Rookies Dilemma

[russ498]

I have recently acquired a dining room set that has great personal and sentimental value. It was also relatively expensive when purchased new. The set dates back to the mid-1970s. It is a contemporary style meaning everything is pretty much square. The furniture is made of some type of manufactured board with a very thin walnut veneer. The table top was abused that is not salvageable. I am going to build a new tabletop and reuse the legs. That part is pretty straightforward and simple.

The problem I have is that I have not been able to identify the type of finish that is currently on the furniture. It does not react to alcohol or mineral spirits. I am using the tabletop for experimental purposes since I am not going to reuse it. Citrus paint remover does a pretty good job of removing the finish. My concern is that it is only removing it on the surface and not in the grain and pores of the wood. I would like to re-stained the entire set so that it matches. The veneer is very thin so I can do very little sanding on it. Is there a good way to clean the finished down into the grain and pores? I would like recommendations on the best type of finish to use. I would like a satin finish, nothing shiny. The furniture will be used, but not heavily or regularly. It is more of a showpiece. I do have an HVLP paint sprayer. I have only used it for spraying wall paint and trim up to this point.

Thanks for reading my lengthy request and I will be most appreciative of your recommendations. I actually bought a book on furniture refinishing, but it confused me more than helped me.

[jasfrank]

Have you tried lacquer thinner? Or MEK? Back in the 70's most factory furniture was sprayed with NC Lacquer.

[JR1]

Apply some contrasting transtint dye to the top and see if it goes on evenly, if not then you have a problem with finish in the pores. If you need to get the finish out of the pores you can try MEK or Acetone¹ (lacquer thinner) and see if it removes the residue. But have care as both are solvents for some adhesives and you don't want to remove the veneer. If all else fails you can try a Methylene chloride stripper, such as Kleen strip, but be aware that they are quite toxic and require full protective gear—gloves, eye protection, and respiratory protection (you can skimp here if you use it outside with care).

¹ Acetone is not particularly toxic (in low concentrations it is on the GRAS list and is a normal metabolic product); however, it is very flammable and is an eye and respiratory irritant. It is the main ingredient of lacquer thinner. It will soften or dissolve most finishes and many adhesives. Further it is very volatile and should generally be used outdoors unless very well ventilated and used in small quantities.

[jteneyck]

If the pores are still filled, uniformly, why do you want to remove it? Leaving the pores filled will make it easier to match the old finish. You might not be able to dye it uniformly, but you should be able to stain it OK and that's what you said your plan was. Worst case, you'd have to use a gel stain or glaze, not a regular one.

John