Stain | Operation Home

Yes.

Yes, that was a modified Dumb and Dumber quote.

Those who know me well, accept the fact that in the warm-weather months I speak fluent Dumb and Dumber (which seasonally transitions mid-November to fluent Elf). It just is.

Anyways, The-Table-Refinishing-That-Never-Ends is finally complete!. And I’m so excited about it that I’m going to ruin the suspense and start with a little “After” glimpse…

Table. You complete me. (I know… I’m a traitor. That one was Jerry McGuire. Seriously, only about 10% of the words I speak are original.)

Anyhoo, not gonna lie… I definitely burned off all of the cookie-calories I consumed while stress-eating over this thing throughout the dual-refinishing process, and it was worth EVERY SECOND. I’ve learned so stinkin’ much throughout this process, and finally have a result I’m satisfied with.

So, let’s start with a quick recap for any newbies. I purchased these drool-worthy mid-century tables for a steal at Goodwill.

The problem was that their finishes had seen better days.

Happily, I was able to salvage the original finish on the smallest table by using mayonnaise to remove water rings. That guy now lives in our tri-functional room….

I began work on the coffee table (which is still not finished), but ended up switching gears to the larger end table. I stripped the table with chemical stripper, then stained and finished the table with a water-based poly… which ended up being a HUGE mistake resulting in bubbles and brush strokes galore (and a pathetic-ugly-crying-Christina).

So, it was onto attempt número dos. After my cries for advice were answered by several sweet folks, I came to terms with the fact that I would have to re-strip the table. Check out the comments from my previous two posts for the specific advice given.

I will say that stripping the table went SO much quicker the second time around. My guess is that this is due to a combination of knowing what to expect and using a toothbrush to get the gunk out of all the smaller spaces and crevices (this was a fantastic tip (among many others) given by Beck with Beckwith’s Treasures and was a total time-saver compared with the techniques I used the first time). It worked fabulously well. I also noted that the water-based poly came off in much more solid pieces which made the job slightly less messy…

Once the table was fully stripped, I decided to use Formby’s Tung Oil.

This was a product recommended by several awesome folks (including Beck), so I figured I’d give it a go. After a short deliberation, I decided to apply the Tung Oil sans stain to bring out the natural tones of the wood… Problem??? I don’t think I properly prepped the top of the table… My fear of over-stripping the wood (being that this was my second go-around) had prevented me from removing all the film. With the first coat of Tung oil, the top looked mottled and ashy. NOT the look I was going for. And I realized that I should’ve stained the table first. I just really liked that look so much better. I didn’t take a picture of this part as my frustration got the best of me. Thus, grabbing my camera slipped my mind. But, take my advice… Do a good job stripping the first (‘er, second) time. You won’t regret it.

At this point, I went inside, ate another cookie, repeated the mantra “At least I only have to strip the top. At least I only have to strip the top…” then decided to risk sanding the top of the table. I say “risk” because of the thin veneer that I was so scared to sand through. I didn’t want to use the stripper again because my understanding was that tung oil penetrates the wood so I figured that if I wanted an evenly stained top, I’d need to sand. I very, very carefully sanded with 220 grit sandpaper on my orbital sander. And I DID IT. I sanded just enough to allow the stain to evenly penetrate but before I went through the veneer.

Next, I applied a coat of Varathane’s Early American stain. As I’ve said in previous posts, my goal was to stay close to the original look of the table and I’ve found that this particular stain lends that perfect “mid-century” wood tone that the table had before…

The wood took the stain much more readily this go-around, which resulted in a slightly darker finish than before, but I’m okay with that. It looks rich and luscious while still boasting a mid-century flair. If the table were a person, he’d totally be swinging his flowing locks back and forth in slow motion as Hungry Eyes plays softly in the background.

