How to Refinish a Farmhouse Table and Apply a Polyurethane Finish, a Fixing Furniture Restoration

Refinishing a table like a farmhouse table could seem intimidating. Scott walks through this project step by step, sharing over 20 tips to help you be successful with this type of project.
This farmhouse table has a Pine top and the lacquer finish is degrading. It's lifted off in spots and softened in others. Moisture and heat shows how bad the condition of the finish is. Scott starts off by showing different tools and techniques for stripping off an old finish. From using sanders, scrapers, and strippers, you can learn what approach you want to use in your project.
Once the finish is removed, Scott sands it down to reveal any flaws. This table has dents it in from a lot of use. Scott shows how to easily remove the dents before the final sanding with 220 grit sandpaper.
Pine is a difficult wood to stain unless you know the right technique. Pre-finishing and wood conditioner are both demonstrated to get the best result when staining Pine. The stain is applied, then wiped off for a consistent look to the table top.
Polyurethane is a very durable finish, and Scott chose an oil-based polyurethane for this project. Three coats are applied with a quality brush. Between applying each coat, the surface is smoothed. Once the final coat has dried and cured to full strength, it's then smoothed for a satin looking finish that feels great to the touch.
For more how-to furniture restoration videos, look at our playlists:
Chair Repair Series • Chair Repair Series | ...
Furniture Repair Tips • Furniture Repair Tips ...
Wood Finish Repairs • Wood Finish Repairs - ...
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VIDEO TOPICS:
00:00 How to Refinish a Farmhouse Table and Apply a Polyurethane Finish
00:50 How to Identify Finish Problems
02:40 Ways to Strip an Old Table Finish
13:14 How to Remove Dents in the Wood Table Top
14:22 How to Prepare for Applying a Stain on Pine
19:04 Applying Wood Stain
21:48 First Coat of Oil-based Polyurethane
23:36 Second Coat of Polyurethane
24:51 Third Coat of Polyurethane
26:00 Smoothing Out the Finish ("Rubbing Out")
Fixing Furniture is not only a KZbin channel but it's also a membership community. Get access to videos before they're published on KZbin, watch all the videos without ads, get downloadable reference sheets, and participate in Fixing Furniture Live every two weeks. Learn more about membership at www.fixingfurniture.com
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Fixing Furniture is hosted by Scott Bennett, Owner of Wooden It Be Nice - Furniture Repair in Brooklin, Ontario, Canada. WoodenItBeNice.ca
#refinishing #polyurethane #furniturerepair

[@borge2014]

I learn so much watching this channel. I appreciate all the effort into the video production. Scott's mode of teaching is so clear, and has a great voice too. Thanks!

[@FixingFurniture]

Thank you so much for sharing that. I find that encouraging and motivating to produce more quality videos. Cheers. Scott

[@user-kl9xd2cv5q]

Card scraper and/or cabinet scraper are great choices here.

[@FixingFurniture]

Glad you like that! Scott

[@johnbarbuto5387]

Delightful video! Very informative and well delivered. Perhaps at some point you can make a video where you discuss temperature considerations for finishing furniture. For example, it is summer here in Utah and I want to refinish a large dining room table (seats 12). However, I'm concerned about having uneven results due to the heat of summer. I would be delighted to hear your strategy for working with large surfaces, considering ambient weather conditions.

[@167curly]

Whenever placing hot or cold drinks, plates or serving utensils always use coasters or heatproof mats to protect wooden surfaces.

[@FixingFurniture]

That's a great suggestion! Thanks for sharing that. Scott

[@elviramcintosh9878]

Such beautiful grain. Worth all the work that it took. Thanks for sharing. Greetings from Australia.

[@FixingFurniture]

Glad you enjoyed the finished table. Thanks for sharing where you're from too, that's cool! Scott

[@RaisinBran-ir4iq]

Excellent video! Your videos are some of the most comprehensive DIY's I've seen....because not only do you go to great lengths to explain the processes involved, you also explain the most common mistakes and what to look out for. Well done, sir!

