Complete Guide: Restoring Teak Mid Century Nathan Furniture - Finish Like a Pro!

[@LaughingGravy.01]

I just got a set of Nathan dining chairs for free - a bit tired looking but good and solid. This video is just the ticket. Thanks!

[@rjcvintage1027]

Thank you Simon. All great and important techniques, most of which I already use to restore mid-century modern/ teak furniture. You have very good tips and experienced views, which are much appreciated, captured perfectly in this video, for hobbyists and pros alike.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Glad it was helpful. I try to balance the videos so they help everyone interested in restoration. Best wishes Simon

[@cathyj4127]

Loved the low sheen finish on this project.

[@Christian-le7ve]

I just ordered your Gilboys wax to Thailand. Fantastic, thank you guys. A+

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thanks Christian. I hope it works well for you. ✅

[@ianroblin2933]

A very informative video. Great picture quality too. Top draw. 👍

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thanks Ian.

[@KatePlowman1]

Today, I was actually going to email you, to ask about when (or even if...) we could expect another video! Thank you so much, and keep them coming!

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Kate, Sorry it’s been so long. Covid 19 and the subsequent lock down prevented us from filming. But we are back. We hope to have more out soon in the coming weeks. Best wishes Simon

[@gr328]

Great to see you back :-)

[@ChronoVersatur]

Really like the two tone look now of the tables, adds a bit more interest. Glad to see you back. I've watched all your vids in the last 18 months but only just subscribed, thanks for the vids, you're a very good presenter. I also watch Thomas Johnson antique restoration on youtube.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Glad you like them! Thank you. x

[@josephppopp7493]

A job well done! Great job. Slow and easy is what I say.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you Joseph.

[@vimalneha]

Undoubtedly the best video! How will it be different from a Polyurethane coat?

[@Cradley684]

Glad to see you back, really enjoyed the video hope you and your Guy's do more in the future, BUT Stay Safe and have nice day. I'm really sure your parents will like the nest of tables they look like G Plan which were excellent in the 70s wether they are still trading I wouldn't know at present .

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Brian Thank you. They are very similar to G-Plan. I have also produced a similar presentation about them which will be released in a few weeks time. My parents did like them. I also refinished their Nathan teak dining table at the same time. 👍. I hope all is well with you. Cheers Simon.

[@nicolacarruthers7533]

Fantastic video, thank you for the level of detail and superb advice, you are a master craftsman and have made those tables look even better! I have just stripped and sanded back a 988 Parker Knoll chair and didn't know what to do next which is how I came upon your brill video and now I know what to do. I think the wood is beech and perhaps a little too light for me, do you think I should stain it darker or could that be a mistake, or perhaps several coats of a hard wax oil, I am guessing that would make it a bit darker!

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Nicola. Sorry for the delayed reply. You have probably completed your chair by now, but I will comment anyway, just to help others who may be in the same situation. Beech is notoriously difficult to stain. Because of the nature of the grain and structure of the wood, it tends to "suck in' any colour that is wiped on it. It often will go patchy with darker areas. So if I am offering advice to anyone I would always advise to seal/coat the wood with a clear finish. If you do want to stain the wood, I would opt for a *very* light coloured stain. (a *diluted* honey oak colour works best) Best wishes Simon

[@LauraWatts-jp8gi]

Followed your method for a set of Nathan Burlington tables, really happy with results so far! Just the last coat of wax to go on. I used products I already had that were as close as possible to yours, and the results are great (Might buy yours when ready for more!). I liked the length of the video it was needed to convey all the instructions properly, I must have watched it through 4 times. I wanted to ask what you recommend for everyday maintenance during houshold cleaning for this type of finish? My Mum always grabbed the Pledge but I'm guessing we don't really want that!🙂

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thanks Laura. I'm glad to see you had success! 👏👏👏 Just wiping with a damp cloth is suffice. ✅. Pledge is the devil! It's full of greasy chemicals. Many thanks Simon.

[@jschmitt6465]

This video is so helpful. I'm using this method to strip and refinish a mid century, teak veneer sideboard. A question: how do I know when to stop with the wire wool? No matter how long a I scrub, there is always some gunk coming off. Sure it reduces but is always there. The top looks much better, but I'm just not sure I've got all of the finish off. It's it possible to go through the veneer with the wire wool? I will need to sand with 120 and 180 so getting a bit nervous.

