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ForeverAutumn
05-14-2009, 06:15 AM
Does anyone know anything about protecting wood furniture?

We bought a solid wood (ash) table for our kitchen. The wood is getting scratched up much faster than I thought it would. I assembled a light fixture on it and put a few small dents in it, that was my own stupidity, but now I'm seeing some small scratches that look like they might be from the cat jumping up on it.

Is there a way to protect the wood so that it won't scratch so easily? Will a coat of wax do the trick?

3-LockBox
05-14-2009, 06:39 AM
Well, if the kitty starts sharpening claws on it you can spray it with vinegar and water.

I can't remember if Ash is a hard wood or not - assuming it is, then polishing it could be a start, or you could buy a heavy duty varnish, which will still scratch, but your wood isn't getting damaged. Make sure and sand out the scrathes first. There's really no way to cover-up scratches unless you paint over them.

Wood is beautiful, but high maintenance.

ForeverAutumn
05-14-2009, 07:26 AM
I looked it up and found that Ash is a hardwood. It's about halfway between Red Oak and Maple. Baseball bats are made from Ash. The table really shouldn't be scratching this easily. Now I'm wondering if it's just the finish that is getting scratched by the cat and not the actual wood.

I bought it at Sears and it just occured to me that it's probably still under warranty. I'll go and talk to them before I try to fix it myself.

Auricauricle
05-14-2009, 07:42 AM
Wax might help, but either way, you're gonna have to deal with Her Highness....

To do this, you either have to find a way of making places the cat likes to leap upon more unattractive or shoo her off consistently....To prevent The Bean from jumping on the living room coffee table, we place magazines, books, etc. to giver her little room to hunker down. Short of that, you have to catch her in the act and respond with a short, sharp "Git!" and a clap of the hands. A water pistol might help. At the same time, make sure that there are some places that are "safe", like a certain chair or whatever you think you wouldn't mind it so much. She'll soon make the connection, but it takes diligence and perseverance to get the payoff...

You can also take a zomboni to it and make it so slick she slides right off, but this might be excessive...I donno....

ForeverAutumn
05-14-2009, 07:55 AM
Wax might help, but either way, you're gonna have to deal with Her Highness....

I've never actually seen him on the table. He knows he's not allowed up there. But there are the telltale signs of scratches and fur letting us know that he's going up there when we're not around.

My bigger concern is the table itself. We keep the cat's claws clipped short so if the table is getting marked from him, there's a problem with the table. It shouldn't be getting marked up that easily.

Auricauricle
05-14-2009, 08:44 AM
If your cat is gonna be an indoor critter, you may want to consider removing the front paws altogether....Sounds cruel, but the rear 'uns are the ones that are used to defend herself.

I don't know nothin' about table quality issues, Miss. Scarlet!...

ForeverAutumn
05-14-2009, 08:54 AM
If your cat is gonna be an indoor critter, you may want to consider removing the front paws altogether....Sounds cruel, but the rear 'uns are the ones that are used to defend herself.

That's kind of extreme, don't you think?! :yikes:

Feanor
05-14-2009, 09:49 AM
That's kind of extreme, don't you think?! :yikes:

I think he meant CLAWS not paws, (I hope).

Auricauricle
05-14-2009, 10:22 AM
Eep!

Didditagin, dinniteye?

ForeverAutumn
05-14-2009, 10:53 AM
LMAO! Of course I knew what you meant.

Do you know how they declaw cats? They amputate the top bone of their toes. Think of someone amputating your fingers at the top knuckle to remove your fingernails. This is a very painful experience for cats and I would never be a part of it. I'd rather have a scratched table and furniture. Lucky for us, however, that our cat was easily trained to use his scratching post.

Rich-n-Texas
05-14-2009, 12:23 PM
I tried to post something here earlier but I got a "server busy..." message :rolleyes:

I had my cats de-clawed when they were very young, but I'd advise against doing something like that at this point in your cat's life.

ForeverAutumn
05-14-2009, 12:37 PM
I tried to post something here earlier but I got a "server busy..." message :rolleyes:

I had my cats de-clawed when they were very young, but I'd advise against doing something like that at this point in your cat's life.

It's not even a consideration. Neither is removing his front paws.

Although we do have a raccoon in the neighbourhood that only has one back leg. But I'm not responsible for removing the other one. I don't know how that happened.

Auricauricle
05-14-2009, 01:05 PM
Is that the one who comes to your back porch, crutch in arm, late in the night and staring balefully at your door...? I donno...

Rich-n-Texas
05-14-2009, 03:07 PM
Yeah I don't think I'd ever cut my cats feets off either. :crazy:

02audionoob
05-14-2009, 04:26 PM
Sounds like you need a satin-finish clear lacquer on the wood. By the way...the hardwoods are the deciduous trees and the softwoods are the evergreens. I don't know that all of the hardwoods are all that hard.