[@FixingFurniture]

Thank you. I'm passionate about sharing these skills so more people can learn this disappearing craft. I find your comments encouraging. Cheers. Scott

[@surfdogtrail]

I really appreciate these videos - so informative, and it’s great to see old pieces given a new lease on life.

[@micah06v8]

I just want to say thank you for pointing out the importance of using a respirator even if you are in a well ventilated area. I see more people use it as an excuse not to wear a respirator. Like the vapors are going to go around their face just because there's a breeze!

[@FixingFurniture]

I'm glad you appreciate that. I know some retired woodwokers with permanent health issues from the work, so I do my best to educate people about PPE. Scott

[@user-xc5ob8jj2y]

Super informative, as ever. Scott seems to be a natural teacher and I always enjoy watching the videos. Can't wait to start my next project!

[@FixingFurniture]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@peter-pg5yc]

I sold kitchens over 500 and its rare but gorgeous to see a knotty pine kitchen. wow factor.but only 1 customer

[@ZER0MPH]

This is my new favorite KZbin channel! Thank you for the clear and thoughtful instruction.

[@FixingFurniture]

You are so welcome! Glad you found our channel. Thanks. Scott

[@johngalanes5264]

Scott it looks like you're enjoying some fabulous winter weather in Canada😁

[@FixingFurniture]

Oh, this was filmed in the Fall. I didn't have time to edit it until recently so I could publish it. It's all white snow outside now. Cheers!

[@bobbell2555]

Great Instruction. I was holding my breath when I saw you put the open can on the surface. I know if I did that, I would have a ring, drips or knock it over!!

[@FixingFurniture]

Glad you liked it. I suppose putting the can on the surface is a risk. To be honest, I didn't think of that but thank you for mentioning it. Cheers. Scott #tip

[@marylavoie7404]

This was great to watch. You are an excellent teacher-I appreciate that you explain why you choose to do things a certain way or use a tool or product over another one.

[@FixingFurniture]

Glad it was helpful! I've seen so many confusing and conflicting finishing tips over the years so I wanted to make this as easy for viewers to follow as possible. I'm glad that came through for you. Cheers. Scott

[@avivat3010]

What a gorgeous finish! It takes time and effort to accomplish perfection. Thank you for sharing your expertise. It's great to see you back.

[@FixingFurniture]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@curtesamoangelos5995]

Watching from Yosemite Kentucky.

[@shawnsmith3531]

Great!

[@randalmayeux8880]

I worked in a custom furniture shop for many years, and in addition to building high end furniture and architectural millwork I ran the finishing room. We often took on some refinishing, repair and conservation projects. I found the best stripper to be KS3. It makes short work of removing any finish, even epoxy. You have to be careful to wear a respirator and use eye and skin protection as it contains methyl chloride which will burn your skin. Maple is almost impossible to stain without getting splotchy, though NGR applied with a spray gun works fairly well if you are careful. Tinting the topcoat is also an option. For surfaces that take a lot of wear I like spar varnish, though I've also had good luck with catylized lacquer.

[@FixingFurniture]

That's great information! Thank you for sharing you're experience with us. That's helpful! Scott

[@krenwregget7667]

I also use spar varnish on hard wear surfaces, it works great. In fact, my go-to finish for most projects is 2/1 tung oil/spar varnish.

[@bluedragonfly5]

Can't find ks3 stripper on a Google search. Is there a full name of it? Who makes it?

[@TheTiffanyAching]

Always excited to see a new Fixing Furniture video. Thanks!

[@FixingFurniture]

Glad to hear that! Thanks for your support! Scott

[@robertlivingstone3947]

Great video and job scott

[@FixingFurniture]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@awideman5981]

Excellent one, scott!

[@FixingFurniture]

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

[@slushpuppy6991]

What a quality video! This is so informative thank you!

