Problem with an unknown finish

[George Bokros]

Mi BIL & SIL purchased a dinning set from Thomasville some time ago. From the beginning it showed every finger and had print. She was told to clean it with just a damp cloth but this does nothing to remove the finger / hand prints. She complained and was told there is nothing wrong with the finish. She has tried various furniture polishes and cleaners to no avail. She is actually embarassed about how the table looks that she keeps it covered with a table cloth. I am at a loss to tell her what to do to remove the finger / hand prints.

Any thoughts as to what kind of finish it could be or what do try to remove the finger / hand prints?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[John TenEyck]

I'd guess that it was done with lacquer that wasn't catalyzed correctly. If so, I doubt there's a remedial action that will work short of stripping and refinishing. I might be wrong on the type of finish, but I'll bet the solution is the same. You might be able to get rid of the finger prints, temporarily, by buffing it with an auto body polishing compound, but they will most likely come right back.

There was a similar thread on another site recently about a similar problem with another higher end furniture maker. They were just as arrogant as Thomasville appears to have been and also made no attempt to resolve the issue.

John

[Leo Graywacz]

Clean it with DNA, check to be sure it doesn't damage the finish. Scuff with 320 grit sandpaper and spray a coat of dewaxed shellac on the table. Spray with coat of polyurethane.