Finishing Challenge

Ten Thousand Villages is one of my charities.  I don't generally give them money I give them time.  When wood products arrive at their Hamilton Store cracked, or broken I try to repair the defect.  If I can repair the product than the store can sell it, sometimes at a discount but at least cover their cost.  The products come from small artisans from all over the world and are sold a fair market prices and the money actually ends up back at the maker, not swallowed by middle men and hustlers like many things from disadvantaged communities. (10,000 Village has been doing Fair Trade Coffee for a long time)

Up til now I have glued and clamped and repaired, boxes and shelves and things, this time... I face a greater challenge.  The bowl in the photo has been turned on a lathe and finished on the outside to a high gloss.  But....the finish is badly flawed and needs serious repair.
 
  The facts:
  -the outside is high gloss the inside is matte. It could be French Polish, a old and common finish that will give you a high gloss when buffed on the lathe. But why did they not polish the inside too, it would have been easy if the bowl were turned on a face plate?  So I am thinking not French Polish.

  - the finish is brittle. This bowl is from India and so is shellac, is it shellac that didn't stick to the wood because of natural oils?  Or was the bowl banged around on it long journey to Hamilton and just needs to be touched up with clear shellac?


  -I have no idea what the type of wood is, so it could be naturally oily and was less than perfectly prepared to recieve the finish.  If so, what will stick and stay?
  
  I am going to see what alchol does to the finish and if it softens then I'll know it is shellac.  If it does not soften then I will try varsol (trade name) and see what happens.  If that doesn't effect the finish then I will .......I don't know!!!
 
In an ideal world I will be able to blend and buff the flaws away if I can get sort of a match to the finish. Just as likely in this less than perfect world I will end up having to strip the finish off the bowl and then start from scratch. 

I'll keep you posted.