Water mark removal advice

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sihollies

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Hi all,
I have been asked to try and save a boardroom table at my town's football club. (they aren't exactly Premier League and money is tight at the moment).
I am sure it has a polyurethane finish which is in quite a bad state as you can see in the photo.
I really dont want to attempt to remove all the varnish and was wondering if anyone could advise on a method to remove water marks etc from said finish?
I have use the meths and lighter trick on a few table tops before now, but this has several medium sized marks over quite a large area, so I am not sure whether to risk it or not??

I dont really think it needs to be perfect, as I am doing it as an a gesture of goodwill.

As always, I look forward to your input.

Many thanks
Simon
 

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Go on, video it..................... what could go wrong

You'd be a UKworkshop legend.

Check for sprinklers
 
The best way I've found on varnish is actually pretty simple, more heat :twisted:

I read it some time ago in a restoration book when I was doing my furniture making and restoration diploma :roll: , Get a largish dry cotton rag and an iron on medium heat. Place rag over white mark and move iron over the rag without stopping, otherwise the finish will melt if the iron is left in one place too long and the rag will stick to the finish. Keep moving the rag periodically as well and don't let the wood get too hot either. Done right this works very well.

There are also special "White Ring Removers" you can buy but I'm not sure how well those work.
 
Thanks Trevanion,
That option is less likely to burn down the stadium. :D
Could you tell me if the fabric should be completly dry and does the quality/make up of fabric make a difference?
Would a towel do the job?

I know I said I was going to do this as a freebie, but want to do th ebest job as possible as it may lead to future works.

Many thanks
Simon
 
sihollies":2xzhjqlo said:
Could you tell me if the fabric should be completly dry and does the quality/make up of fabric make a difference?
Would a towel do the job?

Completely dry towel, no water in the iron, just heat. What I used was an old cotton t-shirt, the towel might be too thick.
 
sihollies":yj47ip80 said:
After this process, should I apply any other finish or treat it in any way?

You shouldn't need to, but that's entirely up to you once you've got rid of the stains. If it all looks good once it's done I'd just leave it at that as guaranteed they'd only stain it again! #-o
 
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