Expert: Eileen Cronk - 6/18/2007

Question
We have just bought our first house and its 120 years old! We love antiques and old carpentry. My parents have a dining room table and chairs to give me. The problem, they are very dark and we don't like dark wood. The table top looks like pressed wood with a veneer over the top. Can we strip this or paint it! If we can, how do we go about doing so. The set is at least 30 years old! I'm not a huge fan of painting wood but if I must to lighten it I'm willing to.  This is a beautiful set and I would love it in my home.

Answer
Hi Sherri
Yes of course you have two options here.
Either painting which is easy or a full strip and refinish.
Heres how.
Scrub the entire set with a TSP solution and steel wool.
This will prep the surface to receive paint.
Then a coat of primer then two coats of your color.
A shame to do this though.
But stripping a table and chairs is a huge job.
If your up to it heres how.
But remember this will not guarentee a lighter surface.
It depends on the type of wood and the current stain that was used.
Heres how

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 brand paint and varnish remover there.

MATERIAL LIST For the stripping stage.
1 gallon stripper
6 boxes of Bull Dog steel wool in medium grade.
One 3 inch oil based paint brush.
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
That's all you need to get started
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...
Work in sections.
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.
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 low lustre tung oil also applied with a rag. I would use the oil on all but the table top if this table will see a lot of use. I would use a poly on the top
Please let me know if anything is not 100% clear.
Good Luck
Eileen