Any woodworkers?

interested on a review after you put in some work. in the market for one

 

new toy yesterday

 

Very nice. That should help with the splintering problem.

 

I was hoping y'all woodworkers might be able to offer me a bit of advice?

I recently inherited a good deal of Maple furniture in good condition from my grandma. I'd like to give the tops a bit of a refinish as there's some light scuffs and stains. Furniture includes a dining room table with leafs, 6 chairs, hutch top and bottom, and Curio cabinet.

Dining table is in the best condition, but I'd like to add a finish on top that is resistant to scratches and cleaners.

Chairs and hutch are outdated. Similar to the top half of this pic and this pic. Is there anything I can do? Painting them is blasphemy to me.

Cruio cabinet is a couple shades lighter than the rest of matching furniture. Is there a stain or varnish that can be added on top without having to completely re sand and finish?

 

Wow awesome thread. I do a lot of wood working and this is the perfect thread to follow and ask a tacoma question. I think most people are going for the smaller truck bed. How is that working out for you ? I would think the longer bed would work out better.

 

Short bed is great, long bed would be better for wood, but then I wouldn't fit in my garage and would be less maneuverable overall. Everything is a balance of +\-

 

My best advise would be to find a "furniture doctor" near you and get some suggestions there. Depending on if you want to keep the value of the furniture it may be a bad idea to refinish the items. If that doesnt matter Id still look for some good stain/varnish removal instructions then re apply new stain. ie DIY restoration. But again it can be easy to mess something up. So you have some decisions to make.

 

What wilcam47 said X2

 

...for the table top, you're going to get the best scratch/spill resistance from a varnish or polyurethane... your choices in these are basically either a water-based or an oil-based product, ..."wipe-on" or traditional brush-on... i happen to like the "wipe-on" versions because they are easy to apply, and i'm not particularly skilled at using a brush to apply clear finishes like varnish/poly/shellac... i also like oil-based finishes over water-based, ...you have more open time to apply it, thereby avoiding drag marks, etc., and they impart a warmer color tone than water-based finishes tend to do... if you have the ability to spray-on the finish, then i could maybe see some appeal for the water-based stuff, faster dry time in between coats w/out the application problems of brush or rag...

BTW, i'd highly recommend - a great resource for anyone crafting w/ wood and/or refinishing, is "Understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner, ...who is regarded as "the authority" on finishing...

 

To add, an oil based poly is going to be less prone to heat where water base can leave marks from heat

 

You can make your own wipe on poly by mixing paint thinner and poly. Usually 50/50. A LIGHT scuff/sand between coats and 24 hours drying time. Use a rag dampened with paint thinner to wipe off any sanding residue. It will require more coats but much easier if you are not skilled in brushing it on. Search www.lumberjocks.com for more info. I use a folded blue paper shop towel but a old tshirt will work also. Post some before and after pics.

 

10 ft farm table I just finished with 150+ year old barn wood.

 

Thank you.

I built a frame spanning the two trestles with some cross bracing to attach the top, one thing I didnt take a photo of. But here is a a side shot of the table

 

Made my first attempt at some plywood furniture using edge banding. Almost all cuts were made with a cordless skill saw and fence, I really love this method.

 

I should probably upgrade my speakers before someone reports me to the record snob forum!

 

Looks retro but I like the look!

 

That's what I was going for thanks!