Next year will mark my 42nd year in one form or another of woodworking. During that time I've
undertaken all of three furniture stripping projects, a good rule-of-thumb: one every 14 years. Even that might be a tad too often. In the
same period, however, I've been asked numerous times to refinish grandma's bureau, a set of well-worn dining chairs, a favorite old desk, a
precious rocker, you name it. Rather than completely stripping a
piece and starting from "scratch," I have evolved a simple 3-step
process of 1) cleaning, 2) adding color and 3) adding sheen. Hardly
a unique or secret process, I was inspired to post the process when a
fellow woodworker complimented the fine result. Thus follows a brief
description of the three steps which are applicable to most modern
pieces with varnish or lacquer finish. This process may not be
suitable to older or valuable antiques or any piece finished with
shellac. A couple hours will usually suffice for your project as all three steps can
be accomplished in rapid succession.
Step 1 is cleaning: I used to wipe
down the furniture piece multiple times with a sequence of solvents
each designed to remove a certain kind of contaminant, dirt, oil, stain,
build-up, etc. Now I spray on a mixture consisting of 8 parts distilled water/4
parts white vinegar/2 parts denatured alcohol/2 parts “blue”
glass cleaner with ammonia. This is applied liberally and then wiped
off with soft cotton rags. Repeat if necessary. This combination
does a great job of general cleaning but equally important raises the
grain slightly in dings, scratches, nicks and bare, worn areas.
This greatly facilitates the next step of adding color back to these
“holidays,” which are typically quite resistant to taking color.
Let the piece dry for 30 minutes.
Step 2 is adding color: Since dirty,
contaminated, damaged areas will often resist most oil stains I prefer a wiping or non-grain-raising stain of a suitable color. Use
a rag to wipe it on, though a brush can facilitate adding color back
into deeper scratches and dings. The noxious solvents in these
stains, which require you to work in good ventilation, have several
advantages: they further clean the surface, they restore color
effectively and they dry very quickly. Several tips: keep the rag wet, but not dripping, work quickly and lightly, finish with
the grain. Usually just the defective spots can be addressed, but
going over a whole surface with the wiping stain often yields good
results. Again, let the piece dry for 30 minutes. You may find the
finish slightly dulled after this step, but not to worry.
Step 3 is adding sheen: A tung oil
product like Waterlox or a varnish /oil product like Watco can be
used to add sheen over an existing finish. Wipe the oil on with a
well-wetted rag and remove most of it, wiping with the grain. Your goal, however, is
not
to remove everything you've
applied. Rather leave a thin, slightly tacky layer. Carefully put
the piece aside using cloth gloves to move it, and let it dry until
hard, at least overnight. If there are zones with no surface finish
left whatsoever, such as the worn top of a drawer or the edge of a door
or table it will be necessary to add more sheen with a spray lacquer.
Where just a clear coat will suffice Deft clear lacquer spray works well
as it is forgiving to the amateur and has little overspray. Should
color be needed use the appropriate shade spray toner lacquer,
available from woodworking supply stores. Scratch cover can sometimes be helpful at this step for any remaining defects.
 |
| After |
Needless to say
follow the product manufacturer's guidelines for disposing of wet rags due to the danger of spontaneous combustion.
Tip: my favorite sources for finishing supplies are
Woodcraft and
Wordworker's Supply.
Mohawk, in addition to wiping stains, sells a myriad of touch-up and refinishing products. Deft is usually available at big box home improvement stores.
Singular wooden ware + hand carved teaspoons at: FlyingCircusStudios.etsy.com
Step 2 is adding color: Since dirty,
contaminated, damaged areas will often resist most oil stains I prefer a wiping or non-grain-raising stain of a suitable color. Use
a rag to wipe it on, though a brush can facilitate adding color back
into deeper scratches and dings. The noxious solvents in these
stains, which require you to work in good ventilation, have several
advantages: they further clean the surface, they restore color
effectively and they dry very quickly. Several tips: keep the rag wet, but not dripping, work quickly and lightly, finish with
the grain. Usually just the defective spots can be addressed, but
going over a whole surface with the wiping stain often yields good
results. Again, let the piece dry for 30 minutes. You may find the
finish slightly dulled after this step, but not to worry.
Step 3 is adding sheen: A tung oil
product like Waterlox or a varnish /oil product like Watco can be
used to add sheen over an existing finish. Wipe the oil on with a
well-wetted rag and remove most of it, wiping with the grain. Your goal, however, is not
to remove everything you've
applied. Rather leave a thin, slightly tacky layer. Carefully put
the piece aside using cloth gloves to move it, and let it dry until
hard, at least overnight. If there are zones with no surface finish
left whatsoever, such as the worn top of a drawer or the edge of a door
or table it will be necessary to add more sheen with a spray lacquer.
Where just a clear coat will suffice Deft clear lacquer spray works well
as it is forgiving to the amateur and has little overspray. Should
color be needed use the appropriate shade spray toner lacquer,
available from woodworking supply stores. Scratch cover can sometimes be helpful at this step for any remaining defects.
