Replies

1. 
   Paul_Snyder | Aug 29, 2004 10:59pm | #1

   What type of finish do furniture manufacturers typically use and do I want use that again?

   Manufacturer's use a variety of finishes depending on the look they want, how durable they want the finish, and the investment in equipment they make. Very large scale finishing systems are automated and use very fast UV curing finishing systems that are very durable but limited in the effects they can produce. For smaller scale, more involved finishes, lacquer and catalyzed lacquer are often used and in some cases conversion varnish.

   If you're comfortable spraying lacquer or a catalyzed lacquer, including water-base, you can replicate almost any finish.

   How do I know if the color is from a stain or if its in the finish?

   If the coloring is very even, then there's probably color in the finish. Could be dye and/or pigment added to the finish and/or a layer or two of glaze.

   If it is a stain, I want the stripper to only remove the finish. What stripper will do that?

   If some of the color is from dye on the bare wood, that's the only color that will remain after stripping except for a small amount from pigment stain (most of the color from the pigment stain will be removed).

   Where do I look to find recommended sprayer settings, etc.?

   Your manual should have that info.

   Paul

   Furniture Finish Wizard

2. 
   Gretchen | Aug 30, 2004 07:11pm | #2

   You may remove the finish (and the color) and find you like it better.  However you may remove the finish and color and find that the wood underneath does not all match, etc.
   If the stain is removed then you can re-stain to the color you want.
   If it is a table with a lot of use you might want to use a varnish finish for durability.

   Gretchen
3. 
   nikkiwood | Aug 31, 2004 01:45am | #3

   How much do you know about finishing techniques and materials? You ask about sprayer settings, so I assume you have a spray set-up and would prefer to to use it with this table.

   Have you done any stripping before? Do you have to do any stain matching (chairs that go with the table)?

   If we knew more about your previous knowledge and your plan of attack, it would be easier to throw a few suggestions your way.

   BTW, Gretchen makes an excellent point about dissimilar woods often used in commercial furniture.

4. 
   RogerL | Aug 31, 2004 05:45pm | #4

   Buck:

   I learned stripping from an "old guy" at the Worcester for Crafts. Goes like this...

   1.  Use methelene chloride stripper (ventilate well it releases carbon monoxide!).  Apply liberally when the finish starts to lift rub it off with wood shavings, they soak up the goop and are somewhat abrasive to help remove the finish.  Repeat until all the finish is removed.

   2.  Wash with laquer thinner and a green scotch pad for scrubbing pots to remove all traces of finish.

   3.  Sand to 220 grit to get everything smooth.

   4.  Mix boiled linseed oil 50/50 with paint thinner.  Brush this on and wipe off any excess.  The color you get is what it will look like with the final finish.

   5.  If you don't like the color you can bring the color back with artist colors.  Usually you can so this with a combination of burnt umber, raw umber, burnt sienna, raw sienna and vandyke brown, it depends on the original color.  The oil mix let you "float" the color on.  Mix up what ever colors you need together and do a little test.  If it is wrong you can simply wipe it off.  When you get the color right rub on an even coat with a cotton cloth.

   6.  Once this is done you can apply a finish.  I like polyurethane varnish (not the water based).  Spray or brush doesn't matter.  Apply three coats. It will look good after 2 coats but apply three.

   7.  Let it dry for a week and then level the finish with wet dry sand paper on a felt block.  Lubricate the surface with dish soap and water.  Work from 220 grit up to whatever you like  800 or 1200 gives a nice finish.  This is a cheap way without a lot of expensive polishing compounds.  Be careful of the edges as it is easy to buff them to bare wood.  When it is all sanded polish with paste wax.  If you are looking for a high gloss you will need polishing compounds.  This method gives a nice soft gloss.

   8. Stand back and enjoy a job well done.

   Good luck Roger

1. 
   Gretchen | Sep 01, 2004 01:17pm | #5

   Mix boiled linseed oil 50/50 with paint thinner.  Brush this on and wipe off any excess.  The color you get is what it will look like with the final finish.

   I would agree with the stripping advice. The "sludgy" finish can also be removed with a dull putty knife at first and then with 00steel wool, opened out to use the most surface.  Be sure to thoroughly remove all vestiges of the stripper with either lacquer thinner or mineral spirits or your subsequent finish will fail. There is wax in the stripper that must be removed.

   I would suggest that using the BLO as described above is actually adding color to the wood.  If you just wipe down the wood with mineral spirits (the wet test) the color will be what you will obtain with a clear finish.  The BLO isn't bad--it just isn't "neutral" in color.

   Wipe on varnish is an easy finish to get right.Gretchen

1. 
   HowardAcheson | Sep 01, 2004 06:01pm | #6

   Yep Gretchen, I agree. Any amount of BLO will more or less permanently color the wood leaving no option to do something different if you didn't like it.

   Using plain mineral spirits will produce the same temporary color. Naphtna and alcohol will do the same. Alcohol will evaporate fastest and you can get to the real finish faster.

   In the shop I was involved with, alcohol was used to review for the customer and as a final wipedown to highlight glue blobs and sanding miscues.Howie.........

2. 
   RogerL | Sep 02, 2004 02:06am | #7

   Gretchen:

   The BLO is only necessary if you are going to "float" some artist colors on to return the color to the original of the piece.  Wiping it down with something else will give you an idea of the final color without adding any aditional artist colors.  I like the synthetic pads instead of steel wool, less of a steel wool fiber mess, and you can wash them out in laquer thinner and use then again.  After you use wood shavings to clean up the mess you will abandon the putty knife method for ever.  I only refinish pieces when I'm helping a friend.  I much prefer to make furniture.  For the pieces I make I like BLO mixed with tung oil and polyurethane.  I like the warmth of the resulting finish.  But no question the oil changes the color. 

   Roger

1. 
   Gretchen | Sep 02, 2004 02:34pm | #8

   I know about the wood shaving method and it is interesting but the cleanup would be daunting to me--so I will stick to my methods.  I can monitor where I am in getting the finish off.Gretchen