Sheesham (Indian Rosewood) Table Damaged!

12714 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Kerrys, Feb 18, 2017

rhyvun

Discussion Starter · Oct 18, 2013 (Edited)

Help!

I am an amateur by all means when it comes to woodworking and finishing.
Well... I have a really beautiful solid sheesham table (Indian rosewood) that has water damage from me stupidly leaving the windows open one night when it rained.

It's odd because we've had water standing on the table before and it did nothing, and rosewood to my understanding is very water resistant.

But... Here are some pictures. I am basically looking for suggestions on how to perhaps repair the table, or at least ensure it gets no worse.
I am afraid to sand it/plane it because I know I probably won't be able to re-create the finish that came on it from the factory. It is only a few months old.

Also, in the same area there is water damage you will see several small knicks where my wife dropped a candle on the table. Those don't really bother me, but if I am going to be doing anything in that general vicinity I may as well fix those too right?

All suggestions are welcomed!

Thank you!

IMAGES: (Click the links because the images are huge and it looked terrible on the forum.)
http://i43.tinypic.com/14blztg.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/3468ch2.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/10ga14g.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/98x95k.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/24ya0zd.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/f3xh1c.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/4k7d02.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/2hyf7gp.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/o90os6.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/2vcgtwn.jpg

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Dave Paine

· #2 · Oct 18, 2013

Many woods are water resistant.

I think the issues is the cracks. Likely denser grain and the finish did not absorb well, or the cracks exposed the end grain. Most woods will absorb more water from end grain vs face grain.

I think you will have a difficult time repairing the finish. It will likely be easier to sand the top down to bare wood and re-finish.

Try to find out the present type of finish from the store where you purchased the table.

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Hammer1

· #3 · Oct 18, 2013

Might be wise to look for a furniture repair technician. There isn't a simple wipe on fix for a home owner to apply. If not listed in your area, try calling a better quality furniture or piano store to see if they know one.

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rhyvun

Discussion Starter · #4 · Oct 18, 2013

I was afraid you might say I need to refinish the top... lol.
I can't afford to pay someone to do it so I will have to do it myself.

Can y'all think of anyway to prevent it from getting any worse? I mean it doesn't seem to be getting worse but I don't want to take any chances. Would keeping it oiled down prevent it from cracking any further until I can repair it or?

Also, if this were your table what methodology would you use to refinish it?

I am not a complete amateur, I do have a small wood shop but nothing like some of you guys.

The crack... in looking at the board there doesn't appear to be any endgrain but with how much marbling the wood has it's hard to tell sort of.

One thing I was thinking, is that this rosewood appears to be pretty pourous and they did use a lot of filler... my guess is that the filler absorbed some moisture and allowed the grains to separate a bit. Does that sound feasible?

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Dave Paine

· #5 · Oct 18, 2013

The crack in the first 4 or 5 photos is where a branch was crossing the trunk, commonly called a knot. The knot will be end grain - and tight grain. I am not surprised it cracked. I see this in the log sections I have for turning.

It will stabilize as the wood approaches the moisture content of your house. If you had standing water from the rain, it may have absorbed some water.

I would not worry about the crack, as long as does not get much bigger, which I would not expect.

Without knowing the present finish, it is difficult to say what other finish, wax or oil can be applied.

You can try mineral oil on the white areas, but it may make these darker if it absorbs.

You can try wiping a small hidden area with a piece of paper towel soaked in denatured alcohol (dna). If the finish does not soften with the dna, you can try wiping the white areas with dewaxed shellac, available in big box stores as Zinsser SealCoat. The solvent is dna, hence the need to test first.

The SealCoat will seal the white area. Not sure what it will do for the colour.

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rhyvun

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 19, 2013

Alright cool... I wont worry about it then so long as it doesnt worsen. I really appreciate you sharing your expertise with a novice and schooling me on wood grain. Peace be with you wood jedi.

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Ronnie Robin Duncan

· #7 · Feb 18, 2017

I purchased a Sheesham table and it was never exposed to water in my house and it was cracking within 30 days of purchase. I called manufacturer and they sent a replacement that arrived with cracking. Did your piece ever stop cracking? I can see lots of additional potential cracks in addition. Is it worth repairing?

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Kerrys

· #8 · Feb 18, 2017

Ronnie Robin Duncan said:
I purchased a Sheesham table and it was never exposed to water in my house and it was cracking within 30 days of purchase. I called manufacturer and they sent a replacement that arrived with cracking. Did your piece ever stop cracking? I can see lots of additional potential cracks in addition. Is it worth repairing?

Did you notice this thread is almost 4 years old? Also the thread starter made three posts all on this thread and has not posted since. The likelihood of getting a reply is small.

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