Water on wood furniture help

[Scott Douglas]

My wife put her humidifier on our cabinet in the family room and wouldn't you know it, it leaked. This is a Heywood Wakefield cabinet which she inherited from her grandparents I believe. She keeps china in it, along with other stuff.
Shortly after finding the water sitting on it, I used a micro fiber towel to soak up the water, then set a fan next to it to blow air across it to help dry it out.
How should we proceed from here on restoring the finish?
I'm not sure if it was re-finished with Formby's or not.
Our dining room table suffered the same fate only from a plant watering leak, but that's another story I won't get into here.
Picture of the cabinet problem.


Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[craigster59]

We use this stuff on set to "brighten" up used and abused furniture. Available in Golden Oak or Neutral. Works great, available at HD and Lowes.

[p911dad]

We had had some luck on a cherry table with a water mark by using Johnson and Johnson paste wax for wood finishes.

[masraum]

Hopefully, Milt/Zeke sees this thread. He'll have an answer.

[Scott Douglas]

I've dug a little deeper with the camera as my eyes and it looks like the top of the cabinet is actually made up of 6 pieces of solid wood joined together with a joint I've never seen but am sure is fairly common among woodworkers.


This shot of the side confirms the solid wood on top.


I appreciate the help. Thanks.

[Bill Douglas]

I suspect it's an old French polish/shellac finish.

I think you'll have to wipe the top down with a spirit solvent to even it up. i wouldn't worry too much. It with come right with a new layer, or evened up finish.

I used to do this for a job. Pretty easy.

[drcoastline]

I have seen a clean white T-shirt laid on the surface and then an iron on cotton setting pressed onto the T-shirt for a few seconds at a time. I have seen this remove the white ring from a glass or coffee cup. The theory is the heat softens the finish allowing the moisture to escape and the T-Shirt absorbs the moisture.

I like this guy's first method of removal. Maybe modify the technique a little? Soak a piece of T-shirt with hand sanitizer and suspend it in the container. This will prevent dripping and prevent touching the surface with a rag.

[gr8fl4porsche]

As stated above, the white mark is water that has migrated under the finish.

The unknown is what finish is actually on the wood.

If it is Lacquer, then Lacquer Retarder spritz'd on the spot will open up the Lacquer allowing the moisture to escape.

If Shellac, then try Denatured Alcohol.

Water and Alkyd based finishes typically do not stain in that manner so the finish is likely Lacquer or Shellac.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

I suspect it's an old French polish/shellac finish.

I think you'll have to wipe the top down with a spirit solvent to even it up. i wouldn't worry too much. It with come right with a new layer, or evened up finish.

I used to do this for a job. Pretty easy.

I was going to say it looks like water-based poly..and just wait half a day for it to disappear.

[Scott Douglas]

Thanks to all who replied. I really appreciate the help.

Moisture trapped in the finish, never would have thought of that.

[smadsen]

I see some other marks/discolor on the top beside the obvious water stain. Couldn't you just block sand the entire top and re-finish.

[GH85Carrera]

If it is indeed just a shellac finish, just put on another coat. It will dissolve the old coat and look fine. How to determine it is for certain shellac is the had part.

Just do the top, and leave the rest alone.

[Scott Douglas]

Took these pics this morning quickly. Top does have some other 'marks' on it, not sure if it's grain or older water marks or????
I'm leaning towards a block sand and refinish of the top. At least the wood is 'hard' to the touch and not water soaked like I first thought it might be. The cosmetics of the stain mark are what had me worried but it looks like it'll come out fairly easily.
We have house guests for the next couple of weeks so won't be able to get to this project for a while.






At least the wood isn't suffering now that most of the water is off it.

[stevej37]

I've used the Howard stuff in post #2 a few times. It's great stuff. They offer it in about 8 diff. types of wood.

[JoeFleming86]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

My wife put her humidifier on our cabinet in the family room and wouldn't you know it, it leaked. This is a Heywood Wakefield cabinet which she inherited from her grandparents I believe. She keeps china in it, along with other stuff.
Shortly after finding the water sitting on it, I used a micro fiber towel to soak up the water, then set a fan next to it to blow air across it to help dry it out.
How should we proceed from here on restoring the finish?
I'm not sure if it was re-finished with Formby's or not.
Our dining room table suffered the same fate only from a plant watering leak, but that's another story I won't get into here.
Picture of the cabinet problem.


Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

I’ve been dealing with water damage on some of my wooden furniture recently, and it’s definitely tricky figuring out the best way to restore or protect pieces. I ended up checking out giantex for a few replacement options and was impressed with the quality and variety of furniture they offer. Has anyone else here tried restoring wood at home versus replacing pieces? I’d love to hear tips on cleaning, finishing, or even just selecting furniture that can handle everyday wear and tear. Sharing experiences could really help people avoid costly mistakes and make better choices for both style and durability in their homes. It’s always nice to hear real-world advice from others who’ve been through similar furniture challenges.

I had the same issue

[Scott Douglas]

My how time flies. No sure when or how I got the staining out but the cabinet has been in service ever since.
Thought I'd show a picture of how it came out.

Thanks again for the help.

[masraum]

Nice! Congrats on a top notch resolution!

[wdfifteen]

Calling Zeke! He knows just what to do. He worked miracles on an antique music box of mine. Google Oddjobfix on YouTube.

[Zeke]

Thank you but Joe is a hold and edit bot.