Oak Veneer Dining table and China Cabinet
#1
05-11-05, 09:24 PM
Oak Veneer Dining table and China Cabinet
I stumbled across this forum and am grateful it exists. I am going top pick up an oak veneer dining table, chairs and matching china cabinet. The lady and her husband bought it 18 years ago. It is still nice, but it has some "worn" places on the top. I paid $300 for the table, 6 oak chairs, and a matching china cabinet with light.
ANYWAY.....
I want to redo the dining table top. I want a medium or natural oak color with a thick high gloss (kids). I have asked a cabinet expert friend of mine who suggested these steps:
1. Strip top with chemicals (?!!)
2. sand with 220 (with the grain) **but the veneers are at angles to each other**
3. stain (Is this easy to do? How many coats? What colors work good with oak?)
4.Polyurethane (3-6 coats. plenty of drying time between coats. Use a brush, dont spray)
5. sand with 400 between coats of poly to get a fine glass finish
6. WaX??? What kind of wax? How many COats?
Does this sound like a good plan? do I just wipe of the chemical stripper with a rag? Do you rinse the table after? ANY hints would be greatly appreciated...
If this works out good, I am going to do a chest drawer I have!!
ANYWAY.....
I want to redo the dining table top. I want a medium or natural oak color with a thick high gloss (kids). I have asked a cabinet expert friend of mine who suggested these steps:
1. Strip top with chemicals (?!!)
2. sand with 220 (with the grain) **but the veneers are at angles to each other**
3. stain (Is this easy to do? How many coats? What colors work good with oak?)
4.Polyurethane (3-6 coats. plenty of drying time between coats. Use a brush, dont spray)
5. sand with 400 between coats of poly to get a fine glass finish
6. WaX??? What kind of wax? How many COats?
Does this sound like a good plan? do I just wipe of the chemical stripper with a rag? Do you rinse the table after? ANY hints would be greatly appreciated...
If this works out good, I am going to do a chest drawer I have!!
#2
05-11-05, 10:00 PM
PS, I am also fixing to get a 1920 Old school Tube Radio inside a solid wood box about 2-3 feet wide. My step dad says I can refinish it. I dont even know what kind of wood it is!! Its very dark. Are there are guides to identifying woods species? grain patterns, smells etc etc
#3
05-12-05, 08:40 PM
The usual methylene chloride strippers work well. Annoying fumes and caustic, but effective. There are other products such as peel away which goes on as sheet and pulls the finish off, 3M makes a safe stripper which is convenient, but quite slow to use.
Color? Choose one. The oak colors look best on oak. Usually one coat of stain is sufficient. Follow the directions about application and wiping.
If you use a random orbital sander, the grain direction won't matter.
The process of stripping is best summed up be recommending following the directions on the container.
If you will use many coats of polyurethane, stick with the gloss finish to avoid the finish becoming cloudy. Sanding between coats helps the succeeding coat flow on more smoothly. Use a sanding block. Use a top quality brush for less trouble with brush marks. Allow sufficient time for drying between coats.
Wax. Usually Johnson's Paste Wax. One good coat will be enough. Even if you apply more, there will be only one coat. Wax is its own remover.
Hope this helps.
Color? Choose one. The oak colors look best on oak. Usually one coat of stain is sufficient. Follow the directions about application and wiping.
If you use a random orbital sander, the grain direction won't matter.
The process of stripping is best summed up be recommending following the directions on the container.
If you will use many coats of polyurethane, stick with the gloss finish to avoid the finish becoming cloudy. Sanding between coats helps the succeeding coat flow on more smoothly. Use a sanding block. Use a top quality brush for less trouble with brush marks. Allow sufficient time for drying between coats.
Wax. Usually Johnson's Paste Wax. One good coat will be enough. Even if you apply more, there will be only one coat. Wax is its own remover.
Hope this helps.
#4
05-13-05, 08:35 AM
My favorite finish for Oak is a homemade rub on mixture. After stripping and sanding, apply with a rag. Takes three coats thinned, three coats full strength, but this creates a wonderfully hard finish. As the mixture contains both poly and mineral spirits/turpentine, it soaks deep into the grain and creates a hard finish that is resistent to water and heat damage and doesn't scratch easily.
From memory, the mixture is one part linseed oil, one part poly and two parts turpentine (although that doesn't sound right, if you are interested let me know and I'll check my "recipe"). The first three coats are cut in half with turpentine, and will get sucked into the wood quickly. Wait about twenty minutes and wipe any excess. 24 hours between coats. The last three coats are full-strength, applied with steel wool and rubbed in. You don't need to apply as much for the last three coats, and need to be careful to wipe the excess before it becomes too tacky.
