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Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Teak table refinishing

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Expert: - 6/3/2010


Question
Hi Greg,
You were kind enough to provide instruction re stripping and cleaning my teak dining table and now I have questions about a finish.  What I would like to do is color it yellow or light green or light blue and then rub in white wax to pick up the grain.  Will transfast water based dyes really put the color in my now clean natural teak, or do I have to bleach first, or must I paint?  I'm looking for a sort of 'french country kitchen' feel.
Thanks once again,  Tim.

Answer
Hey Tim, Teak does not really lend itself to that kind of a finish....you'll need a pigment to mask the natural brown color of the Teak....a Dye will not do it....a colored lacquer, or urethane will give you the thinnest looking colored base......even bleaching the Teak will still leave you with brownish overtones i fear, and likely you have a thin veneered top which limits the amount of effect bleaching would have, and risks damaging the veneers bond.....

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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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