What is this finish on my antique doors and mantle? (As some know, I embarked on restoring old doors for our new build, purchased in lots from various demolition sites.) I bought the mantle separately and its wood is definitely not brand new, but I figured its finish was some new “antique” method that somebody industrious had recently applied…until I read somewhere about old furniture and doors and trim sometimes being covered in a semi-transparent creamy glaze. I cannot find that post/website anywhere, but that “could be” what was on the mantle...

Then I bought this set of doors. It might have started its life with a finish similar to the one on the mantle.

The door in this picture and its nine sisters are at least 90 years old; I know the house they came from. This one had layers of rainbow colors already removed with stripper. They came off relatively easily as if they had a slick varnish/shellac under them. Typically on other door lots, when I remove layers, I reach the old-fashioned orange shellac that then comes off with denatured alcohol. But whatever this is, it will not budge with Citistrip, Smart Strip, kwik strip or DA…DA only knocked down the sheen. I don’t want to sand it all off, since it probably has lead in it…but that might be the answer.

What’s on the doors?

What’s on the mantle? (And what's the wood?) THANK-YOU!