MultiHub Forum

I’ve been restoring this old cedar chest for weeks, and I finally hit a wall I can’t seem to get past. The original finish was this stubborn, alligator-cracked shellac that came off in patches, leaving behind a sticky, gummy residue no matter what solvent I try. I’ve carefully scraped, used denatured alcohol, and even tested a commercial stripper, but the wood underneath still feels tacky and refuses to take a new sanding sealer without blotching. I’m worried I’ve somehow damaged the grain, and at this point, I’m honestly looking for any **woodworking** advice from someone who’s tackled a similar nightmare. My goal was to have this ready as an anniversary gift, but now I’m afraid I might have to strip it down to bare wood all over again, which feels like admitting total defeat.

That tackiness is often wax/oil residues locked in by the old shellac. Try a proper gel stripper, keep it wet per the label, then wipe with mineral spirits and a warm water/TSP rinse, and dry thoroughly. Lightly sand to 320, vacuum, then seal with dewaxed shellac before your chosen finish. If blotching returns, strip to bare wood and start with a dewaxed sealer.