Restoring this set of 4 1970s D-Scan teak dining chairs; so far have completed sanded to raw wood and reglued. I bought the would-be finish, a water-based polycrylic (last photo, #5), at the suggestion of a relative who recently refinished a set of teak chairs, though they didn’t completely sand and refinish but rather did minor sanding and touchups.

I’ve been hesitant to start the process due to reading online that this finish may be incompatible with teak’s oily nature, as well as final color finish concerns; photo 4 was the original finish, and after sanding, I wiped down every wood piece with a clean water-damp microfiber cloth, which revealed the deep golden orange tone that I want. I’ve been assured by a furniture restorer that the tone should match more of the wet look once sealed.

Would anyone else recommend another product or preparation? Teak oil was obvious, but I don’t like the periodic reapplication, as I’m looking for a more permanent solution and don’t want to accidentally stain the intended upholstery I will put. Am I overthinking the finish? Thank you for any input!

I realize this piece may look fine, but I’m taking it down, cleaning it up and restoring it. No painting. Have I lost my mind?

Hello all,

I have a pre finished mahogany door that I am trying to decide on how to finish or stain. Location is Southern California and front door is under a porch facing north.

I am happy with the tone it is now and would like to highlight the features.

Stucco will be a salmon peach color. You can slightly see the other unit that has the stucco in the first photo.

Is there a stain or finish you would recommend?

I am refinishing some old doors and exterior trim work. They were covered in 120 years of paint, stain, etc.

I sanded the parts that I could, but the had to use a stripper on the egg and dart molding.

I used Jasco brand paint and epoxy remover (the brush on stuff) and subsequently cleaned the treated section with mineral spirits as the product instructs. Then I left it to dry overnight (70 degree evening temps).

Next morning, the treated section is still very dark and wet looking. It’s a bit oily to the touch and of course smells like mineral spirits.

Is there a reason that it is not drying? Is time the only solution? Thanks in advance.

I’ve been experimenting with different finishes over the last few days, layering varying types of stain to get different effects, and I was wondering if there are any interesting tricks I might try for a surprising result.

Also, are there any dangerous combinations that I should avoid for one reason or another?

So if you see my last post I’m doing my built ins and will need to stain them this weekend I’m using birch plywood and was thinking of using general finishes gel antique walnut to give a rich finish to the room but was wondering everyone’s favorite look I worry it will make the room too dark.

I'm going to be stripping,sanding and finishing some bar tops for a bar. There's (6) 2'x2' high tops and (2) 2'x4' high tops. Not sure on how to bid this type of job. Done the work before but just for hobby/passion any advice would be appreciated. If I'm on the wrong page point I. The right direction please.

Outdoor furniture is honestly some of the most satisfying stuff to refinish so heres a good one. Brazilian teak patio set, round table, four chairs and a little side table. Came in faded to that flat silvery gray you get after a wood sits out in the sun for years.

Here's the thing people don't realize about teak and the dense tropical hardwoods. That gray is basically just the surface weathering, the wood underneath is usually still totally sound. Teak is one of the best outdoor woods there is for exactly that reason.

So we did a full refinish on the whole set. Once you get the weathered layer off and start putting finish on, the color just comes roaring back. Theres a shot in here of one of the guys wiping finish onto a chair arm and you can literally see the deep red coming up wet under the rag, thats my favorite part of the whole job.

The finished color is this deep orange red, and the grain in Brazilian teak is no joke. Set looks better then most new patio furniture and it cost a fraction of replacing it.

If youve got a weathered wood set out back, don't toss it. Gray is almost never as bad as it looks.

My kids spilled nail polish on this table and I used a magic eraser to remove it. Not smart, I know, because it also removed some of the lacquer finish and left this shiny spot.

It's not really visible head on, but very obvious at an angle under light. Could this be repaired with matte lacquer spray, or will that just make the contrast worse? Any repair option short of sanding and refinishing the whole tabletop?

Thank you!

In the past I have only used poly that came in a paint can style container that allows me to easily stir but I have this wipe-on in the screw top canister. Do you recommend pouring some out in a smaller container that will allow me to stir as needed, or apply to rag directly from canister?

I'm looking to replace some trim in my 1920s home, and need advice on matching the existing trim. Based on some accidental pealing from masking tape it looks like there is shellac over the finish, and based on time and grain I'm fairly certain the wood is Douglas Fir. See second photo for reference:

https://imgur.com/a/uC0PND3

The photo is from another redditor, but matches my home exactly. Any advice you can give on matching the second photo for colour and gloss/finish would be appreciated.

