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refinishing table

1K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  SeniorSitizen 
#1 ·
Hello,
This may not be in the right thread area, but it was the closest I could find.
Thanks to this group, I am just about ready to call my refinishing project done. :thumbsup: This isn't my idea of fun, so I'm really excited. It's a dressing table that is oak, with some handles and design of a darker wood, but I don't know what. It looks great now that the paint is off, and I'm wondering...if it looks good...do I just coat it with something or do I lightly sand it first? Someone suggested a minwax product, but now I can't remember exactly which one, as it's been so long. I would like to coat it with something, but not change the look/color.

So..sanding? sealer?

Thanks
 
#2 ·
EskieMom said:
Hello,
This may not be in the right thread area, but it was the closest I could find.
Thanks to this group, I am just about ready to call my refinishing project done. :thumbsup: This isn't my idea of fun, so I'm really excited. It's a dressing table that is oak, with some handles and design of a darker wood, but I don't know what. It looks great now that the paint is off, and I'm wondering...if it looks good...do I just coat it with something or do I lightly sand it first? Someone suggested a minwax product, but now I can't remember exactly which one, as it's been so long. I would like to coat it with something, but not change the look/color.

So..sanding? sealer?

Thanks
How did you remove the paint? Chemical stripper? After stripping its important to make sure that any chemicals used in the stripping have been neutralized. The stripper you used should have directions for this process.

As long as that's done, your good to go with a finish. A light sanding in the direction of the wood grain is a good idea. This will help hide any scratches left from the stripping process and remove damaged wood fibers from the surface.

If you like how it looks now and don't want to stain it, a clear polyurethane could be used to seal and protect the piece. Most any clear coating will change the look of the wood slightly. In general water based polyurethanes change the look of wood less than oil based polyurethanes. Decide on the sheen you want (how shiny or dull you want the piece to be), and go to finishing!
 
#3 ·
The "design" is probably decorative pieces that were cut from another wood and glued on. May be softer or another kind, so they are darker than the rest of the furniture.
Everything should be sanded. Brass wool (#000) is easiest for small/tight details and does not rust, in case a particle is left behind.
Sanding sealer is similar to thinned sealer. As you don't want color changes, I'd use water base polyurethane. First coat may be can spray, light, and sand - kind of acts as a sanding sealer.
If using wool to sand, after the details are sanded, go over rest of the area with same wool to blend the sanding marks.
 
#4 ·
Well, I did use a chemical stripper. I'll have to look into how what to neutralize it with. I didn't know about that.

So can I sand the whole thing with this brass wool? I don't know what the heck that is, but I'll ask at Lowe's. I'm so worried about using anything to sand it with, that sounds less scary:(

I'll find a water based polyurethane to seal it.

Sanding sealer/thinned sealer?? Are those something different from the polyurethane that I need in between sanding and sealing?? I'm a bit confused. I'm really not having fun with this. Never again...:(
 
#5 ·
Sanding sealer is different from polyurethane. It's not really a necessity. In fact I rarely use sanding sealer. You can just use the poly on the bare wood. I would just sand your project with some 220 grit sandpaper first to set things nice and smooth. Apply a thin coat of polyurethane and allow to dry. You will notice surface to be a little rough so before next coat use 220g paper and sand smooth again. Do 3-4 coats
 
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