how to refinish a coffee table

\u00a9 2020 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Paint Stripper Afterwash, Minwax 1 quart Polyshades Pecan Satin Stain & Polyurethane, Minwax 1 quart Fast Drying Polyurethane in Satin, Linzer 1 in., 2 in. Put on a respirator. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. This painted one that looks so pristine. Don’t worry, you didn’t do anything wrong! Plastic Hand Sander. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. I hope it works out for you!! Pour the after wash in a metal container. Susie Lehto from Minnesota on December 27, 2014: Well deserving of an excellent HOTD, Tori. You can use either oil-based or latex-based paint for the coffee table. 220-Grit 3X Sanding Sheets (3-Pack), Norton 400 Grit Super Fine Sandpaper Sheets (3-Pack), Wal-Board Tools 3-1/4 in. Be mindful that with a foam brush you have to be precise or bubbles will form in the polyurethane. Start on one side, then rub out the finish with a dry cloth. Yes. Soak the end of a clean white rag (or piece of t-shirt like I did) in the wood conditioner. That set came with a gorgeous coffee table, and I got all of it for only $120! Wear a face mask and goggles whenever you're sanding to keep wood dust out of your mouth, nose, and eyes. I've done a little of this sort of work, but I am very grateful for your wonderful tutorial! For example, you could paint the top of the table a dark blue color and paint the legs and sides a slightly lighter shade of blue. Here's your escape plan. My next big diy is going to be reupholstering my couch. Congratulations on well-deserved Hub of the Day honors! If you notice any spots where there is still paint, varnish, or stain showing after you wipe away the dust, go back over them with the coarse-grit sandpaper until the wood is bare. I keep a bunch of these lint … Thanks Wiki!". John Jack George from United States on December 27, 2014: Great Hub! Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on December 27, 2014: This is an excellent hub and a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to improve the look of a coffee table! The coffee table is one of the highlights of my living room, but with all of the nail polish remover spills, stains and scratches from the previous owner, and general wear and tear I decided it was time for a new finish and a new look. If your sandpaper stops removing the finish at any point, stop sanding and feel the sandpaper with your fingers. Using the stripping tool, firmly scrape along the wood and you will see the varnish come up very easily. Have a wonderful New Year. But after I compiled all of my research and started actually working on the project, I realized it's not as hard as it seems! If you don’t want the finish to be too dark, wipe off excess stain right away. Carefully rub the oil into the coffee table with the help of a cloth, going in the directions of grain, continue the process until the oil is applied to all the bare wood. Now that I'm about to move into a new place, I'm especially motivated to do these projects. Susan Deppner from Arkansas USA on December 26, 2014: What an excellent tutorial! Loraine Brummer from Hartington, Nebraska on December 26, 2014: Impressive! I was doing this, "I've ruined a good coffee table with an oil burner, so I'd love to salvage it if possible. This is the most labor intensive part and may take a long time, but it really makes your life easier, especially with detailed tables like mine. Paint Stripper - I used Klean Strip Premium Sprayable Paint Stripper, Wood Afterwash - I used Klean Strip Paint Stripper Afterwash, Wood Conditioner - I used Minwax Prestain Wood Conditioner, A polyurethane sealer - I used Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane in Semigloss, Compressed air for cleaning cracks and blowing dust off your sandpaper as needed, A power sander (not really necessary, but takes some of the muscle out of hand sanding everything), A variety of sandpaper grits - you'll need at least three - a low, medium, and high grit paper. Steps to Refinish a Table. Once you have finished spraying, let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Let it dry. You can also apply a coat of varnish on top of a wood stain if you want to make the table glossier and give it an extra protective layer. You may need to add a new sanding disc to the machine, but once you are ready you can start working on the teak coffee table. Try to have all of your supplies at the same time (I had to run to Home Depot several times because I didn't have all of the supplies I needed, and ended up wasting time). GH Price from North Florida on December 29, 2014: Congratulations on your HotD. It is important to remember to. I really liked it, but it was stained up and nasty from food spills, nail polish remover, pen marks...you name it it was on here and had ruined the finish. I used a foam brush as opposed to a bristle brush, because it helps keep the color a little more even, especially if you have an unsteady hand like I do. What I discovered with the polyurethane is that you don't really need to go with the grain of the wood, because its whole purpose is to make everything smooth. And you did an excellent job of explaining how to do this project to the rest of us. I would suggest looking up a video on the internet, this way you can visually see how each step is done. If it is smooth, it has worn out and you need to replace it with a fresh sheet. see the difference the afterwash made on the outside rim of my table?! 