Now that the set is working, it's time to move on to the cabinet. There was a nasty water ring on top and numerous digs and nicks all over.
First, I broke it down.
Then, I carefully stripped just the top. I'm going to try to salvage the sides and front.
No one makes reproduction labels to my knowledge.
That went well.
Now time to fill that grain. This mahogany veneer has a really open grain. I was inspired by
jeyurkon to try shellac as a grain filler.
I used about 15 coats sanding it down every 5th coat.
It worked well, but took forever. I think for grain this open something like Behlen grain filler would be easier.
Now for the toner lacquer. I took a gamble and tried some stuff I picked up from a local antique ship that's going out of business. I'm not sure how old it is, but it's a great match for the old finish.
Arg - disaster strikes
The finish split all over
Could be the toner was too old, could be the air was too cold and dry (I did this in February), could be the shellac interacted badly with it ?
Time to start over!
