How to Refinish Wood Furniture without Stripping or Sanding

Sometimes it takes a lot of gumption to tackle a bigger project, similar refinishing a dining tabular array. To get-go with one would about likely anticipate the process of removing the original finish. This step alone could deter even the virtually enthusiastic diyer. Now, I know that there are some people who tin can work their wood stripping magic, and they don't find that chore also difficult. Me, on the other hand, and perchance you, too, might not agree. Umm. I'll take the easier method behind mantle number two, please. This mail service shows yous an easier style to successfully refinish a wood dining table without having to strip-off the original cease.

The central to re-staining a woods dining table top without having to strip off the original factory finish is to create a soft, faux forest grain advent with gel stain. Followed by several coats of a durable clear sealer. It'due south really non that hard to do. The primary thing you volition need, beside supplies is Fourth dimension. It will have several days to let each coat dry and several more days to let the sealer coats dry.

I have used a similar process in the past for fixing the awfully bad stain color on our wood crate side table. The result has been amazing, honestly. The surface of our crate table has held up and then extremely well that I knew the aforementioned would work for our aureate pine wood dining table.

Following is the step by step procedure for refinishing a circa 1980-1990 era pino woods dining table summit with gel stain. Without stripping the original manufactory glaze, (Run across my "boosted tips" below before you use this method on older, antique type tables). This gel stain process can also be used on any other parts of a tabular array, as long every bit the original coat is stain and not paint. In our case the base of the tabular array was painted, so I just chose to repaint the base of operations part with chalk pigment. Annotation: gel stain can be applied over paint, simply this post will not cover whatever specifics on that subject. Encounter "additional tips" below.

How to Refinish a Dining Table without Stripping Off the Original Coat

There are really only 4 main steps to this process. Prepping the top coat, applying the first coat, using a faux wood staining technique on the side by side few coats, and lastly, applying the sealer.

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Supplies to Refinish Wood Dining Table Top

Basic items

1. Gel Stain – I used General Finishes Antique Walnut, plus a few dabs of General Finishes Gray
2. Articulate glaze sealer for oil based stain – I used MinWax Tung Oil End
3. Sand paper: 150-220 grit and 400-600 dust
4. Large fleck brush – 4″  (or a General staining brush)
5. Minor chip brush – 3″
6. Softening brush
7. Lint gratuitous material, I used Viva paper towels

Besides needed

• Large cream arts and crafts brush
• Tack cloth

Optional

• Wood deglossing product

Footstep 1) Prepping the original peak glaze for gel stain

In order for the gel stain to adhere nicely you want to create a clean oil-gratis, lightly sanded surface. Follow these steps beneath:

1. Make clean the table with a skillful degreaser product.
2. Gently sand the surface with 150 to 220 grit sandpaper.
3. Wipe the surface down with a tack textile.
4. Optionally, Apply a deglosser per the production characterization directions (this step is optional, I did not do it, but if your tabular array top has had lots of use, this will cutting additional oils and residue that may be harder to clean off.

Step two) Applying and the first glaze of gel stain to the tabular array top

In regard to the showtime coat of gel stain, yous will want to apply information technology all over the table, let it sit for a few minutes, and so rub information technology in with a soft cloth. This will requite the table an overall slight modify of colour. Make sure to work in one section of the table at a time, merely don't worry virtually being likewise perfect because this coat volition exist rubbed into the surface. To do this follow these steps:

1. Use a foam brush to dab the gel stain onto the surface.
2. With the 4″ scrap brush, smooth the gel stain out over the surface.
3. Move on to the side by side section of the table and repeat.
4. Lastly use a soft, lint-costless fabric to rub the gel stain in evenly all over the table.
5. Allow the gel stain to dry per the make's recommended directions.

Pine wood table top afterward the first coat has been applied.

Step 3) Adding a second and third coat of gel stain using a soft, faux wood grain application.

Applying the 2nd coat of gel stain with a 4″ chip brush.