1) Our table had an existing wax finish, so we had to remove it first by using Mohawk's Wax Wash Remover. Richard Parr from Australia on April 02, 2014: I have several couches that need reupholstering, hmm. For this step you will need a plastic paint stripping tool, which looks like a mixture of a putty knife and a mini-shovel. Cost to Refinish a Table. How to Refinish a Table By Sanding Start with Low Grit Sandpaper The key to getting good color and coverage with the new stain is to get down to the raw wood. Before staining a table you need to wipe it down with a lint-free cloth to remove any dust first. Beautiful re-do. Beautiful job. Move the table to a ventilated area, like a covered porch or garage, where you can work without worrying about the mess. Do you have a coffee table that has seen better days? Wood filler or wood putty like this, in case you have really big gouges to fill, and then you will also need a putty knife if you have to do this. By using our site, you agree to our. This is actually information I have been recently looking for so your article was very timely and your instructions are easy to follow. For tips on how to paint a coffee table, read on! Put on your face mask and a pair of safety glasses. Lightly sand away any bumps or splotches that need to be evened out from the third coat of stain. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Doing this project outside is fine if you need to, such as on a patio, but you can't do it when it's raining or humid outside because the humidity and the rain will affect the way the wood takes the stain (expanding, contracting, all that jazz). This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. wikiHow's. Stop sanding periodically and run a hand over the whole coffee table to feel for rough spots. Then come back and scrape the table until as much as you can get off is gone. "The sanding portion was helpful. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Add some tung or Danish oil to a cloth and wipe it onto the table, making sure to follow the direction of the grain. Wear a face mask when you apply mineral spirits so you don’t inhale the fumes. Exceptional work. If the undercoat is solid, then the two coats of finish should be enough. The spray does let off some fumes, so open some windows if you are working inside like I was. Two thumbs up for all the details dedicated to keep the chemicals safely from contaminating the clothing. peachy from Home Sweet Home on December 26, 2014: that is a coffee table? Alicia Wilkerson. You've covered everything we need to know about refinishing furniture (I'm going to use the tips on some non-table things that need a fresh look). I ended up using almost the entire thing no need to skimp. Mar 3, 2017 - Explore Yiayia Cathy's board "Coffee table redo", followed by 295 people on Pinterest. Vintage Ammo box into a Coffee Table. How to refinish furniture is a question that we may ask but there are so many answers. Did you know you can read answers researched by wikiHow Staff? If you want to check out some more of my furniture project check some of these below! By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Just take off as much as you can without damaging the table. To do this, you need to remove all traces of the previous stain and smooth out the damaged surface with a sander. If this is where you are doing this you must wait until the humidity and rain is gone before you can start back up again. Answer: I did not - I just used a foam brush that had an angled tip so that I could be precise around the edges of each panel. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Congratulations on Hub of the Day. Full kudos to you on an amazing job (both the hub and the table). Make sure you have the time and are committed to doing it. Excellent tutorial! But, after two years of kitties, spills, and general wear and tear, it has now come the time to redo everything. If you are working inside, open up any doors and windows you can to ventilate the space. ... especially the ‘cutting a table in half to make a console table’ and ‘coffee table into end of bed bench’! Good for you. Question: Did you tape off the sections to stain with the grain of the wood? Use a paint brush to cover the surface, then leave it to dry according to the instructions on the packaging. This will prepare the surface to be sanded if it's a stained table, or stripped if the table was previously painted or varnished. This is the beautiful detail that I love on this set. And your work has to be perfect. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. here I am apply the first layer of stain! If you’d rather keep the same color but want a smooth finish, put on a coat of varnish. Pro Grade 60, 100, 150 Grit No-Slip Grip Sandpaper (8-Sheets), Norton 9 in. rebekahELLE from Tampa Bay on December 28, 2014: Thanks for providing the step by step instructions and pics. it's ok for the first stain to be a little thick. A tack cloth is a cloth specifically made for cleaning up wood dust. I am really glad you like them both!! I discovered while staining my table that having the polyurethane mixed in was nice, but it sure didn't hide any blemishes I had caused by uneven strokes. this is the old finish. Good for you for doing your research and making it happen. Finish the table in halves. Well written hub! After all, I really love this coffee table and didn't want to mess it up. I voted up ++ and I will share it with my Twitter friends and put it on my Repin board. 