Pickled Cabinet Finish?

[The Farm]

Have a '64 Trail Wind. Inside of cabinets look as if they are 'pickled'...a pinkish tinged wash. But due to the age the outside of cabinets looks like it is 90% gone. But there are traces of paint...I was going to Tung Oil and call it good. After one coat? Yuk. Grey and black stains show through.Anyone have this kind of finish? Did Airstream ever 'white wash' cabinets? This is a complete remodel and we are trying for a close to original restoration.

[overlander64]

Greetings The Farm!

Welcome to the Forums!

Originally Posted by The Farm

Have a '64 Trail Wind. Inside of cabinets look as if they are 'pickled'...a pinkish tinged wash. But due to the age the outside of cabinets looks like it is 90% gone. But there are traces of paint...I was going to Tung Oil and call it good. After one coat? Yuk. Grey and black stains show through.Anyone have this kind of finish? Did Airstream ever 'white wash' cabinets? This is a complete remodel and we are trying for a close to original restoration.

While I haven't seen a '64 model with "blond" wood work, I have seen it utilized in '60, ,'61, and '62 coaches. The blonding was often an opaque yellow-to-white stain utilized with oak furniture from the mid-1950s through the early-to-mid-1960s. It can be a very frustrating, and nearly impossible staining technique to match when trying to repair - - finding a similar blonding stain to replicate the existing finish may be difficult (for an entire refinish), but shouldn't be impossible. The last blonded oak furniture that I refinished was several years ago, and when I tried to locate the stain system that I utilized at that time I couldn't locate it through my usual source.

Good luck with your restoration project!

Kevin

[Stefrobrts]

I have the same finish in Bambi. I haven't figured out what to do to restore it yet. On the Caravel, which has a walnut finish, I was able to oil and wax it and it came out beautiful, but this pickled finish has me stumped.

Here's a picture (and some input from others) in this link
Name that finish

[The Farm]

Eureka! I went to my local Benjamin Moore paint store with cabinet front in-hand...the salesperson there took one look at the backside which still has the pickling, There is a product: Old Masters' Pickling White. It can be tinted. Now by the looks of some of these fronts, I will have some elbow grease put into this (like the whole trailer!) but I really feel that this will make a nice look.

Thanks for your input, I appreciated the pictures, as well. If I can figure out my digital camera I will post the before and after on the cabinets.

[Stefrobrts]

Thanks for letting us know the product. I'll have to see if I can get my hands on that. I'm glad you also say yours seems to be tinted pink, because that is the impression I get as well. I'll be interested to hear how it goes for you.

[Creampuff]

The cabinets are usually a lacquer finish and often times the tint is in the finish . DO NOT use oil finishes over the original lacquer or it will soften in a short period, become gummy and you'll peel it off with your fingernails. This happens frequently in 10 year old kitchen cabinets after hand oils and cooking oils get on them.
My advice is to lightly sand the finish to remove dirt and a small amount of topcoat. Apply a 'pickling stain'- preferably water-based, and then topcoat with spray lacquer. If you have a spray gun , use "Deft" brand topcoat with a pickling tint mixed into it. Finish the edges with a solid color to match original and 'you're stylin' !

[The Farm]

Okay, I should have listened to my inner-restoration heart. My husband suggested (against my better judgement) to use Tung Oil just to 'snap' the outside of cabinet. WRONG. Do not use this product. Great for furniture but a bugger to get off. I have one of the cabinet faces at the local Ben Moore dealer to try a few products to get the stuff off.
I did this out of the: Oh, we will just do a little bit of work and poof! an airstream trailer! Let's see right now my husband has pulled the bathroom out and closet and has the underbelly exposed. So my restoration of cabinets is waiting...But at least they are easy to get to!
The Ben Moore dealer is going to 'match' my old pickling. Now I believe in his ability to do this...he has been able to match anything I throw at him.

[The Farm]

It works and works really well. I used a great,great new non-caustic stripper called Redi Strip. Stuff is super expensive but the fact it is water based and you do not have to wear a mask...and it does not burn skin? Worth it. Looks like Nickleodean's Green Slime. Vertical surfaces like a charm! Stuff changes color as it works. Took the crud and tung oil off (whew)
Sanded cabinets with 150 grit, orbital. Put the pickling on? Wow! night and day. going up to the shed (we do live on a Farm) and will take photos if anyone wants to see before and after.