Prepare for success!

Before finishing your piece in whatever way you wish, it’s important to ensure the surface is fully prepared to ensure all your hard work looks the part in the end.

Begin by ensuring any old finish is fully removed using a chemical peel if necessary.

 After this it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start sanding. This is a step many overlook or under do and it’s a sure way of ruining the finish on your furniture restoration project. The trick is to take your time and keep at it and at it and… well! You get the point. The more time you spend sanding the better and more even of a finish you will achieve.

Start with a rough sandpaper to remove any imperfections and work your way slowlyyyyy to a smoother sandpaper, finishing with the smoothest you can find or even some fine steel wool. There is no set amount of time with this as each piece of wood varies, but generally speaking the more you do the better the outcome.

Once you feel like the wood is smooth enough to the touch, then it's time to wipe the piece down with some methylated spirits to remove any dust left behind. Once dry, you can start with a light first coat. This coat you can even thin down with some methylated spirits so as the wood absorbs the first coat deep into itself. After coat one, lightly sand again and repeat until you get the desired level of finish you want!