Expert: Eileen Cronk - 11/15/2007

Question
QUESTION: My father-in-law recently passed away. As a result we have a maple bed frame and a maple dresser that are estimated to be ~ 75-100 years old. To the best of our knowledge, neither has ever been refinished. Both are solid pieces and I would like to strip, stain and refinish. I am handy, but have never refinished anything and don't want to screw it up! Where do I start and what steps do I take to get the wood striped? Secondly, I love the natural wood, how do I and what stains and finishes should I be thinking about?

Thanks

ANSWER: Hi Jack
Nice to hear from you.
Sounds like a great project. And you won't screw it up LOL.
Just take your time and follow directions.
Here they are.
The first thing you must do is assemble the material to do the job.
The stripper is the most important item.
The stripper I use is my Home Hardware house brand, but I think that you would not have Home Hardware if you are in the states.
I am hoping you could have CIRCA 1850 brand paint and varnish remover there. Its in a white can.

MATERIAL LIST For the stripping stage.
1 gallon stripper (you'll need this much Jack to do this job.
6 boxes of Bull Dog steel wool in medium grade.
One 3 inch oil based paint brush to apply the stripper.
Rubber gloves (like you do dishes with)
An empty large coffee can. (for the stripper)
A couple of old tooth brushes.
Lots of old rags (I like t-shirts or cotton but for this first stage whatever you have)
Lots of newspaper to protect the garage floor
LOTS OF VENTILATION..DO NOT WORK IN A CLOSED AREA.
That's all you need to get started…not much is it?
The stripper will be the most expensive item on the list..In Canada it runs around $25.00 a gallon. The stain and finish will only be around $20.00
HERES WHAT YOU DO...
First of course remove all hardware...
Work in sections. One dresser side at a time, one bed post etc.
Brush on the stripper with the brush. Stripper will quit working if it dries, so keep it wet till the finish softens.
Then take a rag and wipe this mess off.
Then another coat of stripper, rag off again, then while the wood is still wet, take the steel wool and rub with the grain till the wood is nice and clean.
Use the toothbrush in crevices.
If the finish is heavy, another coat of stripper could be needed.
Thats all there is to it ...move to another section and continue.
No other prep is necessary...and DO NOT SAND
When the stripping is complete, stain with Minwax stain applied with a rag.
Then 3 coats of Circa brand low lustre tung oil also applied with a rag.
Jack I feel that even if you love the the natural wood, a coat of stain is a must to bring out the beauty of this old maple.
But please experiment with a few colors.
I am currently stripping a solid maple dresser and plan on applying a coat of Minwax special walnut stain mixed half with Minwax golden oak.
Keep in mind that maple does not absorb color like oak or pine would. and with this wood, most of the color is wiped back on your rag. But the old maple needs a stain.
New maple in most all cases just will not take stain at all. Thats why the new maple furniture we see is always finished with colored laquer.
And PLEASE PLEASE..Keep the sandpaper away from this lovely set. (any questions about this comment please get back to me.)
Please let me know if anything is not 100% clear.
Good Luck and great question
Eileen


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

QUESTION: Wow! Thanks Eileen.

Why no sand paper? Secondly, there are a couple of scratches I may need to sand. Shall we wait until after stripping or should filler be used?

Thanks a ton.

Jack

ANSWER: Hi again Jack
I knew you would have a question about sanding LOL.
OK..Think about this.
You have a possibly 100 year old bedroom set.
Do you want it to look like it was just purchased or do you want it to retain all its character?
You could go to all the work and expense of stripping this piece, then sand the heck out of it (as a lot of people do)
and what are you left with but a set that looks new.
Sanding removes all the woods patina.
It takes a lot of years for furniture to aquire this, and it can be destroyed with half an hours sanding.
I always say that the gentleman who made this set sanded it to perfection.
I can't tell you the number of fine old pieces that folks have brought to my shop to "fix" after they have taken a belt sander to it...or just sandpaper.
Also Jack, maple is one of the touchiest woods to sand.
Often what happens is folks think they did a great job sanding, apply the stain, and lo and behold all they see are sanding scratches. Totally ruins the look of old furniture.
Now having said that, there are instances where sanding cannot be avoided. These instances I call damage rather than age aquired if you understand.
I do not feel that minor scratches are damage.
And its funny how they add character after the piece is all finished.
With the scratches you mention, wait till everything is stripped. Do not use filler.
Then take an overall look at the pieces. Are these the only marks..I'll bet not.
Another point with sanding, lets say you sand out a scratch from the dresser top.
If you only sand the scratched area, you will have a light spot after the finish is applied. Wood darkens as it gets older. We want to retain that.
So now you have one light spot on this lovely set...you have to sand the rest to match..it just goes on and on like I do when I get going so I'll shut up LOL.
And please get back to me if you need help along the way.
Regards
Eileen



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

QUESTION: HI Eileen,

One last question. Started last night with the stripping, experimenting on the inside of a side rail to the bed frame. I removed the support rail for the bed and as expected found bare wood. Stripper X was applied twice and removed, then according to Stripper X use instructions, a third coat was applied to remove the stain. The process is to apply a coat, wait 10 minutes, wet a steel wool and using a circular motion, work in the stripper, then wipe dry. My question is, can all the stain be removed? Most of the color is gone, but I can clearly see where under the support rail there was no stain. Obviously these areas will be covered again. I just a rookie trying to figure it out and very much appreciate your input.

Thanks,

Jack

Answer
Hi Again Jack
It never has to be the last question. I'm always here LOL.
No the stripper never removes the color.
Some of the color you see is stain, and some will be that the wood has darkened over the years.
Glad to hear you have dug in.
Keep me posted
Regards
Eileen