20 Easy & Free Plans to Build a DIY Coffee Table; In the same, you can also try the wood-burning technique to inscribe some amazing signs, monograms, and letters in wooden surfaces of the tables just to give them a personal statement! Wipe the table down with a clean rag as well to pick up any other particles. The metal base is pretty grungy. Graham Lee from Lancashire. Most woods used for furniture are soft woods like pine. Put drop cloth down in the work area to catch any residue. Use gentle soap and water to remove dirt and oils from the table's existing finish. You have officially stripped, sanded, and stained your own table! to prevent bubbles, use the flat side of the brush at a low angle and lightly but steadily drag the brush across the surface of the wood. Actually, no—designers and woodworkers aren’t the only ones who can refinish a table. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Whatever stain you choose, keep in mind you will have to buy the polyurethane separately anyway. Applying Furniture Stain to Your Wood Table Top Next, flip your rustic wood coffee table back over to apply furniture stain to the wood table top. I'll keep an eye out for your hub. That’s why you do multiple layers of stain, which will even out the shininess. This isreally difficult to do with oil-based stains, and foam brushes are disposable so I recommend just throwing them out. make sure to put the screws in a plastic bag or safe place so you can reuse them at the end! I became a little frustrated because I wanted to be able to just go to one place to get the information I needed to be able to do a perfect job. If you want the finish to be darker, you can apply 1-2 additional coats of stain after the first coat dries, wiping off excess stain after each coat. Empty or unused portions of your chemicals. Start painting little by little in the direction of the grain of the boards on the FARMHOUSE TABLE. I hope our finished product looks as lovely as yours. I used pressurized air to get the sawdust out of the cracks of the table first, which isn’t necessary if your table doesn’t have any details like mine does. :). Woah! Marcy Goodfleisch from Planet Earth on December 27, 2014: I love this! If you don't, you might gouge the wood and cause extra scratches that you’ll need to sand out later (I did this by accident along one side of my table, didn’t notice until after I had done the whole side.). Refinishing teak involves removing a lot of the top layer of wood, so you will need to perform a lot of sanding for this to work. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Great job - congratulations on your HOTD - you deserve it! If you don't seal then there is a possibility it will collapse before you finish building. This time I also left my table for two days to dry, not by choice this time, but because I had to work. After sanding, time to add a third coat! This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. on January 08, 2015: Hi Victoria. Once your wood is dry (we left it overnight and picked back up the next morning), you are ready to sand! Once you have as much of the old stain/varnish off the table as you can, here comes the satisfying part where you get to take off most of the spots that are left over from the stripping. Approved. Thanks again. You table turned out beautiful. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. x 11 in. Should I seal my table before I put on a two part epoxy? This will be the case more so with lighter stains in the third step, but you will still want to be careful here as well to make sure your stain isn’t splotchy from the paint brush. To apply wipe-on finish, first put some on a clean rag. You have given such clear and detailed instructions, and made a difficult job easier to complete. If you are not outside, I do recommend a mask for this, and you will need gloves while handling this stuff. You can purchase one at a home improvement center, a woodworking supply shop, or online. Mineral spirits are also known as mineral turps or mineral turpentine. They matched so well, and I really loved the colors! If all of the varnish does not come off in the first scraping. For this step you definitely will want to again use a super high grit sand paper (I used 400 again). If a second coat is needed on your table, lightly sand over this coat to remove any rough spots and apply a second coat. Spray from your arm’s length away (don’t hold the bottle close to you), but keep it about 6-8 inches away from the table top and spray in even strokes across the table. By your instructions I might even try it sometime in the New Year 2015. Keep in mind too that you are using very thin layers of stain at a time, so if there does end up being a little bit of visible overlap, you can sand it and smooth it until it blends in. Very lightly sand the table down. The fumes are dangerous and so are the chemicals. That’s completely normal, and that’s where the sanding comes in. You don’t want to have a super thin layer of stain, but you also don’t want extremely thick because then it will take way too long to dry. You are to be commended for the detail, the photos and especially the safety precautions you provide because the chemicals used in the process are highly flammable. ToriM (author) from Atlanta on July 09, 2014: Thank you!!! My coffee table has a lot of molding around the outside as you can see, so I wanted to make sure this was done well first. Let the finish dry overnight and you'll be ready to proudly display your furniture restoration project after you've learned how to refinish a table. 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