How to restore wooden furniture

How to restore wooden furniture

Nareele, Team member
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Project Overview

If you’ve got old wooden furniture that’s seen better days, you’d be surprised how easy it is to restore it and give it a new lease of life. Whether it’s from coffee and wine stains, scratches and gouges or peeling varnish, we’ll show you the steps to bring that piece of wooden furniture back to looking like it’s brand new.

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clean paint brush
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How to clean a paint brush

Here’s a great tip to save you time and mess while cleaning paint brushes. Use tin snips to cut a wire mesh panel into a rectangle. Bend the mesh into an arc shape and place it in the bucket, so that it’s wedged inside. Fill the bucket with water to cover the mesh. Now run your paintbrush back and forth over the mesh and the paint will come out quicker and easier.

Step by Step Instructions

1 Clean the table
2 Sand the table
3 Brush the dust off
4 Continue sanding
5 Use a finer grit sandpaper
6 Wipe the table with turps
7 Apply the first coat of varnish
8 Lightly sand the table
9 Apply the second coat of varnish
10 Job done

  • Step 1. Clean the table

    Use a damp cloth to thoroughly clean the table surface and remove any dirt or grime. Doing this before you sand will give you a smoother finish. 

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    person cleaning table with a cloth

  • Step 2. Sand the table

    To get rid of the varnish on the table, use a coarse sandpaper like 40 grit with an orbital sander. Sand the top and sides of the table. Make sure you regularly check the grit on the sandpaper and replace it when it’s worn. When you’re sanding, don’t forget your safety equipment and put drop sheets on the floor. 

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    person sanding table with an orbital sander

  • Step 3. Brush the dust off

    As you sand, regularly brush the dust off the table. This is so you can see how much more sanding you need to do on the surface. 

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    person brushing dust off table

  • Step 4. Continue sanding

    Continue sanding with the coarse grit sandpaper to strip the table back to its bare wood. Make sure you continue to check the grit on the sandpaper and replace it when necessary. 

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    person sanding table with orbital sander

  • Step 5. Use a finer grit sandpaper

    Once you’ve stripped the table back to bare wood, change the sandpaper to a finer grit, such as 240 grit. This will help you sand the table back until it’s smooth. Remember to always sand with the grain and brush the dust off the table.

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    person removing sanding pad from orbital sander

  • Step 6. Wipe the table with turps

    Wipe the table with mineral turpentine to remove any fine dust and residue that might still be on the table. When using turpentine put on your dust mask.

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    person wiping down table with mineral turpentine

  • Step 7. Apply the first coat of varnish

    After the table is dry, it’s time to apply the first coat of varnish. Stir the varnish thoroughly to get rid of any lumps. With a little varnish on your brush, apply it to the table, going with the grain. Keep an eye out for runs when you’re working around an edge or into a join. Smooth any runs out with the brush as they occur. Let the first coat dry thoroughly.

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    person applying varnish to table with paint brush

  • Step 8. Lightly sand the table

    Once the first coat of varnish has dried, give it a light sand with a fine sanding block. This will give you a smooth glossy finish. Wipe away any dust.

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    person lightly sanding table with sanding block

  • Step 9. Apply the second coat of varnish

    Stir the varnish thoroughly again before using it. Apply the varnish in nice long strokes, always following the grain. Let the varnish dry. 
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    person applying second coat of varnish

  • Step 10. Job done

    And there you go – a fantastic piece of wooden furniture restored to its former glory.

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    Job done

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