finish furniture

[imaginethat]

How do you refinish furniture? Is there an easy way, or is it always stripper, wash, stain, seal....or sanding I guess...

[flippr 2.0]

I had 4 years of woodshop in high school,i don't remember a damn thing.

[flippr 2.0]

hi Rose,nice seein' ya.

[flippr 2.0]

i'm doing real good,loving this heatwave.

 

[CaliforniaNow]

the biggest piece of furniture I ever redid was an antique upright piano.  I swear the only thing I remember was sand paper and clear varnish.  It was a lovely wood color already underneath the black paint.  I know I didn't strip it.  And I don't remember any stain.  It was a huge job, but it looked great.

[LoveLife&Laughter]

Not quite the same... I had (outdoor) carpeted around the backyard swimming pool ~10 years ago, it's in pretty bad shape so I decided to remove it, and maybe stain or paint after etching/cleaning.  It's going to be a much bigger job than I thought, a lot of scraping in lieu of sanding is in my future.  Darn.

[Lifesighs]

I haven't done it for years, I do remember having to take it outside to strip because of the fumes of the stripper and I remember thinking I could have picked a piece of furniture that didn't have all that elaborate trim to try to sand the crevices. The end result was beautiful but I also remember I didn't want to do it again.

[Merry]

Just gesso it and paint whatever you want.

[ProblemAgain]

it depends on what you want the piece to be...generally you have to strip and seal. the use of a sealer is to provide a uniform surface for a stain so the color isn't blotchy. the outer coating can be a number of things depending on your skill level and access to tools. the simplest and the most easily maintained  over the years is to oil the piece (usually with a mix of tung oil and turpentine or straight warmed tung oil..that gives you that handrubbed finish...) or you can use a varnish or a lacquer or even a shellac depending on the piece. one thing to keep in mind is that for real antiques messing about with the finish can ruin the value of the piece  (not too many people want a genuine chippendale with a fresh coat of varathane)

[Merry]

You're right, you always hear that on Antique's Road Show. But if a piece already has dutchboy on it then let the games begin!!!!

[LoveLife&Laughter]

This post is so apropos... giving me time for ideas/direction for my pool deck while it's still raining. 

[ProblemAgain]

there is one product called All Deck that works well in wet locations. it is a 3 step process that gives you a fiberglass reinforced complete coating as long as your substrate is in good shape. it works well in wet climates or around pools to prevent the usual fungus and wood rot from the constant dampness...and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to apply it...

http://alldeck.com/

[ProblemAgain]

http://www.alldeck.com/colorchart.html

and places near you LLL

1. 4All Decked Out

   local.yahoo.com -

   • Info

   • 1189 Kestrel Cir, Corona, CA

   [phone]
2. 5All Pro Decking

   local.yahoo.com -

   • Info

   • Upland, CA

   [phone]