Re-lacquering Habitat Radius Table

[Tim Dickinson]

I have a Habitat Radius Table and it has a few large back marks on it, which I think are where the lacquer has worn down and moisture has got into the oak. I want to do the work myself, but have 2 questions I hoped someone might be able to help me with...?!

1. What's the best way to get the old lacquer off the table?
2. What's the best way to get the black marks out of the wood?

Thanks in advance!

 

[sammy.se]

Is it solid wood, or veneered? A picture will help a lot.

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[Tim Dickinson]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply!

It's solid oak. I've taken some pictures which I hope will help...

We've bought the table secondhand, so I don't know what has caused the marks unfortunately.

Thanks for your help!

 

[will1983]

I refinished an oak dining table for a client a few months back.

As it was solid and not veneered I just sanded it back with 120,180, 240 & 320 grit paper on my RO.
I just kept sanding until all traces of the old lacquer and any marks were gone.

There were a few small cracks in the top surface of the timber which I filled with thin CA glue, I overfilled them and then sanded that back flush.

I finished it with a few coats of Osmo top oil, the end result was lovely but the sanding took forever.

Good luck with your project.

Will

 

[ColeyS1]

I refinished an oak dining table for a client a few months back.

As it was solid and not veneered I just sanded it back with 120,180, 240 & 320 grit paper on my RO.
I just kept sanding until all traces of the old lacquer and any marks were gone.

There were a few small cracks in the top surface of the timber which I filled with thin CA glue, I overfilled them and then sanded that back flush.

I finished it with a few coats of Osmo top oil, the end result was lovely but the sanding took forever.

Good luck with your project.

Will

Any reason why you didn't use a belt sander ? That would have removed the lacquer much much much much quicker than an orbital sander.

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[Tim Dickinson]

Thanks both, that's really helpful! I'll give it a go...

 

[ED65]

Bit late maybe but I'm surprised nobody mentioned oxalic acid in response to your no. 2. Oxalic acid's major claim to fame is the reduction or removal of black staining in woods when they're due to a reaction between iron in water and tannin in the wood. The effect can be like magic in the best cases – complete removal, and sometimes almost instantly. So if you want to minimise the amount of sanding that needs to be done oxalic acid is yer man.

You need to treat the entire surface when using oxalic, not spot-treat the stains. And after drying rinse off the residue very thoroughly.

As to your 1, chemical stripper is generally the first choice for removing old finish even though it's a messy and unpleasant job. If you know the piece was finished in lacquer you may be able to remove the (undoubtedly thin) finish using pure acetone or cellulose thinners, however these flash off so very fast it can make complete removal of lacquer from a broad surface tricky. But if you want to try one of them first they won't interfere with stripper or sanding if you subsequently go with either of those.

 

[will1983]

I refinished an oak dining table for a client a few months back.

As it was solid and not veneered I just sanded it back with 120,180, 240 & 320 grit paper on my RO.
I just kept sanding until all traces of the old lacquer and any marks were gone.

There were a few small cracks in the top surface of the timber which I filled with thin CA glue, I overfilled them and then sanded that back flush.

I finished it with a few coats of Osmo top oil, the end result was lovely but the sanding took forever.

Good luck with your project.

Will

Any reason why you didn't use a belt sander ? That would have removed the lacquer much much much much quicker than an orbital sander.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Yes, I don't have one.

 

[sammy.se]

I refinished an oak dining table for a client a few months back.

As it was solid and not veneered I just sanded it back with 120,180, 240 & 320 grit paper on my RO.
I just kept sanding until all traces of the old lacquer and any marks were gone.

There were a few small cracks in the top surface of the timber which I filled with thin CA glue, I overfilled them and then sanded that back flush.

I finished it with a few coats of Osmo top oil, the end result was lovely but the sanding took forever.

Good luck with your project.

Will

Any reason why you didn't use a belt sander ? That would have removed the lacquer much much much much quicker than an orbital sander.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Yes, I don't have one.

Belt Sanders do require a bit of practice to avoid gouges, but is very effective in removing stock quickly. A ROS keeps things nice and flat. I used both recently when refinishing my garden table... Next time I will just use the ROS - might take a bit more time, but I won't have to worry about gouges.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

 

[ColeyS1]

I refinished an oak dining table for a client a few months back.

As it was solid and not veneered I just sanded it back with 120,180, 240 & 320 grit paper on my RO.
I just kept sanding until all traces of the old lacquer and any marks were gone.

There were a few small cracks in the top surface of the timber which I filled with thin CA glue, I overfilled them and then sanded that back flush.

I finished it with a few coats of Osmo top oil, the end result was lovely but the sanding took forever.

Good luck with your project.

Will

Any reason why you didn't use a belt sander ? That would have removed the lacquer much much much much quicker than an orbital sander.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Yes, I don't have one.

Belt Sanders do require a bit of practice to avoid gouges, but is very effective in removing stock quickly. A ROS keeps things nice and flat. I used both recently when refinishing my garden table... Next time I will just use the ROS - might take a bit more time, but I won't have to worry about gouges.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

You have to keep it moving or change to a finer grit to try and minimise gouges.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[ColeyS1]

I refinished an oak dining table for a client a few months back.

As it was solid and not veneered I just sanded it back with 120,180, 240 & 320 grit paper on my RO.
I just kept sanding until all traces of the old lacquer and any marks were gone.

There were a few small cracks in the top surface of the timber which I filled with thin CA glue, I overfilled them and then sanded that back flush.

I finished it with a few coats of Osmo top oil, the end result was lovely but the sanding took forever.

Good luck with your project.

Will

Any reason why you didn't use a belt sander ? That would have removed the lacquer much much much much quicker than an orbital sander.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Yes, I don't have one.

I'd highly recommend this one if you're looking for a reasonably cheap workhorse.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[Doug71]

I have the same belt sander as Coley and can also highly recommend it.

I personally prefer the belt sander for getting things flat, it gets used for almost everything, my ROS hardly ever comes out.

Once you get used to belt sanders there is no gouging, they just float over the surface.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I can do an astonishing amount of damage with my belt sander, sometimes almost instantly. This might be because it is the only sander I have (other than a black and decker mouse), and I am using it inappropriately. I do clamp it to the bench and use it as a bench sander quite a lot, which is very cool.

Need an orbital sander, but then I need quite a lot of things, it would seem. First on the list would be an aptitude for woodworking.