Furniture Refinishing

Learning how to refinish your furniture can cost you so much less than buying new furniture.

A lot of people prefer to buy new furniture because of the work involved in furniture refinishing. There are other people who don’t have the patience in completing it and end up having a terrible finish or just give up and go out to buy new furniture. One thing to remember is that “Rome was not built in a day,” and it will require time to complete any furniture-refinishing project.

Take a trip to your local hardwood store where trained professionals are there to help you to choose the right product for your refinishing project. You want to ditch the caustic chemicals and select a natural product for your safety. If you don’t mind working with chemicals, you must use these with care. Do not smoke while using these chemicals. Chemical strippers can be dangerous when inhaled, so wear a mask and gloves. If you are sanding inside the home, be sure to seal all air ducts and electrical outlets.

If you have to use any kind of power tools, be sure to use earplugs. Unplug your sander when you are getting ready to change the sander paper. Tools that you will need to begin your project are sander, electric drill, putty knife, bristle brush, paint scraper, safety goggles or mask, sanding block, chisel, canvas, rubber gloves, rubber pallet, paint brush and seam roller.

You have to clean the surface of the furniture before you get started. You can clean it with a wax remover or wood cleaner. Cleaning the surface will determine if the furniture is worth refinishing.

To determine what finish was previously use, follow these simple steps:

• Soak a small cotton ball in alcohol.
• Put this on a concealed area of the furniture and leave for about ten minutes.
• If you see any type of dissolving, then the finish is shellac.
• If you don’t see any type of dissolving, then go ahead and test a lacquer thinner in a concealed area. If this dissolves, then the finish is lacquer.

If these two tests are unclear, you may then be dealing with a varnish or synthetic finish. If the previous finish looks like it is simply worn out, you may be able apply the same finish easily.

If you are doing a full finish, make sure you strip the furniture and then begin to sand it down. Sandpaper of 100 to 200 grits is recommended. You should make sure you change the sandpaper often to get a better finish. If you don’t change it often, then it becomes of no use and you may be polishing instead of sanding at that point. An orbital sander is the best sander to use because it operates at about 8,400 orbits per minute. A padded sanding block gives you an edge over reaching difficult areas.

You apply a sealer after you stain the furniture. Make sure the surface is smooth and then go ahead and apply the finish smoothly to prevent any streaks or bubbles.