Re-finishing A Mid Century Dining Table - Restoration

In this video I re-finish and restore a mid century folding dining table.
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[@jackfive565]

A lot of people who do this stuff and post it online would be to embarrassed or proud to show their mistakes and gloss over the fact that mistakes happen, i think in showing errors that you encounter we can all learn too avoid them ourselves. Thanks again Keith its looks like a really nice addition to your collection, i have to say i'm very jealous of some of your furniture pieces.

[@tejolisboa]

You are very honest about your mistakes. Thanks for that. I learn a lot with my mistakes.

[@stuartrhodes3086]

Love the comment about not reselling your dining table as you are up to a much better standard now. I have been making for around 12 months and aspire to reach the quality level you are at now. Woodwork is learning everyday with every project. It’s a never ending search for quality and self improvement. Keep posting the vids!!!

[@woodworkingandepoxy643]

I know it's been 5 years since this comment but are you still at it?

[@DrGarri]

After you apply the stripper, cover the surface with a polyethylene food wrap, that will prevent the stripper from becoming dry and it will take care of the varnish like you won't believe.

[@sl321]

The next time you use stripper put it on much thicker. I would have used about four times the amount you did. After 30 minutes it should still look damp and gooey. I should bubble up pulling the paint or varnish with it. And it will be easy to scrape off if you apply enough of it. The table turned out great. I always enjoy your videos!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thank you!

[@carolvanrooyen4929]

Enjoy your cute dining table!

[@davidmorford2845]

You've helped me a lot as I restore a bunch of mid-century furniture I inherited from my parents. I initially was going to keep all of them, but people keep offering me a lot of money so I'm probably going to sell a few items. Also, your videos are better than a glass of warm milk before bedtime. (I've never drunk warm milk before, but I'm sure you get my point)

[@iamlonefrog4252]

Yup, never strip in the sun. That's right up there with - never screw a knot. Great stuff Keith, you have a very well rounded channel, thank you for all your hard work.

[@alfredneumann4692]

I'm fascinated watching someone reparing or fixing damages. Thankyou for sharing.

[@jcecce]

Another thing I've learned and is referenced in the video: do not random orbital sand anywhere near the edges. They are vulnerable. These areas must be hand sanded. (Also, with random sander only use a fine grit paper e.g. 200.)

[@bukatasv]

Good job! Great table!

[@yellerbellyworkshop]

Nice project. It's great you share the good and bad side to these. It helps me no end ty.

[@jeanniealford4234]

Nice job. I refinished a "Gate Leg" that was solid maple about 55 years ago and it was old at that time. Loved it. Yes, it is very handy to have a fold away table.

[@Eva-kd7wi]

Thats exactly the table i want

[@Jewishandproud43]

I like the mistakes made but with still a great result, makes you more human and encourages "normal" people to give it a go. Good effort.

[@Zimtig]

Stripper: Apply generously, not in the sun, cover it up, dont scrape off with something too hard but rather a piece of wood. I enjoy your videos and envy your workshed! Keep on!

[@gregcummins6]

Thank you for showing us that we need to be open to the fact that the mistakes can be ours and not the product. I am impressed by how humble you are and your knowledge and experience is invaluable. A tip I learned: cover the stripper with plastic wrap so that it stays wet and make sure you apply a thick coat. Some strippers bubble when activating. I promise if you find the right stripper, you are going to love the results.

[@tamaracarodelabarreraamezq206]

Hello! I like very much your videos and the way you explain so clearly what you are doing. I love wood and I would love to do all those things, but I don't have time neither a place where doing it. Thanks for your videos!

[@WoodturningWithJohnMarro]

Some others probably said this already, but you should apply enough stripper so that it does not dry in the 30 min wait period. Otherwise great project! I love midcentury pieces.

[@VampyRagDoll]

Good tip with the sharpie and great repair on the drop leaf.

[@taitelennox4514]

Great job keith, it's good that you tried something new.

