Question about mirotone

[Wood and Wool]

Hi all...

I'm hoping somebody can help out as I'm a female and just past the 'newbie' stage.

I recently bought a old wooden (and decorative iron) coffee table for $10 through gumtree. It was painted completely black (eek!) and looked mean and awful.
BUT - I knew it had potential.

So I took it home and stripped the paint off, only to find thick varnish underneath. So I stripped again. Quite a job and just about killed me....

I then sanded the whole thing down and it's now very smooth / looks sweet. The wood is very light but it's not pine. Underneath there is a stamp on it that says made in Malaysia, so I'm thinking it's some Malaysian wood (of course?)

So what I'm wondering now is;

1) I want it dark (Jarrah) to match the other furniture in my home. Would it be easier to varnish it with a coloured varnish or stain it? I've never used stain before but I'm guessing it's easy enough. Because it's a rather large-ish coffee table, I'm worried about using coloured varnish because of potential brush marks etc.

2) If I use stain, can I use Mirotone PC 3220/30 on top as a sealer (because I already have it)? If so, how many coats do I need to apply and do I really need to sand back after each coat? I guess I'm looking for the best job with the easiest way!

Any advise/help would be very appreciated. Thanks!

[Arron]

The timber is very likely rubberwood. Do a google image search and you should be able to confirm this. I mention this because it might be useful information for working out how to finish it.

[Wood and Wool]

Thanks Aaron, shall do.

[Wood and Wool]

The timber is very likely rubberwood. Do a google image search and you should be able to confirm this. I mention this because it might be useful information for working out how to finish it.

After a little research, I now know its rubberwood!

[Arron]

OK, as no-one better qualified has responded then I'll try to help.

Firstly, rubberwood takes a stain OK. The main problem with it is that its only a small tree so most tables etc are made by laminating small strips together. This means when you stain it you get a 'butchers block' effect, in other words the stain is likely to accentuate the fact that its made of laminated strips as some bits will go darker then others.

You can test your stain by purchasing a small item made of rubberwood. Amost all the kitchenalia coming out of Asia these days is rubberwood, so you can go to KMart or Target and buy something cheap like a wooden spoon or a cheese board (making sure its rubberwood, not bamboo), and test your stain on that.

I would stain it first rather then use a varnish-stain, for the reason you anticipate (that it might give an uneven result due to brush marks or finish pooling in places etc).

I dont know anything about Mirotone so cant comment on it. Regardless, sanding is something you will need to do after the first coat. Sanding between subsequent coats is only needed if it feels rough - simple really, if it feels rough sand it, otherwise dont. I often sand after the first coat with 400 grit (ie relatively coarse to get rid of any runs etc without too much effort), then apply more coats without sanding, then sand very lightly with 800 grit or finer before the last coat to guarantee a dead smooth final result.

cheers
Arron

[dr4g0nfly]

Arron,

as you note rubber wood is used quite widely for small kitchen items even here in the UK. But larger furniture has only been appearing in the last 5 years (or so) so I've not yet had the opportunity to have to work it.

Therefore thanks for your insights, filed away for when the need's must.

[HuonPhil]

Hi Wood and Wool

Depending on whereabouts in Perth you are, if you get really stuck go talk to the guys at W.K. Witt in Malaga. They have been importing Hevea Brasiliensis (rubberwood) furniture into Australia for more than 20 years.They may be able to give you some scraps of timber to use as tests, they will certainly be able to point you in the right direction regarding polishing the table.

Philip.

[StuartMcC]

Stain some test patches under the table top where you won't be able to see it. Test a direct stain and a stain/varnish combo. There's a wide variety of colours being sold as "jarrah" so it's worth testing first so you're happy with colour and sheen. Top coating any oil based stain with mirotone will be fine. You won't need to top coat a stain/varnish, but extra coats to the table top will add protection.

[powderpost]

I would not use a laquer (Mirotone) on a table surface. Laquer is fine for most furniture, but table surfaces are subject to some hard wear. My prefered finish is two coats of mat polyurethane (single pack estapol), lightly sanded between coats, followed by a couple of coats of scandinavian finishing oil, applied with 0000 steel wool. This finish will stand up to a hot tea pot, spilt alchohol and can easily be restored if damaged. I have used this treatment for table surfaces successfully for many years. The polyurethane can be applied with a brush as well.
Jim