Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Refinishing 1950's dining set
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10-15-01, 06:44 AM
I am refinishing a very high-quality 1950's dining set - starting with the buffet. We think it is mahogany, it seems hard with a black,fine grain, which brings me to my first question: how can we determine what kind of wood it is? It looks as if it was possibly pickled or bleached, then stained a rose-blonde color, typical of the '50's. We stripped and sanded it - and discovered that it is not uniform in color underneath - some parts are extremely red, others more pale. So second question: is there anything we can apply to the wood before staining to even out the color? Also, the wood is EXTREMELY dry - we live in a very dry climate, and not sure what type of finish would work best. We were told that a polyurethane finish will seal it and the wood underneath may dry out. ANybody in a dry climate had this problem? Should this even be a concern? Also, is there a REAL difference between oil and water-based stains besides odor? As you can see, we are novices - and don't want to mess up this set that has extreme sentimental value to us! Any tips, or directions on where I can find this info, would be greatly appreciated!
George
10-15-01, 02:01 PM
Christine:
First, here's one (of many) web sites that feature pictures and descriptions of various types of wood.
http://www.woodworking.org/WC/woodsampler.html
A two-part bleach (look for that description) will lighten the wood to a more uniform shade.
ANY finish will seal the wood. To avoid cracking due to uneven drying, apply finish to ALL the exposed wood, inside and out, including the backs and bottoms of the drawers. If the wood is totally sealed, variations in humidity (or lack thereof) are no longer a great concern.
The breaks you see in some older pieces, particularly the side panels, was caused because the outside was finished (sealed) and the inside was not. This allowed mositure (humidity) to penetrate one side, but not the other - thus the cracks.
Most oil based stains leave a pigment on the surface of the wood. This can tend to obscure the grain of the wood. Water based stains generally penetrate the wood and act more like a dye than a stain. You get better clarity of color and virtually no obscuring of the grain. One caveat, here, however. I would not use oil based stains under a waterbased finish - there's a good chance it (the finish) won't adhere properly. No such problems using a waterbased stain under an oil based finish.
One thought - water based stains do tend to raise the grain of the wood. To cut this down as much as possible, wipe the piece down with a wet rag and allow to dry. Then go back over the piece with fine sandpaper. The water will have rasied the grain slightly (after your initial sanding), and sanding again will eliminate most of the fibers that would rise again under a waterbased stain.
If you have any more questions, drop on by.
First, here's one (of many) web sites that feature pictures and descriptions of various types of wood.
http://www.woodworking.org/WC/woodsampler.html
A two-part bleach (look for that description) will lighten the wood to a more uniform shade.
ANY finish will seal the wood. To avoid cracking due to uneven drying, apply finish to ALL the exposed wood, inside and out, including the backs and bottoms of the drawers. If the wood is totally sealed, variations in humidity (or lack thereof) are no longer a great concern.
The breaks you see in some older pieces, particularly the side panels, was caused because the outside was finished (sealed) and the inside was not. This allowed mositure (humidity) to penetrate one side, but not the other - thus the cracks.
Most oil based stains leave a pigment on the surface of the wood. This can tend to obscure the grain of the wood. Water based stains generally penetrate the wood and act more like a dye than a stain. You get better clarity of color and virtually no obscuring of the grain. One caveat, here, however. I would not use oil based stains under a waterbased finish - there's a good chance it (the finish) won't adhere properly. No such problems using a waterbased stain under an oil based finish.
One thought - water based stains do tend to raise the grain of the wood. To cut this down as much as possible, wipe the piece down with a wet rag and allow to dry. Then go back over the piece with fine sandpaper. The water will have rasied the grain slightly (after your initial sanding), and sanding again will eliminate most of the fibers that would rise again under a waterbased stain.
If you have any more questions, drop on by.