I made a big mistake and sprayed goof off on my grandmothers antique buffet to remove gum and paint. My intention was to just use Bri-Was and clean it up a bit and now spots of the finish (varnish) have come off.

Is there anyway to repair these spots or an I doomed to strip the whole thing and re-finish?

 

cce:

There's a good chance the finish is lacquer and not varnish. To find out, take a rag dampened with lacquer thinner and rub it on an ou-of-the-way spot. If the rag starts to drag or stick, stop immediately. The finish is either lacquer or shellac, and can be repaired with lacquer. If the rag doesn't stick, the finish is probably varnish.

If the finish is lacquer or shellac, you can use an aerosol to fill in the damaged areas. I suggest Deft for this, because it's a good product and readily available most places.

You'll need to mist the spray on, letting each coat dry before proceeding. Use 400 wet/dry paper with a sanding block to smooth out and remove the overspray after each application.

This will take some time, as you want to fill the damaged areas while keeping the surrounding area level. Keep at it until you've built the surface back. You can then switch to 600 grit wet/dry paper for a final sanding, and use Turtle Wax Polishing Compound and Scratch Remover to get rid of the sanding marks.

Patience will get it done - don't rush this.

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George T.