I have a black walnut kitchen table made in 1869 and would like advise from a very experienced woodworker to refinish it. At one point in time, someone generations ago in the family definitely used a machine to sand the legs which put rings in the wood in certain areas and then put on a dark stain and poly finish …otherwise I wouldn’t have considered refinishing it. I have now worked most of it to the 220 grit statge, but some rings still remain with some faint staining still showing through. I want to have as natural a finish as possible and will NOT stain or poly the table! The underside is original and I intend to leave it that way. With all that said, we have 5 kids and it will be our kitchen table but I refuse to have a beautiful piece covered up by a table cloth and glass top is out! I’m leaning towards a tung oil finish and would like opionons and then clarification because there is so many different answers out there. So here are my questions:
1. How much father in grit should the whole table be sanded before applying oil?
2. Should I use the tung oil that’s manufacutred to give a bit more waterproof protection or 100% tung oil?
3. If manufactured tung oil any reccomendations for a high quality one?
3. Sandpaper or steel wool inbetween coats? My plan at this point is sandpaper and then wipe it off across the grain, if you agree what grit?
4. How many coats? I’ve been told by a local woodworking shop to apply about 10 (seems like a lot compared to what I’ve researched). Is there a different amount that is applied to the top vs the legs, which have several curves? And I assume I need 2-3 days between coats?
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Advice
Many questions - hope I get them all !
It's probably a solid wood table so be aggressive -start sanding with 80 up to 180. If ring marks remain you may need oxalic acid or wood bleach. 2 part treatment - if you bleach you will need to restain -
The finish should be a Poly or gloss varnish. Sand between coats with 400 or 500 silcone carbide paper and the last coat 600 - then steel wool 4-0 with wool lube.
I'd apply 2 wash sealer coats of amber shellac and 2-3 full coats of Waterlox gloss varnish. The varnish is a tiny bit dark but not in a bad way. 2 days betweeen coats should be fine.
SA
You will have to sand to remove the rings from prior sanding, but if you want an in the wood finish, you should also use chemical stripper to remove the previous finish. Sand.ing, unless extreme, won't leave an even surface to accept penetrating finishes (or stains).
No need to sand finer than 220. Between coats 320 grit is usually ok. Avoid steel wool. Sandpaper, used with a sanding block levels surfaces, steel wool (and the synthetic alternative) doesn't do that, requiring a lighter touch. Real steel wool leave shards behind that can eventually rust.
I would avoid tung oil, particularly 100% pure tung oil. It is very slow drying requiring several days--at least three days. You apply liberally, let it penetrate for several minutes--like a half hour--and then vigorously wipe it all off the surface. It would take 5 or so coats to achieve an even satin finish with tung oil.
The other tung oil finishes aren't tung oil. Formby's for example is simply a wiping varnish. Other tung oil finish products are oil and varnish mixtures (the Minwax Tung Oil Finish) is such a finish. I would recommend an oil/varnish finish. It will look very much like a tung oil finish and require fewer coats (2-3) and less time between coats. Protection will be about the same.
Any oil/varnish or oil finish is not as protective as a varnish finish, but the look is much different and with some attention to avoid mistreating the table, oil/varnish will work fine. You might want to clean the surface every few years and apply a refresher coat, but lots of people don't feel the need to do that for quite a few years.
You can mix your own oil/varnish mix. A common receipe is equal portions of oil based varnish, boiled linseed oil, and mineral spirits.
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