Replies

1. 
   Westchester | Dec 29, 2009 02:00pm | #1

   Sounds correct - however remember you're sanding the finish - not the wood - ...... use a paper for sanding the finish only. Follow with a surface cleaning + wipe down - then re-coat. Do you know the brand finish Dad used ? Use the same brand if you can -

   Regards,

   SA

2. 
   lwj2 | Dec 29, 2009 03:27pm | #2

   Sounds good, I suggest that you use a sanding block and not a ROS or belt sander.

   If there are sub-surface dings you'll have to use the paper with your fingers to get to them, the block will act as a plane, sort of, and go over them.

   Good luck, take some photos of it first, and some as you proceed, then put 'em up for us.

3. 
   HowardAcheson | Dec 29, 2009 05:16pm | #3

   Was the original finish a true, real tung oil or one of the many faux "tung oil finishes" such as Minwax Tung Oil Finish? It is highly likely that little if any of the original finish remains on or in the wood.

   My recommendation would be to use a chemical paint remover. This will remove any residual finish without materially affecting the patina in the wood. Once you have the surface prepared, you need to decide what finish you want to apply based on the appearance you want and the durability you need.

   I would strongly recommend you not use a real, pure tung oil. It's a very poor finish. It has little or not water or watervapor resistance and it has no abrasion resistance. Better is an oil/varnish mixture consisting of equal parts of varnish or poly varnish, boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits. This is a nice in-the-wood finish with some long term durability.

4. 
   JohnWW | Dec 29, 2009 07:38pm | #4

   Keep it simple, which will also be far less likely to damage the history and look you are trying to preserve.

   Wipe the table with paper towels dampened with a household cleaner, such as diluted Simple Green, to take off any surface dirt that is water soluble. Go over it a few times if the towels pick up a lot of dirt on the first cleaning. Don't soak the wood directly with the cleaner, just dampen the towels. You don't have to clean until the towels come up dirt free, much of the patina is what has been absorbed by the wood over the years, you just want to get the surface dirt off.

   Next do the same thing with a bit of naphtha or paint thinner on the towels, again just dampen a towel and wipe lightly.

   Using almost any abrasive is likely to change the appearance of the wood and will probably cut through the surface, especially at the edges or corners. Unless there are rough spots that you feel must be sanded, don't use an abrasive. If you must sand, the best choice would probably be to lightly use a fine Scotchbrite with a block, staying away from the edges at least until you get a feel for how the pad cuts.

   Once the table is cleaned off, two or three coats of a commercial oil finish, applied following the directions on the can, are all that will be needed to make the top look the way it appeared originally, with the years of family use added in. The fresh oil will probably make the table look darker at least initially, but that is normal and the original finish that your father applied would have done the same thing.

   Oil finishes will never build up a sealed surface, so nothing is gained by piling on too many coats. Skip the wax, it serves no purpose over an oil finish, it will just be absorbed into the wood, attracting dirt and making future refinishing more difficult.

   Once the table is back in use, occasionally, maybe once a year, you can lightly clean the surface and apply another coat of oil if needed.

1. 
   rudder | Dec 29, 2009 10:56pm | #5

   Thanks for the suggestions. Not wanting a glossy built up finish, I recently started using oil as a finish i.e. boiled linseed oil with paste wax. Previously, I used mostly lacquer or shellac to finish a project. So I've been researching the different oil finishes, manly reading articles and books by other woodworkers. I would like to experiment with the Tried and True product line.

   I will try to take some photos of the progress and post them.

   Thanks again.

1. 
   Rich14 | Dec 30, 2009 05:39pm | #8

   Rudder,

   I strongly recommend you do exactly as JohnWW has recommended for cleaning up the table and preparing it for a new finish. Don't use any sandpaper if you want to retain the character of the table that it has acquired from the years. Sandpaper will take the years of wear off the surface and prepare it (depending on how much removal you do) as a new surface.

   Substitute Steve Acheson's recommendation of equal parts boiled linseed oil/varnish/mineral spirits for the "commercial finish" John recommends. This "brew" will be as good or better than anything you can buy which is labeled "oil finish" or "tung oil" or any other such "name." They are all mystery finishes of one proprietary formula or another, and generally have NO tung oil, even if that's in the name. At least you will know exactly what you put into yours and it will perform beautifully.

   Avoid "Tried and True" finish. It is snake oil at best. Half the contributors on this forum swear by it, the other half swear AT it because it just doesn't dry/harden. At best it is just (expensive) boiled linseed oil, which provides no protection and for a table top you need a varnish component as Howard's mix nicely provides.

   Having said all that, since you have experience applying lacquer, it is possible to learn how to apply a lacquer finish which will give much more protection than an oil/varnish yet look exactly like an oil/varnish. Lacquer is really the most versatile of finishes. But, go with the oil/varnish brew for this project. It will be almost fool-proof.

   Rich

2. 
   Westchester | Dec 30, 2009 03:59pm | #7

   In reply to John WW
   It's a
   In reply to John WW

   It's a tung oil finish - not an oil finish !

   SA

5. 
   SteveSchoene | Dec 30, 2009 03:46pm | #6

   John has nailed this. Follow his advise step by step.

   Clean, then reapply oil/varnish, wipe off excess thoroughly. Repeat every year or three, never letting it build up to a film. Oil/varnish mixes are much superior to pure oils either boiled linseed oil or pure tung oil.