# Refinishing teak table



## Graeme48 (27 Mar 2021)

Afternoon all. My first post here, so be gentle please.
I have a teak dining table, bought from a Danish furniture company back in 1981. So far as I can tell from looking at the underneath and the edges of centre panels, this appears to be solid teak around 19mm thick, but I don't know for certain whether this is true or whether veneered. It has survived 40 years of general family life without any major mishaps, but is now starting to look very tired in places - I would like to sand this down and refinish with teak or Danish oil. My questions are :- how fine a grit to use and which oil is likely to be best (I'm not sure there is a big difference).
Thanks in advance for any advice


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## thetyreman (27 Mar 2021)

I'd go over it with 240 grit paper cafefully and then use bestwood teak oil, maybe 3-4 layers and it'll be like new again.


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## Chippymint (27 Mar 2021)

Like Tyreman says 240 grit should suffice with a good quality teak oil finish. I did one recently and it csme up a treat. Liberon is another good make. If you're unsure, do a test area on the tops underside. 

If it was me I would take off an underside fixing to see if the screw holes would reveal the wood type and make-up, and hopefully confirm if veneered or not.


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## Graeme48 (27 Mar 2021)

Thanks guys. Good idea to remove fixing from underneath, I'll try that. Can you tell me if there's much difference between Teak and Danish oil? I always thought they were both mixtures of Tung oil and shellac.


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## Inspector (27 Mar 2021)

The top looks like a plywood with solid edging so I concur with the fine sandpaper advise. The veneer would be thicker than todays but only a millimetre or less. 

The Danish oils were usually Linseed oil, Varnish and Solvent. Teak oil might have Tung oil instead of Linseed oil. I have know idea what is in them theses days with all the formula changes to comply with environmental regulations.

Pete


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## thetyreman (27 Mar 2021)

here's a description of bestwoods teak oil from their website: 


Bestwood Teak Wood Oil (Teak Oil).

With UV protection.

Uses a combination of Pure Tung Oil and the finest Boiled Linseed Oil. The addition of Linseed Oil provides a glossier finish, giving a traditional ‘varnished’ type appearance after application, without using artificial varnish or resins.

Teak Wood Oil is often used on exterior hardwood garden furniture, including teak, but it is suitable for use on all wood inside and out, including doors, gates, skirting boards etc.

Teak Wood Oil is designed to penetrate deep into the pores of the wood, nourishing and protecting, before sealing and providing a water resistant barrier.

Teak Wood Oil has added broad-range ultraviolet light (UV) absorbers _and_ free radical scavengers, to give proven extra protection to both the wood and the oil from the harmful effects of exposure to sunlight.

Teak Wood Oil is naturally water, food, and alcohol resistant.

Some other benefits of Teak Wood Oil are:


It contains over 50% solids, you get much more for your money than some other well known Teak Oils.
It will not crack, chip or flake.
Higher solids means fewer coats, typically our Teak Wood Oil will do the same in 3 to 4 coats that you would need 5 or 6 coats for elsewhere.
Dries in 4-6 hours.
It is very easy to apply with a cotton cloth or a brush.
It has a very low odour when drying, and none when dry.
It is naturally water-resistant, yet microporous to water vapour allowing the wood to ‘breathe’.
Exterior Surface Preparation.

Extra care needs to be taken with exterior surfaces before oiling to make sure they are clean and free of any mould dirt, dust, grime etc. Aged or ‘grey’ timber should be sanded back to clean ‘bright’ wood to remove all loose layers of cells which have been damaged through weathering. Previously painted or varnished surfaces should be stripped back to bare wood and lightly sanded.

Teak Wood Oil is not a wood preservative. Oak, softwoods, and aged timber can be prone to weather staining due to the growth in damp conditions of mould spores carried in the air or naturally present in the bare wood before oiling. Use of a proprietory wood preservative before oiling is good practice. Make sure the preservative is completely dry before proceeding. Exposed locations, end grain and areas close to the ground or ‘splash’ areas may need extra coats to make sure the wood is thoroughly protected by the oil. These areas may need more regular maintenance to ensure continued protection. Wherever possible, to help reduce the possibility of staining or mould growth, wood should be sited or designed to ‘shed’ standing water. Teak Wood Oil is not suitable for wood immersed in water.

The moisture content of wood should be less than 20%

Application.

Apply Teak Wood Oil with a clean lint-free cloth or a good quality brush, working well into the wood and finishing in the direction of the grain.

Work well into joints (a small paintbrush or artists brush can often help here with application and removal of excess oil) and pay particular attention to top and bottom areas, the undersides of cills, hrizontal surfaces, exposed endgrain, and any other areas where water is likely to be absorbed or enter through capillary action. If there is any grain raising _lightly_ sand after the first coat if required.

Leave 20-30 minutes then wipe all excess oil from the surface after each coat to avoid surface build up and gummy residues.

For best results on new wood four coats are recomended. In particularly exposed areas more coats may be required.

