'll have to remove wax build-up in the form of haze in order to bring back the shine of the cabinet. This will happen quite often during the course of the year so be ready with your microfibre cloth. 

Let me call on our experienced members @Adam_W, @TedBear and @r23on for their recommendations.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your tv cabinet sealed and ready for use.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[WesBaker51]

@EricL No the photo doesn't do it justice. It doesn't require cleaning but I get your points thank you.

Going back to my question, all I want to do is almost a liquid pour over the top to seal the affected areas. I was thinking of Araldite ultra clear exopy glue.

 

[EricL]

Hi @WesBaker51  

Thanks for that extra information. Although Araldite dries clear, it does not keep a smooth surface finish. If you're after something along those lines, I recommend looking at Feast Watson 1m² Glass Finish. It is a two-part, high-build epoxy that provides an extremely durable, high-gloss, glass-like finish. It is extremely tough, hard-wearing, and scratch-resistant. 

Here is a handy guide: 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[r23on]

hi Eric

did know feast watson had a 2 part glass finish handy pack well have too keep it in mind

interesting project i would do a test section if possible to check result as specialty if the current finish is unknown