How to Refinish a Table Top and Why I Didn't Just Paint It
- Julie S. Olmstead
- Oct 23, 2019
- 2 min read
Recently, I came across this table at a garage sale. It was visible from the street, so I decided to stop and take a look at it. It was not in good shape, but I love the Barley Twist legs, and for $20 I could hardly pass it up. I loaded it into my car with the thought that I would give it a good sanding and just paint it.
When I unloaded the table and unfolded the legs, I noticed that the base of the table was in great condition, it was just the top that needed work. So I toyed with the idea of leaving the base as is and painting the top. Decisions, decisions. While I hated the idea of stripping the top, I knew that's what had to be done. Some classic pieces are just worth the extra effort.
Supplies Needed:
Citristrip
Metal Pan (stripping agents burn a whole in plastic)
Multiple Paint Brushes (nothing fancy)
Wood Finish Penetrating Stain
Some sort of Sander
100 Grit Sand Paper
Tack Cloth or Cleaning Cloth of Some Sort
Tung Oil
Orange Glo or other wood cleaner
Paint Scraper
All of these products can be found at your local hardware store.
It was a pretty day, so I brought out the Citristrip and began the process of painting a generous portion to the top of the table. I waited about 6 hours before I started scraping
the old finish away. Different stripping agents take different amounts of time. Citristrip instructions say 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
I used a regular paint scraper to remove most of the old varnish, however there were still some stubborn spots that needed to be addressed.
I broke out my orbital sander fitted with 100 grit sandpaper. With a little muscle, I was able to remove all the old varnish and smooth out the table top. After removing all the dust with a tack cloth, the table was ready to be stained.
For this piece, I used the Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain in Golden Oak 210B. This is not a gel stain, so it is thin, dries quickly and works well when multiple coats are needed. I painted on the stain in the direction of the wood grain (always). I applied two coats allowing for two hours between each coat.
While the stain was penetrating the table top, I cleaned the legs with Orange Glo Wood Furniture 2 in 1 Clean & Polish. There are several great wood cleaners on the market, this is just the one I happened to have on hand.
The next day, I finished the table with two coats of Minwax Tung Oil. If you haven't ever used Tung Oil, I encourage you to try it sometime. It provides a protective finish for furniture that has been refinished as it penetrates the wood and restores vitality. Think of it as a nice drink of water for your dry and thirsty wood furniture.
Every time I look at this table, I am so glad I didn't take the easy way out with paint. This Antique Barley Twist Gateleg Drop Leaf Table, a staple in English Interiors was worth every bit of effort.
As always, thank you for stopping by. I hope I have inspired you to be creative and tackle a refinishing project and I hope you will visit again soon!!
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