I would like suggestions on how to
1. paint the wooden stool and
2,would like to varnish the round table. photographs uploaded.
any other suggestions are welcome.
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @nfds . It's nice to have you join us and many thanks for your question on coating furniture.
It looks like both pieces have already been stripped back to raw timber, which gives you plenty of options.
For the stool, if you're planning to paint it, I'd recommend giving it a final sand with 180-240 grit sandpaper before applying a timber primer. Once the primer has dried, you can finish it with two coats of a furniture paint, such as Dulux Aquanamel, in the colour of your choice.
For the round table, if you'd like to keep the natural timber look, I'd simply give it a light final sand with 240 grit, remove all the dust and apply a clear finish. A hardwax oil or a clear satin polyurethane would both work well, depending on whether you prefer a more natural look or a more durable coating.
I'd love to hear what style you're aiming for with the stool. Are you thinking a bold feature colour, a neutral tone, or perhaps even a stained timber finish instead of paint? Let me tag @ntrann, @Belindaplumley, @melpag and @Nham, to see if they have any thoughts. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Hi Mitchell
Thanks for your response.
I had earlier mentioned that we were interested in painting the stool but on closer look we observed that the wooden stool has concentric circles. So would the concentric circles be more prominent and noticeable if varnished? We would like the circles to be prominent and visible. Moreover we would like it to match our existing furniture... a picture of our furniture colour is attached. Could it be possible to tell us specifically which paint colour we should buy to match out existing furniture.
thanks
Hi @nfds,
Thank you for the additional photos and information.
Those concentric circles are the growth rings of the tree, which are referred to as the timber grain. If you were to paint the stool, they would be completely covered, so paint isn't a great option. A clear coating like varnish, oil or wax, will keep the grain visible while enhancing the natural colour of the timber, whereas something like a stain will also leave the grain visible, but it will also alter the natural colour of the timber.
To me, your chairs look like they've had either a very light oil coating, or a soft wax coating applied. It does not look like stain to me and a varnish coating is much more prominent on the surface than what I am seeing in your photos.
Colour wise, it is difficult to get a perfect match without knowing what the timber is, that the same timber has been used in both things and the specific coating that was applied.
The chairs and the stool do look similar in terms of timber species, as they are both light in colour with a wide grain pattern. They could be pine, but it is hard to tell.
If I were to make an educated guess, I think a wax like this https://www.bunnings.com.au/feast-watson-125g-natural-hard-wax_p0186431 or a very light coating of a clear oil such as this https://www.bunnings.com.au/cabot-s-500ml-clear-danish-oil_p1522025 would be the way to go.
Allow me to tag @R4addZ, @Nailbag and @TedBear to see what they think.
Jacob
Hi @nfds
I agree with @JacobZ in that the chairs have only ever had very light coatings of possibly a clear varnish/oil in order to preserve the visibility of those growth rings. That would be the best to use again as anything with a tint will only darken the vanish.
Nailbag
If you want an idea of how it will look with a coat of clear varnish, try wiping over it with some methylated spirits and it will give you a good idea whilst it is wet (let it dry thoroughly before applying any final finish). Another finish most don't consider these days (as it needs more maintenance) is to just polish the wood with beeswax! And then of course there is Shelac, another forgotten finish.
Hi @nfds, the timber of your chairs is Oak. Looking at the light reflections, it appears to be coated in a clear low sheen laquer. (It's unlikely that a commercial furniture maker will have used Wax or Oil because it lacks the durability required for moving furniture between factory, shop and your home. Because your stools and table are already at your home the Hard Wax will be great and you can adjust the sheen to your liking.)
To see what the end result will be with your unstained furniture, I'd try a small can of oak stain and apply a test patch underneath where it won't normally be seen. You may have to then go darker or lighter, depending on how close it looks to your existing furniture. The ultimate test will require putting some of the suggested Cabots Hard Wax over it to see if it still matches.
Warning: Do not use oil on furniture that you will be in contact with (ie chairs and table tops). It will look ok on the timber, but your clothing will not when you stand up! A lesson that we learnt the hard way.
