So I got a table from Ikea and it needs to be...stained? Finished? Sealed?

[Jschmuck2]

The dining table I picked up is just bare wood - no finish, nada. It almost seems like I would get a splinter running my hand on it the wrong way.

That being said...I think I need to sand it down before I apply some kind of chemical to it. Right? So for all of you woodworkers out there, what's the proper way to go about this? I'm thinking maybe I need to seal it too? In case there is some water spilled on it or some such.

 

[Leros]

You sure you couldn't have chosen to get a pre-finished top?

 

[Jschmuck2]

Originally posted by: Leros
You sure you couldn't have chosen to get a pre-finished top?

I ::could've:: chosen to do that and yet...here I am.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Jschmuck2

Originally posted by: Leros
You sure you couldn't have chosen to get a pre-finished top?

I ::could've:: chosen to do that and yet...here I am.

 

[iamwiz82]

If you want it natural, sand it, steel wool it, and find 100% tung oil and apply it.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Sand it to at least 180 grit (some like to go finer, but much beyond this is just more work than it needs). Look for a Woodworkers Supply or order via the internet "Waterlox Original". Apply per instructions. Google to see what it would look like.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Hayabusa Rider
Sand it to at least 180 grit (some like to go finer, but much beyond this is just more work than it needs). Look for a Woodworkers Supply or order via the internet "Waterlox Original". Apply per instructions. Google to see what it would look like.

Waterlox is a tung oil :thumbsup:. Completely food safe and it smells like peanuts.

 

[Jschmuck2]

Well, that looks like exactly what I need!

The bad news is - it's not really available anywhere near me. Is there a similar product I could get at say...lowes?

 

[ultimatebob]

I got an Ikea table like that... I ended up painting it gray to match my kitchen. Looks much better now!

It's the infamous Ingo table, isn't it?

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
Well, that looks like exactly what I need!

The bad news is - it's not really available anywhere near me. Is there a similar product I could get at say...lowes?

How far is Stanton from you?


That's where I buy my Tung Oil from.

 

[Jschmuck2]

A little too far.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

You could always mix your own. It's not hard.

Some decent options here

 

[ManyBeers]

Try here

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
A little too far

Amazon has some: http://www.amazon.com/OLD-MAST...&qid=1200791989&sr=8-7.

Please note that you must have 100% tung oil, pretty much anything else is not foodsafe.

 

[Mahaguru]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
I got an Ikea table like that... I ended up painting it gray to match my kitchen. Looks much better now!

It's the infamous Ingo table, isn't it?

How does one paint furniture?

 

[1EZduzit]

I refinished our kitchen table from an older solid oak table back in 1976. I stained it with oak stain and then bought the BEST ureathane marine grade varnish I could get. It had a 20 year guarantee as I recall??

I gave it a coat and let it dry overnight under a couple of heat lamps. I sanded it lightly with 220 grit sandpaper, wiped it off with a tack cloth and varnished it again.

I think I gave it 7 or 8 coats but the finish looked like it was 1/4 inch thick. We still use it as our kitchen table and eat most of our meals off of it. Even after 30 years of use, 3 kids banging on it with silverware, getting wiped down several times a day with a wet rag and usually not dried it still looks pretty good.... though it is getting a little dull. That'd be easy to fix though with one or two more coats of varnish.

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00060.asp

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: Mahaguru

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
I got an Ikea table like that... I ended up painting it gray to match my kitchen. Looks much better now!

It's the infamous Ingo table, isn't it?

How does one paint furniture?

It's not that hard. I did mine over a long weekend. Sand it, put down a primer coat, sand down the rough spots, paint the first coat, sand down the rough spots one last time with a fine grit sandpaper, and paint the last coat.

It also helps that the Ikea stuff can be disassembled and reassembled easily.

 

[OdiN]

Well do you want a more natural look, or do you want to stain it?

If you want to stain it, I would sand further than 180 personally - but not too much. Then after the stain you will need a good varnish. You can sand it until it's really really smooth, but there's no point in that if you're using a varnish as the varnish will be smooth when you're done.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: 1EZduzit
I refinished our kitchen table from an older solid oak table back in 1976. I stained it with oak stain and then bought the BEST ureathane marine grade varnish I could get. It had a 20 year guarantee as I recall??

I gave it a coat and let it dry overnight under a couple of heat lamps. I sanded it lightly with 220 grit sandpaper, wiped it off with a tack cloth and varnished it again.

I think I gave it 7 or 8 coats but the finish looked like it was 1/4 inch thick. We still use it as our kitchen table and eat most of our meals off of it. Even after 30 years of use, 3 kids banging on it with silverware, getting wiped down several times a day with a wet rag and usually not dried it still looks pretty good.... though it is getting a little dull. That'd be easy to fix though with one or two more coats of varnish.

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00060.asp

That's the only site I pay to visit. A fave!

 

[oiprocs]

Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
A little too far

Is that your real address?

:evil:

 

[Jschmuck2]

Yep - come and get me.

 

[Jschmuck2]

Originally posted by: Oiprocs

Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
A little too far

Is that your real address?

:evil:

Yep. Come and get me.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Hayabusa Rider
Sand it to at least 180 grit (some like to go finer, but much beyond this is just more work than it needs). Look for a Woodworkers Supply or order via the internet "Waterlox Original". Apply per instructions. Google to see what it would look like.

Waterlox is a tung oil :thumbsup:. Completely food safe and it smells like peanuts.

I would be food safe, but a dinner table takes a pounding, I think I'd go with poly.



Jschmuck2, the bottom of that table offers a lot of opportunity to experiment.
Do you also happen to know what kind of wood the table is made of? Pine, Poplar, Birch?
What color are the chairs?

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Squisher

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: Hayabusa Rider
Sand it to at least 180 grit (some like to go finer, but much beyond this is just more work than it needs). Look for a Woodworkers Supply or order via the internet "Waterlox Original". Apply per instructions. Google to see what it would look like.

Waterlox is a tung oil :thumbsup:. Completely food safe and it smells like peanuts.

I would be food safe, but a dinner table takes a pounding, I think I'd go with poly.



Jschmuck2, the bottom of that table offers a lot of opportunity to experiment.
Do you also happen to know what kind of wood the table is made of? Pine, Poplar, Birch?
What color are the chairs?

My tung oil coat is at least 1/2" thick. It's awesome. :thumbsup:. If I see a scratch, just sand it out.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
My tung oil coat is at least 1/2" thick. It's awesome. :thumbsup:. If I see a scratch, just sand it out.

What brand?

My favorite is Minwax Antique Oil Finish after a first coat of Orange Shellac. But, I usually reserve it for decorative items not ones that are heavy use. The Minwax is mostly just a thicker tung oil which I assume is modified with varnish. Most tung oil I've seen is very thin, and not meant for film building.