Refinish Wood The Easy Way

Some followers have ask me to recommend an easy way to refinish wooden furniture without stripping. Although I prefer doing the job the long way, I understand the frustrations that come with wood refinishing and would love to share some tips I've found.   

1//  First Thing's First: Less "Is" More

Before getting started you must remember that the less refinishing you do to a furniture piece, the more value the piece with retain.  Don't go over board if you intend to sell the furniture piece in the future.  

 

2// Clean The Furniture

To determine what (if any) repairs are to be made, use a clean cloth and furniture cleaner to cleanse the piece. Do not use too much water, because it will cause the wood to expand.  Instead, you can try one of these three options:

Option 1.
Homemade Wood Cleaner (my personal favorite)
          -1 tsp. of lemon juice
          -1 tsp. of boiled linseed oil
          -1 tsp. of turpentine

Apply this mixture to a soft and damp cloth. Rub it sparingly onto one small area at a time. Let the furniture dry for 30 minutes, then polish with a soft cloth.  Note: This mixture gets gummy when sitting after a day, so do not store the mixture after using. 

Option 2.
Howard Upholstery Furniture Cleaner

Option 3.
Murphy Soap

3// Determine The Wood Finish
Now that you've cleaned the wood, it's time to determine the wood finish: shellac, varnish, or lacquer.  The finish will help you know how to treat scratches and dents. Here's how to determine the finish:

1. apply denatured alcohol to a rag and dab onto a small wax-free area of the piece. Shellac finishes will become soft and rub off. If the finish does not become soft, then it is varnish.

4// Re-hydrate The Wood

If the wood is brittle or dull in color, re-hydrate it by using Howard Feed N Wax.  This quickly re-hydrates wood cells causing dents to disappear (you may find that you don’t have to do anything else!)

5// Remove Water Rings (if any)

After re-hydrating the wood you may find deep water or alcohol rings.

Here are some options to remove the rings:

Option 1.
Apply linseed oil or olive oil in direction of the wood grain using a fine abrasive. Example fine abrasives are fine steel wool, table salt, or car cleaner/polisher.
 
Option 2.
For a deeper treatment, make a paste using equal parts of boiled linseed oil, vinegar, and turpentine.  Wipe on the water ring and let it sit for a few minutes.  Then rub it with a soft abrasive in direction with the wood grain.

Option 3. (Easiest)
Use Howard Restore A Finish with a soft rag along the wood grain and allow it to dry.  For a deep clean apply Howard Restore Finish to the water rings with a q-tip and allow it to dry.

Many home décor television shows use this product because it easily refinishes furniture without striping. It’s available in 9 tints including clear. If you want a darker shade, simply apply another coat of the same tint and allow to dry between applications.