[@jdiggity2]

I had a similar fail with paint/varnish stripper (Citristrip) in the hot Los Angeles sun. In short, I suggest applying it more liberally and also keeping it out of direct sun. It might even be ready before 30 minutes. When it works properly it's impressive - I use a plastic paint scraper and the stain glides right off.

[@josephina4792]

Wonderful work! Your informative and relaxing-to-watch videos are helping me get through winter cabin fever, and inspiring me to do some refinishing once the weather warms. Cheers!

[@harkidodia2513]

That one day the sun comes out in the uk lol.... Nice work on the table mate.

[@philwebb8049]

Another great project Keith...Fantastic!

[@obroadieswimmer]

Informative, entertaining and honest. What more is there to want. Keep up the the good work mate.

[@debmacie1612]

Great job. I love this table.

[@markschofield576]

Never let the stripper dry out! I use b&q own brand cheap stripper on MSN teak type furniture, on warm days I let it sit for around 10 mins max, then scrape it off using a plastic scraper, sometimes needs a second coat but, longer is not better, never let it dry out, great resto

[@elizabethamizdail7939]

Very nice! Handy to have and use.

[@Bill.L.Carroll]

Good refurb, mate. You're spot on about the sun and stripper. Better results in the shade. However, some brands are nit much better than water. I find the really thick gel types work best.

[@rrelampago1]

In my experience, a liberal, goopy application works more efficiently. Then allowing it to sit much longer, up to an hour, works well.

[@andiejay100]

Love the video, and the the advice, as always! Thanks you!

[@kookyflukes9749]

Re the old table. Slice up the top and make a bunch of cutting boards and then sell them. Reuse the wood in the legs on another project. Maybe a chunky picture frame. Nice outcome on the upcycle btw.

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Nice work Keith! Thanks for sharing the video with us.😎👍JP

[@kathycourtney7958]

Love it!

[@davidwillett53]

Awesome

[@SCRAPWOODTOCRAFTWOOD]

Great job Keith the old drop leaf tables are the best

[@Yet1moreUtuber]

Job well done. Yeah I had the same problem with stripper , pretty sure it was the sun's heat or uv that does it,. i've used it again indoors and it was a world of difference in its performance.

[@TheBeerbelly007]

That's a cool table, nice job---

[@annwalsh8079]

Similar table to what my mother referred to as a 'gate leg' table here in the US, hence the name on the sticker? Very nice restoration! Thank you for your excellent tutorial! NanaAnn

[@JakeThompson]

Nice restoration Kieth!!

[@bosse641]

Good job. Very nice table.

[@gladious7894]

I know exactly what you mean when you say you're skill as a wood worker has improved and that you wouldn't feel comfortable selling the old dining table. My dining table is the exact same way. I've become a much better craftsman, and the quality of work I push out now is so much higher. Also, nice work on the new table.

[@glennworton2494]

Epoxy can be tinted with artist's pigments - I would have used Burnt Umber in this case -

[@markgoode4109]

Good job! This turned out very well. Best wishes. :)

[@LittleMissTracy1974]

I love your plywood table

[@fraforgt-350r2]

Ever tried denibing with the back of sandpaper, works a treat with osmo hard wax oil and doesn’t leave any marks

[@RagnBoneBrown]

I'll give it a try

[@sillybeeful]

Well worth it

[@normanboyes4983]

Nice one.

[@aaroncastellanos3421]

I haven't used stripper myself, but from what I've seen from other KZbin videos they put a plastic bag on top to isolate the stripper to prevent it from drying out.

[@pgtips4240]

Aaron Castellanos That's a really great idea.

[@geraldinewillis5926]

Veritas have a great holder for card scrapers, they are expensive but I think they are worth it especially if like me you use a card scraper often

[@frankyboy4409]

Gotta love that Ikea makes exactly the same design (from a functional point of view) folding table again. Guess now we know where they got the idea from ;)

[@davidwilliamson2115]

nice restorston

[@ronnieahman6958]

That's a lovely table you got and you did a really good job giving it a new life.

