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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 recently purchased a chest, dresser and bed. The odor from the finish is terrible. Do you know what kind of finish they use on the wood before they ship it from Mexico? It is very oily. I need to know how to get it off without damaging the wood and also so I can bring it in the house. I have asthma and I am really sick because of this. Please let me know how to remove and seal the furniture. I called the furniture store and ask, they said diesel fuel.
A: They were pulling your leg. Diesel fuel is not ever put onto wood. However, some of the furniture that comes in from Mexico is either waxed or coated with non-film forming oil, and either can smell oily. It’s fairly easy to remove both surface wax and oils, and easy to seal in any residual odor as well, but if you have asthma, you might want to get someone else to do it. At very least, wear an exceptionally good NIOSH approved respirator for organic solvents. Here are the steps.
First, clean the surface by scrubbing with mineral spirits on fine nylon abrasive pads, and wipe up the slurry with paper shop towels. Clean until the towels no longer pick up dirt or discoloration. Let the piece dry, and seal it with Zinsser SealCoat, a clear primer that is outstanding at blocking odors. You can leave that as is, or if you prefer, add a couple of coats of either waterbased or oil based polyurethane. |  | |
| Q: What grit sandpaper should be used between coats of sprayed enamel?
A: If you need to sand, use the finest paper you can to remove whatever dust nibs or problems you have to smooth. Typically, that’s somewhere around 320 to 400 grit. If the previous coat is smooth and has no dust nibs in it, you can usually avoid sanding if each coat goes on within a day or two of the previous coat. | | |
| Q: Should I use wet/dry paper when sanding between coats of paint?
A: There are two good options for sanding between coats, though one is decidedly easier and less messy. You can use the black colored wed and dry paper paired with a sanding lubricant, such as soapy water, but it is far easier to simply use stearated self-lubricated sandpaper, which is a dry lubricated paper made for sanding between coats without the need for liquid lubricant. Stearated paper is usually either light gray or gold, though a few newer offerings are color coded by the various companies. The paper should indicate somewhere that it is self lubricating, or free cutting, another term commonly used. On this page, for instance, the lubricated ones are called ‘no load.’ | | |
| Q: Should I raise the grain of oak, the remove the fuzz, prior to staining?
A: You can. Raising the grain of wood before staining tends to make the stain take more aggressively, which can help very dense woods, like oak, absorb a lot of color. That can be very helpful when trying to create a dark or intense color. To raise the grain, flood clean water onto the wood after your last sanding, wipe it all off, then let the wood dry overnight. The next day, remove the fur by very gently sanding with 400 grit paper. Don’t over sand, as that can expose new shredded fibers, which is what you are trying to remove. Sand only enough to remove the light fur. |
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