These nice Baker end tables were scratched and dented with a worn out finish. Here I show the process of stripping and refinishing this wooden table. This is a museum quality piece that was originally finished in a dark stain. But I take it down to bare wood and then apply a new finish that brings out the natural beauty of the oak. The client wrote me this letter of appreciation after taking delivery of the refinished tables:Mark, I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for the multiple jobs you have done extremely well for us. My wife and I have entrusted you with a number of pieces of our furniture that you have repaired and/or restored with a uniformly high level of expertise. You have consistently gone “above and beyond” when it comes to doing the work to standards that are clearly “museum quality.” It is refreshing, but sadly rare, to find a craftsman with both a real passion for their work and such a high level of skill. This combination is not often found in the modern service trades. We would highly recommend you to anyone seeking “old world craftsmanship” at a reasonable cost. Please feel free to use us as a reference and, once again, thank you for all of your hard work and expertise.
Regards, Steve L. Ellyson, PhD & Carol A. Olson, JD
June 17, 2015
Here is the Project Gallery so you can see the progression of the work. This gallery includes a scan of the original letter from the client.
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- End Table top was scratched and chipped, base was scratched up. Needs complete strip and refinish
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- Close up picture showing scratches and dents
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- Close up of the dented corner
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- The old stained, faded and discolored finish on the table top
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- Applying stripper to carefully remove finish
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- Carefully removing finish with a plastic spatula to avoid scratching the wood
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- Completely stripped and sanded table, ready to receive dye stain color
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- Applying dye stain
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- Dye Stained Tables
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- Dye Stained Table
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- Dye Stained Tables
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- Sealer coats applied and fine sanded and more coats applied to the top to seal the grain
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- Table sealed and fine sanded, applying glaze
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- Brushing out the glaze to accent finish, this part of the process brings out the fine detail
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- Lacquer coats applied, hand rubbed final finish
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- Lacquer coats applied, hand rubbed final finish
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- Lacquer coats applied, hand rubbed final finish
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- Original letter of appreciation from Client