[@colinaskey9777]

Hi Keith,another nice vidio,and again giving a new lease of life to a useful piece of furniture that would have probabley ended up in a skip,definatley gets my thumbs up,take care and stay healthy and happy

[@chrisvidamour4264]

Its been said a few times but you need to use more of the stripper and keep it wet otherwise it dries out and you end up with re-cured varnish and stripper to deal with, also try putting heavier coats of varnish on as you will get a much better finish, if you put very light coats on as you did here it dries patchy as its not fluid enough to flow out in to its self much in the way a car painter applies lacquer Great videos though and always good to watch keep up the good work

[@miriamhappe1066]

on the paintstripper, i agree with sl321 here, maybe a thick layer indeed will help more. allthough that might bee a bitt late after a year, LOL.

[@mrsseasea]

nice!

[@mariah4451]

Bargain and a lovely restoration. I recently bought some spirit level thingies from EBay for pennies (just the yellow bit with the bubble) and thought someone like you would be able to use your scrap hardwood pieces to make some gorgeous spirit levels to sell on Etsy. Just a thought. I know you have a ton of project ideas, maybe one more for the list :-) I always look forward to your videos :-) So inspirational

[@RagnBoneBrown]

That’s a really nice idea - thank you! May indeed do that

[@mrsseasea]

Put the stripper on thicker, and find a large piece of plastic to put over the top so it will not dry out .

[@veragailfaircloth117]

Next time try denatured alcohol with a fine steel wool it will turn the furniture will turn a milky color then use Howard furniture feed N Wax it a lot easier !!! and faster always go with the gran of the wood. Very easy you will find that you will never stripped again

[@mySelf-yx4hw]

i think that you did ok with the stripper as it seems to be not as aggressive as some other types that might have lifted the veneer

[@mattlong6359]

I really liked this video ! A. I love this particular part of 'Mid Century ' B. These are projects that I do to make extra cash on the side ( the selling on bit ). And C perhaps most importantly a fellow creator/artist , a critic ( of both his efforts and his failures and god damn it his bleeding wins !. Of which I believe this is certainly one . Plz sir rag be proud of what you've done it is worthy of your pride . And thank you for I enjoyed this much

[@MrBez007]

great job. nitro mors is the way forward when it comes to stripping. Iv no experience with mid century, does the table have exposed mdf edges ?

[@AliDymock]

heheh I preferred the plywood strips table. Nice restoration though!

[@xw6968]

What did you do to the leg?. Top looks good.

[@JHA854]

I’ve used stripper on my last project. I think you have to apply it really thick and let it sit for a while in the shade. I didn’t wait 30 minutes though, maybe 10-15 minutes. Try a different brand, that one doesn’t seem very strong.

[@hansdegroot8549]

Great restoration job. Thanks for sharing the video. Is it possible to sand of the top layer of the table (instead of using the chemical stuff or a scraper) with a random orbit sander? (I have a small delta sander which also has sand paper for sanding away paint but that kind of sand paper I did not see somewhere for a random orbit sander)

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Yes it works fine but you have to be careful not to sand through the veneer (like I did in this project at the edges!)

[@hansdegroot8549]

I understand. Thanks for explaining.

[@She.Follows.The.Sun.]

Another youtuber I watch applies a thick layer of remover. Making sure no spot dries until he scrapes it off with a spatula

[@alasdairmackenzie515]

I used to use a product called Nitromors which was nasty stuff to use but produced excellent results. Can't seem to get hold of it anymore though... Onwards and upwards!

[@eubiov8]

I used paint stripper in a very dense brasilian hardwood with no problems. But I applied a lot more and work out of sun light. Works like a charm. After cleaning with mineral spirits it was just a matter of sanding smooth. But you gotta be carefull with the strong odor that comes out of it and dispose the stripped paint correctly.

