Furniture Refinishing Tips

Take the time to varnish your wood furniture will give it the protection it needs for wear and tear for many years of use. A good varnish will also give the furniture a beautiful glossy look that is very attractive and elegant.

Vanish is a great enhancer of woods natural grains while protecting it from scratches and other damage. Varnishing can be a simple process, but it a bit time consuming, be sure to give yourself enough time to finish all the steps as instructed. It is recommended to put on old clothes before you start the job, as varnish will stain. It is also important to keep a rag close by to clean up any spills, and it is also recommended that you wear safety eyewear. Be sure you are working in a well-ventilated area.

The first thing that needs to be done is preparing the furniture that will be varnished. It is important to smooth down any rough edges and other imperfections with sand paper. This will ensure that all the surfaces are even and the varnish color will adhere the same on all parts of the piece of furniture.

Shake the can of varnish vigorously before you open it to ensure it is mixed thoroughly. Remove the lid and pour a portion into a paint pan and liner. It’s not recommended that you use it straight out of the can as excess debris could find its way in to the can.

Dip your paintbrush into the varnish. It is important to remove any excess varnish from the brush by gently sliding the brush along the side of the paint pan. It is important to choose your brush according to your specific project needs. S smaller brush will be able to get into smaller spots where a large brush cannot. Carefully apply the varnish to the wood in even long strokes. Continue with long strokes until the entire piece of furniture is covered. It is very important that you keep the application even.

Once you are done coating the furniture allow it to dry completely. This drying process can take up to two days depending on the weather and humidity. If the weather is appropriate and warm enough it is ok to place the piece of furniture outside to dry. Be cautious if it is wind though as leaves and other small things can easily stick to the fresh varnish.

Once the item is completely dry inspect it to be sure no areas were missed. It is possible you will need to put on a second coat following the same above instructions. Once fully varnished and dried your piece of furniture is ready for use in your home.

Although it does take time to properly varnish a piece of furniture, it is well worth it in the long run. You will notice how well the furniture holds up to normal wear and tear. Varnish also makes the furniture repellent to spills. It is important to use a good wood cleaner once a week to maintain the shine of the varnish.

The proper method to sand wood furniture doesn’t take a professional but does require common sense and ability to pay attention to detail. Sanding wood furniture takes care and the proper tools for the job. Most sanding of wood furniture should be done by hand and not with a power sander. The reason is simple; power sanders open the door for far too many mistakes, some of which are irreversible. Doing this job requires patience and elbow grease.

This main thing to consider is the sandpaper. This is the most important instrument you will need to complete a successful venture. Sandpaper can be in paper or block format and should be no more coarse then medium grit. For finishing use a fine grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface. This information is printed on the back of the sandpaper sheet or in the wrapping of the block.

Depending on what you are sanding will determine if you will need a furniture vice or other apparatus to secure the wood furniture. A utility table with built in vice is your best bet for larger pieces or a ‘c-clamp’ onto a sturdy surface, making sure to place a cloth between the clamp and the wood for protection. Larger pieces, such as a table, can simple sit on the floor.

Set the piece of furniture in front of you. The wood grain should be vertically away from you. With the medium grit sandpaper work away from yourself in long even strokes, be sure you never sand across the grain or against it as this can cause damage to the wood. Continue sanding until the surface is smooth and clean off any surface stains or paints. Repeat as needed.

When complete, wipe down the furniture with a dry cloth. Next use a fine grit sandpaper to smooth and even out the surface. The finer grit sandpaper will smooth out the surface and remove any minor deficiencies. Sand the furniture in the same direction as before. Use the fine grit sandpaper for edges and corners. A sandpaper block is actually perfect for this but paper can be just as effective.

Once the sanding is complete it is best to dust it off with a dry cloth and allow the wood to relax and breathe. After about twenty-four hours you can go revisit the sanding with your hand to examine the smoothness and texture of the wood furniture. The piece of wood furniture should feel soft to the touch without any splinting, divots or rough spots. Should you encounter any take the time to sand over those areas until they are smooth as well.

