Expert: Jamie Yocono - 8/10/2006

Question
Hi!
Im refinishing my old dining table, i applied oil woodstain several times w/ a brush to achieve a darkwalnut color but the top of my table dried but a bit sticky to touch - not wet, and i wanted it to have a "laminated finish" like having a hard plastic covering it. What should i put to have that?

Thanks in advance

Answer
Hi Leahn,

The reason your table stop is sticky to the touch is that you have a sludge buildup of stain on top of the wood. Stain is generally a penetrating finish, so it should be absorbed into the wood, not sit on top of it. Before you can attempt to have that hard plastic coat of varnish on top of your table, you must get rid of the sticky stuff first.

There are a couple of ways to do it, I am not sure what tools you have on hand, or what your skill level is like. In most cases, new stain will dissolve some of the old, so you could apply some new stain, and then try to wipe off all of it, using something a little abrasive like steel wood or one of those 3-M scrubbys. Those work really well. You could even use a fine sandpaper, although I suspect the stain sludge will clog the sandpaper quickly and you'll end up using a lot of paper. So perhaps steel wool or a scrubby would be the best. If it were me, I would be using a cabinet scraper, which is nothing more than a piece of steel with a burr on the edge. When drawn across the wood, it scrapes it clean, removing everything on the surface.

Once you've cleaned off the sludge, you're probably going to need to re-sand it. Use a fine paper, like a 220 grit. Wipe it clean with a soft cloth, ensuring that there isn't any dust or grit left on the surface.

NOW you're ready to apply a finish to achieve that plastic feel. I would recommend a polyurethane varnish, such as a Deft or Minwax product. It's available in various sheens, like satin, glossy or flat. Glossy is the least forgiving- if you have any specks of dust, it will show. So I recommend a satin finish. You're going to need the room to be dust free, and I recommend applying 3-4 coats, with a very light sanding in between each coat. The sanding will eliminate any flaws, like dust settling in your finish.

You can use a spray or brush it on, it depends on what you're comfortable with doing- but take your time and don't apply it too heavy or you will have puddles and drips. After each coat- I would evaluate what it looks like- and decide if you need another coat to achieve that look you want.

OK, I hope this helps. Good luck with your project. It's really about getting that stickiness off, and then covering it up with a good varnish. Not too hard, but a little time consuming. Write back after you read this if you have any more questions,

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com