How to remove hard wax oil finish without sanding?
I need to know how to remove hard wax oil without extensive sanding. I have an antique pine dining table (the wood is antique, the table is 7 years old) that was originally finished with stain and poly. After a few years of use, the poly started to get sticky and peel and rub off. So we decided it was time to refinish the table but we definitely didn’t want to use poly again. So we stripped it and applied one coat of Fiddes hard wax oil in dark oak. The color is not at all what we wanted. It’s very very dark and reddish, more like a mahogany. And the sheen is weird. Shiny in places, very matte in others and slightly cloudy. The manufacturer recommends we add two more coats of untinted HWO, but I just don’t think I can live with that color. The table has a lot of texture, knots, band saw marks, etc… that we love and don’t want to lose by sanding it. Is there anything at all we can do to remove the hard wax oil without sanding?
Thanks.
Replies
I definitely agree that you should not add more finish on top. The only way I know to remove finish is by mechanical means (such as scraping or sanding or wire brushing, etc), with heat, or by chemical strippers. I might try a combination to minimize removing the character of the wood that you like. The mechanical means I would start with is wire brushing. Perhaps start with a softer wire like brass. Go in the direction of the saw marks that you want to keep. If that does not go far enough. Warm it with a heat gun while brushing.
If you go too deep with any mechanical method, you will remove the patina of the wood that you enjoy. If you slightly, brush, sand or scrape the surface of the wood, perhaps those lighter areas will cause the eye to perceive the finish as much lighter than it is.
Chemical strippers would be my last resort. I have very little experience with them. I used an organic, natural, ie mildly effective one 20 yrs ago but can’t remember the name. However, it may lift the finish enough to remove most of it without removing the character marks.
AND ONE FINAL WARNING:
Test any method on a location that is hidden, like the underside of the table. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but remembering to test any modification on the underside first may keep you out of a huge mess later.
Unfortunately the bottom of the table was never finished, so it’s not a great place to try things out. We tried a sample of the oil on the underside before we did the rest and it was nowhere near the color we got on the top. I think all the work we did to remove the original finish on the top caused the new finish to absorb differently. The most inconspicuous place would be an edge, but the short edges are end grain and definitely react differently to anything we try. The other edges are 11 feet long, so not a great option for trying something in a small area.
If it is a surface finish try Soy Gel by Franmar. Give it time to work, keep it wet by laying plastic wrap over it.
Have you tried taking the table to the driveway and trying some lacquer thinner.I have removed Watco and Tried and True this way.NO SMOKING however
Turpentine? I work primarily with oil finishes, but I've never had occasion to remove it. That said, turp's what I'd use.
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