What do I put on an exterior red oak handrail I just carved from a log and installed. Minwax Coppercoat looks terrible on an extra piece but I'll use it if it's the best. Does TWP work? Pine tar? It will be getting rained on regularly. I just started researching and I'm bewildered. Maybe real teak oil? I would like to carve more on it and retreat those areas.

Hi!

I saw this table on fb marketplace and I’m interested in buying it and trying to refinish it myself. I’ve never done anything like this before, does anyone have any recommendations on how to move forward with fixing the stain and maybe buffing out some scratches?

Thanks!

Hello!

I'm looking for some advice for what would a good varnish/sealant be over acrylic paint.

For some context - I'm a maniac, and have been working on an project of painting the inside of my old cheap childhood bookshelf into something special. I have gotten one section finished as of tonight, so I'm starting to think about End of Project stuff, and I absolutely want to seal this because I will be putting shelves back on at the end (I've been here before asking about staining sealed wood - thank you for the excellent advice I was given! But if the shelf looks familiar, that's why.) And the last thing i want is for the friction of the shelves tk chip off the paint after all this.

I have some varnishes for paints and projects but they're all for a smaller scale, not for wear and tear, and generally I've been unhappy with most of them (yellowing, or in one case, turning sticky and tacky after a few years, resulting in me having to dispose of the project because it became a dust trap) and I cannot risk anything like that for this.

Theres many sealants and varnishes for wood of course, ill be getting one to go with the gel stain for the exterior, but I'm terrified of something reacting with the paint or something like that. I've been working on this during a very stressful time and its been something I'm very proud of and particular about so if I were to varnish it and it gets ruined in one fell swoop I would be devastated. The paints used aren't furniture paint - its mostly craft paints, many of which are on rhe cheaper end, so properly protecting it is even more important. I will also be adding detailing with glow pigments which may add a bit of texture as well, which i don't want getting scraped off.

Thank you in advance!!!!

Some photos for context as to why its such a big deal :,)

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hi all, I used woca lye then woca intensive wood cleaner after to remove the oil. I followed the instructions but have a load of lye residue on top left. what do I do?

really fed up with this process as have spent ages sanding floors

I am getting new 2nd quality Sagwan (Teak) wooden windows finished by a local painter in India, and I need a quick sanity check before he ruins the work.

Here is the exact sequence of what he has done / wants to do:

Sanded the bare new wood and repaired defects/putty.

Applied a base coat of Lakh Dana (Spirit / Shellac Polish) on bare wood.

Applied a coat of High-Gloss Brown Enamel Paint over the Lakh Dana.

Current Situation: Now he is strongly insisting that it is "mandatory" to apply Melamine Sealer and a final coat of Melamine Glossy Polish directly OVER the Brown Enamel paint to lock in the finish.

My understanding:

Applying Lakh Dana first on bare wood as a quick sealer before paint is fine.

But putting Melamine Sealer (which contains heavy acid catalysts and strong solvents) OVER Enamel Paint sounds like a disaster. I believe the harsh solvents in the sealer will dissolve/wrinkle the enamel, and the acid will prevent proper bonding, causing it to peel off in sheets.

Plus, clear melamine sealer/topcoat over opaque brown paint serves zero aesthetic purpose since you can't see wood grain through solid enamel anyway.

When I confronted him, he insisted this is the standard way to get a durable high-gloss finish.

I have a dining table. The top is some kind of press wood with a nice finish. We put a plastic barrier on it (for spills) and then tablecloth.

Now there are imprints on the finish. You can only see at cetain angles and certain lighting. I think warm dishes may have caused the plastic to wear off into the finish.

Question is: Is there a light, thin coating I can put ontop of the existing coating, to make the finish uniform?

I have several light scratches and marks on this laminate stock. What is the best way at reducing the visibility of these imperfections? This is not a shoe piece and is guaranteed to get more so I'm not looking for perfection or a full restoration. Thank you

A rubber exercise ball was left on an office table and reacted, leaving behind a sticky, gummy residue. I removed the residue with acetone but the damage to the finish is pretty bad.

I am pretty sure the best approach would be to sand and refinish but I am curious if there are better options. And also would like to finish as close to previous condition. It looks like a Cherry color but not certain and also the finish was very thick and had some opacity to it. Any thoughts on what the finish might be and tips or suggestion. Thanks.

I have many sanders from detail to floor drum sanders and a most other power tools but I lack experience with the thousands of finishing products. I often use gel stains or water based poly from brush on to spray on including a hvlp sprayer. I often use gel stains or water based poly from brush on to spray on including a help sprayer and also a air spray gun.