to refresh faded, dried out wicker that has been stained and not painted?
Well, it’s possible that your unpainted but stained and varnished piece has faded and the top coat of varnish or lacquer has come off, because it was sitting in the sun for an extended period of time. Be sure to do a test area first, in an inconspicuous spot, making sure all products and methods are compatible, acceptable and correct. To freshen faded rattan reed (original finish, stained, but not painted) wicker: Apply a mixture of 1/3 turpentine to 2/3 boiled linseed oil (purchase this from the store, DO NOT boil linseed oil yourself, it’s highly flammable) to the entire area. Use a brush to apply the mixture to get into all the crevices, then let dry for several days, blotting up any remaining oil that raises to the surface with a lint-free cloth or paper towels. Reapply an oil-base stain color to match the existing, and as a final step you can apply two light coats of varnish, lacquer or shellac. Make sure the final finish coat is oil-base, because linseed oil is an oil-base produc
