Woodworking question - table refinish

[scoutabout]

I'll bet some of you folks are into woodworking and can help here.

Last summer we finally got fed up with the finish on the oak diningroom table at the cabin. Table is about 30 years old, solid oak, light stain. The surface had gone all sticky over the last number of years and was unpleasant to the touch. Not sure why - nothing we wiped it with seemed to help.

Anyway, last fall we tried sanding the finish off and it just gummed up the sander so I switched to a good old fashioned paint scraper which worked great. I managed to get down to clean, bare wood inflicting only the odd gouge. It's a casual, summer-use table that sees severe duty not only as a family dinner table but also for games, cards, kids crafts, etc during the day and evening. We're not super picky about it being perfect.

Anyway, the question now is, what can I apply to the table that will protect it from the usual dinner spills and beer bottle rings, etc? I guess a nice oil stain will bring out the grain but won't provide much of a barrier for moisture? What about a clear varnish? Do people even use shellac any more? I haven't touched the base or table legs as they didn't go all gooey like the top did.

I'm a total noob in this area (except for staining the odd deck). Any recommendations on what to use, application tips and tricks appreciated!

 

[JustJason]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

if you want more of a natural finnish thats water resistant try 5 or 6 coats of linseed oil applied over the course of a month.

 

[ezbtr]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

YUP LINSEED OIL! I used it on gun stocks as well. I also used to use a blow torch before applying, to lightly bring out the grain. I still have a chest of drawers I redid about 15 yrs ago, still looks great!

 

[HopeSheFloats]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

Make that three for boiled linseed oil...and you can use pretty much any oil stain to darken/shade the light color of blo if desired

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

Not for a table.
Tung oil is superior in just about every property to Linseed Oil, and is a major component of most spar varnishes.
Two coats of Tung or poly tung and two coats of a good quality varnish over that will give a great result.
For heavy use, one of the bar-top finishes might even be the best option.

If you are stuck on linseed, as one poster suuggested, make sure you use double-boiled. If you use raw, the polymerisation needed to dry/cure the finish can be timed with a calendar....months.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

I have used tung oil made by these people http://www.formbys.com/

OR

No one I believe has mentioned this but..... there is an clear two part epoxy that NOTHING will harm but it is high gloss

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

...
No one I believe has mentioned this but..... there is an clear two part epoxy that NOTHING will harm but it is high gloss

A) shouldn't you use a sealer/primer with that?

B) couldn't you knock the gloss down with some fine (0000)steel wool?

C) wouldn't some of the one part varethanes or eurothanes work pretty well here?

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

A) shouldn't you use a sealer/primer with that?

B) couldn't you knock the gloss down with some fine (0000)steel wool?

C) wouldn't some of the one part varethanes or eurothanes work pretty well here?

The two parters are similar to, if not the same as, the systems often used on bar tops and bar tables....really thick coating and you see often embedded pennies etc., or a maple leaf (at least in canada... ) .

a) a sealer is usually not necessary, these products stick like s*** to a blanket. Table should be sanded so there is some "tooth".

b) Maybe, but the system is meant to be pretty thick and crystal clear, so you are kind of destroying the clear part if you scuff down the top surface. Maybe a wet-dry ~ 220 or 320 grit would be ok, but only way to know for sure would be to try it, or call the mfr. for their opinion.


c) Absolutely! They would work fine. Truth is there are probably as many options that would work well here as iboats members.
With a quality product, applied properly, there isn't really a "wrong" choice.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

When I was sealing my boat's deck boards with epoxy they came out looking like bar tops after the second coat! I'm seriously considering refinishing my dining room table with the stuff. Let my 2 year old try to mess that up!

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

Make sure there is UV stabilisation in the formula. Epoxy is also unhappy about heat, so a hot pot etc. might be an issue on a table.
There are so many great finishes choices available that it usually is worth discussing with the store staff here you buy the stuff.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

I raised 9 kids. You want to see a table go through hell!

Been there a couple of times. I just sand the old stuff off till I get bare wood. Use a wipe on stain to color it to the desired tint, then put a couple of coats of clear polyurethane gloss or semi-gloss finish on it. The nicks, hammer dents, and burn marks just add character.

This table has probably served a million meals, as well as processed a hundred deer since the last refinishing. It's getting to be about time again.

my 02
John

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

I'd use an oil based stain with 2-3 coats of oil based polyurethane over the top. For the stain, try to find "Watco" danish oil as this stain will give the wood a nice glow to it, not a dead, dry look like a lot of other stains can appear after finished.

I've used tung oil a couple of times and it is easier to apply than most other finishes as it dries relatively slow and flows out nicely. It's an option, but I'd go with a polyurethane because it will hold up better.

One question, have you chemically stripped the wood? If you just used heat to soften the finish you could get a blotchy finish. Test it out by wiping the wood down with water and see if it all looks the same, no blotches. If blotchy, chemically strip it.

I'd apply the stain, next day apply a coat of finish, next day apply the 2nd coat of finish, next day scuff the finish with 320-400 grit paper to knock down the imperfections and then apply the final finish coat. A lot of people will say to sand between each coat, but it you burn through the finish and stain you are hosed, better to have a couple layers of finish to sand on.

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

This is largely personal preference.

Here is a circe 1890's table I rebuilt last summer. I finished it with a acrylic (satin) as I wanted to try something new, and I was doing it indoors and smell was an issue. Sorry the pic isn't great, couldn't get away from glare.

It holds up very well, but I don't like it.

There are 2 major differences between a water base or oil finish.

1. water (acrylic/latex...these terms have been misused since their origin so I'm just going to refer to them as 'water borne') Given the same conditions water will dry quicker upon application. This is good and bad. Good on vertical and odd shapes like the legs as runs are less likely. Bad on a flat surface because since it dries quicker it has less time to 'lay down' like an oil. Sanding can be tricker as it tends to roll on itself if heated....it feels 'soft'.

2. Aging. Water base will preserve the look of your wood and colour won't change. Oil will age and get darker over the years. My personal preference is I like to see wood age over the years, it looks richer.

Oh, I should add that its easier to refinish a water based wood than an oil bases as long as its the same product.

So what do you like?
-ease of application and clean up
-protection (they both will do that)
-smell

Key is to take your time....don't try to put any coat on too thick. 7 thin coats is way better than 4 thick ones. Sanding inbetween coats is a MUST.....use a tack cloth to clean surface each time.

[/IMG]

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

Thanks for all the responses guys! I definitely have some direction on what to consider now. Fisherdan - no - in answer to your question, no chemicals were used, just good ol fashioned scraping.

Paul - our table is less ornate but the top is exactly that colour.

Now, it has been sitting in the cabin stripped all winter. Hopefully that didn't do any damage. Didn't think of the possibility of humidity (probably not too much in the dead of winter up there) and mouse poop (sometimes a fair bit gets scattered around)...

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Woodworking question - table refinish

Thanks for all the responses guys! I definitely have some direction on what to consider now. Fisherdan - no - in answer to your question, no chemicals were used, just good ol fashioned scraping.

Paul - our table is less ornate but the top is exactly that colour.

Now, it has been sitting in the cabin stripped all winter. Hopefully that didn't do any damage. Didn't think of the possibility of humidity (probably not too much in the dead of winter up there) and mouse poop (sometimes a fair bit gets scattered around)...

The top colour is a stain....can't remember the name off the top of my head.

I made the top from scratch as the old one had warped beyond use. Had to match new oak with 120 year old oak. Once I point it out you can tell, but worked out ok. I had to make the corners also where you can see the difference between old and new.

Good luck with your project.