[@FixingFurniture]

Glad you enjoyed it! We strive to make the best instructional videos on KZbin. Cheers. Scott

[@henrysara7716]

Thank you, great tips very helpful.

[@FixingFurniture]

You're welcome. Happy to help. Scott

[@xoxo2008oxox]

I made an oak bar top table and a wise old woodworker told me to put 5 coats of waterlox on top, and 2-3 on the bottom. Holds up well!

[@FixingFurniture]

That's great to hear! I have 4 coats of floor polyurethane on my oak bar top. It's the most durable type of polyurethane you can buy. Very strong chemicals, but with a window extraction fan, I was able to contain the fumes to one room of the house. Cheers. Scott

[@ftfdec]

Excellent. Very instructive and enjoyable. Thank you.

[@FixingFurniture]

Glad you enjoyed it! Scott

[@jomercer21113]

Flexner is my go-to book

[@allenkoopman1198]

This is an outstanding instructional video. Thanks for posting it.

[@MASI_forging]

The finished product looks beautiful 👏👏

[@FixingFurniture]

Thank you! 😊

[@tedlym.3390]

Thank you for this educational and entertaining presentation.

[@FixingFurniture]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@peter-pg5yc]

im subscribed but youtube never shows you??? lucky today..i have learned a lot of tricks on this channell.with calm fun explanations nice.

[@FixingFurniture]

You may want to double check your subscription. I can see who is subscribed on comments, and you're not showing as subscribed. Perhaps turn on all notifications?

[@TheTiffanyAching]

Thanks!

[@FixingFurniture]

Thank you so much! We appreciate that. Scott & Laurie

[@bbrachman]

Might I suggest you try 3M's Cubitron sand paper? From what I can see, it does not get clogged as much (or at all). They say that the cost over time is comperable to any other inexpensive sand paper because how long it lasts. Other wood working channels have really touted its properties. Oh, BTW, kudos to your camera person (outside with staining). It took me a little time to realize the camera was moving and the shots were perfect. The best camera person is the one where it is completely unnoticable. Great work as always.

[@FixingFurniture]

Thanks for the suggestion and the feedback. My wife and business parter, Laurie, is the camera person. She did her first filming in the Trafalgar Castle videos and did a great job. I'll pass along your complements. She will be thrilled. Scott

[@bbrachman]

@@FixingFurniture She deserves the accolades. I watched the Castle videos. They were neat. Again, if you don't notice the camera work, the operator has done their job.

[@Donnie_M.]

I often wondered the "layers" to refinishing. From raw wood.....to the final bee wax polish.

[@F0XD1E]

The steel wool trick is new to me. It's always a challenge fighting the dust nibs and irregularities, but that should help. I've already got a bottle of the Howards feed n wax. Thanks!

[@FixingFurniture]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for sharing that. Scott

[@Pete.Ty1]

👍👍👍.Thank you

[@FixingFurniture]

You are so welcome!

[@krenwregget7667]

great video, Scott. You must have recorded this a while ago because it's hard to believe your back yard looks like that in late January in Ontario.

[@FixingFurniture]

Yes, this was recorded in October. I've been very busy so only recently had time to edit and publish the video. It's all snowy outside right now! Cheers.

[@krenwregget7667]

@@FixingFurnitureI figured. But hey, busy is good!

[@katherineharper-sj4ys]

Thanks so much. I always learn from your posts. I have a small end table that my granddad made (I think it’s cherry?) that needs a refinish. Hopefully I’ll get it done correctly.

[@FixingFurniture]

Glad to hear you're enjoying learning from our videos! Thanks for sharing that and good luck with your project! Scott

[@mab49696]

I love your videos They are detailed education, not just entertainment I have a large 2 piece pine cabinet that my mom had on her sun porch The cabinet is beautiful but the finish is teribly worn I like rustic but my wife prefers perfect The delima is that for my wife to accept the piece into our house i must refinish Its easy to card scrape a table top, but not a detailed cabinet with trim What are my options? Again this is pine so its not going to ever look fine like walnut I just retired and have the time, should i pass or tackle the job? Again its a beautiful cabinet but will never be worth much because of the pine, is that true?

