Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Furniture refinishing

Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.




View Full Version : Furniture refinishing


08-25-01, 10:27 AM
QUESTION: I am on the honey-do list for refinishing some furniture (bedroom and living room). The furniture that needs the work is a natural pine or light color (maple?) and it appears to just be clear-coated. We would like to finish these pieces (2 end tables,armoire & coffee table) in a DARK (mahogany) finish. Do I strip off the old? Can I spray the dark finish? Is a paint available? I am limited in my working space......Where do I start? It seems like a lot of Q's, but I am eagerly waiting to begin....


George
08-25-01, 06:31 PM
Nach:

If you can find a color you like, you can certainly paint. The present finish needs to be sanded to create a tooth for following coats, then primed, then painted.

As far as staining it - the present finish needs to be removed (stripped) before you can stain.

If there's a furniture supply house nearby, or if you want to check out the ones on line - they offer what the trade calls a 'toner'. That's lacquer with color added. Normally it's used to 'adjust' the final color of a piece, but it can be used to coat the entire piece with whatever color you choose. This can be applied right over the current finish wiht no prep beyond cleaning.