Expert: Greg Scholl - 2/1/2012

Question
QUESTION: Hi Greg,
I have a +/- 40 year old Danish dining table with chairs and matching chest w/ drawers. The table is SOLID, unfinished Rosewood. At each end of the table, you can pull out an extension leaf, also solid Rosewood, no veneer used. Each leaf still has it's gorgeous original dark reddish rosewood color, as the 2 leaves were stored underneath the table. The main table has clearly had significant UV damage, it's medium brown. For many years it was well maintained by applying an oil (Danish brand, made for rosewood) and if necessary it was applied with steel wool 0000 and any remaining oil was removed with a clean cloth after 1/2 hour or so. It was not teak oil, but another oil for rosewood. That has always been a tradition in Denmark for untreated Rosewood furnitures. In the past 15years it' been infrequently treated however and that's when the discoloration started. There are also some light scratches on the table.

As I have run out of the original "danish brand oil for rosewood", I today used "English Oil" which I rubbed into the wood with steel wool 0000, with the grains of the wood. After 20 minutes I repeatedly removed all access oil. It certainly looks much better, but obviously the main table is still medium brown, not reddish. The matching chest w/ drawers is dark reddish. I figure I may have to sand the main dining table down to remove the UV damaged wood and get down to the undamaged wood. After that repeat the oiling step. I have no (!) previous experience with this.

Question to you: What specific steps & tools would you recommend to restore the main dining table to it's original nice reddish rosewood color? Should I also do the 2 extension leaves (they are currently exactly flush with the main table)? I appreciate any advise you can give me, thank you.

ANSWER: Hi Aase, Danish oil is a term used for a penetrating oil finish that's comprised of various modified oils, resins, phenolics, and driers, not unlike a thin varnish. These oil finishes penetrate the wood and harden/cure like a varnish...so they really aren't an "oil" as such.So really, your table was/is not unfinished... I'm concerned about the English oil you've used...can you give me a little more info on that product? Some "oils" like "Lemon" oil for instance, are not drying oils, but instead mineral oils with fragrances and other additives, and therefore can do more harm than good in certain situations. I also find it difficult to believe that this table is solid wood...as that was not done as a general rule, for a few reasons, one being the fact that solid wood will not remain dimensionally stable, especially when used in large flat pieces like a dining table surface. They are so good at constructing this stuff, it's very difficult to really tell without a bit of a trained eye as well, but it would be rare and unusual for you to have a solid wood table.Sanding is also not the way to go about this type of restoration, the table will need to be chemically stripped, most especially if it is veneer, as they used very thin veneers, and one can easily severely damage the top by sanding. The cured oil finish is difficult to remove because it is a penetrating finish, absorbed into the pores of the wood surface, and stripper will dissolve the cured finish and float it to the surface to be removed without risk to the wood.Once stripped a very light hand sanding may be employed, but only if it's deemed absolutely necessary, and with the proper grit and technique. The original finish product likely had color in it to maintain the color of the Rosewood, as it will oxidize and change over that time span, with cleaning, exposure, etc.To match the original color and sheen takes some skill, and knowledge of the materials and processes, and is not typically the realm of the DIY'er, as a suitable finish may have to be custom mixed to match the original.Watco Danish oil finish is available in colors, and this might be a starting point, but it would likely need to be adulterated with color, (dye based), or even a stain used first, (also dye based, as an oil or pigmented stain will seal the pores and prevent the penetrating oil from...penetrating), and again this is not the realm of the novice. Also, if it is in fact veneer, (and I would bet it is), the veneer is very thin and can reach a saturation point when being refinished, if too much of either step is used, or over applied.The key to these finishes is building up to the final color and sheen with several very thin applications and proper drying time between steps (18-24 hours or more)..it can be tricky even if you know what you're doing.Therefore, given your skill level with such things, and the fact that this is a specialized restoration and finish, I would definitely recommend calling in a Pro to evaluate it with you.Refinishing a dining table is definitely NOT for the faint of heart or inexperienced! Hope fully the "oil" you've applied is an actual oil finish, and not the other type of "oil".....as this can make things worse...yet another reason why chemical stripping is essential. I hope you understand that I'm not trying to scare you, but I am trying to make it very clear that you could easily ruin the table if you make a wrong move or get impatient and don't realize the variables involved.Please post the info on the "English Oil" and a picture would also be helpful- Regards- Greg

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=46

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Greg,
Thank you so much for your speedy response! So... you got us to re-consider and take a thorough look at my family table.  I also talked with the Danish family member who had the table for most of it's life, since the late 60's.
We think you are right, the table top is primarily veneer. We see a repeated pattern across the wood (from L side to R side) and we miss the normal tiny gaps you typically see when solid pieces of wood are used for a table top. However the entire perimeter = edge of the table top (figure like a picture frame) is however 4 pieces of solid wood, connected in every corner. The veneer board is placed on a thick piece of wood and set inside the solid Rosewood table frame, does that make sense? The table legs and the chairs are also solid pieces of wood pieced together.

We are not going to re-finish it ourself, we agree with you and very much appreciate your response! We will call in a pro or leave it medium brown....

With regards to the oil: The Danish oil used during most of it's life is a product purchased in Denmark, Europe, it's especially sold to apply on non-lacqued rosewood tables. It may very well be similar to the Watco Danish oil product you mention.
The "oil" I used last week however, I'm afraid (!), is the brand "Old English" = lemon oil, so that doesn't sound too great..... We are not seeing any issues on the table top after applying the lemon oil, are you concerned it may change the appearance or could it make the restoration steps more complicated??
Thanks and again, we appreciate your response very much.

Answer
Yeah, I'm afraid it has contaminated the surface with a non drying oil,and now you really must strip it if you want to restore the finish...if you try to apply a drying oil like the Watco over it, the Watco won't dry. I'm sure the Danish oil was a Modified Tung oil finish, likely with some color in it..the Watco will be a good choice in is also available in colors, but I would not apply it until you have removed the Old English thoroughly...you could try washing the top with mineral spirits a few times rubbing it dry with clean cloths as you go..then let dry overnight....then when dry an even, overlapping hand sanding with some 220-320 grit sandpaper may be enough to start the application process. You flood the surface with the Watco, let stand for 10-15 minutes, then wipe completely off leaving behind a very thin film....then let dry 24hrs before the next application.