finish on teak furniture

[l-lopez]

I am often asked about cleaning up and/or fixing blemishes on teak furniture. What is the finish on teak tabletops (veneer and/or solid) and chairs.

thanks, Len

[dadiOH]

Who knows (other than the manufacturer)?

Best bet is lacquer or oil. If the finish is hard and shiny it is probably lacquer; if not, it *may* be oil. Lacquer thinner will tell you for sure...if it melts the finish then it was lacquer.

[dpb]

A seal coat of shellac will allow virtually any finish of choice to be applied over it.

Interesting timing for the question; there's an article in current FWW on finishing oily woods in one of the shorter columns that's got good background information.