I have a mahogany dining table that I stripped sanded and finished with 100% tung oil about 5 years ago. We used it as a formal dining and it really didn’t get much use – hence the tung oil for a nice finish.
It has a little bit of wear but we would now like to move it into our breakfast area where it is going to get daily use from us and our kid(s).
my questions are:
1. I would like to finish with something more durable for every day use but keep bit of a matte finish. Would polyurethane be the recommended finishing ?
2. does the aged tung oil finish need to be sanded down before refinishing ? Can it be lightly sanded with a high grit or wool ?
any other recs or thoughts would be greatly appreciated for this novice ! Happy to share pictures if it would be helpful.
Replies
Go with the poly for durability but take down the gloss with fine steel wool using paste wax for lubrication. Go lightly on corners, they will burn through faster than you expect them to.
I mostly agree with MJ. 2-3 coats of poly will give you good durability for every day use. You can do the suggested rub down with steel wool if you want to. However, since you can get poly in about four different sheens from gloss to matt, I question the need for the steel wool. I would just apply the poly, sand lightly between coats with 220 or 320 grit, and it's done. After the final coat is fully cured, you can polish it with 600 and 1000 grit wet/dry paper and then add a coat of paste wax. But, this is not necessary.
Use waterlox. The finish will age well,
Withstand constant use, and easy to fix. Poly isn’t a finish you can repair easily or at all.
THanks for the all the suggestions! Can I apply waterlox or poly directly to the old tung old finish after a light sanding? Or do I need to sand down further to remove more of the old tung oil finish?
Certainly sanding will help with adhesion but it's not absolutely necessary. Then again, I'd sand 1st.
Can't tell about Waterlox, though. I don't use it.
Here is a hint : https://generalfinishes.com/search?search=Poly%20over%20oil&f%5B0%5D=type_of_content%3Afaq
Super helpful thank you! Since the tung oil finish is 5 years old now, I guess it has finally dried. :-D
I would also recommend wiping down with a cloth with Dawn (or other dish detergent) and water, let dry, then wipe with mineral spirits or naphtha.
If there is a chance that it's ever had Pledge or other silicone oil polish applied, a spray on coat or two of dewaxed shellac prior to the varnish will help prevent fish-eye.
I have used Waterlox on a dining table with great success. It is a Tung Oil blend finish with some resins and very durable. Wipe on several coats with some light sanding with 320 grit paper between coats and you are good to go. You will need about 5 coats. The suggestion to apply a wash coat of shellac is a good idea after doing a good cleaning job.
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