That night (after about 8 hours of dry time for the stain), I took my labor of love inside. And while catching up on an episode of The Big Bang Theory, I applied the first coat of Formby’s. I simply rubbed in a thin layer with a lint-free cloth and let it dry. It looked somewhat uneven, but I’d read that this was often the case with the first few coats as the wood can sometimes absorb the oil at different rates. The next day, I gently buffed with fine grit steel wool as recommended…

…cleaned with tack cloth, and applied a second coat. I repeated this process again on the entire table, then two more times on just the top and drawer until I had an even finish all over. I still think the the base could use one last coat, just to add a tad of extra gloss, so I may still do that. But I guess that’s the beauty of this stuff. You can add layers to enhance as needed. Applying the tung oil was a process because of the long dry time (12 hours between coats per the instructions), but really it was easy and quick to apply aside from that. And totally worth it. I wish I had known about this stuff the first time around.

In any case, now my table is now glossy and done (please excuse the weird lighting in these pics… I think I chose an interesting time of day to shoot them)….

And check out the top!! The damaged spot is a smidge darker than the rest of the top, but that’s the only difference. It feels smooth as can be….

Amazing to me, especially being that the top started off here….

Remember how I questioned whether I’d even be able to stain the table because the damage went so deeply into the wood??

The fact that I was able to salvage that inlaid detailing on the top makes me absolutely over the moon.

I was thinking of selling the table once I was finished, but after all the work I put in, this little guy feels like part of the family. I’m THAT attached. So, I’m gonna hang onto him and let him live in our totally mis-matched, not nearly decorated No Man’s Land for a while until I figure out a permanent space for him.

And I must name him. For some reason he feels like an “Earl”. Maybe we’ll just go with that.

I still need to finish the coffee table. So, there’s that. But I have to say that I feel so much more equipped to do that now. As hard as it was in the “during” part, DIY is an adventure yielding many rewards if ya stick through it. I mean, just check out all this knowledge I’ve acquired…

1. How to strip wood properly (and the consequences if you don’t)

2. How much I hate water-based poly

3. How to apply tung oil and the differences in finish between the various topcoats

4. My undying love for mid-century pieces and the lengths I will go to to stay true to them (but I already knew that)

5. How many cookies it takes for me to survive refinishing a table twice within a short period of time (twelve).

Nice, right??? So, on that Hallmark note, I end this post.

What DIY adventures have y’all taken on where you nearly (but didn’t) throw in the towel?

Linked up at: Tatertots & Jello

Last we left, we had a naked table…

It turned out so nicely after I stripped it, that I decided to try staining it. When it came to choosing a color, this was easy for me… I decided to try and match the original stain. I’m kind of a purist when it comes to these things. I mean, ugly 80’s furniture… Change that stuff UP. But a vintage, mid-century American of Martinsville table? I’m gonna try to keep it close to the original if given the option. I have to. No choice. It’s part of my nature. I love pieces like this to no end so if I have the option, I’m going original all the way.

The color I chose was Varathane’s Early American, which is also the color I stained our media cabinet.

I simply ~~waxed on, waxed off~~ applied it then wiped off the excess immediately. I chose not to let the stain sit, because even though it was morning, the temperature was creeping up. Thus, leaving it on any longer would’ve caused the stain to dry and become hard to remove. The speedy exposure ended up yielding the perfect color, though. So, happy accident. The color matched the original to a T. And I was ecstatic that the table took the stain so beautifully. Here’s the post-stain result…

It appears more orange in this picture than it is in real life. Seriously, it’s a dead-ringer for the original color. A few days later, I decided to apply the topcoat. Now, I’m going to foreshadow this post. This morning (after I’d completed the table), I received this comment on my stripper post from Beck at Beckwith’s Treasures, who refinishes this type of furniture frequently…

“…PLEASE do not put poly on this furniture!!! Use an oil finish like formbys tung oil…SOOOO simple to apply…”

And I ~~started~~ continued kicking myself. I’d used poly. And I DEFINITELY regretted it. When I tell ya’ll that I LOVE your advice and input, I mean it. This comment contained such great advice… I just wish I would’ve held off on finishing the table so I could actually have used it.

