Visited the antique mall in Springfield and saw a 1920s sideboard with a shellac finish that looked brand new.

The owner said it's been in a sunroom for 50 years and he just wipes it down with a 50/50 mix of denatured alcohol and boiled linseed oil once a year, which honestly makes me question all the complicated finishing schedules I've been following.

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_torres15d agoTop Commenter

Seriously, that tracks. Watched my granddad keep a 1940s radio cabinet looking perfect for decades with nothing but a yearly wipe of lemon oil and a soft cloth. Meanwhile I'm over here mixing five different boutique waxes and stressing over the humidity. Makes you wonder how much of this stuff is just marketing.

averywilliams15d ago

Wait, yearly? He only did it once a year and it still looked good? That's the part that gets me. My whole weekend gets eaten up if I even think about touching my coffee table. We've been sold a whole story that wood needs constant babying, special conditioners, all that. Your granddad had the right idea. Keep it simple.

williams.kim1d ago

Right? @joseph_torres proves it's all just overpriced busywork.