How to Finish a Wood Table | Ask This Old House

[@jeanasadventures]

I can't thank you enough! Bought a solid wood (rubber wood) unfinished console from Wayfair. Followed every step, including the pre-stain, the sanding between polyurethane coats, etc. Me - totally inexperienced in this endeavor - created a work of art thanks to you!

[@1975DAW]

This was perfect as a vanity desk for me. kzbin.infoUgkxMAlHv7-BBWMrPRm5-uEoD6rtdT7SG2Qr Especially the glossy finish. Easy to cleanI was looking for something that wasn't the traditional white and with more of a modern feel. This fit the bill beautifully. I put it together with no problems, by myself in under an hour.Make sure you double check where you place the drawer tracks before screwing down. I had one track that needed to be aligned with different holes than the rest.

[@Amy-os9ts]

Bruce Johnson is a great teacher.

[@BradThePitts]

I'm an "amateur" but I have been doing this for decades - NEVER heard of that pre-stain conditioner - tried it and it works perfectly!

[@bereantrb]

Another benefit of the wood conditioner is that it slows the penetration of the stain, allowing you to gradually darken a color coat by coat, each coat just a shade darker than the last. I was able to sneak up on just the perfect shade to match a trim piece to some flooring. And, yes, the splotches are never a problem.

[@rahulsinghgulia6666]

Just wonderful. Short and concise. Thanks guys.

[@fixitwithzim]

Ohh man, when laying poly down, definitely don't go that crazy with the brush like this guy did. Nice easy brush strokes, start to finish. Always try to reduce air bubbles throughout the process.

[@markedtky]

Great instructions and great questions asked by the other guy

[@peterpowers4851]

I use those little foam brushes when I apply my finish and never have issues with bubbles. End up with a mirror finish. Just don't push hard, and go slow.

[@Emerald13]

no nonsense instructions and tips, thanks!!

[@roderickfemm8799]

Kevin had his hosting skills challenged by this gentleman, who was a little scattered, but Kevin kept him on track and supplied the missing bits of commentary to make sense of what Mr. Johnson was saying. Good job, Kevin.

[@kristoffaninkama1393]

Thanks for sharing. I wanted to repaint my dinning table and you have provided me all the information I needed in this DEMONSTRATION video. Thanks.

[@Optimist_Insan]

Excellent instructions. Easy to follow.

[@sw-vv7fi]

Would this technique be the same for the matching wood chairs?

[@alfonsogavina7688]

who else was bother by that dude not painting the entire thing, he left out that small corner on the bottom left at 1:05....

[@HorkSupreme]

My OCD was certainly triggered.

[@joshuaychung]

Seriously. That was bothering me so much, and I thought I was just crazy. I'm glad that I'm not alone.

[@Partypoopering]

me lol

[@levibailey6256]

Fitlantis OMG I was litterally thinking the same thing it was driving me crazy

[@itsallaboutme12345]

Fitlantis lol I felt the same

[@LozaFoto]

hi i have a slab of pine wood should i dtain the whole thing or can i get away with just the top and sides and not the bottom thank you!

[@echooutdoors2149]

I was about to throw a stain on this red-oak tabletop but glad I watched!

[@808capers]

hi. i have a acacia wood table finished with mineral oil. how can i strip the oil off and apply a polyurethane finish to it?

[@eaglefan1550]

What type of rag are you using to stain?

[@topmario14]

I bought this as a gift for my friend kzbin.infoUgkxcZqgZ8Ynkiz5n_LxIWRlAicuzmz5kCHG who is just starting out in the world of wood work. He loves it!! There is a great section on different wood and what to use for what kind of job and a similar section for tools as well. The projects in it are things you probably would have a go at with clear instructions, pictures, videos and diagrams throughout. Great for a beginner/amateur wood worker.

[@improvementTime10.3.17]

4:30 after applying along the wood seam, your final stroke is to gently even out the finish with a final light stroke

[@kieranbricker3278]

Can you use a rag for bigger pieces of wood

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

"You're sanding by HAND!?" Yes .... believe it or not, you hand does work.

