Parker dining table stripping and refinishing

**meggg** · 3rd December 2014, 06:45 AM

Hi I have a late 60s early 70s teak dining table with chairs, the top is in quite good condition, there is no damage to the veneer, but would benefit from a strip back and refinish and this will hopefully restore some of the original colour. I think the top is veneer, but the edge of the table, the legs and the chairs are solid teak. Also there are faded marks on the back of the legs of the chairs and they look very dry. The table is in quite good condition, but has a couple of faint marks on it (very pale white mark that can only be seen in the right light) that I would like to get out.

I spoke with a fellow on facebook and he said to put some Metho on some super fine steal wool, which I did on the edge of the table. After it dried, there was slight white marks, which I don't know is the varnish or is teak oil with dirt in it? He said he wasn't sure what way to move forward with stripping the table.

I am posting some photos for you, if you could advise me of the best way forward with this project.

I would love to get this finished before Christmas.

I can take more photos if this would help with your advice.

Photo 1: showing the fading from table top to table leaf
Photo 2: showing back of chair
Photo 3: showing edge of table, after I put on some metho and rubbed it with super fine steal wool, you will notice that to the edge there is some dusty look, once I wiped again with some metho on a cloth this came off.
Photo 4 showing me wiping the edge with the super fine steal wool.

Cheers

Table top leaf.jpg Chair front.jpg table edge after Metho.jpg table while putting on metho.jpg

**ubeaut** · 13th December 2014, 12:05 AM

G'day Megg - I'd be a bit wary about stripping and refinishing unless you have pretty good finishing skills.

Going to do a bit of a sell on you here and suggest you try our Polish Reviver. If it doesn't bring it back to near new condition almost immediately then nothing else will. Then the strip and repolish may be justified. If it works (which it should) you will save yourself a lot of hard work, headaches, cursing, angst, time and money.

Sorry for the blatant advert but rather that than see a nice piece of furniture undergo major surgery if it's not really needed.

Cheers - Neil

**wachenga** · 13th December 2014, 01:24 PM

Hi Meggg

You're kind of on the right track. Using methylated spirits will only work on a top that has been oiled and there's a good chance the table has a lacquer on it that will need to be removed using a paint stripper (Diggers Polystrippa etc) and scraper or coarse steel wool, always working with the grain. Clean the paint stripper with methylated spirits. A coat of oxalic acid (in a water solution) should remove any stains on the veneer. Then neutralise the oxalic acid with borax (again in a water solution). Now you can start sanding, go easy here, maybe only 180 or 240 grit, working with the grain. I would normally use a hardwax oil to finish the top with, three coats, over three days. Oiling table tops on hot days is hard work, so doing small sections at a time can work well. Have a look at my website medium-rare.net.au lots of information on there and a link to my Instagram which has plenty of restoration posts.

Hope that helps.

Liam

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**AlexS** · 13th December 2014, 05:37 PM

Definitely, before you try stripping, sanding or refinishing, use the polish reviver. Unless the existing finish is crazing or coming off, that is probably all that is needed.

**daryl@kit-chens** · 14th December 2014, 05:50 PM

A great bit of advise was given to me 20 years ago regarding stripping furniture. "Try mild before going wild". I agree with the idea of the polish reviver first off. However I don't think it will make your table look new again.

I I also agree with the idea of stripping the existing polish. I very much doubt it would be coated in a 2-pack so paint stripper should be fine. An old trick is to cover the stripper with a very cheap cling wrap from the supermarket. This prevents the stripper from drying too quickly and keeps the stripper working a bit longer. Oh yeah, work in the shade and keep the stripper off your skin.

Then use a scrapper in the direction of the grain being careful not to dig the corners of the scrapper into the surface. A good idea is to round off the corners on your scrapper before using it.

The he idea of the borax etc is good but in the past I've cleaned off the job just using metho or thinners and medium grade steel wool again with the grain. However, turned legs are done by twisting the wool around the leg. Even though thinners is more expensive, it does a great job.

