Techniques, tools, products and safety related to removing finish from a piece and reapplying a new finish.
2
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1answer
34 views
When to retreat linseed oil finished wood placed outdoors in moderate rainy climate
We have a couple of wooden bee hives with metal roofs. We have treated the exterior faces of the hives with raw linseed oil, three coats. It has cured nicely, as far as I can tell.
What we're ...
2
votes
0answers
18 views
Sun damaged polyurethane-finished dining table
So I have this Italian made marquetry dining table which has a polyurethane finish. I acquired this as a used item and I noticed after purchase that in the light I can see streaked areas where it has ...
1
vote
1answer
50 views
What happens if I put wood sealant on top of wood finish by accident?
Today we were supposed to do a second coat of finish on our hard wood floors. But accidentally we started with the sealant we used before we did our first coat of finish... we noticed about 25min in ...
4
votes
0answers
38 views
dylon material dyed wood and watco oil and wax finish on oak
I have stripped down a 60s oak dinning table and chairs with paint stripper, then washed with TPS as per paint remover instructions. I then dyed the wood with Dylon material dye "deep blue".
The ...
2
votes
1answer
52 views
Refinishing - how to deal with streaking caused by a filler used by a previous owner?
I am trying to refinish a fairly ornate architrave around my front door. I think it is probably around 140 years old and made of solid wood, but I reckon it was most recently refinished in the 1960s. ...
1
vote
0answers
45 views
Sanded and stained a pine window shelf… water damaged areas too dark. How to fix?
I am prepping my house to sell.
We sanded and stained a window shelf under a Bay Window and the water damaged areas came out too dark. So how should I fix this? Sand again or stripper, or just cover ...
2
votes
1answer
101 views
Salvaging Failed Spar Varnish/Danish Oil Finishing Layers on Redwood Live-Edge Slab
This question is a follow-up/continuation to another SO question of mine with added detail and hopefully a better explanation of my approach and current state of the board. The state of the wood slab ...
1
vote
1answer
44 views
How to remove paint in dent of guitar
I've sanded the body of my guitar but there are still some dents with paint in it. It's ash wood. My question is how I can remove the paint in these dents?
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votes
0answers
633 views
How to fix this blotchy staining job?
As part of a renovation, my contractor had to remove some 60 year old Southern pine stair treads and replace with new ones. When staining to match the remaining treads, the color match was okay, but ...
2
votes
2answers
146 views
refinishing soft pine floors
My home has random width knotty pine flooring throughout (even in the bathrooms!) and it is in terrible shape in the kitchen. It is beautiful so I'd like to salvage it rather than replace it but I don'...
1
vote
0answers
46 views
Was there paint under the stain I stripped off?
I'm striping an old headboard for a bead frame with the intention of re-staining it. As I am working I noticed that the consistency and color of the stuff I'm stripping from the large flat surfaces ...
2
votes
2answers
529 views
Can you apply wipe-on poly over a varnish?
Can you apply wipe-on poly over a varnished surface without stripping the varnish off? I have kitchen cabinets that were finished with varnish 3 years ago and would like to put a more durable finish ...
3
votes
1answer
71 views
How to get writing out of a soft wood desk top
I recently purchased a beautiful office desk made from a soft wood. Before I could set up proper safeguards, my son laid down a piece of paper and went to writing -- and pressed all of his words into ...
5
votes
1answer
93 views
Is this a good approach to fixing damaged mdf holes along the edge?
Please note that I tried to break this question up into three relevant sections, separated by the large headers
Here's what happened to the cabinet
I was moving an empty wood file cabinet down some ...
1
vote
1answer
956 views
How can I restore these two old wooden boxes?
I inherited a couple old wooden boxes full of tools that are both generally dirty, stained, and dusty. Could someone please give me some suggestions on how to clean them up, specifically a product ...
6
votes
1answer
72 views
Do I need to worry about incidental contact between a finish and its thinner / solvent once it's cured?
This is probably most applicable for water-based finishes, but I suppose it could be generalized to all finishes.