That’s it, a simple process to a beautiful piece of wood furniture.

Finishing a piece of furniture with not only gives the furniture a better brightness and more vitality, but it is actually an easy process to follow. You need the following:

* Shellac in preferential shade

* Unused/clean tack cloth

* Newspaper

* Sanding block

* Sandpaper (0.7 grade)

* Steel wool (0000 grade)

* Paintbrushes (2)

* Paste wax

1. Cover clean area in newspaper

2. Prime, sand and seal the wood. Take a clean paintbrush and dip it into one pound cut new shellac and cover an area. Stay with one area at a time.

3. Paint the shellac lavishly, utilizing long, smooth strokes, following the lines in the grain of the wood. Look for a wet surface.

4. Take an almost dry paintbrush at a slight angle and remove the paint strokes: this gives the shellac a more even look. Do this is in strips, allowing four hours to dry.

5. Gently sand the surface using the 0.7 sandpaper and sanding block. Lightly clean the sanded surface with the tack cloth before applying another coat of shellac.

6. Repeat process of sanding, cleaning and re-applying shellac, allowing for four hours of drying time. The final shellac should dry for a minimum of 48 hours before taking the steel wool to remove excess gloss from along the grain.

7. Buff the area using paste wax and cloth. For faster results, use an electric drill with buffer attachment.

How to Remove Old Shellac from Furniture? You will need the following:

* Soft clean cloths

* Latex gloves or work gloves of your choice

* An old credit card/bank card

* Mid-grade green scouring pad

* Denatured alcohol

* Safety eye wear/goggles

* Soft-grit sandpaper (optional)

1. Take denatured alcohol and pour onto soft cloth, liberally; wipe on furniture, making sure surface is very wet with alcohol. Allow alcohol to set for 10-15 minutes, reapplying when surface seems to be drying.

2. Take credit card and scrape shellac in the in the direction of th grain. Clean card when too much shellac builds up, continuing until most of shellac is gone.

3. Apply more denatured alcohol to a clean cloth; wipe surface of remaining shellac, allowing alcohol to sit for one to two minutes; take the scouring pad and wipe remaining shellac from surface. Soft grid sandpaper can be used, just be careful when using it. Proceed until all shellac is gone.

As furniture ages, often cracks and gouges will being to appear on the surface and cause unsightly marks. But don’t be too quick to throw out that old wooden desk, chair, or table. With just a few dollars and a little bit of time, many pieces of cracked or gouged furniture can be restored back to their original beauty.
The first step toward repairing cracks in furniture is to make sure that the crack is filled to the surface level of the rest of the wood. For the smallest cracks and gouges, it is easiest to use a wood putty filler. The color of the furniture can usually be matched with the same color wood filler. Once the filler has had at least 48 hours to dry, it can then be sanded and painted or stained to match the rest of the wood. For larger holes, cracks, or gouges in the wood it is easier to use a type of water putty. This putty is mixed with a bit of water to create a nice workable putty and then applied to the damaged area. Because water putty is usually darker in color it tends to stand out from the rest of the wood. But like wood putty, it can be sanded and painted or stained to match the rest of the piece.

For restoration jobs that require the exact finish and match as the rest of the piece, shellac sticks can be used to fill the gap. Shellac sticks are used by professionals and leave the most inconspicuous marks on the surface of the furniture. These sticks come in a variety of colors to match nearly every finish and color of wood that is being repaired. Before applying the shellac stick, be sure to clean the gouge or hole with a craft knife or straight edge. Once the surface is clean, the shellac stick must be heated up and melted to fill the hole or gap. Once the shellac is heated and malleable press it into the damaged area of the wood and trowel it over to smooth the surface. Once the surface is smooth, let the shellac sit for at least 2 days before applying a finish. Once it is dry, shellac is strong enough to function on its own, but a shellac finish is also available for extra protection. Even the most damaged furniture with a little time and care can be returned to its original beauty with a little putty or shellac.