r/finishing

I have sought high and low for an old marble top dresser for my guest room and found one! Sick of all the wayfair furniture, I figured now was the time to learn to fix old things but I dont know what I am doing.

The dresser reeked of moth balls so I gave it light wipe down with cleaning vinegar following a light sanding. It still smells a little so I plan to do a clean on interior and exterior with mineral spirits. I then had planned to spray the interior with clear shellac and bin primer the inside of the drawers.

Following mineral spirits, I am trying to figure out how to bring back the glow in the wood and overall color on the exterior facing veneer. I was planning on using restore-a-finish (mahogany, walnut, or clear?), and follow with weed n wax. This is literally the first piece I am refinishing and I am not sure if this is the correct approach. Is lacquer or another method preferred? The dresser has beautiful tiger striping/depth and I really dont want to mess that up. Unfortunately, I think I created the moisture line in the second photo because I didnt realize someone taped chipping. I am going to fill those.

On a second note, there are some white specs in the interior that I question if they were mold. I have sanded, vinegared etc and the photo you see is what's left. Is it ok to leave the interior as-is? Is there anything easy to replace for a beginner?

I welcome all suggestions and corrections. I love this piece so much I want to it to look incredible. I have already designed the entire room around it!

I charred some maple veneer and I will be cutting it and adding it to a watch dial. I want to seal it and in the photo it has a satin nitro coating on it. It’s awesome because it keeps the character and the grain as the main focus. I tried a glossy version and it just looks like plastic almost. I’m guessing this isn’t enough for any sort of water resistance (thinking humidity). Is there a sealant that I can put on thinly that will give me some sort of protection against any sort of moisture and not give me a glossy look but keep the character of the char?

I’m finishing a poplar handrails/posts and trying to pick the smartest finish system. I’ve had decent success staining poplar before, but lighter stain is always more unpredictable. Either way, I need a durable topcoat, so I’m starting to think the bigger decision is the final coating system more than the stain/color itself.

I’m taking everything apart and spraying the pieces in my garage with a Capspray 4 stage CS9100 w/ Maxum 2 gun. Plus, I have 72 metal rods that I’ll spray clear separately.

Ideally I’d like to stay with a waterbased system. I’m considering stain plus Bona Traffic HD or tinted 2K waterbased topcoat like Centurion or Renner, or primer plus Benjamin Moore Advance. My concerns are durability, cost, pot life, constant gun cleaning, and not turning this into a miserable project. Concerned to about PPE and 2k!

For the metal rods, I’m leaning toward a separate simple waterbased direct-to-metal product since they won’t really be touched much.

What water based finish system would you choose for this project? and would you use a separate product for the metal rods?

I do wanna start this off with i have 0 knowledge on this type of thing. I have an ex roommate who's desk i accidentally damaged the top of. The orange / blue spot is a bit more prominent than this image shows but it is the best one I have currently. I feel bad for damaging the top while not intending to but I want to know what the repair process might look like. Also if there is a reason it's blue.

I make fingerboards (mini finger skateboards) and I’ve been experimenting with dyed maple veneer and gloss lacquer finishes, but I’m struggling to consistently achieve that super smooth “deep gloss” finish without texture/orange peel under direct light. Sometimes I get the smoothest glassy glossy finish and other times it’s just shit, always same lacquer same environment same amount of coats and strategy. My current strategy and environment consists of:
- sanded with 80 grit, 120 grit, 400 grit, 600 grit
- Dust and debris is removed with lint free microfiber cloths, compressed air, and sometimes a dab wipe of isopropyl alcohol
- 3-4 layers of watco spray gloss lacquer (can says no sanding required between layers), typically 15mins between coats
- first layer is typically a light layer, increasing thickness as layers go up
- sprayed in my garage
- cured inside

I attached:
- first photo, example of one of inconsistent results
- second and third photos, examples of the finish quality I’m trying to achieve

A few things I’m trying to figure out:
- What grit should maple veneer actually be sanded to before lacquer?
- Is sanding sealer or grain filler recommended on dyed maple veneer?
- Should lacquer coats be sanded/leveled between coats?
- Is wipe-on polyurethane actually better for smoothness than spray lacquer?
- What’s the proper curing + polishing process for that ultra smooth finish?

I’m trying to avoid:
- uneven texture
- orange peel
- raised grain
- sanding through dye

Would appreciate hearing the process experienced woodworkers or finishers use for high-gloss veneer work.

Just wondering others thoughts on the difference between the unfinshed sample and the finished option? I'm being told it's just a natural variation in the wood(hickory veneer) and the lack of finish.

I was expecting it to be darker and slightly on the grey vs chocolate side.....

Edit: match the top darker colour sample on the small peice to the bigger gable end of a cabinet.

