Salvage shop in Portland had some seriously bad finishes I need to warn about

I stopped into this place called Reclaim Collective off Division last weekend and almost walked out right away. They had this oak dining table that was finished with what looked like a heavy hand of wipe-on poly left to pool in the corners. There were dust nibs everywhere and the top coat was already peeling near the legs. The owner said they hired a guy who claimed to be a pro but clearly didn't know how to thin his coats right. Has anyone else spotted bad work like this at salvage spots and did you say something to the owner?

3 comments

3 Comments

anna9832mo ago

Walnut buffers are a different breed of wood than walnut but I get your point. The wiping streaks are a dead giveaway someone skipped the grain filling step. Calling out bad work is fair game when they're charging premium prices for slapdash labor.

emery_taylor14d ago

Notice this same lazy streak everywhere now, not just with furniture but with house painters and car detailers too. People skip the prep work, the sanding and grain filling, then slap on the top coat and call it done, expecting full price for something that's gonna look rough in six months. It's like everyone's forgotten that half the job is the boring stuff nobody sees, the stuff that makes the final result actually look good. I walked into a buddy's newly flipped house last week, and the trim had brush marks and drips all over it, same exact kind of "good enough" attitude you're talking about.

paulw632mo ago

Drove two hours to Portland last month for that exact place, walked out shaking my head. They had a walnut buffet with streaks running through the finish like the guy just brushed it on without sanding between coats. I told the owner flat out it was amateur hour and he looked annoyed, but someone needed to say it.

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