Rich-n-Texas
05-14-2009, 05:27 PM
Pine is a soft wood too. And that's what you get when you buy furniture at stores like Rooms To Go and Ashley Furniture. JUNK!

Groundbeef
05-15-2009, 02:40 AM
Why stop with the paws? Just have the vet remove both front legs, then fashion some prosthetic legs with little cloth ends. Then before you go to work for the day just spray on some polish.

when you get home, the whole table will be shiny, and your cat will have done all the work. Seems like a good idea to me.

Auricauricle
05-15-2009, 03:37 AM
Declawing does not involve bone removal--only the claw is fussed with and the cat is anesthetized to experinence as little discomfort as possible.

Beef, I think you and I need to talk....

Groundbeef
05-15-2009, 04:13 AM
Declawing does not involve bone removal--only the claw is fussed with and the cat is anesthetized to experinence as little discomfort as possible.

Beef, I think you and I need to talk....


Right, I'm the guy that first suggested paw removal.:frown2:

ForeverAutumn
05-15-2009, 05:44 AM
Sounds like you need a satin-finish clear lacquer on the wood. By the way...the hardwoods are the deciduous trees and the softwoods are the evergreens. I don't know that all of the hardwoods are all that hard.

Finally something constructive in this thread! LOL.

If I lacquer the wood will I still be able to see the grain as well or will it just have a shiny finish? What I love most about this table is the beautiful grain of the wood...it's just gorgeous...and I don't want to do anything to it that will cover up the grain or make it stand out less. Also, will lacquer hold up to hot and cold on the table? I don't want to have to worry about rings from wet glasses and that kind of thing.

Auricauricle
05-15-2009, 05:53 AM
You can always start cultivating pawpaws...

Groundbeef
05-15-2009, 06:55 AM
If I lacquer the wood will I still be able to see the grain as well or will it just have a shiny finish? What I love most about this table is the beautiful grain of the wood...it's just gorgeous...and I don't want to do anything to it that will cover up the grain or make it stand out less. Also, will lacquer hold up to hot and cold on the table? I don't want to have to worry about rings from wet glasses and that kind of thing.

In my prior life (before a budget analyst), I ran a Sherwin Williams paint store for 8.5 years.

Refinishing a table is NOT an job for a novice. There are many problems to any solution, and one of the biggest is determining what finish is actually ON the table now.

Polyurathane is one of the hardest coatings you could use, but poly is very picky about the surface. It would need to be taken down to bare wood, and that involves a lot of either sanding or blasting.

Varnish is 2nd in hardness, and much more forgiving in application, and surface prep. A good sanding to rough up the surface is usually sufficient. However, varnish isn't as hard as poly, and conversly won't last nearly as long.

Lacquer is MUCH more difficult to apply (IE, forget about it!), as it drys usually in less than 5-10 minutes. It can't be applied by brush, and must be sprayed. Not really practical for home application.

Honestly, I would talk to Sears, and see if they have some sort of warrenty (hopefully you bought the "accident" insurance). Then, go and get a clear tablecloth and put on table. It isn't the most elegant solution, but will keep the scratches off. You can always remove for parties and such.

Or, conversly knit your kitty some booties to wear around the house. I can supply more info if you would like.

Auricauricle
05-15-2009, 08:41 AM
Hmmm...a solution to the problems of solutions....Okaaay....

Groundbeef
05-15-2009, 09:31 AM
Hmmm...a solution to the problems of solutions....Okaaay....

Painting anything poses multiple problems for both application, and applicator. Refinishing furniture is even worse. Don't belive the Minwax commercials. It's a real pain in the butt.

Stick to what you know Auri, and apparently painting/refinishing isn't what you know.

My writing may have been ackward but the message isnt. I'm in a sh*tty mode right now. In the process of saving FA's table, I'm also cutting over 700 jobs (on paper) for presentation to the legislature later today. Thats just in the 3 agencies I work on.

ForeverAutumn
05-15-2009, 10:15 AM
My writing may have been ackward but the message isnt. I'm in a sh*tty mode right now. In the process of saving FA's table, I'm also cutting over 700 jobs (on paper) for presentation to the legislature later today. Thats just in the 3 agencies I work on.

Wow! Well that makes my little scratched table seem insignificant. Sorry that you have to present those cuts Beefy. That sucks.

I appreciate your advice on the table front. It's all excellent information. You've put in one little post what I've been trying and not succeeding to learn using internet searches. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

I'm going to take a good close look at the scratches this weekend to see whether I can tell if the wood is actually damaged and then go and talk to Sears. I'll let you know how things turn out.

Rich-n-Texas
05-15-2009, 10:24 AM
A topical treatment I use on my kitchen table which is soft but elegant looking is Scott's Liquid Gold. It really brings up the finish by deep cleaning it. I only use it once-in-a-while though.

