Red Oak Veneered Dining Set Refinishing Project

[Miranda Hessel]

Hi, everybody! This is going to be long, and there are lots of questions.

First, I want to thank everybody on this forum for their vast expanse of knowledge. I've been lurking here for several days and it has given me lots of things to think about. For an amateur like myself, it has been invaluable.

So, to the project.

The DH and I just acquired a vintage octagonal red oak (I believe) dining table. It has an interestingly patterned oak veneer on the top, with (I think) maple underneath. The veneer is somewhere around 3/32" thick. Here is a very poor picture of said table, along with better close ups of the finish, underside, and one leaf:
http://i65.tinypic.com/28a7oy9.jpg
http://i64.tinypic.com/2v1x8qs.jpg
http://i63.tinypic.com/24lndhe.jpg
http://i64.tinypic.com/2lxf6m9.jpg



The rest of the table is solid oak.

I plan on stripping the entire thing, as the finish is extremely worn on the top, and frankly, I really don't like the spatter finish technique that the set came with.

Ultimately, I would like for the table to come out with a nice medium brown finish, and I am leaning towards following the Jeff Jewitt finishing schedule for an "Aurora" Stickley finish, with a few modifications.

So, here is my current refinishing plan, with questions:

1.Clean everything with Mineral Spirits, as the finish is gone in some places and I don't want to wet the grain any more than is necessary.

2. Use Klean Strip to remove the finish. If not Klean Strip, then some other MC stripper. Since this has multiple pieces of spaced veneer, I am concerned about which tools to use.

Should I preserve the patina if I'm planning to recolor and such? Do I just use a putty knife (plastic) and a scrub brush or Scotch Brite pad to remove said finish?

3. Wash down with MS again. Is this just a matter of literally taking a cloth saturated with MS and scrubbing it down?

From here, I'm not sure, but I believe I should do a very light sanding, and repair any areas requiring repair. I won't hardly touch the table top with sandpaper, but the rest can handle a little more. Vacuum it down.

Also, now long do I need to wait until I proceed to the dyeing process? My thought is a day.

4. Use TransTint medium brown to dye the table. Now, as have read several of the threads here warning about how red oak can be a PITA as far as dyeing is concerned. How do I assure the best outcome? I am aware that I will need to test everything on a RO scrap first, but any advice is appreciated.

5. Use dewaxed shellac instead of SealACell. I'm doing this so I don't have to buy quite as many products. I will do more research on it, but I think people here have spoken about using a 1lb cut for sealing. What would be the best application method? Wipe on? Slight sanding to knock off dust nibs?

6. Use GF antique walnut gel stain. Again, I need to research more on the application method, and naturally test it out on a board.

7. Utilize another coat of dewaxed shellac over the stain. From what I've read here, it seems like a good idea. Sand very lightly to knock off the nibs.

8. I believe I want to use Waterlox as my varnish of choice, but I am unsure whether I will be thinning and wiping it on or brushing it on. That I have not decided yet. More research is necessary. How many coats, etc.

I believe I would like at least three if not four full thickness coats of varnish, since this table will probably see heavy use.

Now, I am also unclear on whether I should do a final topcoat of satin W/Lox, or if I should rub it to the finish I want. Would I need to use pore filler somewhere in the schedule if I wanted to rub the finish to satin? From what I've read, I'm looking at waiting a month or so prior to any rub out, if I go that route.

As for the chairs, I'm most likely going to remove all the upholstery, repair and refinish the wood the same way as the table, then put said upholstery back on, as it is completely serviceable. Here's the front of one, and the back of another requiring arm repair. They will get thoroughly cleaned, so the grunge and stains should disappear.

http://i67.tinypic.com/2hmhpc0.jpg
http://i68.tinypic.com/15ebsqt.jpg


Any help, tips, advice, and admonitions will be greatly appreciated! I know I'm taking on a very large project, but I believe I can do it with the right knowhow.

[John TenEyck]

If the veneer really is 3/32" thick you have more options than if it is the normal, commercial 1/40" thick. Assuming it really is 3/32" thick I would proceed as follows:

1) Strip it with Kleanstrip Premium. No need to clean it with MS first You may need to strip it twice to get all the gunk off it but it's not hard, just tedious.

2) Neutralize with MS. Flood it on and wipe it off, at least twice. Let dry at least 8 hours.

3) Dye with Transtint. I haven't had any problems dying red oak using Transtint in water, applied with a sponge. Let dry at least 8 hours.

4) Seal with Seal-A-Cell, or spray dewaxed shellac. You can't brush or wipe on shellac over Transtint or it will pull up the dye, since it is soluble in both water and shellac (and a few other solvents). If you don't have spray equipment you can use rattle can shellac (it is dewaxed).

5) If you want a dead smooth surface you need to fill the pores with grain filler. Now would be the time to do it.

6) Seal that with another coat of dewaxed shellac.

7) Apply your gel stain and let it dry at least 24 hours.

8) Apply your Waterlox, Arm-R-Seal, or other wiping varnish. You can seal the gel stain with dewaxed shellac prior to applying the varnish, but it's not required as long as the stain is really dry. I'm talking GF's gel stains here. Some stains do require a sealer; these don't. How many coats? At least 3; a lot more if you didn't fill the pores and you want a dead smooth finish.

9) Wait at least 2 weeks with ARS and probably 4 weeks with Waterlox before rubbing it out. There's no need to use grain filler if you want to rub it out, and there's no need to rub it out if you use grain filler. But if you want a flat, dead smooth finish, you do need to use grain filler to fill the pores and rub it out. It does not look like the original finishing schedule included a grain filler.

John

[Wayne Lomman]

Miranda, John has saved me a lot of typing. Do what he says. Cheers

[Miranda Hessel]

Thank you very much! I plan to start after our move in February, so I may be back with more questions then.

Cheers, gents!

[Art Mann]

The lumber in the third picture looks like poplar. It doesn't look like maple to me.

The top looks to me like it could be made to be very beautiful and somewhat unique.

[John TenEyck]

Oh, I forgot an important point. That is, with that thickness of veneer, you could sand the entire top smooth and flat after you strip it. That also will remove any color still left in the wood and give you a uniform surface for your new finishing process. Be sure the veneer is as thick as you think! If it truly is then you could ROS it with 180 or 220 grit, depending upon how dinged up it is. You could even start with 150 grit if it's that thick and you are careful at the edges. When you are satisfied, sand it again by hand, in the direction of the grain, with your last grit paper on a flat felt or rubber block.

Another important point. Before you apply the Transtint dye, I would sponge the top with clean distilled water and let it dry, thoroughly, and then sand very lightly with 325 grit on a flat block. That will prevent the Transtint/water mix from raising the grain during the dying step. My experience is that the finer the grit you sand with the less problem you'll have with grain raising issues. Also, use fresh sand paper for your hand sanding. You want to cut off the wood fibers, not burnish them into the wood; they will come back up when you hit them with water.

John

[Mike Henderson]

Just one thing to add to John's post. If you haven't filled the surface - that is, if you can see depressions in the grain structure - be careful rubbing it out with a white polish. The polish will get into the grain and it will be very difficult to get out.

Before I polish an open grain wood - like oak - I will shoot finish and sand the finish down before doing it again. What you want to do is fill any of the open grain with finish. Let it sit for at least a week because the finish you shot will continue to shrink and those open grain voids will come back. Sand once more with a fine sandpaper - I use 600 grit - and shoot your final coat. Wait a day or so and then rub it out with the polish.

But if the table is going to get used daily, I'd go with a matt finish instead of a high gloss finish. It won't show the dings and wear marks (that you're sure to get) quite as much.

Mike