[@GilboysRestoration]

If there's gunk coming off then you need to keep stripping. You should reach a stage where you see teak sawdust clogging up your wire/steel wool. Then you know you have cleanly stripped it. Dont be nervous. You'll be fine. Get stuck in!! 🙂

[@louiseh.4953]

Have you made the video you mentioned for if we go through the veneer? Would love to see it! I’ve just acquired a set of just 2 of these tables & there is water damage on the smaller table, meaning the veneer has cracked away & left the chipboard on show. Would love to do something to rescue it. ❤️

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Louise. We have made the video that demonstrates me sanding through. It’s being edited this coming week. Unfortunately it doesn’t show how to repair the damage, because there’s not much that can be done unless you are skilled in the art of faux graining.

[@arjunkrishpillai]

Amazing explanation in details..Thank you so much. I am planning to restore my grandparent's Teak wood chair.. can i follow the same process as you have done for the table? If you make a video of chair restoration . It will be a great learning for us Love your work.. Many thanks 🙂🧡

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Arjun. Yes, this process can be applied to many items of furniture. It is not specific to teak coffee tables. You can create this finish on anything you choose. ✅

[@jonocraven5381]

Great video. When you sanded the teak is was a beautiful light colour. What's the best way to preserve this colour as the permanent finish?

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Jono. If I knew a way of doing this I would be a wealthy man. So many people love the light sanded look but it's impossible to preserve (as far as I am aware). As soon as you apply a finish to it, it will darken. There are hard wax oils out there that will keep the surface as light as possible but theres is nothing that will retain the sanded look as well as making it practical and user friendly. Kind regards Simon

[@nickuk1978]

Coming to this late, would there be any benefit / drawbacks to applying 3 or more layers of hard wax oil? Great video, extremely helpful.

[@BB-sg1dj]

Bonjour Gilboy’s, Thank you for the informative videos all y’all work hard to produce for us. They are very detailed, and you are a great instructor. I don’t know much about restoration, but I would like to try and start from somewhere. I would like to ask, how durable is hard wax and how many coats should be applied on heavily soiled areas such as the top of a desk/coffee table? What alternative topcoats would you use ? Thanks!

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you. Its nice to know. It does take up a lot of our time, and money to produce them but like anything we do; if something is worth doing, then it's worth doing right. :-)

[@Mitchsnake]

Great videos. A question. I use paramose but it's nowhere near as watery as yours. Are you adding something to it? Mine is more of a thick gloop and doesn't seem to work as well as yours. Hmm

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Christopher. Unfortunately the strippers that are available to the public in the majority of cases are water-based and take considerably longer to work compared ti the dichloromethane stripper I am using. To be honest It wasn't until relatively recently that I discovered this; I had no reason to know. Because we are business user I have always been able to use a chemical stripper. Whereas everyone else in the public domain has to use non chemical strippers. Yours will work, it just takes a lot longer. 🙂

[@Mitchsnake]

@@GilboysRestoration thanks for your reply. I'm not sure if you saw all of my comment or got it mixed up with someone else. I too use paramose which I see is what you use. But I was wondering why yours seems more watery. I restore mid century furniture and I'm a business so can get the stuff. But mine is more of a thick gloop. So wasn't sure if there are different types of the paramose stripper available.

[@wegaboo]

Beautiful. Is there a way to make a homemade hard wax?

[@GilboysRestoration]

Not that I know of. Sorry.

[@Mutant_11]

I used to own a bathtub refinishing business and stripped hundreds of tubs that had been refinished with epoxy or more often acrylic urethane. As a business overall there would be news of a technician dying from the use of a chemical stripper every year or so. Why? They didn't use a proper mask if they used one at all. The mask you are using is no better. You need an organic vapor filter mask. If you use a paper mask as shown here you run a risk of lung damage and death. Use a water based stripper such as Citrus Strip. Apply to the surface, cover with painter's plastic or wax paper so it doesn't dry out and leave it overnight. Scrape it off with a putty knife the next day. I used it successfully on acrylic urethane on a commercial basis. As with everything, test it on a small section of your furniture, say on the back or bottom in case it causes problems.

[@darrenwheatley4677]

Great videos, love the series. If you had a stripped / bare wood surface with blemishes and repairs, would you fix and colour them before the hard wax, or after? If before, dewaxed shellac first?

