katieadams Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 (edited) Hi everyone, after a bit of wood working advice! We have an old oak table which has a rubbish dark stain on it, flaking off and scratched. It would be fantastic taken back to the wood and given some tlc but I haven't a clue where to start Does anyone know either of a countrywide or north eastern company that can do it reasonably, or what we could use to strip it and refinish it ourselves? There's plenty of nooks and crannies so I'm guessing it's going to be a pain to do unless there's some brill product out there I don't know about! Thanks! Edited May 27, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 You'd probably be best off sanding it completely down to start with in order to get rid of the finish and then use sandpaper to get into all the nooks and crannies. Then you'll want to finish it with some finishing oil for wood-can't remember the name of it currently-give it a few coats and then leave for a few days. Dad did this for all our kitchen cupboards and they're now lovely! Depending on how big the table is it might be worth buying an electric sander. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I bought a Pro sander 'mouse'. It is palm sized and pointed so you can get into all the fiddly bits. The sand paper sticks to it with velcro, so quick and easy to do, but you do use an awful lots of it so it works out quite expensive in paper. I bought it to sand my window frames in my old house. It cost about £20 ish from B&Q and was much easier than using just sand paper Try looking for a local place that will 'dip' furniture. There is a place near Guildford, that will dip all sorts into a mild acid bath to remove varnish, paint etc. Linseed oil is best to nourish the wood afterwards, at least 3 coats for decent protection. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I have an old solid oak table that had a dark stain on it that is flaky scratched mug marks etc..... Sound familiar First of all I used a belt sander to strip the wood back down to bare wood. Believe me when I say you need a belt sander for this job, it took me 1/2 hour to do. You can hire belt sanders or you can pick them up pretty cheap at B&Q etc. Second I then applied 2 coats of walnut stain to match my 6 chairs. Third I then applied 3 coats of danish oil with a very light sanding between coats. This has left me a table that if I say so myself, looks fantastic, OH is well pleased. Hope this helps Regards Dodge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieadams Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 Great thanks chaps!! I think my husband has some sort of electric sander, he must have because he did the outside table It was the amount of little fiddly bits I thought would be a problem but the 'mouse' sounds good and he does love a new toy Will those finishes stand up to two messy toddlers?? I could do the chairs too, they're pine (inherited the table so didn't care that they didn't match!!) and waxed at the minute so losing the battle with the kids' fingers!! Ta! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clootie Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Wire wool is good to have too !! (grade 0000) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 have a look at this table, my husband stripped orange stained varnishy yuck stuff off this and ink stains etc etc it's a pine table but will still be the same principle. viewtopic.php?f=7&t=45494 it can be done it's just time consuming, but very pleasing to see the final result! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Cookie do you have any "before" pics to show the amazing comparison? Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 If you're worried amount the two small children aspect just try and clean off as many marks as soon as possible and perhaps wax the table as well, then scratched occur in the wax and can be polished out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Cookie do you have any "before" pics to show the amazing comparison? Sha x no, I never thought I was keeping it but imagine that horrible deep orange stained stain with ink and everything else on it and you wont be far wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieadams Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 Hey CookieMonster, what do you think prompted me to post on here It's gorgeous Thanks for the advice everyone, I think I feel a trip to B&Q coming on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I did wonder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieadams Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 Sprung!!! I've been on about doing ours for so long but now I've seen yours I've got a new enthusiasm again! Just need to find a suitable finish, been inspecting the wax finish on the chairs and it's def not going to work on the table, you just can't wash it properly Still, it's the stripping that's the hard bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 You will be better sticking to danish oil to treat the table after stripping then if it gets a mark it can be sanded and reoiled. Wax is a nightmare to strip properly and gets water marked really easily. Good luck and please show us some pictures. We all loved Cookiemonster's table Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Sprung!!! I've been on about doing ours for so long but now I've seen yours I've got a new enthusiasm again! Just need to find a suitable finish, been inspecting the wax finish on the chairs and it's def not going to work on the table, you just can't wash it properly Still, it's the stripping that's the hard bit your right it is the hard part, but you'll get there in the end, I stripped a table and chairs with hubby a few years back now and it takes forever (well seems like it) especially the chairs (which are actually the 4 chairs in my picture with this new table) I only spectated at hubby stripping this table though, and kept telling him I was not having an orange table!!!! then he produced it stripped and I had to eat my words!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieadams Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 Yeah I think I'll be spectating too (with luck he'll do it on a hot day with his top off ) but now I'm armed with all this advice I reckon it'll be a lot easier to convince him to actually do it I'll make sure I take a before and after shot for you all - might be a while before we get round to it though, doing a cake buffet for my friend's 30th this weekend (!) and got the mother in law next weekend, then off on hols for a fortnight Do it when we get back I reckon - I'm all excited now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieadams Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 The problem I didn't think of (there has to be one!!) is that the table top has a sort of 'border' where the grain goes the other way to the main bit - so how does he do that?? If he throws a belt sander over it it'll go all funny where the grain's the wrong way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missuscluck Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Cant you buy somesort of yukky stuff that you paint on with a brush that lifts off old varnish. Im sure I used it once many moons ago on a window frame. I cant think for the life of me what it was called though. That might do your awkward bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joojoo Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Cant you buy somesort of yukky stuff that you paint on with a brush that lifts off old varnish. Im sure I used it once many moons ago on a window frame. I cant think for the life of me what it was called though. That might do your awkward bits. Nitromors. But it's not as strong as it used to be. I had to do 5 coats on a window sil that only had undercoat and gloss on it and that had lifted hence why I wanted to take it back to bare wood. It took nearly a week of reapplying to get it all off!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missuscluck Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Thats the stuff I suspected rules and regulations would mean it was a shadow of its former self. Used to be wicked stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 It's definatly weaker than it used to be. I was an upholserer and used to do furniture restoration and when we stripped furniture we had to wear layers of disposable gloves, make sure arms were covered and do not splash what so ever. I used some last year and it didn't even eat through one pair of gloves. I got a bit on my arm and it was slightly warm, but not the burn it used to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joojoo Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 It's definatly weaker than it used to be. I was an upholserer and used to do furniture restoration and when we stripped furniture we had to wear layers of disposable gloves, make sure arms were covered and do not splash what so ever. I used some last year and it didn't even eat through one pair of gloves. I got a bit on my arm and it was slightly warm, but not the burn it used to be. Same here. Years ago you really knew if you had got some on your skin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieadams Posted May 28, 2009 Author Share Posted May 28, 2009 So if I can't do that stuff, how can I sand it without ruining the border bit (it's quite wide)? Husband reckons he'd have to mask it off really really carefully but that sounds dodgy to me - would it work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Post a picture of the whole table, then a close up picture of the border and part of the table. That way I can see what you are trying to do and can then adsvise you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieadams Posted May 28, 2009 Author Share Posted May 28, 2009 Hee hee this forum's great!! Here it is (excuse the revolting carpet, we've not long moved in!!) The border goes around the main table top, down the middle, and around each leaf Ta! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