When applying the side by side 2 coats of gel stain, yous will want to employ two boosted paint brushes. A 3″chip castor and a softening brush. These two brushes will help you to create a soft faux wood grain appearance over the start coat. Follow the steps below by applying a second coat, assuasive it to dry and then a tertiary coat:

1. Gently sand the surface with 400-600 grit sandpaper, or actress fine steel wool. Then remove the dust with a tack cloth.
2. Use the iv″ fleck brush to apply the gel stain in directly back and forth strokes beyond the width of the table tiptop.

   

   Dragging a three″ scrap castor through the gel stain to create a fake wood grain await.

3. Next pull the 3″ chip brush through the gel stain in the same dorsum and forth strokes. Trying to get all the way across in one sweep (as best you lot can. Remember wood grain is not perfectly straight). Y'all should come across lines that show through to the coat underneath.

   

   Using the softening castor through the gel stain to create a false wood grain await.

4.  And then sweep the softening brush across the gel stain surface in a very light gentle motion. The idea here is to soften and alloy those lines and so it looks more natural. Allow the second glaze to dry per label directions.
5. Repeat steps 1-four for the tertiary and potential forth coat. Each glaze will darken the advent.

Antique Walnut Gel Stain on Dining Table after the 2nd coat has been applied.

Footstep 4) Sealing the surface with a durable top glaze

Dining Table finish 4 coats of Antique Walnut Gel Stain , plus a few dabs of Grayness Gel Stain.

Applying a elevation coat, peculiarly for a dining table is of utmost importance. I suggest using a wipe-on type top coat because this blazon has a longer open up time for application then the castor-on types, in my opinion. I similar to use this tung oil finish past Minwax because I have used it on other projects with great success. It works wonderfully over gel stained wood and one time information technology's cured, it is extremely durable. Better than some factory top coats, in my opinion. Another like product is the Full general Finishes Arm-R-Seal.

Antiquarian Walnut Gel Stain (iv coats, plus a small amount of Gray) on Dining Tabular array after the articulate coat has been applied.

Which ever elevation coat y'all cull, brand sure to follow the production label directions for usage and prophylactic. Also make certain to allow for drying and curing time (which can exist upward to xx days, but should exist listed on the production specs).

Additional tips to follow for success when you refinish a dining tabular array with gel stain

For the accented best success, keep the following tips in mind:

• Make sure to vesture all recommended rubber protection, such as latex gloves and follow all of the other safety instructions, per product.
• If your dining tabular array has a foliage insert, keep the table and leafage pushed together while applying the gel stain and elevation glaze. And so to forestall the pieces from sticking to each other, pull information technology apart while it is drying. You tin gently sand the inner edges after information technology is dry out, if you have any drips and such.
• This gel stain technique can too exist used over a painted surface, however I would recommend giving the surface a base glaze of paint in a neutral color that would mimic the lightest shade of woods you lot are trying to attain, like ecru, tan or off white.
• If any layer of your surface has pigment, make certain to use a sealer top coat that tin exist practical over paint. Some top coats are for wood surfaces simply because they penetrate the woods.
• To clean the gel stain product off the staining brushes, make sure to utilise mineral spirits or some type of cleaner for oil based stain.
• For older and antique tables: Gel stain may not be the solution for all wood tables. If you have an older, antiquarian tabular array, some of the more traditional refinishing solutions may exist a better selection. Run into this Updated Sears and Roebuck Side Cabinet for tips on refinishing older wood furniture.

This dining table project took me over a year to finally refinish because I was so avoiding the procedure of stripping off the original coat. I'm so grateful now, that I finally considered this gel stain method. The tabular array update has fabricated a HUGE improvement in the cohesiveness of our living room / dining surface area.

If you have a forest dining tabular array that you'd like to refinish, I highly recommend you consider re-staining it with gel stain. Follow the 4 footstep process of prep, base of operations coat, simulated woods grain application, and finally applying a durable top glaze end. You will have skipped the whole messy act of stripping off the original stain, still your table volition expect undetectably re-stained. It will fool even you.

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Source: https://stowandtellu.com/refinish-dining-table/

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