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Darren. That’s a really good question. I would always try and fix the repairs first, before even stripping the wood in the first place. Always try to get the repairs done prior to any fishing work. Once the repairs are finished then you can move on to staining and sealing or just sealing, depending on what is necessary or your preference. For example: If I had a piece of furniture that needed to be darker, for whatever reason and it also had a lot of old ugly repairs that were beyond ‘nice patination’. I would apply a stain to the bare wood first before sealing it with anything and once it was sealed well enough (this may be one or two coats of hardwax oil or a few good fads of shellac prior to bodying) I would then add colour over the top. This process would start to make the finish semi opaque, disguising the blemishes and bad repairs. I would then continue with the clear coats over the top and on to the rest of the finishing process. ( I think I may need to make another video demonstrating this ✅) The end result is a finish that looks like a piece of polished wood but actually underneath the finish are some visually unwanted repairs and marks.. It's a layered system in effect. The Edwardian period of furniture joiners in the UK did this a lot. - They often used a mix of poor quality timbers in the construction which were then cleverly disguised by the French Polishers in the finishing workshop. I hope this helps (I need to make a video showing this )

[@darrenwheatley4677]

@@GilboysRestoration Thanks for the reply! This is really helpful. I am restoring a Compositor's Toolbox (oak) presented to an Apprentice in 1911 by the "Proprietors of the People Newspaper". It was in a terrible state. I've stripped it and repaired it, now need to reassemble and finish it. It was covered in a modern (1960s? 1970s) red stain on the outside but when I removed the brass plaque the wood underneath was a golden oak colour. Stripping everything off showed that while the box is all oak, it has been made up of some random bits glued up into boards, including some with big knots and defects. I've patched and filled as best I can, and now just keep staring at it trying to decide what to do about finishing. 😂 I think the process you outline above is a good way to go. I have some Gilboys Antique Gold (not used it before), will that be okay on top of the above finishes, and do you think it would it be better with a light oak stain or a darker oak stain underneath? I know that's hard to say without seeing the piece, I'm just thinking of the typical best match between wood, stain and wax? Thanks again, really enjoying your KZbin channel, it's very interesting and relaxing. 👍

[@thornbird6768]

My first dinning table and chairs were from the Nathan range , I loved it . It was a real find in a furniture charity shop 👍🏻 £45 for all of it . 6 seater table and chairs , bargain 😃

[@Bradleigh270391]

I have a Nathan Sideboard unit I was hoping to refurb. It is veneered which I was aware of and has a deep gouge in the top. I tried sanding it before realising it was veneered... The unit is being painted with exception of work top, would you suggest removing veneer or how would I fill gouge. Thank you for any advice

[@CogitoBcn]

Sorry, I don't get what kind of finish did you use ("hard wax"?) but I expected a link to the product on the descriptions. It isn't a Gilboys product?

[@Ejlectronics6]

I also want to know this! What kind of hard wax did they use? specifics? I was going to use teak oil but after they said it doesn't work as effectively, I'd like to know what kind of hard wax oil to grab.

[@lukedennison3876]

Hi mate great video but those actually look like Stonehill Stateroom nest of tables.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Luke. they could well be. they have been in the family since I was a child. 🙂

[@lukedennison3876]

@@GilboysRestoration Thanks for the reply. Big fan!

[@maryburns3604]

I hope you will be able to help me. I applied rancid (I didn't know) teak oil to the top of my teak dining table. It now has a most terrible odor. I have read that I should apply mineral spirits to it. Do you advise it and how should it be done? It has a natural oil finish. I would most appreciate your advise. Thanks.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Mary. I would follow all the steps I take in this video. ✅

[@ajk9754]

Can you recommend/suggest an effective water based stripper? New fangled Nitromors is nowhere near as good as the old stuff!

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Andrew. I hear this a lot. I'm afraid it because of the worldwide restrictions on dichloromethane. Water based strippers are effective but they take a lot longer to work. We use Paramose but I'm not sure how good their water based one is.

[@ajk9754]

@@GilboysRestoration Thanks anyway. None of the water based ones have particularly good reviews. Perhaps I need to be more patient!

[@NatashaRiley1]

Hi there, I’m just about to restore a Nathan sideboard and I wondered what colour finishes you used on this table as I’d like to use the same? Many thanks, Natasha

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Tish. I didn't use any colours or coloured film finishes on the table. However, I do recommend using our Rose Gold wax polish at the end as it works well with teak finishes. I hope the restoration goes well for you. Kind regards Simon

[@niv05]

Thank you for such an informative video. This is probably a daft question but I’m new to the game, can you use liming wax on teak once it’s stripped and sanded? I was hoping for a rustic finish to a sideboard. Could you advise on how this can be achieved? Please and Thank you in advance!!

