# Re-finishing kitchen table, to make more durable



## FrenchIan (26 Jun 2008)

Guys, if I can pick your brains....?

We recently bought a refurbished kitchen table from a nearby furniture restorer. I don't know what the wood is - could be oak (a lot of it about in France) - but he has finished it with water-based stain to darken it, then a wax polish. It's not an antique, but a prefectly respectable piece of furniture.

But, even well-waxed, the stain wipes off, *and* it shows water marks. Not much use for a kitchen table. I'd like to refinish the top with something that is harder wearing, and especially doesn't show the water marks. So, it'll have to match the remaining finish (more or less!).

I thought of a polyurethane product like Ronseal Satincoat or their floor varnish (Diamondhard?). But, I'm not sure how well that would take to the waxed finish, so plan B is a brisk rub down with white spirit and steel wool, then several coats of Danish oil - convenient, as I'm doing oak work tops this way.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks


----------



## DaveL (26 Jun 2008)

FrenchIan":1shoj04m said:


> I don't know what the wood is - could be oak





FrenchIan":1shoj04m said:


> so plan B is a brisk rub down with white spirit and steel wool,


I can't help with advice on your finish but please don't use steel wool on it if you think it might be oak, any little bits that break off the steel and lodge in the timber will produce black stains due to the tanning in the oak.


----------



## FrenchIan (26 Jun 2008)

DaveL":3af7mltw said:


> FrenchIan":3af7mltw said:
> 
> 
> > I don't know what the wood is - could be oak
> ...



Fair point, I'd forgotten about that. I'll have to see what's available over here - certainly, green scouring pads, not sure what else.

Thanks for the reminder


----------



## George_N (26 Jun 2008)

What about an acrylic floor varnish. That would be very hard wearing, though it's water-based so you'd have to strip the wax of first.


----------



## FrenchIan (26 Jun 2008)

George_N":2qav3bev said:


> What about an acrylic floor varnish. That would be very hard wearing, though it's water-based so you'd have to strip the wax of first.



It is my preferred option. If I could be certain that rubbing the top down with white spirit/pot scourer would remove all traces of wax, I'd go that way. It's because I'm afraid there might be lingering traces that would spoil the bond that I'm continuing with the wax/oil treatment


----------



## seaco (9 Jul 2008)

If your worried about wax I'd go over it with cellulose thinners that should remove the wax but try in a spot that won't show first in case it lifts the stain also...


----------



## Argee (9 Jul 2008)

Once you've got the top looking as you want, you could finish it with *this*, which is easy to apply, self-levelling and resistant to anything in a normal household. First coat, light de-nibbing, second coat - job done. 

Ray.


----------



## dedee (11 Jul 2008)

My preference would be Patina, plenty of info Here

I've had it on a dining table for 12 years now and it is as bullet proof now as it was when first applied. 

Cheers


Andy
ps I doubt that it is available over here


----------



## cornucopia (22 Jul 2008)

use nyweb or webrax instead of wire wool. looky here http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Herm ... -23609.htm


----------



## TEP (26 Jul 2008)

Hi *Ian*, very valid point about the use of wire wool on Oak.

One of the best finish coatings I been using is Osmo Oil, they do a worktop finish as well as a floor oil. Personally my preference is for the floor oil.


----------



## Harbo (7 Aug 2008)

A couple of years ago I finished a kitchen table I made from sycamore with Sam Maloof's mixture (1/3 polyurethane varnish, 1/3 white spirit, 1/3 tung or linseed oil). It is very easy to apply (3 to 4 thin coats by rag or brush) and can be finished with a beeswax/white spirit/oil mixture.
It produced a excellent finish and has proved to be very durable so far - the varnish in it makes it water resistant? Sam uses it on all his furniture and Rockler? sell a ready made version.

The other option is Osmo which again is very easy to apply and as it is designed for floors should be durable?

Rod


----------



## Woodfinish Man (7 Aug 2008)

I'd recommend you stay clear of the Osmo Harwax Oil, although it's marketed for floors we did some extensive chemical tests and it performed very poorly. This was especially the case when it came into contact with red wine, bleach, 40% alsohol. 

Agree with Harbo, that mixture sounds ideal. Either that or go for Worktop Finish, Danish Oil or Finishing Oil. All performed really well in the tests.

WM


----------



## FrenchIan (7 Aug 2008)

seaco":1goug0qj said:


> If your worried about wax I'd go over it with cellulose thinners that should remove the wax but try in a spot that won't show first in case it lifts the stain also...



Sorry about the delay in replying, chaps, been busy with the rest of the kitchen. Wee problem there, I'll start a new posting, your advice will be gratefully received.

I've now got a selection of Scotchbrite and Webrax pads from Axminster, so the new plan is:

A. Rub down with coarse Webrax and white spirit, to remove current finish
B. Sand down to good finish, with orbital sander
C. Rub down with very fine Webrax and cellulose thinners, to ensure wax-free
D. Finish with either water-based flooring varnish (if available here in France) or Maloof's mixture (if not). (Would unboiled linseed be OK for this?)

How does that sound?

Thanks


----------



## Woodfinish Man (8 Aug 2008)

All sounds fine, the only thing is that you'd be better getting yourself boiled linseed oil, the raw version may give you drying problems.

As you're in France you should be able to get hold of some V33/Liberon Waterbased floor finish, they call it Natural Floor Finish over here

Good luck!

WM


----------



## FrenchIan (8 Aug 2008)

Thanks, guys, I'm off to Leroy Merlin tomorrow, to buy some "vernis".

Just in case there's some traces of wax lingering, I reckon I'll go for white spirit based varnish, rather than water based. It'll do for the worktops that need re-finishing, as well.

Cheers


----------



## woodbloke (22 Aug 2008)

If it's a table used for every day use, Alan Peters uses no finish at all on the timber. What he recommends in his book is a 'scrubbed finish'...simply scrub the surface every week with *very* hot water and household detergent. After a short while a patina develops on the surface. He uses this finishing method on pine table tops but says it can be used on hardwood surfaces as well - Rob


----------

