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Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Teak indoor furniture restoring

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Expert: - 8/25/2009


Question
goodmorning

using Formby's conditioning furniture refinisher and steal wool i cleaned the top of my teak table then applied Wacto Teak Oil finish.  The oil did not absorb correctly and there are spots where the grain is very shiny and looks and feels like the oil did not absorb but it will not buff to an even finish.  What should I do now?
Thanks
Jay

Answer
Hi Jay, what happened is that you've only partially removed the finish in areas, and left finish in other areas, and that's why you see those different looks to different spots. The best way to proceed is really with a paste type stripper, The Formby's product works, but it's difficult to evenly remove the finish with it, as it's quite thin, and these oil finishes contain Phenolics and other resins that are difficult to dissolve and remove, because they are "in" the wood rather than a film finish like shellac or lacquer. A paste stripper will sit on the finish long enough, without evaporating, to dissolve it all and remove it more thoroughly. A methylene chloride based stripper is a good bet for this type of finish, but Citristrip works also, just not as fast. Lay it on heavily in one direction (not "painting" back and forth), you want to end up with a thick coat of at least 1/8" or so, and let it work for 20-30 mins, all the while adding more stripper to any ares that start to look dry. Let the stripper do the work. Then take a wide putty knife or stripping tool and scrape the stripper off gently, and finish with #2 or #3 steel wool, scrubbing vigorously until the surface is clean. Usually I'll then switch to a #1 or 0 piece of steel wool and continue scrubbing with the grain until the surface is as dry as I can get it. Examine it at that time to see if you have a uniformly clean, bare surface. If not repeat the process again. This should leave you with a well stripped, clean surface.Sand lightly when dry, (at least 6 hours for the MC, overnight for the Citristrip), stain and/or finish as you want. Hope that helps- post back if need be- regards- Greg

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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