AboutGreg Scholl Expertise Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects,Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings of all kinds.
Experience Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Sold, built, serviced, setup Home,Industrial and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools, and offered instruction on use and care as well.I even have some Trade show Demo experience.
Organizations none at this time.
Publications Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how"), local newspapers as well
Education/Credentials Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field.Seminars by Major tool manufacturers, Delta, Powermatic, Performax, Porter Cable, Skil/Bosch to name a few.
Past/Present Clients Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT.(the Antiques capital of CT.) Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.), local Museums and Historical Societies.
Question Hi Greg
i have a solid oak table and would like to sand the varnish off and stain it black and then apply a thick varnish on again to protect it. Where do I start and what do I do. i have never done this before and have no idea on where to start.
Answer Hi Anna, the first thing to do is not to sand it, but to strip the old finish off completely with stripper. Oak is a hard wood and you won't be able to stain it black without getting into dye stains, and they're not the realm of the novice. If you're looking for the black Oak look, it's usually accomplished with lacquer or enamel, and is an opaque finish with a clear coat over it, that shows the strong grain of the Oak. I wouldn't suggest you start learning to refinish with a project of this magnitude. It would take me a lot of writing to give you step by step instructions on doing a black lacquer finish correctly, especially if you've never refinished anything. I would suggest you start on a smaller project, a small end table or even a chair, preferably in Oak. This will give you a smaller test subject to experiment with to learn the techniques. I suggest you also get some information materials on refinishing furniture via the Library,poking around the internet, forums like this, etc. You'll need to grasp some basic techniques and methods for stripping, surface prep, and then staining and finishing.....a lot of Adult Ed places offer short courses on restoring furniture as well. Hope that helps a little, and I hope you understand that I can't really teach a course within the forum, but I can help to answer questions you might have as your studies progress..regards- Greg