To avoid the possibility of water spotting or surface ‘bloom’, and to ensure proper performance, Teak Wood Oil should not be applied during damp or cold weather, and should be kept free of condensation or rain for at least 48 hours after application.

Maintenance.

Teak Wood Oil should be applied regularly (one or two coats once or twice a year is recommended, more in exposed areas) to maitain maximum protection and help prevent the wood drying out.

NO HIDDEN CHECKOUT CHARGES. The price above includes VAT and postage. This is the price you will pay.

Please BUY NOW for the best quality Teak Oil, GUARANTEED. We love happy customers. If you don’t agree with us that this is the best Teak Oil you can buy, return it to us within 30 days for a full no-quibble refund.


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## Tuna808 (27 Mar 2021)

Check for the end grain on the edges,this should give you an indication of whether it’s solid teak or veneer.


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## Graeme48 (28 Mar 2021)

thetyreman said:


> here's a description of bestwoods teak oil from their website:
> 
> 
> Bestwood Teak Wood Oil (Teak Oil).
> ...


Thanks, Tyreman. I am now much better informed, if no wiser . At least I know I'm not going to make it worse


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## Graeme48 (28 Mar 2021)

Tuna808 said:


> Check for the end grain on the edges,this should give you an indication of whether it’s solid teak or veneer.


Thanks Richard. I'm not sure that I can see any end grain, all edges are covered by solid edging - that may also be a clue that the rest is veneered.


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## Tuna808 (28 Mar 2021)

Very likely,why band a solid top


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## jcassidy (28 Mar 2021)

I have restored several similar. Top is 99% certain to be veneer. All previous advice re sanding and teak oil is bang on. I may add, if you have gunge to get off, use a scraper rather than try to sand it off. Don't sand too much, just enough to open the grain for the oil. 

With teak oil, the first coat might be thinned with white spirits 25%, to help the oil penetrate deep. Then 2 or 3 further coats, rubbed well into the wood. Leave for 20 minutes and wipe down to remove excess. Dispose of rags carefully as they can combust. 

You might leave it then, or you might finish with several coats of beeswax. 

Don't neglect the legs and frame.

Danish oil is good for worktops, tools and chopping boards. You'll want teak oil for this. 

Hope this helps.


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## Sgian Dubh (30 Mar 2021)

The table is quite obviously veneered over man-made board of some sort, e.g., chipboard, with a solid wood lipping bent around the perimeter.

I'd avoid approaching this refurbishment with abrasive papers as a primary means for removing the existing finish because of the risk of sanding through to the ground, especially if the plan is to use power sanding. I've seen that failure many times over the years.

Instead, I'd remove the existing polish chemically with a stripper such as Nitromors Craftsman (the yellow can rather than the green can). This Craftsman version is washed off with white spirits rather than water which is the neutralising agent for the stuff in the green can, so won't raise the grain. I think this version is, or has been discontinued, but there may still be stocks out there. Paramose is another brand to look for, but whatever brand, try to avoid one that says wash off (neutralise) with water, and find one that should be neutralised with white spirit, or similar.

After stripping chemically, all that would be needed is a very light hand sand with 220 or 240 grit just to level off any furry bits, and then apply a new finish. Personally, I'm not fond of any of the oils so far mentioned because they're not especially tough, damage easily, and they're not water/wine/tea/coffee resistant, and always seem to need regular maintenance and redoing to repair general grunginess, watermarks, etc, but if that's acceptable to you it's not necessarily a wrong choice. My suggestion, for a home worker or lightly skilled amateur's use, would point you towards a short oil/solvent based interior varnish, either satin or matte, which works well with teak; it's tough and durable, although when it eventually does get damaged it's not so easy to repair as the oil finishes already suggested. Slainte.


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## jcassidy (30 Mar 2021)

Sgian Dubh said:


> Personally, I'm not fond of any of the oils...



Absolutely true and an excellent point well picked up. I would varnish for a domestic tabletop that I was going to use myself. 

Much of this furniture would have been sprayed with polyeutherene varnish at the factory. There's a clip from the 80s online, of the Crannac factory in Navan with a guy spraying a chair on a rather nifty rotating platform.

Unfortunately this darkens with age resulting in the Old Brown Furniture look, which is easily stripped. However getting a fine varnish finish is hard, so restorers finish in easy to apply oil and claim it's original. At this stage, Instagram-conscious buyers all look for oiled finishes because that's all they see on social media. That said I recently sold a 50s GPlan table to a doctor who wanted it finished properly, ie varnished. She's probably not on social media, though! Lol


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## Jacob (31 Mar 2021)

Got similar G plan table. Was a classy Danish design apparently and it is very neat. Ply and veneer with solid teak like edgings and frame.
Sanding not good sometimes - makes dents and scratches more obvious.
I go for very light scrub with wire wool and white spirit followed when dry by raw linseed - brushed on thin , rubbed out thinner after an hour or so. Brings back colour and is a very durable finish. Takes a few days to dry - which is why there are so many quicker drying popular alternative magic mixes!


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