Procedure To Refinish An Antique Furniture
An Antique or aged furniture can be refinished and bring back to life by following the below-given procedure:
- Clean Antique Furniture:
Before starting the refinishing process, it is necessary for the user to clean antique furniture thoroughly in order to remove as much dust, debris, and grease as possible. It has been recommended by the experts to use TSP (Tri-sodium Phosphate) for cleaning antique furniture. - Sand The Furniture:
After that, the user needs to sand the entire furniture by using 150-grit sandpaper. The step is necessary as it allows a surface to which the stripper will adhere easily. Once sanded, the user needs to wipe down the sanding dust from the antique furniture by using a tack cloth or a cloth dampened with water. - Apply Stripper:
The next step will be to apply stripper on to the entire antique furniture by using a paintbrush. It has been recommended by the experts to apply a thick coat of stripper and work the brush in a single direction. The user needs to let the stripper dry on to the furniture as per label instructions. After that, the user needs to scrape off the stripper by using a nylon stripping pad or a putty knife. In case, the paint or varnish doesn't come off easily from the furniture, the user needs to apply a second coat of stripper to it and scrape it off after the recommended time period. - Remove Remaining Stripper Residue:
After scrapping the furniture with a putty knife or a nylon stripping pad, it is likely that some stripper will remain on the detailed areas that need to be removed with an old paint brush having cut short bristles. First, the user needs to work with a dry bristled brush and follow that up with a damp bristled brush in order to remove the remaining stripper residue. The user can remove the remaining stripper from the spindles by using a cotton rope. At last, the user needs to wipe down the entire furniture with a damp rag. The rag should be dampened with water if the stripper is water-based/latex and should be dampened with mineral spirits if the stripper is solvent-based. It is necessary for the user to let the furniture dry completely before proceeding forward. - Make Important Repairs:
It is necessary for the user to make important repairs on to the antique furniture before applying a new stain to it. Also, the user needs to keep it in mind that lesser the repair, more value will be retained by the antique furniture. The rotted wood should be cut in a matching pattern by taking the other side of the furniture as a template. If the user has to replace door or drawer hardware, he needs to look for matching style hardware with age similar to the furniture. It has been recommended by the experts to use a pneumatic nailer and a glue to assemble replacement pieces. In case, the pneumatic nailer is not available, the user can replace it with a hammer and a nail set. The user needs to avoid damaging the wood during the assembling process. - Distress Replacement Pieces:
In order to match the replacement pieces with the antique furniture, the user needs to distress them by making few dings & dents over the wood face & edge by using a hammer. The user can also distress the wood pieces by rolling or banging the rock over them. - Apply Stain:
The next step will be to stain the new wood pieces in order to match them as close as possible with the unstained original furniture. The user needs to apply several layers of stains starting with a dark stain, follow it with a lighter coat of antique white stain, and at last apply another dark coat of stain. Once stained, the user needs to blend the wood pieces by using a blending pencil. Some putty doesn't accept stain once it dries, so it has been recommended by the experts to mix stain on to the wood filler putty and use it to cover nail holes. - Attach Replacement Pieces:
The next step after applying the wood filler is to attach replacement pieces to the antique furniture. It has been recommended by the experts to attach replacement pieces securely by using wood glue and screws. Wood glue and screws are recommended if the replacement pieces are going to support the weight of the furniture. - Sand The Entire Furniture Again:
After attaching the replacement pieces, the user needs to sand the entire furniture in order to smooth the surface damaged due to the stripping process and to remove excess wood filler putty. It has been recommended to sand in the direction of the wood grain and the user needs to apply equal force on forward as well as backward strokes. The sanding dust should be removed with a damp rag or a tack cloth. - Apply New Coat Of Stain:
The last step in the procedure will be to let the furniture dry completely before applying a new coat of stain to it. It has been recommended by the experts to apply stain with a lint-free rag and follow it up by wiping the stain off with another clean rag.