Expert: Greg Scholl - 1/2/2011

Question
Hi
Christmas is over and I considering tackling refinishing the dining room table.  It about 35-40 years old, was my parents table, has had many family gatherings, is a table that has been well used and well loved over the years.  But now the time has come to repair/refinsh the scratches and water mark stains.  I took it into a local furniture refinishing place and he was going to charge $800+ to refinish it.  Not money I have now to spend on the table top, so I am here looking for "how-to-advice".  I have read many postings on refinishing teak, including the ones on this site but still have some questions.    I have heard that giving the table top a light wash with bleach and stripper was helpful.  Can you comment on that.  As well, I understand the no sanding guideline with veneer, but can I still use steel wool?  Do you rub with the grain or in a circular fashion?  I am concerned about there being visible small circular scratches on the surface.  
This isn't the first refinishing project I have undertaken but it is the first one I will have done with veneer.  
Thanks much and Happy New Year!
Jane
Ontario, Canada

Answer
Hi Jane, the table is most likely finished with an oil finish. These long oils, are drying oils (essentially like a varnish), and they produce a pretty durable, low sheen finish. If the table is badly marked, then you'll need to strip it with a chemical stripper, thoroughly, to remove the old finish. You can wash the top with a rag and some mineral spirits, and that will make it look like it would with a few coats of oil finish. If the staining and spotting is bad, you'll need to strip. If it looks acceptable again, you can clean the table well, sand lightly with some 220-400 sandpapaer and simply apply a few coats of oil finish to the top. Likely, though, it's reached an age where you'll want to strip it completely and build a new oil finish, I like WaterLox for teak furniture as it is more durable than the Watco and water spots less easily.., but Watco Danish oil is also a good choice, and available in colors to help deepen the look a bit if desired. (the Medium Walnut is a good color for Teak). You apply all oil finishes the same way...liberally with a brush or rag, and then let them sit for 10-15 minutes before wiping them off, leaving only a thin film of the finish to dry for 24 hours. Thin coats are the key, with thorough dry time (overnight at least) between coats to allow the finish to "set" before applying the next coat.Read, follow, and understand all the directions and precautions on the product, and you should be able to refinish the table beautifully. I'm here to help, so post back if need be- regards- Greg

http://www.waterlox.com/products-item/waterlox-original-penetrating-tung-oil-flo...

http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2000767/Watco-Penetrating-Danish-Oils.aspx