Once a finish has dried / cured, do I need to worry about incidental contact between ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
How to remove finish on T&G solid wood pine paneling on walls?
So, we LOVE our country cedar home, with pine walls EVERYWHERE. I've painted over them in the kids rooms and it looks great! But I don't want it to come to that in the main rooms. The stain is ...
6
votes
5answers
232 views
My contractor sanded our plywood seating… Is there any way to fix the finish?
Just like the title says... any way to make this look less bad?
1
vote
1answer
70 views
Refinishing - how much to sand
I'm refinishing a bakers box and it has some scratches and tape over it. Am I supposed to sand the stain off or just the poly?
I generally like the color. I could darken it a shade to a darker ...
4
votes
1answer
97 views
Oops, applied wood conditioner for water based stain in error
I am refinishing a cedar chest. Took it down to the bare wood and applied water based wood conditioner. I was almost ready to stain stain but luckily I realized the stain I was about to apply is oil ...
7
votes
1answer
224 views
What is causing this poor refinishing result and how do I fix it?
I followed the procedure of stripping, sanding, staining and then polyurethaning the top of two antique, about 75 years, dressers. The one came out beautifully. The other has questionable results.
...
3
votes
2answers
247 views
Problem with “Bubbles” in Table Finish. Please Help
I'm in the final stages of trying to build my first dining room table - a Christmas gift for my wife. All has gone pretty well until this last coat of Arm-R-Seal (Satin). It's the 5th coat, and now, ...
5
votes
3answers
150 views
Polyurethane Book Case is Rough, Sand in Place?
There is a book case in my parents' house that me and my father built about 6 years ago. It was built to fit around a dresser and mirror. It's a log house so everything is "rustic". We had to build it ...
1
vote
1answer
116 views
Hemlock dining room table finish
I have a hemlock rustic dining room table with a semi gloss finish. I recently tried to buff a smudged area with 0000 steel wool and paste wax. It left a haze with surface scratches on the finish. ...
5
votes
2answers
74 views
How to re-finish solid oak cabinets?
I have solid oak kitchen/bath cabinets, build in 1990s, which are generally in a good shape but the finish is not so much. They are covered with some kind of a satin clear finish, applied very thinly, ...
7
votes
2answers
226 views
Letting the under-paint show through
I have an old painted wooden bench that I want to refinish. The existing paint, dark blue with some toll-work flowers, is firmly on (no chipping or flaking) but faded and rubbed through in many places....
8
votes
2answers
123 views
Curved wood pealing away from table edge
I've recently acquired an old oak table from my parents. I'm going to refinish it, but I have a problem to deal with first. I doubt I can describe it better than the pictures, so without further adieu....
9
votes
1answer
109 views
Can veneer be patched or do you have to peel it off and start over?
When trying to refinish a piece of furniture, a lot of older pieces had/have veneer and more often than not (in my experience) the veneer is damaged and chipping around the edges.
Is there a good way ...
8
votes
3answers
2k views
How to find out what kind of finish is on a piece of furniture
I have several old pieces of furniture that have issues with the existing finish. I would like to do a gentle restoration of these pieces while maintaining the original look. I am not sure if the ...
10
votes
5answers
3k views
Removal of hardware from drawer front
I am refinishing a bedside table that my late husband made many years ago. I have just realized that when he assembled the drawer he attached the hardware to the front plate with screws and then he ...
6
votes
2answers
210 views
Should I attempt to stain to all of the trim in a room (floor to ceiling)?
I have a dining room with some nice oak wainscoting, ceiling trim and faux beams.
There are also four windows, and two doors. All with trim.
I have stripped off all of the paint applied by prior ...
9
votes
4answers
204 views
Recycling “pre-loved” lumber — techniques?
(This may be multiple related questions; assistance in breaking it up would be welcome if so.)
Many woodworkers have learned that a surprising amount of lumber, including some surprisingly good/...
8
votes
3answers
5k views
Removing existing stain from intricate woodwork?
I have a coffee table that has a lot of decorative work along the outside, such as flowers/leaves and rosettes that are part of the original woodwork (i.e., not created and fastened on after the fact)....
