Expert: Eileen Cronk - 4/26/2010

Question
i have sanded and striped off all old....put stain and poly....did not look good....resanded wiped on stain poly,  still not right ..I cant get that "wood"look.....do you sand or steel wool between coats....Is Tung oil right for this.   please advisekcfyx

Answer
Hi Charles
Nice to hear from you.
Wish I new if this was antique oak or a fairly new table.
Heres a few thoughts until you get back to me.
Did you actually use a chemical stripper? This is a must. You cannot remove finish with sandpaper. You cannot get the wood to look right.
The stain/ poly you used should come off (using chemical stripper).
This stuff prevents the wood look you seek.
You can lightly sand between coats using 220 paper, or you can steel wool using fine steel wool pads between coats.
Tung oil is fine for an occasional use table but not suitable for a table used every day for eating.
I recommend Minwax oil based fast drying satin poly for tabletops used for eating.
It has a lovely mellow look. Three coats are all you apply with very light sanding between.
What stain did you use the first time and what poly?
Get back
Eileen