[@eubiov8]

Side note: It was a very old door with seven or eight layers of oil based paint. I made it into a table. The result is here: instagram.com/p/BhhigYGH_e8/ The client demanded it to look that way ;)

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Nice!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Out of curiosity what is he best way to dispose of the stripped paint/varnish?

[@bogsdolics]

Hi Keith put then on weeds, or your local council dump.

[@eubiov8]

Keith, usualy the place where you buy the stuff has more information. It changes from country to country. But is very toxic. So be carefull.

[@garenne0169]

i didn't know you can apply varnish on oil ? good job man.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Yeah any sealing finish after oil works fine. At least I’ve never had any issues

[@4windstfj]

BOILED LINSEED OIL SHOULD BE DILUTED 1 TO 1 WITH TURPENTINE TO HELP DRYING TIME.

[@theriggsworkshop8606]

Great video , you do love your mid century furniture ... just out of intrest .. when it comes to spray varnish i buy automotive spray lacquer (from ebay) as its much cheaper than furniture spray varnish

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Yes that’s the stuff I buy too 👍

[@alfredjackson9615]

Been usimg stripper for devades. First. Citrus Strip is the nest brand. Second put some on . lad. Slather is a term that cones to mind. Need to have enough to remain almost liquid when you go to remove it. Let it bubble up for a while. Good luck with the next one. Really cool table ny the way. What did you do to the base if anything? Video was all about the top. Keep up the good work. Your vids are great. Cheer you up

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thank you! I forgot to film what I did with the base, although it was pretty boring anyway, just sanded the chipped area back a little and finished with some spray varnish 👍

[@dmcallaghan2333]

So can you put a top coat on and then wax?

[@andljoy]

What a loverly table. I think the issue with the stripper is you did not apply it anywhere near thick enough.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Yeah lots of people have suggested that. Next time I’m going to be more generous!

[@andljoy]

I prefer the gell stuff for that reason, i used nitromors its not as good as it was but it works well and you can always add some dichloromethane back in to make the stuff work how it used to. It worked well on the ........ 14 layers of paint of my windowsill.

[@richardnoel2]

I really dig that table. Your stripper is garbage. Use Citristrip next time. It’s biodegradable and I’ve used it plenty of times. Always works great.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Citristrip not available in uk I’m afraid

[@davidwilliamson2115]

I emerse the project in pain remover as a patter of course

[@rosaotra8387]

you need to be less stingy with the stripper if it is drying to fast cover with plastic to keep it soft

[@nickrompa1232]

Could you tell me what brand of spray varnish you used here? Thanks!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Any, whatever is acrylic and cheapest usually!

[@FrankenShop]

The biggest mistakes with the stripper were with the application. For one, it was way too light. Second, you shouldn't brush the material back and forth with the applicator. Lay down a heavy coat of stripper and do so in one continuous stroke across the wood. Don't go back and forth over the material feathering it out once it's laid down. There is a chemical in stripper (similar function to gelatin) that makes the material thicker and helps keep it wet longer but vigorous brushing back and forth breaks up that material and allows the active chemicals to dry too quickly.

[@gregkieser1157]

Wow 10 Pounds! Bargain. I’ve found the paste type of varnish remover works better....the citrus based one....let it sit and keep testing a spot until you can see that all the varnish has let go, then scrape away. I’ve also found it’s worthwhile to keep a stock of timber matched fillers on hand....I’ve got about a dozen in small pots covering just about every type of timber that you normally see on period furniture.....sometimes adding a bit of epoxy to the filler works. Finally another good trick is to keep a small stock of alcohol based dyes (again I have a bout a dozen in tiny little bottles).....all these tricks give you an arsenal of different approaches to fix trouble spots.....total investment of about $100. Hope that’s of some help. Keep up the good work. Greg

[@davidwilliamson2115]

Do yu have an airline in your workshop if not, it pays to get one with sprey cans

[@MushBeanz]

Haven't watched yet. Auto Like!

