Aside from major woodworking repairs, most refinishing can be done with relative ease in a garage, home workshop, or even on the backyard patio. In this article you'll learn how to remove or strip the old finish, prepare the wood surface, and apply the beautiful new finish of your choice. First, some preliminary suggestions are given to help select the right piece for the job.

Deciding Whether a Piece is a Good Candidate for Refinishing

Extremely rare or fine collectibles should probably be refinished by a professional, or perhaps only cleaned and not even refinished at all. An experienced antique appraiser should be consulted in such cases. Refinishing an average piece usually increases its actual dollar value, however. Value is generally determined by how much someone is willing to pay for something, except for what may be called “sentimental value” which only the owner can determine. Look at the piece you’re considering refinishing from both perspectives.

Unless you’ve already done a few smaller pieces, something large such as an armoire or piano should be left to a professional. Good candidates are small- to medium-sized pieces, such as dining and hall tables, washstands, small bookcases and curios, jewelry and cigar boxes, blanket chests, etc. Disassembling a piece which was designed to come apart will make the work go smoother, but is not always necessary. More than one or two chairs can generally be refinished by a professional more cheaply than a person could do himself or herself.

If you are able, try to find an inconspicuous spot near the back or bottom of the furniture you're considering, and carefully scrape away the existing deteriorated finish with a penknife; about a two-square-inch area should be adequate. This will enable you to determine how easily the original finish will come off, and also the type of wood beneath the old dirty finish. By dampening the bare wood with water one can obtain an idea of what the wood will look like with a clear finish applied.

Shy away from any piece with several coats of paint; it will be much more difficult to strip down to the bare wood.

Ornate pieces with small carvings, or a lot of spindles or corners, will be more difficult in every step, but not necessarily out of the question.

Now that you’ve determined that your piece is a candidate, you can begin to collect the tools and materials needed.

1. Stripping the Old Finish

Materials You will Need:

• A good quality paste stripper from the paint or hardware store. A quart will generally remove one coat of old finish from about a 20-square-feet area, so consider whether a gallon would be more economic to purchase.
• A two-inch-wide throwaway brush for applying stripper only.
• A coffee can or similar metal container
• Newspaper
• Wide masking tape if there are areas you need to protect from stripper
• Drop cloth
• Scraper—usually a plastic paint scraper works best
• Steel wool, coarse
• A cleaner called TSP (trisodium phosphate), available at most paint or hardware stores. One pound is sufficient for several pieces of furniture.
• Bucket containing about two gallons of hot water; plastic will do.
• Several large cotton or poly rags
• Neoprene gloves

Method for Removing Finish

1. Begin by spreading the drop cloth and several layers of newspaper under the piece. Make sure you have good ventilation with no open flame nearby. Working outdoors above 70 degrees Fahrenheit or so is acceptable when out of direct sunlight and strong wind. The warmer it is, the more efficiently the stripper will work. Mask off any areas where you don’t want stripper, making an edge with the masking tape and three or four layers of newspaper beyond that line.
2. Mix one-fourth to one-third cup of TSP into the hot water and keep it close by with the rags.
3. With gloves on, shake the stripper container well and fill the coffee can about halfway.
4. Apply stripper to the old finish generously, brushing in one direction only. Allow it to puddle and build up on the finish well. On smaller pieces cover an entire surface at a time; on larger pieces try to divide it into 2- to 4-square feet sections.
5. Vertical surfaces make the stripper’s job harder so try to plan how to turn the piece in order to work on horizontal surfaces of possible.
6. Once you’ve applied the stripper, take a break for about 15-18 minutes to allow the stripper to work. It will glaze over while it softens the finish beneath the surface.
7. Next it’s a good idea to apply a second coat of stripper and wait four or five more minutes.
8. Then use the scraper to remove the finish and stripper, going in the direction of the grain of the wood where possible. Wipe off the scraper on a doubled-up sheet of newspaper on your drop cloth.
9. If you can still see glassy or smudgy remnants of stripper and old finish, apply one more thin coat, wait a few minutes and scrape again.
10. Next, dip a piece of coarse steel wool in the coffee can, and with a little stripper scrub the area you’ve just cleaned in a circular motion to make sure no residue of the old finish is left. Scrape again and repeat using the steel wool if necessary.
11. Once you’re convinced you have all the old finish off, immediately dip another clean piece of coarse steel wool in the TSP solution and generously scrub the area. It should not feel slick—if it does, dry the area with a clean rag and repeat scrubbing with the steel wool dipped in stripper before proceeding to clean.
12. Immediately after cleaning with steel wool and TSP, clean the area with a rag dipped in the TSP solution, then dry with a second clean rag. The TSP solution, steel wool and rags may by re-used for any succeeding areas until too dirty to be effective. (The purpose of the TSP is not only to aid in removing the old finish, but also to neutralize any stripper residue left on the surface, so as not to prematurely break down the new finish once it’s applied.)
13. If your piece requires removing the finish in sections, simply lap over the previously cleaned area.
14. Inspect the wood you’ve stripped so far. Wherever you see a shiny or dark place, most often in inside corners or around carvings, carefully remove the remnants of the original finish with the corner of your plastic scraper of a pocket knife. It should be soft and come out without much trouble. Remember to clean these areas and dry as well.
15. When finished, (keep those gloves on!), gather the newspaper, used steel wool, and rags, and place into a sealed trash bag, preferably outside to dry before disposal. There is not an extremely high danger of inflammability, but it pays to be extra cautious.
16. Allow the wood to dry overnight before proceeding.

