Removing White Blush Under Lacquer

Two suggestions for getting rid of a white blush caused by putting a hot pot down on a table finished with post-catalyzed clear lacquer.February 16, 2014

Question (WOODWEB Member) :
A customer we built a table for set a hot pot on it and turned it white. It is walnut with one sealer coat and two topcoats of Duravar satan. Is there any way to get the white out?

Forum Responses
(Finishing Forum)
From contributor B:
Take a clean rag, wet it with alcohol (I think you call it denatured alcohol), wipe it across the mark so there is a damp patch, not a puddle. Strike a match and slowly lower the flame towards the alcohol. The fumes will catch fire, leave it to burn off, and it should be fine. It is the alcohol which burns, not the lacquer or the table. I've done this dozens of times and it works. It's quite impressive if you do it in somebody's dining room.

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From Contributor S:
In your finish shop spray the entire surface of the table top with a light wet coat of a slow evaporating solvent like MAK. Let it evaporate without touching it while wet. If this doesn't remove the spot, it will have to be refinished.