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I was at the antique mall in Springfield and saw a chair with the worst shellac job ever
It was on this old oak dining chair, priced at $75. The shellac was so thick and cloudy it looked like orange plastic, and you could see brush marks that had never been smoothed. The dealer told me it was 'original finish' from the 1920s, but I'm pretty sure someone globbed it on last year. It made me realize how often a bad finish can completely hide good wood. Has anyone else found a piece where the finish was so bad it hurt to look at?
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scott.miles6mo ago
Ugh, that's like putting a bad wig on a beautiful person.
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dakota_patel986mo ago
My take is a bit different. That thick shellac might be hiding damage or a bad repair, not good wood. Sometimes people slap on a finish to cover up sins, so a bad one can be a warning sign. In my experience, stripping a piece like that often reveals why someone tried to hide it. The dealer calling it original is a red flag, but the finish itself might be the least of the problems.
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