Question for you finishers. I have a kitchen table from Ashley Furniture that is about 15 yrs old. I had seen plenty of use and abuse over the years. We really like the table. My wife had been hounding me to refinish it but I have been hesitant because I know my kids are going to plop down and try to superglue or paint something without protection. The wood is labeled as “ash.” But also says “made in Malaysia.” Anyone know what kind of wood this really is? How it will take stain? Maybe tried this yourself? I would appreciate any insight someone might have. First pic is table top, second is underside of chair.

P.S. I have been woodworking and finishing for about 18yrs, albeit with a hiatus for the last 5 years or so. Have a Fuji 4 stage HVLP.

I got this vintage table that needed some work. I already got ride of the main layers using the v3v remover. I’m totally new to woodworking and not sure what I can achieve. I know that I still need to use grinding machine (?) to get rid of all the remaining paint and then use some wood filler on those small holes. Then I will use some sort of paint/stain to paint it. What colour/effect can I achieve? What wood is that?
I pasted the original picture of the table as well as the process and after paint removal. I like the natural patterns on the table but I also know I need to protect it with some top layer. Will the white stains lift once I sand the table? Do I need to use oxalic acid? Pls help ☺️

Bought this 8ft long pre-stained butcher block to make a desk. I used the underside of the desk as my test side through the whole process of sealing and finishing as I have zero prior experience with any kind of wood working. Flipped it over to do the top side and found raised lines of finish that had overrun and stuck to the stands that I had the wood sitting on. Should I go ahead and put sealing and a first coat of finish on and when I sand with 320 between coats of finish it will take those lines down? Or should I sand now before putting on sealer? Or will that risk taking off stain? Looks wet in photos because I just wiped it down with mineral spirits. Thanks for any advice.

I have a Century Furniture “Furniture of Distinction” burl olivewood credenza dresser from the 70s. The top used to have a really beautiful glossy finish.

Long story short I had to steam clean my entire bedroom (foster cat threw up worms, there were dusty kitty litter paw prints on top of the dresser), and I steamed every surface including the dresser top. Immediately after there was a white haze, which disappeared on its own over a few days/weeks. But now the top is noticeably more matte than it used to be.

From my research it sounds like the steam roughed up the lacquer surface. I’ve seen suggestions ranging from 0000 steel wool with linseed oil, to wax, to spraying a light coat of lacquer on top. But I don’t want to make it worse.

Has anyone dealt with this specifically on a vintage lacquer finish? What would you do?

Looking for honest feedback on these two finishes—same Badalassi Carlo Pueblo veg tan, same wallet pattern, but two different looks. One was finished inside and out with Tokonole, and the color bands are different on purpose. Which finish do you prefer, and what stands out to you most

Hi! Im refinishing my desk and having some issues applying the poly after staining.

https://imgur.com/a/IMDjVjt

Timeline:

1. 2 coats gel stain
2. Undiluted poly, as the instructions mention, so thick it's impossible to use. Used brush
3. Diluted poly 10%, mildly better results, used cloth
4. Sanded with 220 by hand using a block with little pressure
5. Diluted poly 20%, used cloth, better results but overlap marks are visible (first picture)
6. Sanded with 320 using an orbital sander with no pressure. I think could have sanded a bit more because there were some shiny spots
7. Diluted poly 30%ish percent, applied with brush (second and third images, there's some dripping on the third one I noticed too late but I'm going to sand later)

The first coat looked terrible, but it's slowly improving especially after thinning the poly. Problem is, I can't get a smooth finish because the desk is in the shape of an L and about 5-6 ft on each side (last image), which means I can't cover the whole length in one stroke, so have overlap marks between rows and in the rows themselves. I'm trying not to over brush too much because this thing thickens in like 3 seconds. lalso tried steel wool but it doesn't seem to make that much of a difference. I'm about to sand it again and reapply, might as well keep building coats.

Thanks for the help!

Edit: just sanded again, 4 passes with 320. Still seeing shiny spots so I "think" I need to keep going. Slightly afraid of going through the poly and sanding the stain, but at 4 coats and this grit and pressure I'm assuming that would be hard to do? https://imgur.com/a/VajdIma. Should I go back to 220?

I have a singer cabinet I am trying to bring back to life. I have stripped the lacquer off and without sanding I am not seeing much stain to remove, just aged. My assumption is they only used a dark grain filler and a tinted lacquer. I do not have a spray set up. Could I potentially use kenda dye and then apply a clear satin spray lacquer and achieve a similar look? I am also having a hard time finding a oil based grain filler. Could I use a water base and seal in between?

I tried some stain and I do not like how it looks at all. It just doesn't have the depth and almost looks to cover the grain.

I’m likely going to purchase this table and refinish it, but I am a complete noob when it comes to things like this. Other solid wood tables are far out of my budget and I really like the design of this one, aside from the bright orange colour.
Is it possible to sand and stain this to make it look more like dark oak? I have no idea what kind of wood it is but the orange has to go.

I appreciate any advice !! No clue what i’m doing but willing to learn always :)