[@mr.shellcracker9161]

I really enjoyed this video. I'm just now starting to experiment with the rubbing out process. I just wanted to let you know that Howards wax does have hydrocarbons in it. I recently looked at its SDS on the Home depot website.

[@FixingFurniture]

Good to know! Thank you for sharing that! Scott

[@traceej4685]

Thanks for posting another informative video! I was wondering if you you'd make a video or had made a video on using wood hardener to stop wood rot. I have a chair that has some wood rot and I cannot nail into it to reupholster. Could you maybe address that in an upcoming video and what is good to use or if it's a good idea to use? Thanks!

[@FixingFurniture]

Thanks for the suggestion Tracee. We rarely see furniture in our area that has wood rot, but I will keep that in mind with what comes through the shop. My approach to solving this as a woodworker is to replace the rotted parts of the wood versus using an epoxy type hardener to try to stabilize compromised wood. I hope that helps. Scott

[@DavidWhite]

Scott i have arthritis in my hands and card scrapers are on the hard side for me to use. I use a Stanley No.80 cabinet scraoper it works great and with the handels there is no heat to burn your hands

[@FixingFurniture]

That's great to hear you like it David. I haven't invested in one yet, but you've given me pause to consider it again. Thank you. Cheers

[@philipspeicher889]

I really appreciated the instruction in this video. Was the pre-stain conditioner that you used on the top shellac based?

[@FixingFurniture]

No, the "wood conditioner" is a solvent type of liquid that prevents the wood from absorbing too much stain. Shellac would behave very differently and is not used as a pre-stain treatment. I hope that helps. Scott

[@geoweb8246]

I've had problems where the poly reactivates the stain and leaves an uneven finish. I've found using spray shellac to seal the stain before applying poly can be very helpful.

[@FixingFurniture]

I love using shellac. You may have a situation where the stain isn't fully wiped off and let rest before applying the poly. Once a stain goes on, it shouldn't be disturbed by the finish. A word of caution for you - the several brands of poly that I've used state on the label they should not be used over shellac. I heard many times that shellac sticks to anything, and anything can be applied over top, but after reading a few poly containers, I've become cautious. I hope that's helpful.

[@MrMalcolmkr]

Hey Scott. What about heat? Love the videos. I'm a part time hobby woodworker and have learnt a huge amount from your channel..

[@FixingFurniture]

Glad you're learning from our channel. Sorry, but I don't understand your question. Can you provide more context to what you mean "what about heat?"

[@MrMalcolmkr]

@@FixingFurniture Hey Scott, I use a heat gun and scrapper to remove old finishes. works well on the vanishes. I prefer that than using any sort of chemical, if i have a choice. Not sure how that works on the likes of shellac/french polishing. As said though, I'm very much and amateur/hobbyist. Made way too many mistakes...

[@MrMalcolmkr]

I do suppose though, that you need to be careful not to apply too much heat and burn the workpiece. but generally, the old finish comes of very easily, and only light cleanup sanding is required.

[@suzisaintjames]

I have a quarter sheet sander... I don't remember where I learned this, but if you back your sandpaper with duct tape, it makes the paper harder to rip or tear. Works for me! 💖🌞🌵😷

[@FixingFurniture]

Cool tip. Thanks for sharing that! Scott

[@peter-pg5yc]

i added glass tops to all my tables etc the ex got. some glass shops slow day were really cheap. but now who cares.. i use plastic sheeting like convertible windows clear wipeable wood stays perfect. windex can be used. it doesnt break. I put world monies under plastic looks cool. also on custom painted shelves i use it to protect the paint, perfect..tap plastic has it. Its great for my carved inlaid round table dust was a bear to remove, not now.. perfectly clear..

