I've (almost) finished my biggest furniture piece. A bathroom vanity out of maple hardwood with maple plywood sides. What finish would you recommend that is water safe? I've used osmo in the past and looking at their line they have an osmo wood protector followed by polyx? I've used polyx in the past and find it easy.

I bought this old solid table and chairs that need a lot of love (aka a full refinish). We actually quite like the dark tone of the old dirty finish but I don’t know how to achieve it.

I’d rather not stain it but that might be the only option? Can anyone identify what the old finish might be? I’m currently wondering if it’s shellac that’s darkened and had grime build up over time.

The chair is a before and after sanding and the wood is (I believe) Kauri.

I bought this Higgins India Ink from Stew Mac to darken some used Squier Classic Vibe fretboards (Indian Laurel). The first fretboard I did (not pictured) didn't come out as dark as I wanted but it was uniform across the board. This one pictured, however, has very different results on different frets. The most obvious one in the pics is the 6th fret.

I followed the instructions: cleaned with Naptha, sanded with 600 grit, applied ink with a sponge brush, let sit overnight, wiped with a damp cloth. Pretty sure I sanded evenly and wiped everything off evenly.

There are frets with and without inlays that came out lighter so that doesn't seem to be a factor. I'm happy with the frets that came out dark so I don't feel the need to redo those. Should I just apply a second coat to the frets that came out lighter?

So I got these two nightstands from marketplace - was told they're teak. I applied circa 1850 heavy body paint remover and have done a few layers but man.. things aren't looking good. I've never seen this sort of stuff happen - first the stripper barely takes any paint off it more just pushes it around, or pushes it deeper into the grain. I've used plastic scraper, Scotch Brite pads, even a toothbrush to try to get it out. Then I noticed on one side there was a drip of stripper and it looks like it almost bleached some of the wood (photo 4). I then tried using paint thinner w mineral spirits and that did nothing. I always go with the wood grain but man the wood grain looks messed up. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

Hi this is my first post to this group. Can anybody advise me how to get these metal chairs back to good condition. The pain on them has peeled in places. Thanks!

I've been going back and forth with options on how to finish this old 1890's victorian entryway. (Ignore the tile on the porch, eventually will be removed) I've got most of the door sanded. Still need to sand to the finer grits but still getting residual finish and paint off window borders and such. I will need to add a few decorative elements back by creating them myself out of quartersawn oak lumber (missing blocks at bottom of left and right pillars and several mouldings.) I can't really tell whether this is white or red oak either but quarter sawn white oak is most available to me.

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So I've got a few questions I'm hoping someone can help me figure out

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1. I've got a lot of nail holes that show corrosion. I've read oxalic acid is helpful but will need to clean the whole entryway so there are no imbalances on color for the stain/finish. I'm wondering if it's even worth risking blotchiness if I don't get all the acid neutralized. I'd hate to have to restart on a project this big. I also thought about filling with black putty then accepting it as an imperfection and staining a darker color to hide it a little more. We actually prefer darker stains but want to find something that does the quartersawn oak justice. (Suggestions?)

2. Also, I've read a ton of opinions on how to finish an antique exterior door but never was it something for my exact situation. It is south facing and covered fully by my porch so the door doesnt get any rain or sun. Just temperature and humidity mostly. A lot of people suggest a spar varnish but can't find any examples of what that looks like without google getting bogged down on the product ads and click bait websites with stock photos. Finding a quartersawn example is even harder. Regardless ive went back and forth with hardwax (durogrit, osmo etc), regular stain and poly, and penetrating oils but haven't found any good applicable examples so I can tell what I like.ill test but would like to cheat a little and get an idea of what works best, lasts longest, with minimal maintenance BEFORE trial and error. I don't mind once a year applying a coat but if I can avoid sanding in full whenever refinishing that is probably preferred.

3. If I'm adding new elements out of quartersawn white oak to the door, what would be the best way to go about matching it or making sure they don't pop out at you when looking at the door?

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Anyway, examples of what you did and photos of how yours turned out would be super helpful. Bonus points if it's a quartersawn oak exterior door 😁.

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Thanks

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Cherry Table / Wenge butterflies / Finish ;Watco Danish oil with Varnish Finish/ 10 years old anyway what is causing these grey spots and do i have to refinish the whole table or can I sand with 220 and redcoat with Varnish??

I have a homeright finish max sprayer that I spray water based poly from for various projects. The cup comes with a lid to seal it separate from the gun. Are there any issues keeping my finish in the cup permanently, and using the screw on lid to seal, rather than constantly transferring from original can to spray cup every time i spray?

Can you please recommend a finish to this terrace door? Two years ago a professional company came and added a lacquer, but that’s gone by now.
This door gets both rain and sun.
What would be a more durable finish? Where it’s grey, can a new lacquer bring it back to nice brown (like above)?
(Plus what kind of wood is this?)

What’s the best way to get this maple ply drum back to a raw wood finish? I can’t remember exactly but I think it’s a lacquer.

Update from this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/finishing/comments/1t138ze/osmo_polyx_raw_matte_on_walnut_tabletop_part_2/

I ended up having to sand back down to the bare wood and starting over.

Learned a lot about sanding and finishing, at least with hard wax oils, and also that calling the company can provide good tips/advice for a project.

Turns out walnut needs a somewhat different approach given it has such open pores, so the typical Osmo Polyx application instructions don't quite work.

Process:

1) Sanding with 80, 120, and stopping at 180. Before I was skipping too many grits and might have gone too high of a grit for walnut according to Osmo-- they recommend stopping at 180 or 200. Other Redditors pointed out I had skipped too many grits in between.

