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How to restore an old coffee table?

Hi all

I own an old, rustic wooden coffee table - it's around 25 years old. When I first purchased it, it wasn't sealed or varnished and I sanded it then varnished it with a couple of coats of matte clear varnish.

I'd like to reapply some varnish, as it's wearing off in parts - I'd appreciate some advice on how to go about this, including what varnish to use. I do have some varnish on hand (Cabot's cabothane clear, hard wearing durable varnish) - is that appropriate? Would I need to sand it again? (I hate sanding with a passion but will obviously do it if necessary).

Thanks in advance.

Emma

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rubytuesday1953

Hi @Emmalou34

If this were my table I would sand the whole thing back (yes, I hate sanding too + all other prep work involved) but the key to getting a great result is prep, prep and more prep. It's a PITA but you'll be so proud of your work you won't be able to stop looking at it and thinking what a great job you did.

After prepping, my preference is to paint the base white and sand the top back to the natural wood and then do 3-4 thin coats of clear oil based varnish using a small 4mm nap mohair roller (I like uni pro). My varnish of choice is Bondall Monocel Clear Wood Varnish in satin finish (gives a nice low sheen) Before Covid a litre tin wasn't too expensive and it goes a long way. Don't know how much it is now. My daughter was talked into using water based varnish for her dining table and it was a disaster. Everything stuck to it. I had to use paint stripper twice and buy a belt sander to get it all off. I then did it with the Bondall and it looks great. If your preference it to varnish the whole table that's fine but you still have to do the prep to get a great result. Take it back to the bare wood and then take it from there

At the moment you can't get the full effect of the grain in your table because it's so dark.

Here's some things I've done in the past. Hope I've helped. You can PM me if you need anything else

Before Before During During During During After AfterTV cabinetBedside Table

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KatieC

Hi @Emmalou34,

First, let me extend a warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community! It is wonderful that you have joined and thank you for asking about how to upcycle your coffee table. Our resident DIY expert @EricL will be online later this afternoon to give you assistance. Let me tag a few of our amazing Worskhop members who have great experience in upcycling @daniknight4, @rubytuesday1953, and @sandy_d to see if they can give some suggestions.

I am loving the rustic characters of your table, especially the oversized nails along the sides. I cannot wait to see how you transform this already stunning piece.

Katie

rubytuesday1953

Hi @Emmalou34

At the moment you can't get the full effect of the grain in your table because it's so dark.

Here's some things I've done in the past. Hope I've helped. You can PM me if you need anything else

Before Before During During During During After AfterTV cabinetBedside Table

rubytuesday1953

Also @Emmalou34 if at all possible try to take the table apart so that you can get into all the nooks and crannies. And please don't paint over any hinges or decorative screws etc. It cheapens and diminishes all your hard work. I love watching furniture upscaling videos on Youtube too. Especially Transcend Furniture Gallery. She does beautiful work and you can get some good ideas

EricL

Hello @Emmalou34

Thank you very much for sharing your question about restoring your old coffee table.

It's great that you've received fantastic, detailed advice from @rubytuesday1953. I totally agree with sanding the entire cabinet down, I'm not a big fan of sanding either. However, to reduce the sanding time, I suggest using a Random Orbital Sander for the large open flat surfaces and a Detail Sander for the hard-to-reach corners. Failure to remove all the old varnish could lead to the new coating to peel off.

I recommend finding a work area where you can make as much mess as possible and at the same time keeping the table safe from the weather. It's important that the table be in a wind free area so that when you apply the new varnish you won't get dust contamination on the surface of the table.

If your Cabothane sealer was stored correctly and has not deteriorated, I propose testing a small area first to see if it is still viable. Once you test it on a small hidden portion of the table, it should dry off nice and firm. However, if for some reason it does not cure or remains too soft for a long period of time, I suggest not using it and getting yourself a new can of sealer.

I often suggest using water-based sealers so that it will not yellow over time as oil-based sealers do. Since you've tested the Cabbots range I propose going with the same brand as you're familiar with it. However, if you wish to try the other brands, please make sure to test them before committing the entire table.

Please make sure to wear personal protection such appropriate clothes, gloves, goggles and a paint mask while working on your restoration

Here are some discussions that might help with your project:

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Emmalou34

Such beautiful work! Thank you so much for your helpful advice, much appreciated.

Emmalou34

Thanks so much Eric, much appreciated. I'm always in denial about sanding but figured it'd be necessary 🙂

EricL

Hi @Emmalou34

Just think of sanding as a step that needs to be given its proper due. This simple activity has the largest impact on the final outcome of your coffee table. Remember that you don't have to do all the sanding in one day, space out the activity so that you get a uniform finish.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing the start of your restoration project.

Eric

Renowayoflife

Such a fun project @Emmalou34 I think there are some great suggestions here already, if you're wanted to restain or varnish I would suggest getting it back to the wood.

Here's a fun DIY hack, to remove the varnish use oven cleaner. I know crazy right! But the quickest and easiest way to get that varnish off is to spray it with oven cleaner, hose it down then sand. I use this hack for all of my varnished furniture before I either paint or stain. I will share some projects below.

Upcycled table

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpzTWfpgTI8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Upcycled bathroom vanity - Part one

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkXLhPpp7oP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I'll be sharing the bathroom vanity in the new week as I've just finished staining it with Liming white stain and varnish which I'm loving.

I can't help with the varnish coat but hopefully the oven cleaning hack will help.

thanks Claire

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