[@FixingFurniture]

That's a neat solution. Thank you for sharing that! Scott

[@percyrestauracoes]

Excelente explanação sobre as diferentes técnicas de remoção do acabamento, vantagens e desvantagens de cada uma delas e ótimas dicas de como aplicar o verniz poliuretano. Seus vídeos são sempre muito claros e didáticos Scott! Sou do Brasil e aprendo muito com você! Obrigado pela sua dedicação e disposição em compartilhar seus vastos conhecimentos. Parabéns e muito sucesso!!! 👏👏👏👏👏

[@FixingFurniture]

Thank you. It's rewarding for me to hear you're enjoying our videos and learning from them. I appreciate that! Scott

[@wayneswonderarium]

I used a belt sander but it got gummed up even worse and belts are even more expensive. For sanding I'd recommend the cheapest thing possible and replace often. But scraping is way better - a card scraper will probably cost what you'll trash in sandpaper anyway

[@FixingFurniture]

Good point. Thanks for sharing that! Scott

[@SamCanada1]

👍😊

[@FixingFurniture]

Thanks!

[@mab49696]

What color of stain are you using?

[@joeofnotrades]

Can you use the foam brush for the polyurethane finish?

[@FixingFurniture]

Yes, you can. Cheers. Scott

[@suzisaintjames]

21:08 when you wear that respirator can you still smell the polyurethane? 💖🌞🌵😷

[@FixingFurniture]

No. If an organic cartridge respirator has a good seal on your face, you will not smell the finish. If I let my beard get long, I can smell it. If you wear a mask or a particle filter respirator, you will smell the finish as it can't block the fumes. I hope that helps.

[@Vladimir-hq1ne]

I wonder where can I get a shellac lacquer for restoring gran-granddad's table to its original condition?..

[@FixingFurniture]

Shellac and lacquer are two different finishes. Here's a video on how to test what finish you have - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqGXnZSvm6eLoaMsi=qSDO5rAQ5fll-mqz If you're looking for shellac, I like making mine from shellac flakes, but you will need to decide what colour you want. For dark wood, I suggest garnet shellac. Happy to coach you on this project if you like - see our Advice Sessions woodenitbenice.ca/collections/all

[@jjoohhnnttt]

What's the best way to identify the type of wood my farmhouse table is made of?

[@FixingFurniture]

Unfortunately, there isn't an easy answer for that to do yourself. It's best to find someone with years of experience to look at it. As a reference, the "wood database" is a good website to look up properties of different wood.. Cheers. Scott

[@fdort3971]

@FixingFurniture I used to clean houses and businesses for a living...it was awful and danger...but I digress from what I want to say... That blackened gummy texture is primarily from sweaty body parts repeatedly touching it (not trying to gross people out)...it takes a while...it's not just the finish breaking down. I've cleaned many surfaces over the years including formica... The other thing I'd point out is dust, flour and other fine particles will hang in the air for 3 days...gyprock dust is the worst. Thanks for the tips. What type of bristles do you use for your brushes? I can't stand using steel wool...is there a 3m innovations version I can use? (Btw...3m innovations now has a cubitron sandpaper that's supposed to be superior because it doesn't clog up as much...haven't had a chance to use it yet.) My whole life I was told sand with the grain. Hubby bought me an orbital but I've yet to use it...since you have both kinds...what is your opinion on the differences? Do you ever use heat to remove finish? What do you do to remove finish in detailed areas like scroll work? On a completely alternate note...I'm loving the cabinet hanging over your workbench! Do you have a video showing it being made?

[@patriciamay638]

I'm curious as to why u didn't use a roller and then tip.

[@FixingFurniture]

I've never rolled a finish on furniture. I can't comment on if that's effective or not. My thought is that cleaning the roller and a brush is more work than using just a brush. Cheers. Scott