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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: I have a huge solid oak entertainment center and I would like to paint it a shade of white. Can I just sand it and then paint it?
A: Not quite, but close. 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. Now you are ready for primer and paint. If you want to save the primer step, use Rust-Oleum Universal, an aerosol paint that does not require primer under it. |  | |
| Q: I want to re-seal a dining room table. It is in great shape, just dull and takes water marks. What is the best way to clean before applying Watco Wipe On finish?
A: 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, preparing it for subsequent coats. | | |
| Q: I just took a dining table out of ten years of storage. I believe it is solid cherry with a distressed and antiqued finish and lead glass inserts. Originally the furniture had an “Italian Antique Wax” applied which left a whitish residue in the angles and corners of the piece. This wax is long gone after years of care which amounted to spray Pledge and wipe. I plan to restore the table and a couple of chairs to the original appearance. How do I clean and restore this 40 year old furniture to a warm rubbed finish with the cream fill in the angles and crevices?
A: Clean the surface by scrubbing with mineral spirits or TSP on fine, white nylon abrasive pads. The solvent will remove any surface grease or oil, including old furniture polish. At that point, you might want to touch up any egregious scratches or rub marks on the edges using touch up markers to restore the color. To add ‘dirt’ in the recesses, mix some furniture paste wax with rottenstone and apply the mixture by wiping it on liberally, then wiping it off. You’ll find that some of it lodges in the recesses to give you that original antique look. | | |
| Q: The cherry wood trim around our kitchen counter has been damaged by water, age and bumping. I finished it with polyurethane 10 years ago. What is the best way to prepare the trim to be recoated?
A: The best way, since you asked, is to remove the existing finish with paint remover, sand the bare wood, and refinish with oil based polyurethane. That may not be the simplest course of action, but it is certainly the best. |
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