2. Surface Preparation

The better the preparation, the better the final finish will look.

The only supplies you will need for this step are one or two sheets each of 120, 150, and 220 grit sandpaper and a tack cloth for removing the dust. Sanding larger pieces may be accomplished with less effort with an inexpensive random-orbital sander, but hand sanding produces excellent results when done carefully.

Sand in the direction of the grain of the wood, first with the 120 grit, then with 150 followed by 220 grit. Each succeeding sanding should remove all of the visible scratches left by the previous sanding.

Even with an electric sander, moving with the direction of the wood is a good idea. The result you’re after is a clean, “white-wood” look that feels smooth to the touch.

Remember to remove the dust after each sanding with the tack cloth, especially prior to application of the new finish.

3. Applying the New Finish

If you’ve chosen to paint, simply apply one coat of primer and one or two coats of the paint of your choice. Follow the directions on the paint container for best results. A nylon brush of suitable width is best for latex paints, but better results can be obtained with a bristle brush for oil-based paints.

When a clear finish is desired, the do-it-yourself refinisher can heighten the beauty of some woods by staining it first. As a general rule, pine requires a gel stain, while hardwoods such as oak, cherry, and maple look best with a regular oil-based wiping stain. Wood can be colored a darker shade, but almost never can it be made lighter than it starts.

To determine whether you would like to change the color, assuming you won’t be painting the piece, simply dampen a small, inconspicuous area with water as before. This will give the general appearance of the color with clear finish applied.

If you do choose to stain the wood before applying the finish, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label. Usually stain goes on easiest with a cotton rag, followed by a drier rag until the preferred color is achieved. Once again, allow the stain to dry, preferably overnight.

Selecting the appropriate type of new topcoat of finish to apply requires some forethought. In general, quick-drying polyurethane goes on easily, and retains durability and a good appearance for years under normal use. Choose between a satin (low sheen or “flat” light reflection) and semi-gloss or gloss (greater light reflection). The sheen is a matter of personal preference; there is no difference in application or durability.

An excellent choice for furniture that will be used outdoors is spar varnish. It applies as easily as polyurethane varnish, but becomes much more durable to the weather once it has cured.

Oil-based varnish is often a good choice older pieces. It looks a little less “plastic” than polyurethane, and has good alcohol and water resistance.

On pine furniture and some other yellowish-colored woods, shellac has a fine appearance, and provides a good moisture barrier. You may choose between orange, which has a hint of yellow-orange color, or white (clear) shellac. Shellac is also a good choice for baby furniture because of its non-toxic properties.

No matter which type of finish you select, application is easiest with a good quality brush, nylon or bristle, and by following the instructions on the container. Make sure you don’t over-brush; simply apply the material in one stroke, and feather it into the preceding strokes with one or two more passes. It will level on its own. After the first coat has dried thoroughly, a second coat is desirable in order to acquire depth and durability.

A Word about Repairing “Nicks” and “Dings”

Many refinishers patch deep scratch marks and indentations after sanding and before any new finish is applied. This author prefers to apply at least one coat of finish, and then make these repairs, since the final color becomes more evident, and smudges around the affected area can be cleaned off.

To repair an indentation or scratch, purchase a wax crayon or fill stick of the same shade as the background or main tone of the wood. Some manufacturers only offer three choices of color: light, medium, or dark. Since the main idea is to make the fault blend in and become less noticeable, select the closest color or a shade darker, and you’ll be happy with the results.

Press the fill stick into the indentation, and immediately wipe across the repair with a cotton cloth balled into a pad, using a fair amount of pressure. Repeat if necessary. Zigzag the fill stick across a short section of a longer scratch, then wipe off the excess, and continue along the scratch until filled. The second coat of finish may then be applied.

Once the new finish is completely dry, stand back and admire your re-creation. Resist the temptation to polish your new work of art; most household polishes contain silicone which only smudges and attracts dirt. Fine furniture polishes such as Guardsman’s, available at most good hardware stores, contain no silicone. The best “polish” for the first few months after refinishing is a slightly damp cotton cloth, followed by drying.

For years to come, the beauty of the wood itself will make its own statement.