[@lst1nwndrlnd]

Offshoreorganbuilder some hands work

[@mrzombiezlay]

It's useful for a few things lol

[@R.J.W1975]

Hi there. I would like to know how much pre-stain,wood stain and polyurethane to buy of each for dinning room table with 4 chairs....thnx a mil

[@IanLanc]

Can I use hair conditioner ? I've got loads of this stuff!

[@tokjanggut9143]

After use conditioner still Need to rub or not...

[@RASWoodProductions]

Great advice. Really appreciate your instructional videos. Thanks

[@noelleonguerrero]

Richard Sanchez. Can I (1) oil base stain, (2) add oil based polyurethane, (3) paint design over 1st coat of poly, then (4) add finishing poly coats?

[@ccccen]

At 1:34 I learn my lesson , I forgot to put pre-stain and it was in spots here and there, Yet in another piece I did it as you show and it came out niceeeeeeeeee But with rub on Poly :)

[@patriciaeckhoff7587]

Nobody uses sanding sealer which will seal the grain of the wood so that the Poly-Urethane sits on top of the wood instead of soaking into it which in turn will make stripping of the finish much easier later if you so choose. I don't understand why.

[@michelleescobar8649]

Works great.

[@williamturner2785]

Thank you, very useful!

[@Johnny53kgb-nsa]

I prefer oil base finish also, but remember some oil finish has a strong odor, so do in a well ventilated area or wear a respirator.

[@ncooty]

Are you sure the odor is from the oil and not the solvents or resins?

[@improvementTime10.3.17]

4:42 how many coats? how long to dry? sanding afterwards?

[@brokenwave6125]

Gene Zhao Please stop.

[@vincentrocha1570]

What is the name of the first coat applied to the wood clear coat ?????

[@improvementTime10.3.17]

4:22 if you start with oil base stain finish with oil base finish, if you start with water base stain, finsih with water base finish

[@marykindle2419]

Ugh I forgot the pre stain - any chance you can go back and put the pre stain actually over a coat already added to improve the next stain coat?

[@2ninga]

Foam brushes are actually better to use if you tip it out with a fine brush afterwards. Foam brushes put on a more even coat

[@TheMichael408]

If I want to skip the stain, and preserve the natural finish. Can I skip the conditioner at the beginning and just go with the varnish finish?

[@pikarose5367]

Yes. The conditioner is for stain. Oil base varnish will bring out the wood's natural color better than water base.

[@ccccen]

After first coat of finish you used a 220 and then a second coating, can use a 400 grit and then the second coat????

[@bansheerider619]

yes but the point is to knock down any dried air bubbles and to make it slightly rough for the 2nd coat to grab on

[@carot2003]

What about covering with clear glass Epoxy Resin, is that ok..

[@gregjones3660]

Try it fool!!!

[@fireworxz]

Thanks

[@beworship6168]

would this be a safe method of staining and refinishing a kitchen table? or would you recommend something else?

[@brokenwave6125]

#BeWorship If you sand it down to raw wood first.

[@earltullock2399]

If you have a tung oil finish that is 28 years old on Oak should you sand, seal then stain the same way?

[@suppliesmaster2886]

This video is extremely helpful. Thanks for sharing. :)

[@hilarypeinke1554]

I have applied 3 coats of gloss varnish to an old table, the final coat seems sticky.

[@aaronwong7617]

Can i use oil based wood conditioner if i use spray lacquer ?

[@cyalater6448]

Aaron Wong seriously if youre going to use lacquer then dont bother using the conditioner just use a 9 part lacquer thinner to 1 part lacquer mix it works way better than any conditioner

[@jamesfox8930]

"you've always got your hand" - Theodore Roosevelt

[@4581103992010]

amputee war veteran: good one mr president

[@jaredstokell7995]

Also what she said...

[@maheshdewangan889]

resa polish ke liye kya kya chahiye

[@chriskrey310]

Do you have a video on how to strip and restrain furniture

[@EnnTomi1]

Is this suitable for out door wood table top

[@maryp1040]

Awesome explanations..

