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| Leave it to the pro. Michael Dresdner, a nationally known wood finishing and woodworking expert, has answered hundreds of common wood finishing questions in Varathane’s Q&A library to help you successfully complete your project. Click on a link to the left for help and solid advice. |
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| Q: We have Varathane Gel Stain on our front door which is fiberglass. We did not protect it with polyurethane. It has looked great for 15 years even without protection but now is starting to fade and chip. Can gel stain be removed and does it need to come off to refinish the door, or can you stain or paint over gel stain?
A: If you are saying that you have had Varathane Gel Stain on your door for fifteen years, you are misinformed. Varathane has only made gel stain for a couple of years now, so that can’t be what is on there. As for the other questions, yes, it can be removed with paint remover, and yes, you can also go over the existing stain with either more gel stain or with primer and paint, if that is what you prefer. If that is what you want to do, first clean the surface by scrubbing with mineral spirits or TSP on fine nylon abrasive pads. The solvent will remove any surface grease or oil while the pad lightly abrades the surface. |  | |
| Q: When should I apply filler for holes in a refinished door, and is Varathane filler likely to be compatible with Watco Danish oil, and will it show under the finish?
A: Apply the filler before the last sanding. During the last sanding, make certain the filler is sanded off everywhere but inside the holes you filled. And yes, Varathane wood filler, the type that dries hard and must be sanded, will most certainly be compatible under Danish oil, or any other finish for that matter. Whether or not they show depends on how well you choose the color and how many coats of finish you apply. The filler may absorb more or less finish than the surrounding wood. The filler always behaves the same, but each piece of wood is different. A wise course would be to test the filler, stain and finish on an inconspicuous area first to see how they behave together. | | |
| Q: I have been working on refinishing some cedar bedroom furniture that is about 50 years old or so. The stain came off fairly easily, but a powdery looking residue remains. I’ve tried sanding as well as steel wool and stripper.
A: If it is indeed old finish on there, the best way to remove it is with a strong paint remover, but be patient and let the remover do the work. Keep it wet as long as it takes to dissolve the old finish, at which point you should be able to remove it with nylon abrasive pads. When you get the finish off, you might want to do another scrub with lacquer thinner. | | |
| Q: Should steel wool be used in between coats of waterbased finish?
A: No, most emphatically, no. Steel wool can leave both oil residue, which can cause flow out and adhesion problems, and tiny bits of metal fibers in the finish, which can rust and cause dark spots. At best it will leave bits of metal that will leave nibs in the finish. If you need to abrade between coats, use very fine 400 grit or finer gold sandpaper, or use fine nylon abrasive pads. Neither will leave bits of metal or oil in your finish. |
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