There might be nothing more beautiful in the furniture world than a well made, ornately carved piece of mahogany, whether it be on a headboard, chair, bench, table, or anywhere else in the house. It is for this reason that it is imperative to make the most out of such a gorgeous piece, and sometimes this means refinishing the entire thing. Done incorrectly, you could end up with a ruined hunk of wood and a nightmare of a piece of furniture. However, if done carefully, you could end up with a piece that looks like a completely new plank of beautiful wood. The key step in this process is to very carefully remove the old finish from the wood without causing damage. Here are three important things to keep in mind during this crucial step.
1.) Sand the flat surfaces carefully
Most people know that it takes more than some chemicals to get rid of the old finish, and there almost always requires some elbow grease. Too much, and the flat parts of your furniture will become disfigured and rough, losing some wood mass in the process. Using a mechanical sander like a belt sander or a disk sander will ensure even sanding, and be sure to use fine sandpaper so as not to dig into the delicate wood. Make sure to wipe the wood off with a wet cloth once this part is finished.
2.) Take extra care with any carvings
This may be obvious, but taking a mechanical sander to a fine carving is a recipe for disaster. Instead, using a chemical finish stripper will be gentler on the parts of the furniture that you want to keep. Be sure to read the manufacturer's recommendations on using the chemicals before you start. Then, for the remaining finish, brush carefully with some fine steel wool, especially in and around the carvings in the wood, where the chemicals may not have been able to penetrate.
3.) Getting the chemicals out
Once these chemicals have done their job on your furniture, taking them off is relatively easy, but does take time. Using a scraper or putty knife, carefully follow the lines of the carvings to get rid of all of the old finish and chemicals. Then, take the finish off of the flat parts of the furniture, as these are less likely to be affected by the chemicals sitting on them.
Once the finish has been removed from your furniture, the hard part is over, and you've set the stage for your furniture to be revitalized and continue to dazzle guests and yourself for years to come once it gets a fresh coat of finish. For particularly old or delicate furniture, consider taking it to a shop such as Complete Claim Furniture Service LLC for a professional finishing job.
Share9 February 2015
Moving to a hot climate freed me from dealing with snow and ice in the winter. However, it also brought a lot more heat during the summer. I had resigned myself to paying big bills for cooling nine months out of the year when I found out from a friend that my air conditioner was struggling and need in of repair. Once a technician stopped by and gave my equipment a tune up, my cooling costs were nearly cut in half! This surprising discovery prompted me to head online and blog about my experiences. Even if you and your family only use the air conditioner a few times a month during the summer, you can benefit from my tips on keeping the equipment running smoothly and efficiently. You'll appreciate the combination of cooler indoor temperatures and lower monthly bills.