But let me start from the beginning… Ya see, we’ve hit triple-digit weather here in Texas and if this year is like most others, it’ll probably stay this way for some time. It’s always funny to me when bloggers from the northern cold-weather areas talk about about how they can’t spray paint and stuff in the winter… For us, it’s the summer months that pose a problem. Totally the opposite, though equally annoying. Painting, finishing, staining, or spray painting outdoors in the summer months is virtually impossible because the paint gets all gummy and nasty. Seriously, those temperature guidelines on the can are no joke. Believe me. I’ve tried to challenge them.

So, with this in mind, I knew I had to apply the topcoat indoors. I decided to try a water-based oil-modified polyurethane, since (at the time) I thought Poly was my only option…

I’d read that this particular version acts more like oil-based Poly but is water-based (ie: low odor, better for indoors when you can’t throw open a window without air-conditioning the neighborhood). I happened to have the satin finish on hand and thought that it might be nice to just have a mild sheen on the tables.

Now, to clarify, I’ve never used this product before. I bought it back when I white-washed our bathroom mirror, but never used it as it might have yellowed our white frame.

I read the can and followed the directions to a T: Clean dust off (I used tack cloth), apply a light coat with a high quality polyurethane brush, wait 2 hours.

The first coat made me very nervous. There were bubbles and brush marks in the finish and the area where that damage was turned a lighter tone than the rest of the top.

Before this project, I’d always only used oil-based poly and had never noticed brush strokes with it. Plus, its slow dry time allowed most of the bubbles to pop before the finish hardened. Knowing this, I was REALLY doubting my decision with the water-based poly at this point. Bubbles plus brushmarks after all the time I’d already invested in this table. Ugh. Heartbreaking. Though in all fairness… when it came to brush marks, I’d never applied ANY poly against the grain of the wood before. And the differing directions of the table top’s inlay basically forced me to do so in some areas.

Once the 2 hours of wait time passed, I lightly sanded with 220 grit sandpaper (paying closer attention to the bubbled areas) and applied a second coat. This coat was better, but some bubbles and brush strokes remained. And the finish almost looked like dried glue to me. Plastic-y. Cloudy. I wasn’t sure if the water-based version was to blame or the fact that it was a satin finish instead of semi-gloss.

Now, the heart was really sinking. To make matters worse, the top felt rough to the touch from the bubbles. So, I sanded again between coats, and added a third coat as the directions stated (hoping against hope that the third coat would be the magic cure-all). I used a foam brush this time to help eliminate brush strokes.

The third coat just made it worse. There are still brush strokes and bubbles. At this point I was ready to bust out the ugly-cry.

The finish remains rough, plastic-y to the touch. I’m SO disappointed after all the time I invested. I’m sure this product works great with the right project. THIS was not the right project. And I feel like, by not doing proper research before top coating I’ve ruined the integrity of the piece.

And now I’m not sure what to do…. Strip the table again and try oil? The problem is that I really can’t sand the top much without risking going through the veneer. Part of the advice in the aforementioned comment was to use acetone + laquer thinner to remove the finish. Would this prevent the need for sanding? I know that this is DIY. Things don’t go perfectly all the time. And it’s a learning experience. I mean, I learned how to use chemical stripper, and am now much more familiar with the differences in poly. Valuable knowledge acquired. Am I gonna give up on this table? No way. I mean, honestly, it looks okay (if you squint). Just not nearly as great as this gorgeous piece deserves.

I could still paint it, but this goes against every instinct I have since I now know how beautiful the wood is.

So, what are your thoughts? Any suggestions? If you know anyone who can offer advice on this, I’d really appreciate it if ya’ll would share my post with them. Thanks, guys!

Linked up at: Tatertots & Jello