Wood is lovely, but at times it does not age well, or exposure makes the veneer or varnish suffer needlessly.
This guide can help you revive that nice dresser or nightstand, not so that it regains its monetary value as much as that it still looks attractive in your home.
Total Time: 30 minutes to one hour
Supplies:
Related Product:
Steps:
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thanks for this tutorial! i have some of those markers but was uncertain how they were used. it certainly looks like they make the furniture look MUCH better!
I did exactly what you did with the exception of the vinegar solution, this was many years ago when we had kids staying with us and they spilled liquid, I was unaware until I removed the dresser scarf that was on the top. It still looks great. Glad you can pass on your tips to someone else.
I have the markers as well. Don't use them unless you have a tiny scratch . The colors do not match well and looks crappy.
How long does it last b4 you have to do it again?
awesome! you can use varish as well to have the wood last longer. its like coating!
awesome! you can add varnish like a coating for extra wood strength!
I recently purchased a lovely antique wood dining table and used the oil and vinegar on it. I was pleasantly surprised to see how nice it turned out!
Is there a vinegar smell and does it last long?
This is yet another example of someone giving out wrong information about "restoring" furniture. Used motor oil has a beautiful golden brown color, it does not mean you should rub it all over your furniture, either.OLIVE OIL, COCONUT OIL, SAFFLOWER OIL,MINERAL OIL, ANY NON DRYING OILS, DO NOT BELONG ON FURNITURE. If you rub oil into wood you are CONTAMINATING IT and rendering it unsuitable for actual, proven, proper restoration techniques developed over hundreds of years by people who actually know what they're doing!
So can you tell us what you do use? That would be helpful. Ive used beeswax before on a Victorian dressing table. Ive used a Matt Varnish on a beautiful walnut desktop. Super pleased with both projects. Would love you to edify us.
That is quite true being in restoration for 50+ years there are natural products that work and do not have excess oil that continue to weep from wood. Letting it dry in warm temps and sun is helpful too.
Maybe you shouldnt fight the misinformation then and people will do what they do and in time they will hopefully learn by trial and error.
If this were mine, I would just sand down the top finishing with 220 girt. Then minwax wood conditioner and then stain it with a stain color close to original. Then 2 coats poly.
It's Cherry, which responds to refinishing very well, but it should be stripped, not sanded. Stripping this top would take less than 10 minutes, then after drying it should be sanded lightly with 120-220 grit paper.. Also, there is no reason to use Minwax wood conditioner, and in fact it will prevent the stain from absorbing properly...Cherry is not a "problem wood" and stains and refinishes beautifully.
The top need to be stripped and refinished with a stain that closely matches the rest of the piece, then finished with 2 coats of polyurethane. There are no shortcuts to fixing problems like this.
Please, please, please share your expertise about the proper way to restore damaged wood surfaces. I have an entire upstairs full of my Grandparents and Great-Grandparents absolutely gorgeous furniture, all with small to nearly catastrophic damage. I am completely unwilling to just let it go, but I cannot afford to pay someone to restore it. I know the near catastrophic damage will likely need to be stripped to bare wood and refinished, but what can I do to repair the smaller damages? Please help! I want so much to learn the correct methods so that this gorgeous furniture will last another 100+ years! (Especially the amazing Art Deco bedroom set with inlaid designs of different woods!! I have loved it since I was a child and am still completely enamored!) Most of the small damage is scratching. Most of the bad damage is water damage from a hole in the roof (now repaired) that was there several years while my Grandparents were far too elderly to climb the stairs and check on everything. They were so vigilant for so many years, but the ravages of time attacked my Grandparents, their house, and the upstairs furniture. I want to reverse that damage before the ravages of time catch up with me any further! Thank you for your time!
Thanks for this information. I have purchased the pens about 4 months ago, they are still standing in a box in my living room, awaiting me to repair my coffee table. I also purchased Scratch cover for medium wood, which is purchased from Wilko in UK, instead of olive oil and vinegar.
I am now ready to go.
Will they work on vinyl kitchen flooring which has become due to unfortunate bangs over the years?
I guess there is no harm in trying, it can only improve, not do further damage?
Thank you for sharing this with us. I'm going to try it on my coffee table!
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