I made a desk six years ago and finished it with a water-based polyurethane. Over time, it's chipped and the poly has collected grime and darkened. I understand that removing the finish is going to be a bit of work, but I'm ready for it. What's the best way to approach this? Should I use paint stripper followed by sanding, or would just sanding be sufficient? I'm concerned about the poly clogging the sandpaper. Also, once I get down to bare wood, what finish would you recommend that's durable and can be easily refreshed with light sanding and recoating? I want to keep the natural color of the timber, which is Blackbutt, as much as possible.
4 Answers
I’ve had excellent results using Rubio Monocoat. Although it’s on the pricier side, it dries hard and doesn't require as many coats compared to polyurethane.
Yes, I suggest stripping it first and then sanding to finish. You can find plenty of YouTube videos on this topic. You might also want to consider Danish oil or a tung oil wax finish. Sandpaper will clog, but you can clean it with a brush; just be prepared to use up a lot of sandpaper. There are mesh sanding discs available that work longer than regular sandpaper but cost a bit more.
I've done similar projects before. Start by stripping the old finish with a chemical stripper, then use a scraper and heat gun to get off as much as possible. After that, sand it to your desired smoothness. For a tough finish, try polymerized Tung oil. It’s very durable, used for gun stocks, and you’ll just need to apply a few coats before enjoying your newly finished table!
Thanks for the detailed and informative response.
I personally like using nitrocellulose for tabletops. It gives a nice hard finish!
Thanks for your response. What's the difference between waxes and oils?