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi, Yes you can use it on all woods. On teak it will give a cloudy milky look as it hasn't the defined grain of oak but the same process can be applied. I would maybe avoid using the wire brush as teak has little in the way of open grain. But you could still try experimenting with liming pastes or liming wax. Have you seen our limed oak video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGbIY5Kmp9J1g6M Good luck Simon

[@niv05]

@@GilboysRestoration thank you so much. This is incredibly helpful. Will take a look at the video :)

[@davida369]

I was gonna mention the soft brush attachment, thought am I stupid cause I use the soft brush hoover attachment, and I have a workbench in my small studio flat, lol

[@GilboysRestoration]

😁

[@mariehaire7111]

I’ve just purchased a Nathan bookcase and feel like I might have bitten off more than I can chew! Should have watched the video first!

[@GilboysRestoration]

How is going Marie? Have you had success?

[@kenfourey-jones3121]

I have used loads of teak recently in a boat renovation project and oiled it to perfection however seeing what the wood likes in this project I question if the material is teak as teak is much darker than shown in this experiment! It looks more like beech. Also, the grain in teak is un-mistakable . What a lot of work for a bit of veneered chipboard. I thoroughly recommend Rustins danish oil to finish teak.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Ken. The purpose of this presentation is to help people with Nathan furniture that may want to try their hand at refinishing for the first time. I demonstrate using materials that are easy to use and fast drying. They also leave a pleasing natural satin finish, very similar to that of the original factory finish. Nathan along with G-Plan was very popular in the UK in the last half of the 20th C. It is was not cheap furniture to buy at the time and still isn’t today. Veneering furniture has been practised for centuries and is a great way of producing quality furniture without using wasteful amounts of solid timber. I have been handling teak, both solid and in veneer form for 34 years.

[@kristenmoser1373]

What kind of hard wax oil are you using/recommend for real before applying your beeswax?

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Kristen. there are many on the market. Osmo Oil and Treatex are very good.

[@marcelomendez9758]

@@GilboysRestoration Any thoughts on Odie's oil? Would appreciate a video on hard wax oils you recommend, since there's so much info and opinion out there, but not much expertise as the crew at Gilboys have.

[@conigrl1]

Would this process work for a high usage surface, like a dining table? Or would I need to re-wax the table too often?

[@GilboysRestoration]

Yes it will work well on a high usage dining table. I would be tempted to give it two or three coats of the hardwax oil to start with. and then wax it. I would wax it once every six months there after. :-)

[@jparson3309]

What hard wax oil did you us. Thank you

[@GilboysRestoration]

There are many hard wax oils on the market. I used one that had a satin finish. 🙂

[@1959Berre]

"Don't be shy with the stripper!" Wise words. :)

[@GilboysRestoration]

1959Berre I was wondering who would be first to comment on that statement... 😆

[@flyboymcgee8059]

Had a nice chuckle with that one

[@williamwolchock6457]

What is Nathan teak Is it a specific type of wood? Why so many commercials

[@GilboysRestoration]

Nathan is a well known brand in the UK and was very/is popular with many people today. I'm sorry about the commercials, we are a family business and the many videos we share costs us thousands of pounds to produce.

[@Sethdemasi]

This guy is REALLY generous with strippers

[@colinsmith7576]

I was waiting for you to stain them ? I think They looked too pale following the stripping process in my opinion. Good video anyway.

[@cgdennis82]

Far too many adverts! - making it impossible to watch.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Chris. Unfortunately we have to have the adverts to help pay for the production of these videos. Although it doesn't amount to much, but it helps to cover the thousands of pounds it costs us to produce them, Sorry.

[@davida369]

Wax on Wax off, kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIavf4ioZdepe8U

[@wandakowalski7063]

Water-based stripper is a waste of money. It is very, very expensive and doesn’t work! What a sad day for diners when they banned chemical strippers. But if you can find a nice furniture repair shop, you might try to buy some from them. I did!

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Wanda. Take a look at our latest video. I demonstrate using water based stripper for the first time, against a chemical stripper. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJfOn5pmhpeLi80 (I believe it's illegal for the repair shop to sell you the stripper unless you have an industrial licensed use for it - UK. It may be different in the US) Either way I've been using the stuff for 35 years and if the water based stripper performs like it did for me then good riddance! 😃

[@wandakowalski7063]

Thanks for sending the link. It was interesting to see the side-by-side comparison of the 2 strippers. I think it worked because the finish was flaky. I had a little birch table and I put layer after layer of water based. I put it on thick and it dried very quickly, before the finish started to melt. Here in Canada, the large can cost more than $70. I used more than half of it before I gave up and and it had eaten through a few square inches. I scraped off the finish! Much faster and it cost me a few pennies! Again, thanks for your detailed videos … I learn so much!

[@bloggalot4718]

Need to reduce the length of the videos please.