As as far as finishing goes, if you don't want a sprayed finish or don't wish to spray with 2-pack, I love the finish you get from Cabots Danish Oil. But do seal the surface first with either Shellac or another suitable surface sealer.

When using the Danish Oil, don't cover the whole table before rubbing off between coats. Do your top, wait 10 minutes or so (depending on the temp) and rub off with grain. Leave it and move onto the legs. Next day, 2nd coat and so on. The more coats the better it gets.

It's a great hard wearing finish that can be added to each year if needed and provides a nice hand rubbed look. Best of luck.

**daryl@kit-chens** · 14th December 2014, 06:01 PM

Sorry Megg but I forgot to mention, sanding after stripping but I thought that was pretty much a given. By the way, why I like to clean off the stripper with thinners or metho, they don't raise the grain as much as borax and water and therefore lessens the amount of sanding.

Also so sand between coats of finish as the tin will tell you. Again best of luck.

**meggg** · 15th December 2014, 08:06 AM

Thanks for the advice; I really don’t want to ruin it.

First of all I will try the Polish Reviver as it’s not expensive, if this doesn’t work, I can then go to the next level and strip it.

It doesn’t look like the finish is coming off in any places, but it does look very dull at one end ( I have posted a photo) (okay, maybe this is what it would look like if the finish is coming off?) and on one side of the table it has what looks like something may have been left there, and it has melted the top coat then hardened again, if that makes any sense? ( have posted a photo)

If the Polish Reviver doesn’t restore it to my liking, and from reading your information on your site, Liam, it sounds like the hardwax would be durable, as the table is going to be used on a daily basis with grandchildren visiting and eating at the table. Is the Hardwax the most suitable product for the legs of the table and the chairs? Also, where do I purchase Hardwax and is there a preferable brand?

Daryl@kit-chens, if I go down this path with the Shellac, then Danish Oil, will is also give a durable surface? What I’m worried about is heat marks and water marks.

Again, thanks for all the advice.

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**wachenga** · 15th December 2014, 12:28 PM

Hi Meggg,

I use Livos Natural Oil Sealer (clear) but any hardwax oil, Osmo Polyx, Treatex etc, will do the job. Whilst not as durable as a lacquer finish hardwax oils (and Danish oil for that matter) are very good but do require some twice yearly care with re-oiling. Spills will need to be wiped off fairly quickly but apart from that they are usually rated to be water resistant after three coats.

I also prefer the look of an oiled finish and they do develop a great patina over the years.

The existing finish does look quite worn, certainly give the polish reviver a go but I'm not sure if it will cover / remove any stains. Also not sure how the polish remover will affect the restoration method I suggested. Some furniture "polishes" (e.g. Mr Sheen) are really quite bad for furniture finished and can make restoration difficult.

Daryl@kit-chens: yes, use metho to clean up the paint stripper, the borax is to neutralise the oxalic acid. I find oxalic acid works great at removing water stains, especially on Teak.

Cheers,

Liam

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**The Bleeder** · 15th December 2014, 03:31 PM

Hi Meggg,

Can you give us some history of the table.....i.e. did you inherit it (know all about it)

Firstly I would give it a clean with 'wax and grease' remover. This is the softest form of cleaning.

Use a clean coth and as soon as it shows marks on the cloth use another. This way you a not transferring crud from one place to another.

In photo 1 did this appear after you cleaned it with metho or was it always there?

In photo 2 it looks more like a heat blemish (being transfered through a cloth via a hot pot or something). So it would seem the coating was some sort of varnish or poly ... hence need the history.

I managed to restore a Parker table that had a hot pot put directly on it. (nice burn mark).

It involved cleaning it with the 'wax and grease' remover then sanding it with 1200 to 2000 grit wet and dry using parafin oil as the lubricant.

Kept wiping it down with 'wax and grease' remover and then sand again with oil and repeat unitll the 'burn mark' disappeared.

Then to finsih off used shellac and wax. Not exactly a hard wearing surface but one that was easy to clean and restore.

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