Looking for advice on how to prep before refinishing...
I need to refinish a cherry table top. This was one of my early WW projects and my finishing attempts were pretty inexperienced. Mainly, I didn't get enough coats of the Minwax Wipe-on Poly (satin) finish to provide adequate protection nor an even coat. So over the years moisture has seeped in from water glasses with condensation, a few wine spills, sauces, etc. When I originally applied the finish it was in warm/hot temps of N. California so the original finish came out streaky.
So now comes the time (sometime this fall) for refinishing the top. I'm thinking of using a wipe-on poly of some brand again, but with adequate build on the coats.
So now the question to you experienced folks... What steps would you go through in the refinishing process? Strip the existing finish? Simply sand it down then reapply the poly? Spray finishing is not practical for me so that's why I lean toward the wipe-on. I'm posting some pics to give you an idea of what I'm dealing with. Thanks to all who respond.
Refinishing isn't something I do, but some random thoughts: if you want to remove the stains etc, I suspect they are in the wood...the only way to get to them is a complete strip I would think. Even if you didn't want to get to those stains, you might want to strip anyway...if any of the commercial furniture polishes have been used on it, it has silicone contamination. If true, it will cause problems with simply applying additional coats. I think if it were me, I'd strip the top and sand it smooth. Then apply a coat of shellac to seal in any problems, then varnish on top of the shellac. I'd suggest you mix your own wiping varnish, using gloss for the initial coats, then the satin for the last 2 or 3 (wiping coats). Bear in mind a rule of thumb for the wet mil thickness is considered to be 3 coats of wiping varnish = one brushed coat, that's very rough but you get the gist.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
It must look worse in person than what comes through in the photos because it looks pretty nice to me. It's hard to say if the uneven look comes from not getting the top dead flat, you didn't put on enough coats, or you didn't get the coats on evenly. Nevertheless, it still looks pretty good as it is.
But if you want to make it all nice and new looking then I would strip it with KleanStrip Premium, neutralize it, and then flatten the top dead flat. That should get rid of any stains, too, but if it doesn't then bleach them out with oxalic acid.
For a new wipe on varnish consider Arm-R-Seal. It looks beautiful on cherry and is very durable. Waterlox would be another good choice. I have good luck most of the time applying ARS with a blue shop towel. On large surfaces, however, I've had better luck applying the first couple of coats with a foam brush and thinning the ARS about 25% with MS. After the pores are full and a surface film starts to build up, I flatten it with 400 grit in a ROS, and then wipe on 2 or 3 thinned coats.
Also, if desired, you can rub out ARS after about 2 weeks using your ROS and really fine abrasives and then auto polishing compound. Or there is always 0000 steel wool and paste wax for a beautiful feel and satin sheen. If you do any of this, start with gloss.
07-16-2017, 03:14 PM (This post was last modified: 07-16-2017, 03:17 PM by djcook50.)
Thanks for the quick responses! Luckily, we've never used any commercial polishes nor waxes...mostly cleaned it with a damp cloth followed up with a dry towel wipe. The top is actually dead flat (run thru a large wide-belt sander) and stable, so my pictures may not show it well.
Right now it sounds like stripping the existing finish is the optimal way to start. John, thanks for the suggestion of the oxalic acid for stubborn stains. Thanks Fred for the suggestion of shellac base coat. I've since used that on other cherry projects and had good results.
This was one of my early day projects where I was happy with the woodworking part, but lacking in the finishing skills. Time to get it right. I'm thinking of doing it this fall when the temperatures moderate. I was also thinking of trying the Arm-R-Seal. Have heard good things about it. Thanks for the poly application tips also.
07-16-2017, 04:16 PM (This post was last modified: 07-16-2017, 04:17 PM by fredhargis.)
While I like shellac on cherry (a lot) my suggestion was considering it probably had some contamination. If you are sure it hasn't, skipping the shellac is not going to be a problem, especially if you like the look that just the varnish provides.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
A number of years back the local Starbucks had me refinish all their table tops. They had become water damaged and the finish had become so soft that you could scrape it off with your thumbnail.
I sanded down to the bare wood (it was Baltic Birch, not stained), and I applied my regular finish (oil based poly, foam brush applied).
I use a system that falls between brushed on and wipe on in coating thickness. I brush on a fairly heavy coat and then a few minutes later I use paper towels to squeeze out the finish in the foam brush and I lightly drag the brush over the surface.
It is easy and as fool proof as wipe on but with a faster coating build. I put 4 coats on the Starbucks tables and they stood up for 9 + years of commercial use.
For residential use I would use two coats for vertical surfaces and 3 coats for horizontal surfaces.
Either way I think you need to sand down to the bare wood for the best results.
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