[@MushBeanz]

Finished watching. Great job! Was there no repair made for the legs? Ross Taylor almost always uses paint strippers in his restoration, but he identifies first what type of finish was previously used.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thanks, yes I forgot to film the repair to the legs although there wasn’t much to it really, just a bit of sanding and spray varnish

[@terencecharlesworth1499]

Nice job again there don’t give up on the stripper it dose work maybe try to keep it wet apply it more liberally don’t allow it to dry up I will be doing a restoration project soon and I will be using nitromors paint stripper if you ever require any advice on restoration you are than welcome to message me cheers

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thank you!

[@roelloeffen]

Thanks for your great, friendly looking videos. I’ve a question, which is not answered in your finishing video and applies to this one. How could a spray varnish work on top of an oil? Because you need to degrease the surface before applying the Varnish. But you’ve just spoiled oil, which is very greasy if you ask me. Do you know how this works? Thanks!! 🕴🏻🕴🏻🕴🏻

[@RagnBoneBrown]

As long as the oil is fully drying before applying the varnish it works just fine. I’m not sure how or why though!

[@TheStrongwomans]

When I have had to remove old paint back down wood i use acid based paint stripper but hard to buy now due to health and safety but what with all strippers you need apply thick coat and leave long as you can before removing Nice use sharper pen best £10 you will every spend

[@Mr_Judge_Benny_Hinn]

I like that table...You did a good reso Job...You failed to mention a 4th reason about the paint stripper, It's sh-te!...as other people have said, Nitromors is the way to go... You could also cover it with a Chemical-Resistant material to stop it drying out before the stripper does its magic....Anyway, with the table taking up less space... you'll be able to play twister again with all that extra room..lol

[@pauladonnelly1282]

Wow you did suck a great job on that table. i really enjoy your vidoes!

[@rosecityremodel2015]

Maybe you should try Citrus Strip. Also, you usually have to use far more stripper than what i saw you use on this video.

[@anthonydean1577]

the old woodworkers curse. buy restore and sell........... eeerrŕrr nah I like this. I'll keep it lol. great project Keith. could you not just sand the finish off with finer sand paper??.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Haha! Yes Probably but I hate sanding and didn’t want to sand through the veneer

[@LissiKinz]

You needed a MUCH thicker coat of the varnish remover and not to let it dry

[@coalitionofrob436]

Chemical stripper be damned. Scraper and sanding. I’ve never had luck with that foul stuff!

[@chrislogue2276]

Nitro Mors is the way to go for strippers, but honestly I find its faster to use a mechanical method. Have you ever used a Tungsten Carbide scraper man? It's my go to for that sort of job.

[@johngrubb1590]

You put it on to thin.👍

[@andrewlynch27]

Great piece of furniture. Have you ever wanted to replicate a piece like this table using real wood instead of laminate?

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Not really, I think that veneered board has it’s place for furniture. To use so much solid wood for a piece of furniture almost seems wasteful to me in a way. Having said that I do wish veneer was a bit thicker - would make it much easier to restore

[@organic3280]

CitriStrip.

[@phildxyz]

I had to strip brown varnish from both sides of 15 doors in my current house! I used a product that consisted of caustic soda and dichloromethane. You then wrap it in clingfilm leave for a couple of hours and pressure wash. Nasty job but worked pretty well. Not sure if you can still get it, think you may have to be a 'competent person' god help us - which probably means doing a £300 course and getting a meaningless piece of paper. Bitter and twisted, moi? :)

[@clevaconley2221]

Umm... this is kinda weird but I recommend Ross Taylor Woodworks videos for stripping techniques. Edit- I don’t know how I forgot to comment it looks gorgeous. I love mid century teak pieces.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thanks! I already know Ross Taylor’s channel it’s really good