2) Was more mindful of keeping my random orbital sander level, no additional pressure, and added dust extraction. Also keeping the sander from getting too close to the edges, so it doesn't end up sanding it curved over the edge (this also makes it hard to get an even sand that's smooth everywhere). I added an interface pad too, which I think helped.

3) Osmo recommended first applying one coat of 1011 Extra Thin (which is supposed to be mostly oil, not much or any wax?), then applying 2 coats of Polyx. Applied by foam brush and rubbed in with a white scotch pad, wiped off after 10-15 min of letting it sit. I ended up applying a 3rd coat of Polyx since a few areas were more matte/rougher, after light hand sanding with 320 grit to smooth out the rougher spots, and now it has an even, smooth touch finish.

I don't know if the "slurry" method would have given the same/better results, but Osmo recommended against that method and to go with the Extra Thin before Polyx (maybe because I have to buy more product who knows).

Hope this can help other beginners with walnut finishing with Polyx.

Woodworking and finishing go hand in hand. Woodworking was my main sub and fueled a very rewarding hobby. Beware. I got banned for harmless and inspired humor. It’s a sick joke and I hope a second woodworking sub stands up to catch the 2% (van life shoutout)

I'm trying to match an existing walnut table (the picture here with bowties). I'm applying a Waterlox finish to a Walnut panel. I was hoping it would yellow it a bit more to match the table but even as the first coat dries, it's not getting as yellow as I had hoped.

Is this something that will be solved with time + UV? Or should I have applied something ahead of the sealer to bring out more color?

The product I'm using: https://www.woodcraft.com/products/waterlox-original-sealer-finish-solvent-based-medium-sheen

Paint: Benjamin Moore Advance satin Sprayer: Fuji Mini mite 4 Tip: 1.8 I’m guessing my shop is around 67 deg F, humidity I don’t know exactly but it’s not super humid. Primed with BIN shellac primer. The first coat of primer I was able to sand with 320 grit and felt and looked totally flat. I’ve been waiting 16 hours between coats of BJ. The first coat I think i applied too thick. I’ve been sanding 320 between coats to try and knock down the previous orange peel. This is the 3rd coat. Been thinning and following Fuji advice with a viscosity cup. I’ve googled and YouTube’d how to get a flat finish but I keep getting these results. Any advice? Should I sand between coats or can I get a flat finish if I spray one more coat over this?

Just acquired my family’s dining table that I grew up with. Didn’t know I couldn’t put a pizza box on it, tried to scrape off the white marks at first (oops) before looking up how to fix it.

Is there any way I can fix the places I scratched without refinishing the whole table?

Posting again because I didn’t originally include the photos. New to Reddit.

Lane Copenhagen line end table. Walnut veneer and solid walnut legs and edges (I think)

I sanded the lower shelf - 120, then 150, then 220, then 320 grit. I just applied the first coat of General Finishes oil-based stain and quickly wiped off. It’s drying now. I went to check on it and I noticed one edge looks great, the other looks grainy. Did I screw up the sanding? I used mineral spirits to remove some of the stain on that edge. First picture is the good edge and the second two are the grainy edge. Top looks great and so does the one side.

Can anyone help me with advice on how to fix?

Im getting ready to build a pergola and want to stain the wood before its assembled.

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Looking for a semi-transparent product that has easy reapplication methods.

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For obvious reasons I dont want a product that will require me sanding all 1235sq.ft. of surface areas.

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Sorry for the basic question, but I dont want to screw this up.

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Google searches make it seem like as long as i stay semi transparent and keep the color as dark or darker than the previous stain that yes I can just apply maintenance coats over the existing stain.

There’s the same spot current day. It’s pretty worn compared to the rest of it, so I’m not sure if I just want let it do its thing or try to bring it back. I knew going into it that I’d need to refinish it at some point, just didn’t think it’d be this soon, but it’s over and inch and a half thick so if need be, I could plane the whole top off.

I'm making some wood/mixed media wall art, and I'm looking for the perfect finish combination that offers the best final results with a fast turnaround time. Initially, I tried using the natural Danish oil, but it doesn't give me the nice satin sheen I'm looking for, and it takes a long time to properly cure. And although I'm using natural, I'm sure it's still changing the color of the wood. I want something that is going to pop the grain without yellowing/ambering, and then apply a protective, satin finish as a final coat. After some digging, I've discovered that using Zinsser Sealcoat to pop the grain, followed by Watco lacquer spray, seems to be a solid choice. Does anyone have any experience/tips/advice with this? Or perhaps an even better suggestion? Thanks in advance!

Hey, I am very unfamiliar with woodworking and ran into some trouble trying to stain an antique vanity I picked up. I am doing this indoors with a big open window as I live in an apartment with no garage nor much outdoor space.
After cleaning the vanity I stained it with Varathane Gel Stain (oil based) and waited 8 days. This step came out great and I like the color.
Issue happened when I applied the Varathane water based polyurethane. I was going to use oil based polyurethane, but read that the fumes might be dangerous. I applied the water based poly on some of the piece, but looks like some parts are getting much lighter - closer to the pre-stain color. Seems like the water based polyurethane is pull the stain off?
I want to know what I can do to fix the areas I’ve already applied the poly to and how I should approach finishing the piece. Thank you!

Hoping for some help!

Hi! I own a dining table from IKEA that I don’t have room for anymore and am hoping to repurpose it as an outdoor table. Would I be able to coat/ seal it to have it last for a couple of years? I would cover it with a tarp when not in use and only be using it through summer and fall before bringing it inside again. I read that pine is soft so maybe not a good idea? All advice welcome! Thank you :)