[@stevenw354]

Trying wood conditioner now

[@rynwolfeh1904]

*Puts down a mat to stop the stain from getting on the nice wood floor* Bruce Johnson: *Moves the stained table onto the uncovered floor splotching stain all over the nice wood floor*

[@SticksAandstonesBozo]

Oil based conditioner on oak is something no one does. It changes everything and gives white or red oak a gold under tone.

[@marianamunoz6075]

There are a million “good-great brushes out there”... can anyone recommend a good brand & type of brush for a similar project as on video except it’s Adirondack chairs! Thanks! I’m a novice, btw & this is a mom n son project (he’s 12) so we need decent brushes!

[@RoastBeefSandwich]

here's a good brush. clean it with mineral spirits and it will last you a good long time. www.lowes.com/pd/Purdy-White-Bristle-Sprig-Natural-Bristle-Flat-2-5-in-Paint-Brush/999971928

[@marianamunoz6075]

RoastBeefSandwich Thank you! I will try that one. I bought a $7 2” natural bristle brush at Walmart but it left some “hairs” behind- :( not good!!! (I found both items you recommended through the link you gave me!). Thanks a bunch! :). Can’t wait to tackle our project (dining table and rocking chairs)

[@williamseiffert4710]

Perfect questions

[@Kelly-lo6cz]

What about sanding in between to each poly coat? I have read that this is essential.

[@zero9620]

The bond between poly coats is mechanical, meaning the first coat needs to be porous or "grooved" (rather than a smooth, slick surface) for the next coat to bond well to it (otherwise, you'll see it easily flake off). I usually go with more than two coats of poly, but if you are going to stick to two, I'd lay the first coat down, let it dry/cure, and then hand sand it with 220 grit sandpaper (don't use any power sanders for this - one poly coat isn't thick enough to handle that and you'll sand right through it and start sanding the stain and causing unevenness). Then lay on the second coat, let it dry, and then come back with some very fine steel wool (like 000 steel wool or 0000) and again hand sand it LIGHTLY. The point of the steel wool is to take out any air bubbles or any dust that got stuck to the top of the last poly coat while it was drying, and is now sticking to the top of the finish making the surface not feel perfectly smooth. You don't want to be digging into the actual finish, so lightly brushing over it with steel wool will just get rid of the dust debris that's stuck to the top. Unless you are finishing the wood piece in a perfectly dust-free environment (not really possible for hobbyists), you're going to get some dust on the top coat when its drying.

[@lauraforconi9111]

WHAT'S BETTER WATER BASE, OR OIL BASE? THANK YOU SO MUCH.

[@cyalater6448]

Laura Forconi either one would be fine to use just make sure your clear coat is durable and is compatible over your stain. like if its for a table use a quality lacquer if its for flooring use a good oil based polyurethene thats even if you use a water based stain it sounds weird i know but you can use oil based poly over water based stains but not the other way around

[@MrGuillen72]

oil

[@christageno5583]

I put The wood conditioner on one of my 3 tables and it changed the color to something I didn’t like. It didn’t just make it darker :(

[@abhishekkotian2936]

Thank you so much for sharing this video!!!

[@Bijo69]

Can you do this to a second hand desk if the paint on it is coming off?

[@gregjones3660]

Naw just give it to good will...

[@Layput]

If I'm going to use epoxy resin, do I need to apply polyurethane?

[@cliffcarlo180]

NO.

[@ZLYNXEE]

try everything on scrap wood don't trust anything

[@ccccen]

I'm looking for that deep red for a table if I keep adding coats will it stay that red after finishing it?

[@ccccen]

@NiceGuyGamer Nope, they just got paid for that ad and screw our questions LOL

[@ccccen]

@NiceGuyGamer Never gonna ask ''that old house'' again LOL

[@ccccen]

@NiceGuyGamer I have made plenty of table that came out nice and the best way was practice on a piece of wood with different coats etc. What part of making a table you have problems?

[@improvementTime10.3.17]

2:40 the quicker youtake off the stain the lighter it is

[@littlesarahautism9787]

Thanks for Sharing

[@dab745]

Can you finish stained wood with Tung oil?

