Hey everybody!
I just wanted to come back to post the results of my first real wood finishing project.
I came to you guys at this forum back in 2014 just a couple of months after I purchased a vintage dining room table from a used furniture store here in Concord. I consulted you all about the kind of wood it was, and what I should do to take care of what was already a pretty icky finish that came on the table. You can find that thread here. We ended up learning that this was a mahogany table with a thick cherry veneer on top, and 6 cherry chairs.
Well, a couple weeks ago, I finally resolved to tackle the refinish and solve all my life's problems.
I used Citristrip to take the old varnish off. That took me about 5 hours on a Friday evening.
I used a power sander to start leveling off the top, going from 80 grit down to 320 grit until it was as smooth as I liked it.
I cleaned the table thoroughly with naphtha and TSP substitute.
Before I started the finish work, I sanded it again, but this time up to 600 grit. That was a baby's-bottom-smooth level and I was satisfied.
I then began to apply Formby's Tung Oil Finish (and I know it has no tung oil in it.) It's a wiping varnish that I had used before on one of my pipes.
I put 6 coats of this finish on it, thin coats, letting them dry for about 20-24 hours before the next coat, and sanding with the 600 grit sandpaper on a sponge in between each coat. I used some tap water with a little dish soap to tamp down the sanding dust (as I was sanding in my kitchen) and to lubricate the sandpaper for the light sanding.
I am rather pleased with the finish, and I think I'm done. I definitely focused more on the top, but I did put two coats of the finish on the skirts and the legs just for protection. Below you will find before, during, and after photos. What do you guys think?
This is the finish before any work was done. Dull, dark, and sticky. White rings from water spots, light spots after vigorous rubbing, the muck and grime seemed to come off on rags after you wiped the table down after a meal.
This is the top after the stripping but before any sanding. It's dark because its still wet from the TSP substitute solution I used. I did the sanding phase the next day.
This is the finished product. Smooth, not sticky, and wipes clean with a paper towel. And none of the finish comes off on the paper towel haha. No water rings, no smudges, and a nice high shine. I was going to go for 8 coats, but I felt like that would be overkill - what do you guys think?
Thanks for your input and all your help!
I am dreading the thought of the chairs now...
I just wanted to come back to post the results of my first real wood finishing project.
I came to you guys at this forum back in 2014 just a couple of months after I purchased a vintage dining room table from a used furniture store here in Concord. I consulted you all about the kind of wood it was, and what I should do to take care of what was already a pretty icky finish that came on the table. You can find that thread here. We ended up learning that this was a mahogany table with a thick cherry veneer on top, and 6 cherry chairs.
Well, a couple weeks ago, I finally resolved to tackle the refinish and solve all my life's problems.
I used Citristrip to take the old varnish off. That took me about 5 hours on a Friday evening.
I used a power sander to start leveling off the top, going from 80 grit down to 320 grit until it was as smooth as I liked it.
I cleaned the table thoroughly with naphtha and TSP substitute.
Before I started the finish work, I sanded it again, but this time up to 600 grit. That was a baby's-bottom-smooth level and I was satisfied.
I then began to apply Formby's Tung Oil Finish (and I know it has no tung oil in it.) It's a wiping varnish that I had used before on one of my pipes.
I put 6 coats of this finish on it, thin coats, letting them dry for about 20-24 hours before the next coat, and sanding with the 600 grit sandpaper on a sponge in between each coat. I used some tap water with a little dish soap to tamp down the sanding dust (as I was sanding in my kitchen) and to lubricate the sandpaper for the light sanding.
I am rather pleased with the finish, and I think I'm done. I definitely focused more on the top, but I did put two coats of the finish on the skirts and the legs just for protection. Below you will find before, during, and after photos. What do you guys think?
This is the finish before any work was done. Dull, dark, and sticky. White rings from water spots, light spots after vigorous rubbing, the muck and grime seemed to come off on rags after you wiped the table down after a meal.
This is the top after the stripping but before any sanding. It's dark because its still wet from the TSP substitute solution I used. I did the sanding phase the next day.
This is the finished product. Smooth, not sticky, and wipes clean with a paper towel. And none of the finish comes off on the paper towel haha. No water rings, no smudges, and a nice high shine. I was going to go for 8 coats, but I felt like that would be overkill - what do you guys think?
Thanks for your input and all your help!
I am dreading the thought of the chairs now...
