AboutEileen Cronk Expertise Hi..I can answer most questions about the repairing,stripping and refinishing of all your old furniture and wood items(the things we call antiques)I can give advice about what to buy/avoid at auctions/flea markets. I do not give appraisals on antiques.
Experience I have been refinishing antiques for the past 30yrs. While I have taken several courses over the years,I have found that "hands on" learning is the best teacher. Perhaps I can help you avoid some of the mistakes I made while learning.
Question I just purchased a use dresser on craiglist. It is from the 60's or 70's. It's a light color and either maple or cherry. I know nothing of wood and the previous owner did not know either. I would like to restain it to a dark espresso color. I'm a bit confused with all the info on the net. I do not know if it's lacquer or shellac. How can I tell and what are the steps for restaining this. Your help is much appreciated! I really want to start refinishing old mid-century furniture for my 1954 house :)
Answer Hi Laura
Nice to hear from you.
You do not need to know what type of finish is currently on a piece in order to restain it.
When we stain a piece, all the existing finish must first be removed with paint stripper.
Then we stain and apply a new clear coat of some kind.
That is not negotiable. Its a given LOL. No one can contradict that.
Laura, please be advised that cherry will look awful if you attempt to make it into dark espresso. And maple will be almost impossible to get dark espresso.
Dark espresso is factory applied using colored lacquers. We cannot do this in the home.
So the most important thing to know about a piece of furniture you want to change is "what kind of wood is it made from".
This is also a given and not negotiable.
In no way do I want to discourage you in this pursuit. I just don't want you to be dissappointed.
Here are the steps to refinish a piece of furniture.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STRIPPING FURNITURE
The first thing you must do is assemble the material to do the job.
The stripper is the most important item.
I am hoping you can get "CIRCA 1850" brand paint and varnish remover in your area.
Here is a link http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=1694&familyN...
MATERIAL LIST For the stripping stage.
1 gallon stripper
3 boxes of Bull Dog steel wool in medium grade.
One 3 inch oil based paint brush.
Rubber gloves (like you do dishes with), and a pair of cotton gloves inside the rubber ones.
People react differently to stripper. A lot of people feel heat through the rubber gloves, but I feel cold. Have no idea why.
An empty large coffee can. (for the stripper)
A couple of old tooth brushes.
Lots of old rags (I like t-shirts or cotton but for this first stage whatever you have)
Lots of newspaper to protect the garage floor
LOTS OF VENTILATION..A MUST
That's all you need to get started.
HERES WHAT YOU DO...
Work in sections.
Brush on the stripper with the brush. Stripper will quit working if it dries, so keep it wet till the finish softens.
Then take a rag and wipe this mess off.
Then another coat of stripper, rag off again, then while the wood is still wet, take the steel wool and rub with the grain till the wood is nice and clean.
Depending on the material you are removing, another coat of stripper is often needed but you will know this as you progress into the job.
Use the toothbrush in crevices.
Thats all there is to it ...move to another section and continue.
No other prep is necessary...and DO NOT SAND unless there is wood damage.
When the stripping is complete, stain with Minwax oil stain applied with a rag, then 2 or 3 coats of your clear coat.
Please let me know if anything is not 100% clear.
Kind Regards
Eileen