[@gregjones3660]

Only after playing dodge the traffic during rush hour

[@Cartman-TV]

Hi, amazing but the youtube link for the whole video does not work. Could you post product links in this video? Best wishes

[@katzwhite5962]

Oooh! I wanted to see the finished product at the end after overnight drying.

[@DrShwifty]

same :(

[@HungPham-ki9wu]

The guy who sold me product adviced me to go with oilbased stain and waterbased finished cause it wont blend in. Oil with oil gonna wash out the stain.

[@sasquatch-7634]

The guy is wrong. Once the oil based stain is thoroughly dry, oil base finish will not wash it out. This from a guy with 50 years experience. Except in very rare cases, I always use all oil base products. They are vastly superior. Try it on a scrap piece for verification.

[@RDayal-qr6ip]

please suggest something to mantain old furniture .Something that is available in India. Liquids available including spirit does not clean the dirt.Washing mignt spoil it

[@briancnc]

None of these products are "professional quality" as the description states. Minwax makes some of the most inferior under-performing finishing products on the market. To start, professionals do not use "wood conditioners". They are pretty much only sold in home stores and hardware stores. If you use a high quality pigmented or dye stain from the start, you won't have a blotchy result. Minwax's stain is horrendous, it is too diluted and does not penetrate the wood very well, or evenly, takes too long to dry and comes with a horrendous odor. The "wood conditioner" is just a diluted sealer, and you can see how the stain causes separation almost immediately when he applies it over the piece with it on. (Zero penetration = you will burn right through the stain when you scuff sand it for the next coat). Good professional stains will dry and are ready to be coated in 30 minutes on a warm day. Nothing wrong with poly, wouldn't be my first choice but a durable classic no doubt.

[@Jpeterika19]

briancnc so what kind of stain would you recommend?

[@briancnc]

Joshua Peterika Top shelf but my favorite brand is "ML Campbell" but up against Minwax, just about ANY brand is better.

[@Jpeterika19]

briancnc I am very new to wood working so I appreciate the tip!

[@donireland2640]

briancnc your right on it. this is ok for housewives but not for the pro. urethanes ok but i prefer shooting 5 or six coats of lacquer. you can do this in the same time as applying the varnish and it only takes minutes for lacquer to dry, not hours

[@briancnc]

Exactly. With a good stain and a quality lacquer I can sand, stain, seal, and apply 2 more coats in a full day's schedule if the ambient temps are good. If you apply minwax stain it won't be dry even after a day, and oil based poly is like oil based paint, it takes forever to dry enough to scuff sand it. Lacquer dries so fast sometimes the only problem is getting to flash off slower with retarder.

[@Cypher791]

That wood stain guy could be the new host =D

[@AJRelaxesWith...]

Anyone use Waterlox? I've watched a few videos on it and it gives the type of finish I like. The drawback is the high price.

[@JasonMontell2501]

Use a sanding block please

[@iamdann783]

wow! thank you for this...

[@rpeace05ify]

great to see that woodprix has bots to come here and spam about them makes our lives so much easier

[@beepIL]

Woodpricks

[@arsyadidris2919]

So... sand 120-180grit > condition n wait not more than 2 hours > stain n remove excess > overnite > PU protection. Wow finishing wood is complicated. Thank alot for this though😁😁😁

[@jg6021]

I was just thinking the same thing. Gosh this is gonna be a grind.

[@franciscohuerta9860]

can i just clean my dresser. with murphys. oil spray n put coat of polyurethane clear glass on my original lookin wood dresser

[@BrittanyCadieux]

Francisco Huerta I would suggest light sanding with high grit sand paper. There will be poor adhesion without a light sanding. You can do it but the results will not be ideal and you might even get peeling or chipping

[@chefgiovanni]

We prefer to use the food safe finish in this video on wood tables and blocks ; kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIjahmChjZ56b5o (youtube link)

[@kamalabebo]

Thanks sir.

