You know I really like the antique furniture and the other day I was driving down the road when I noticed on the porch of this consigner shop several interesting pieces. So I stopped, took a look, and I found this solid wood table and it really appeal to me, so I bought it, put in the truck, brought it back here in the shop.
Now this is a fairly old piece, probably made in the late 1800’s, maybe 1860 to 1880. It’s handmade, I can tell that by the hand cut dove tell joint in the side of the drawer here, and it’s solid wood. Now overall, this table is in pretty good condition, but the finish is scuffed, scratched in places, and dull. So I think this is a good candidate for a facelift. I’m going to start by pouring a small amount of mineral spirit or paint thinner in to a container. I dip a clean cotton cloth into the solvent and begin wiping the table in the direction of the wood grain. Look at this, like most, this table has an accumulation of oils, waxes, and dirt on the surface that I want to remove. This is very fine steel wool, by saturating one of these pads in the mineral spirit, and gently rubbing, I should be able to remove this white paint.
The next step is to use denatured alcohol to remove any residue left by the mineral spirits. Again, I apply this in long strokes moving with the grain. Now for the squeaky clean test. This furniture touch up pens can make scratches and gauges practically disappear, but this table has larger areas of scuffs and small scratches that call for a different approach, an application of wood stain. It’s important to stir stains thoroughly because this color pigment can settle in to the bottom. I’m pouring the can into a larger container to make sure that it’s thoroughly mixed. Usually, I prefer to apply stain with a brush, working the material well into the surface. Long strokes in the same direction as the grain work best. I put on the stain a section at a time, and while it’s still wet, wipe off the excess using a clean, dry terrycloth rag. I buy this by the bag in the home improvement center.
I used the same procedure for the table legs and apron. It’s best to let the stain dry over night, then, using a tack cloth, I remove any dust that may have settled on the surface. With the color work done, it’s time to put on a protective top coat. For this project, I’m using an oil base wipe on polyurethane. The product is very easy to apply, and produces a sort of a hand rubbed look that appeals to me, especially on an older piece like this.
After a couple of hours, we’re ready to recoat. I’m using 220 grit finishing paper, that I cut in to quarter sheets and then fold into thirds. I keep the sand paper flat on the surface and use only light pressure. Again, making to move in the same direction as the grain by refolding the sand paper, and exposing a fresh leaf, I can make full use of the entire sheet. The tack cloth’s job is to now pick up any residue or dust that’s on the surface before we apply the final top coat. A top coat like this wipe on urethane, locks in the color layer underneath, offers protection from spills and abrasion, provides an attractive shim, and gives the wood a sense of depth and character. From consignment shop buy to family treasure, I pronounce this table, as good as new, or as I really like to say, as good as old.
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