[JimBanville]

I bought a small wood cigar box. Had a price sticker on it.
My dumba$$ created a glossy area on an otherwise satin finish while rubbing off the sticky residue. How can I bring that gloss back down GRADUALLY without having to refinish the box? I only paid $5 at a second hand shop, so don't really want to spend too much. Is there something I should do after bringing the gloss down to make everything blend? Something like pledge, etc? Thanks!
:notworthy:

 

[Dominick]

0000 steel wool and paste wax. Or some like to use those scotch brite pads.
Just make sure when doing so, to use some type of lubricant, as not to rub threw the finish.
Take caution on the ends.

 

[Steve Neul]

The last thing you want to do is put a polish on it. You can rub the box down with steel wool and dull the finish but the sheen won't be very uniform and it makes the finish look a little cloudy. What I would do is to sand the finish with 220 grit sandpaper and recoat it with a satin finish. The first thing you need to do is get an idea what kind of finish it has on it. On the back side of it you might wipe some lacquer thinner on a small spot and see if the finish tries to disolve or wrinkles up. If it tries to disolve you could either recoat it with a satin lacquer or the fast dry polyurethane, both easily available in aerosol cans. If it tries to wrinkle quit with the lacquer thinner, the finish isn't compatable. The finish then could be recoated with a water based polyurethane or an oil based polyurethane.

 

[JimBanville]

Thank you! What type of lubricant? I imagine this made-in-china finish is probably thin and sensitive to chemicals.

 

[Steve Neul]

Actually much of the stuff coming from china is finished with a conversion varnish which is very chemical resistant. As far as a lubricant if you are going to rub it you could use johnson paste wax. I don't where a person could get it in the stores but they make a lubricant to use with steel wool called woolwax. Mohawk Finishing Products would have it but that is a mail order thing. You might try rockler or woodcraft. I think in the end rubbing on it you will make the entire box glossier.

 

[JimBanville]

Sounds like this $5 box is gonna turn out to b expensive

So something like a little toothpaste on a rag, applied a little at a time wouldn't work?

What about a magic eraser? Will it leave swirl marks?

 

[Steve Neul]

Sounds like this $5 box is gonna turn out to b expensive

So something like a little toothpaste on a rag, applied a little at a time wouldn't work?

What about a magic eraser? Will it leave swirl marks?

What you have to understand is with a satin finish they put a powder in the finish called a flattening agent that floats to the surface as the finish dries and prevents the finish from glossing over. Then when the tag residue was rubbed it removed that finish off the top with the flattening agent in it to reveal the glossier finish under it. The more rubbing you do on the box will remove the flattening agent on all of it. You have the option of dulling the finish by putting scratches in all of it with steel wool or 800 grit sandpaper. The scratches also make the appearance cloudy. You could also buff it out making it glossy in the same manor the sticky spot was rubbed.

I think there is a high likelyhood the finish on the box would withstand the solvents in Minwax Fast Dry Polyurethane. It's available in aerosol cans and would have a shelf life for many years. What is left over you could use on something else. If you have used any kind of polish on the box you would have to wash it down with naphtha and scuff sand with 220 grit sandpaper so the finish would bond. Putting a finish over the top is the only real way to put the finish back the was it was intended.

 

[JimBanville]

Thanks for all the info!!! I went ahead a rubbed a lil toothpaste on the box's top. It brought the sheen of the whole top just enough to greatly diminish the glossy area. I'd say you wouldn't notice it without me pointing it out now

 

[cabinetman]

Thanks for all the info!!! I went ahead a rubbed a lil toothpaste on the box's top. It brought the sheen of the whole top just enough to greatly diminish the glossy area. I'd say you wouldn't notice it without me pointing it out now

Way to go. Some fixes are very simple if you know about them. That's the key to solving problems...start with the least involved and if that doesn't work, move up to something more involved.

Surprisingly toothpaste has a slight abrasive compound. Some brands have more or less. Using a compound similar to the consistency of toothpaste, like rubbing compounds (all on their own), with no lubrication, or if any just plain water, can reach similar results. At least with the toothpaste, it won't get cavities, and will smell nice.:laughing:

There are other things that you could try too. Some brown paper bags (like grocery types) are just rough enough that it could produce mottled finish.

.

 

[JimBanville]

Cool! I'll keep that in mind in the future

 

[SeniorSitizen]

The tooth paste with the most powdered pumice works the fastest but that's a secret ingredient and the manufacturer won't reveal that or the amount.