[@shizin12]

Nice

[@bogey2230]

I have worked with wood for over thirty years and have never, ever conditioned the wood; either water/oil base poly, danish oil or tung oil...To be perfectly honest, I seldom use minwax products for small projects. I do however use their polyurethane but have stopped using their spar urethane. I used it once to treat some outside doors on my garage and the spar urethane flaked after two winters

[@KnightofAntiquity]

Urethane does not hold up in cold weather. You are better of with heavy coats of oil with the material in high noon sunlight.

[@tonyh7734]

you've been lucky with your projects then or have been using hardwoods exclusively. only pine really needs conditioning as it's really pad at keeping an even finish, hardwoods typically don't need it.

[@johnlocke4344]

Vocês são muito bons!!! Fiquem com deus! Um abraço do seu aluno aqui do Brasil!

[@briancnc]

Acho legal que tem bastante brasileiros que assistam nossos programas americanas! Valeu!

[@johnlocke4344]

Vocês são d+. Fiquem com deus! Os melhores!!!

[@brianmorrison9168]

Great video! One question. Would you use the same process for a teak table? Or would you recommend teak oil rather than the water based varnish. Thank you

[@brokenwave6125]

Brian Morrison None of this is water based.

[@jamiemerkler6825]

Not surprised in the least that Rand from @middleclassfancy has a woodworking yt channel

[@ayoubantiquefurniture8248]

GOOD JOB SIR LOVE YOU

[@karenyounger2314]

still the real deal!

[@mmmodafoca]

damn it bro!! i watch these videos and i'm like.. i think i can do that.. i think i can do that!, but then i go on and try to do it and it comes out hideous :(.. i love wood working..too bad i'm terrible at it :(.

[@davidchisolm682]

Keep working on it! The more you do it the better you will get. The most important thing is that you don't give up!

[@Tread_six]

I understand your pain. I was talking out my ass and holy tested to build a bed frame for my wife. I now realize why I've never done it before. Keep with it though it's gotten a little better after I've been working the last few weeks.

[@DannyGruesome]

I didnt wipe mine off dont feel bad

[@tapirman111]

I have never felt more 'seen' by a youtube comment. I feel ya man.

[@JukeboxJake]

Same boat!

[@sakhimuhammad3282]

This is a great job

[@ccccen]

120 is rough, why not start with a 220?

[@rickdicker9067]

Does the light sanding happen between coats of polyurethane or after both coats?

[@HorkSupreme]

I'm guessing by what he said just between but I'm not sure why sanding the coat at all would be beneficial. Any idea why?

[@rickdicker9067]

Hork Supreme from what I always thought it helps the second coat adhere better to the first coat. But he said it as if you are supposed to sand after the final coat, not in between coats. That's why I'm confused.

[@briancnc]

Taco Hotdog All finishes raise the grain of the wood, so scuff sanding between coats is needed to prepare for subsequent coats. This happens far more with water based finishes than solvent based. With a finish like lacquer you usually can stop scuff sanding after the second coat and get away with just recoating.

[@2136enrique]

Can't be explained better than this

[@SaraAlbasha-r9b]

that video is very useful

[@AlexRocks77]

why didn't they show the finished product?

[@TwilightsSecrets]

Why does nobody ever talks about how to polyurethane the legs and bottom of the table?

[@truthfulrobot9295]

*Not Recommended For OCD Recipients!* 1:04 😂😂😂😂😂 This guy misses the first corner on the clearer finish then the 2nd wood is sloppier and will really get your gears grinding lol

[@barbaraguzman9666]

Yes iam ocd first i see

[@apeelingbanana4894]

Species of wood

[@BrodyGrim]

Apeeling Banana yes, that is correct. Wood comes from trees. Trees have species, therefor so does wood.

[@dougiefresh730]

The table was made from fir

[@DugganWorks2001]

Why the re-upload?

[@mdavidf]

I was just about to post a similar Comment.

[@veenakedia3153]

David Friederick oftheday

[@harrybond007]

As usual this old house tries to cram everything into a 5 minute sound bite

[@stauffap]

You didn't show the results. Not a good way to end a video...