So was that helpful info for you FA? :smilewinkgrin:

ForeverAutumn
05-15-2009, 12:40 PM
A topical treatment I use on my kitchen table which is soft but elegant looking is Scott's Liquid Gold. It really brings up the finish by deep cleaning it. I only use it once-in-a-while though.

So was that helpful info for you FA? :smilewinkgrin:

Will it get out minor scratches?

It looks like the scratches that I put into the table are definately into the wood (I'm bonehead!). But the marks from the cat are just superficial in the finish.

Groundbeef
05-15-2009, 02:15 PM
Any type of "polish" will mask the surface scratches. However, especially if they have wax in them will cause serious issues down the road if you ever want to refinish it.

For cleaning, use Murphy Oil soap. Anything in a can (think Dust-off, or "liquid gold") are crap for future work.

The problem for you is that it is a "new" table and already suffering loss of finish. That doesn't bode well for future wear. It is possible that your new table is so fresh tha the finish hasn't had time to "set" but I would think that highly unlikely. Usually the window for that is less than 30 days.

Your best bet is a clear plastic tablecloth. Or paw removal.

02audionoob
05-15-2009, 06:28 PM
I looked online and came up with a listing for an ash table on Sears (Canada) and guess what...lacquer finish. Blows my idea out of the water. Apparently the finish you're having a problem with is already lacquer.

ForeverAutumn
05-16-2009, 02:48 PM
I looked online and came up with a listing for an ash table on Sears (Canada) and guess what...lacquer finish. Blows my idea out of the water. Apparently the finish you're having a problem with is already lacquer.

I don't think that my particular table is on the Sears website. It's a custom deal. You pick the table top shape, leg shape and stain. Then there's like 10 chairs to pick from, the stain and at least 20 fabrics for the seats. They build to order. Thanks for looking though.


The problem for you is that it is a "new" table and already suffering loss of finish. That doesn't bode well for future wear.

Yeah, that's my concern. I expect wear and tear over time. I'm not going to cry over a few scratches, but it's too soon. We've only had it since Christmas. And we've only used it a handful of times. :nonod: I'll pick up some Murphy Oil Soap and give it a try. Thanks.

Rich-n-Texas
05-17-2009, 07:07 AM
Will it get out minor scratches?
Well, I guess not since "liquid gold is crap for future work". :rolleyes:


It looks like the scratches that I put into the table are definately into the wood (I'm bonehead!). But the marks from the cat are just superficial in the finish.
No, I'M the bonehead here. OTOH, I don't plan on doing any "future work" on my kitchen table. Just polish to keep the grain looking luxurious. I'll live with the cat claw scratch by covering it with a centerpiece, placemat or other ornament.

Auricauricle
05-17-2009, 07:25 AM
I have a friend who took some heavy, heavy stuff on the door to his house--I'll send y'all a snap in a bit--even a hurricane won't touch it....

02audionoob
05-17-2009, 07:52 AM
I've tried waxing my dining table...it's maybe 25 years old. I have mostly all the same dents and scratches, but now they're shiny.:(

Auricauricle
05-17-2009, 12:47 PM
Yeah, but dents, warts and other marks are signs of character! Unless yours is a Chippendale or god-only-knows-how-expensive...

02audionoob
05-17-2009, 01:07 PM
Yeah, but dents, warts and other marks are signs of character! Unless yours is a Chippendale or god-only-knows-how-expensive...

'tis true. With FA's table, the marks probably stand out because of their new surroundings and the watchful eye of the table's new owner. At age 25, our Pulaski table indeed shows the warts more like character than flaws. Besides, its condition is better than that of the 80-year-old floor.

Auricauricle
05-17-2009, 02:26 PM
Pulaski...Had to look that one up...Looks pretty Rococo-esque! Should blend nicely.

02audionoob
05-17-2009, 02:35 PM
They do seem to have quite a but of the highly-ornate styles, but there's a little of the more-casual, too...

http://www.pulaskifurniture.com/index.cfm/go/catalog.show_collection_products/brand/Pulaski/collection/Barolo%20Casual/category/Casual%20Dining.cfm

Auricauricle
05-17-2009, 02:55 PM
Very handsome, indeed! I'm a fan of Fosots*, m'self...

*Found-on-the-side-of-the-street

ForeverAutumn
05-18-2009, 12:55 PM
'tis true. With FA's table, the marks probably stand out because of their new surroundings and the watchful eye of the table's new owner. At age 25, our Pulaski table indeed shows the warts more like character than flaws. Besides, its condition is better than that of the 80-year-old floor.

That's probably very true. But does that mean that I have to wait 25 years for all the dents and scratches to give the table character instead of just looking dented and scratched? :lol:

Groundbeef
05-18-2009, 01:08 PM
That's probably very true. But does that mean that I have to wait 25 years for all the dents and scratches to give the table character instead of just looking dented and scratched? :lol:


No, considering that your table is mass produced in 25 years you will simply have a mass produced table with substancially more scratches.

Have you contacted Sears?