# Ercol Table top, stripping and refinishing



## zak99 (11 Dec 2015)

Hi,

I have a blond Ercol drop leaf table and the top has various stains and bare spots. Whats the best way to strip and refinish close to the original look please.

I did search here but couldn't find anything conclusive.

I guess its cellulose laquer? 

rgds


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## ED65 (11 Dec 2015)

A few years ago I would have unhesitatingly recommended Nitromoors but apparently it's a bit rubbish now :-( 

But on the plus side, there is still cellulose thinners widely available so if Nitromoors won't do it that's a start at least.


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## mrpercysnodgrass (12 Dec 2015)

I re-finished one of these tables recently. I had to give it a very heavy sand because somebody had used an orbital sander on it and did a very poor job leaving an uneven surface so the stripping was done by sanding. If you want to retain some of the patina then you will need to strip it with a liquid stripper and wire wool No '0' grade will be best. If you can get a dichloromethane based stripper it will make the stripping easier, if you can't it will just take a bit longer. Once you have it stripped you have many choices for your finish. I think the best is an oil or wax oil . I used Osmo top oil on the one I did, three coats, flick down then one final coat. It gave a lovely semi matt finish and showed off the elm really well.


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## Beau (12 Dec 2015)

Give it a good sand back and several coats of Liberon finishing oil job done. If you don't like the contrast an oil would bring to elm then maybe Osmo. Should come up like new.


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## ED65 (12 Dec 2015)

I was reading on a couple of guitar forums that acetone will strip cellulose lacquer very effectively. This is less pongy than cellulose thinners and may be cheaper too. If you can't find acetone where you'd buy your usual finishing supplies I think Poundland do a pure acetone in small bottles, you'll find it where the nail supplies are.

About the finish choice for when you get to refinishing, if the table is intended for drinks, hot or cold, and you want to prevent it getting stained again you're going to want to look at something more than an oil or oil and wax mixture. I love the look they give myself, but neither one provides the level of protection we're used to today on modern furniture. 

I would highly recommend wiping on some varnish, or at minimum using an oil and varnish mix such as a Danish oil.


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## GrahamF (14 Dec 2015)

ED65":mfh2z4ci said:


> I was reading on a couple of guitar forums that acetone will strip cellulose lacquer very effectively. This is less pongy than cellulose thinners and may be cheaper too. If you can't find acetone where you'd buy your usual finishing supplies I think Poundland do a pure acetone in small bottles, you'll find it where the nail supplies are.



Plenty of acetone by mail order and always stocked by glassfibre suppliers. http://www.speedyplasticsandresins.co.u ... Apd88P8HAQ


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## ED65 (15 Dec 2015)

That's a great price for 5 litres of Acetone, thanks Graham.


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## zak99 (20 Dec 2015)

Thanks for all the helpful answers. I'd never heard of osmo before. Is that my best chance of getting an original looking finish. Is a cellulose spray an option? (If thats is whats on there now?)

Tks again.


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## ED65 (21 Dec 2015)

zak99":10ku99zm said:


> Is that my best chance of getting an original looking finish.


That's an interesting question. I don't know what they used originally, but it's quite possible it was cellulose lacquer in that period. Anyway if we take it that is what was used you'd imagine you'd have to use the same thing to make it look the same. 

But actually numerous finishes can look similar depending on how they're applied. In fact it's notoriously difficult, often impossible, to tell finish type from looking at a completed piece of furniture. This is why there are various rule-in and rule-out tests for film finishes to see whether it's shellac, varnish (any type) or a lacquer that you're dealing with. All of them can look similar enough that you cannot tell by looking.

A little bit of finish history illustrates this neatly. When Scandinavian furniture started to be imported to the US in the post-war period the finish wasn't known (it was mostly spray lacquer) but the look was admired so some experiments ensued and they came up with something that gave the right look. What they came up with was an oil+varnish blend and the link to Scandi furniture is the source of the original name for this type of finish, Danish oil. 

Regardless of what was used originally I'm sure if you try wiping diluted poly onto the table you'll be quite happy with it, application is virtually foolproof, it provides good protection (better than Danish oil and other oil+varnish blends because it dries harder) and it also yellows less over time because of the lower oil content.


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## Shrubby (21 Dec 2015)

I was talking to someone running a business in High wycombe refinishing local mid-century furniture. Their clear finishing was done with Osmo. The old finish was sanded off with a fine pitch random orbit machine
I like the 3032 satin, but you can buy it in sample pots to try the different sheen levels
Matt


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## zak99 (4 Jan 2016)

Thanks very much for all the help. I ordered the Osmo. Hoping to strip and sand the top this week. Hoping I can just strip the top and blend in to original finish just as the top curves underneath.

I'll let you know how it goes.


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## ED65 (5 Jan 2016)

zak99":3veoxobl said:


> Hoping I can just strip the top and blend in to original finish just as the top curves underneath.


They say you can't do this but I've gotten away with it once or twice so it is possible. Just be careful at the edges with the stripper, it does want to drip given half a chance!


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## Hanhouston (29 Apr 2018)

Do you sand by hand?


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