Finishing A Wooden High Chair

Lead Image for Finishing A Wooden High Chair
  • 8-16 hours
  • Beginner
  • 15-50
What You'll Need
10-grit sandpaper
280-grit sandpaper
Vacuum
Tack cloth
Wood stain (whatever color you choose)
2 brushes (medium-sized)
Sanding sealer (wood sealer)
Some wood varnish
Foam brush
Old rag
What You'll Need
10-grit sandpaper
280-grit sandpaper
Vacuum
Tack cloth
Wood stain (whatever color you choose)
2 brushes (medium-sized)
Sanding sealer (wood sealer)
Some wood varnish
Foam brush
Old rag

A wood high chair from time to time may need to be re-finished. Due to the nature of its usage as well as it may be an old family heirloom item, a wood high chair can easily be damaged and in need of fixing. Nowadays wooden high chairs have lessened in popularity and you can often find high chairs made of aluminum and plastic. The advantage of being made of wood is that it can be very durable, stylish and easily re-finished. By time wood tends to fade and stain therefore re-finishing it will re-establish its natural rustic look. To finish a wood high chair you don’t need to be an experienced craftsman but only an enthusiastic beginner.

Step 1: Sanding the High Chair

The first thing you will have to do is to sand all of the high chair with the 10-grit sandpaper. Make sure to sand every part of the chair otherwise the areas that have been missed will eventually show up as darker patches when the project is done. Sanding is very important because it will eliminate any imperfections found on the high chair.

Step 2: Vacuuming The Dust

Now once all of the sanding is done, you have to remove the dust. This is an underrated step that will determine whether your staining job, which is to follow, will give the desired effect. If the loose dust is not completely removed, it will stick to the staining liquid and will eventually cause it to peel off. The cleaning of dust can be done using a vacuum cleaner. Use the tack cloth to eliminate any remaining dust particles.

Step 3: Applying the Wood Stain

Make sure to stir the wood stain properly. Use one of the brushes to apply the varnish onto the high chair. Try to paint an even coat as much as possible. Try not to overdo the stain, otherwise, it will become too dark. If there is an excess of wood stain, remove it using an old rag.

Step 4: Applying the Sanding Sealer

With the other brush apply the sanding sealer over the high chair and leave it to dry thoroughly, usually, it takes approximately a day to dry. Once dry, sand it using the 280-grit sandpaper. The latter is done to smooth the wood as much as possible.

Step 5: Using the Varnish

The last thing to do is to apply the wood varnish. The varnish will work much better if you heat it. This is done by putting the can of varnish into a bowl full of boiling water and leaving it there for about 10 minutes. Apply the varnish using the foam brush. The wood varnish will give greater protection to the high chair.

Step 6: Smoothing It

Leave the high chair to dry and then sand it using the 280-grit sandpaper until it feels smooth. You can apply more than one coat of varnish.

As you can see it’s not that difficult to finish a wood high chair. The important thing to remember is to complete each step carefully and to wait patiently after each staining/varnish process in order to achieve a perfect result.