Can we talk about a weird thing I saw at a flea market in Savannah?

I was looking at a beat up oak dresser last month and the seller had painted the whole thing with thick, cheap latex wall paint. It was a total mess, but the original shellac underneath was still perfect. I spent $40 on it just to strip it back. Seeing that good wood buried like that made me stop buying any piece that's already been painted without checking first. How do you guys check for salvageable finishes under bad paint jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

dixon.iris14d ago

Sometimes a bad paint job is just saving a piece from the dump.

milaw1414d ago

Thick latex paint over perfect shellac? That's a crime. You got so lucky finding that. I always look for drips or brush marks, shows they rushed it and didn't prep. A quick scrape in a hidden spot with a key tells you everything.

spencer814d ago

Latex over shellac is such a waste. It's like putting a cheap sticker over a perfect photo. That old finish has a warmth you can't buy now. People cover it up because they want everything to look new and boring. Finding it under there is like winning a tiny lottery. You gotta respect the original work.