An art dealer was able to wipe off 200 years' of varnish within seconds. Philip Mould used a mixture of gel and solvent to clean the painting. The 17th century painting depicts a woman in an elaborate ...

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Q: We were given a large chest of drawers that is in pretty rough condition. We figured the best way to salvage it is to paint it. What is the best way to prepare the old finish for paint? And can we ...

TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. About the Archive This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online ...