Our dining table was 15 years old, and we wanted to update the look. Instead of buying a new one, we thought it was better to reuse and save both money and the environment. The table was originally made from recycled Oregon with an orange and brown stain. The idea was to strip off the varnish, lacquer and paint the sides to give it a Hamptons look which my wife likes.
- Paint Stripper 500 ml
- Monarch Razorback 100mm Scraper
- Ryobi 300W Random Orbital Sander
- Flexovit 240 Grit to fit the sander
- A4 300 grit sandpaper
- Timber Protect 250ml Gloss One Coat Clear Water Based Varnish
- Leftover Dulux paint
Steps
Take off the legs and clean the table thoroughly and let it dry. Wear some disposable gloves and work outside with lots of ventilation. Apply Polystrippa with a paintbrush and let it stand for 4-5 mins. Scrape off and collect the old varnish. The varnish comes off wet then dries very quickly. After removing the varnish, you can start the sanding. I have a small Ryobi 300W Random Orbital, and it works fine. I used the 240 grit as it is more forgiving if I make a mistake. After all the scratches were sanded away, and the surface was smooth to touch, I then used a 300 grit and sanded by hand. Varnish was applied using a brush, then I wiped off any excess; I let it dry overnight then lightly sanded the surface by hand. This was repeated three times, and the table was dried for four days before we move it back in. The sides and legs were just painted in white, two coats.
Back in the house