The great thing about the finish is that you never have to worry about brush strokes or sanding in between. It leaves a nice, rich honey color (assuming white or golden oak, or a lovely red hugh on red oak). I've tinted the thinned coats with stain, and gotten good results.
Because you are trying to match the top to the other pieces, you may want to try a test patch on top. You'll want to do that anyway, no matter what finish you use to make sure that it matches the other pieces. Because the top is veneer, you probably can't use an unobtrusive part (i.e. the apron).
Good luck.
From memory, the mixture is one part linseed oil, one part poly and two parts turpentine (although that doesn't sound right, if you are interested let me know and I'll check my "recipe"). The first three coats are cut in half with turpentine, and will get sucked into the wood quickly. Wait about twenty minutes and wipe any excess. 24 hours between coats. The last three coats are full-strength, applied with steel wool and rubbed in. You don't need to apply as much for the last three coats, and need to be careful to wipe the excess before it becomes too tacky.
The great thing about the finish is that you never have to worry about brush strokes or sanding in between. It leaves a nice, rich honey color (assuming white or golden oak, or a lovely red hugh on red oak). I've tinted the thinned coats with stain, and gotten good results.
Because you are trying to match the top to the other pieces, you may want to try a test patch on top. You'll want to do that anyway, no matter what finish you use to make sure that it matches the other pieces. Because the top is veneer, you probably can't use an unobtrusive part (i.e. the apron).
Good luck.
#5
05-14-05, 11:43 AM
Ok. I spent last night stripping and sanding. Man That Was FUN!!! It looks so cool when all the goo was scraping off. I used mineral spirits to wipe off exxcess stripper. Then I spent three hours sanding by hand. Its a beuatiful table underneath.
Heres the deal. The china cabinet that is matching (I wont be refinishing the china cabinet) has upon closer inspection. Varying shades of oak stain. Th etrim is deep oak, while the shelves are lighter, and the body of the entire cabinet is another shade. They arent far from each other, so If my table is a little off from the legs of the table, it will match !!!!
I have a problem I encountered... When stripping, I noticed the edge around the table didnt come off. Instead, it merely discolored it in a few places. Its like some kind of enamel stuff around the border of the entire table. What can I do about that? I am going to go to lowes today and get my stain and rags. I was thinking I would look for some broen enamel paint to trim around the table. When it dries I sand the top of table to get the edge back nice and clean...
Whatcha think?? AM I on the right track?
Heres the deal. The china cabinet that is matching (I wont be refinishing the china cabinet) has upon closer inspection. Varying shades of oak stain. Th etrim is deep oak, while the shelves are lighter, and the body of the entire cabinet is another shade. They arent far from each other, so If my table is a little off from the legs of the table, it will match !!!!
I have a problem I encountered... When stripping, I noticed the edge around the table didnt come off. Instead, it merely discolored it in a few places. Its like some kind of enamel stuff around the border of the entire table. What can I do about that? I am going to go to lowes today and get my stain and rags. I was thinking I would look for some broen enamel paint to trim around the table. When it dries I sand the top of table to get the edge back nice and clean...
Whatcha think?? AM I on the right track?
#7
05-14-05, 07:54 PM
I found an oil based satin spray paint that did a beautiful job around the edge of table and leaf. Man, This table really is gonna look good. I am having so much fun with it.
I was driving to see some friends today and when I got out of my truck I noticed a pile of furniture someone thre away from an abandoned apartment. I noticed what appeared to be a solid wood coffee table with 4"-5" diameter turned legs. One of the legs was broke off but was in the pile. I put it in the back of my truck to show my friend and see if it was refinish-able. My cabinet friend was looking at it. He thinks it may be a hickory, but its too old to tell without stripping it. I am so thrilled that I cannot wait to start sanding it. BTW, the leg is such an easy fix, so its no problem. The table looks to be about 30-40 years old, judging by the age of the brass ornaments adorning the legs!!!
I was driving to see some friends today and when I got out of my truck I noticed a pile of furniture someone thre away from an abandoned apartment. I noticed what appeared to be a solid wood coffee table with 4"-5" diameter turned legs. One of the legs was broke off but was in the pile. I put it in the back of my truck to show my friend and see if it was refinish-able. My cabinet friend was looking at it. He thinks it may be a hickory, but its too old to tell without stripping it. I am so thrilled that I cannot wait to start sanding it. BTW, the leg is such an easy fix, so its no problem. The table looks to be about 30-40 years old, judging by the age of the brass ornaments adorning the legs!!!
