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I have two oak mission style end tables [inherited] that had a spray on finish was badly flaking failing on the tops. What I did below, surprisingly, matches in the tone/color of original finish and looks better.
I was able to remove the old finish [tops only] with a heat gun and scraper. Then stranded #150, #180, #220, #320.
I brushed "janitorial strength" ammonia directly on to the wood [do not do indoors]... soaked/saturated. Do not wipe dry. Do not brush, vac or blow the sanding dust from the pores of the first; the dust in the pores contributes to the color. Let it dry for a day with a fan blowing on it, then use steel wool to remove the raised grain and then sand very lightly with #400 to level the surface. The result may not be as flat as one gets with normal methods.
The ammonia turns the oak quite dark and yet the grain pattern is well defined and pleasing. The liquid will very quickly turn red as you brush, the later will turn brown. You want to brush all of the liquid onto the wood to keep the released pigment. I guess I was able to apply 1 ounce of ammonia, perhaps more, per square foot.
This allows for a dark oak tung oil finish and solves the problem where a non pigmented oil finish is otherwise not dark. I use pure tung oil. Most "tung oil finishes" are blended with varnish and are sticky and unpleasant to work with. I will not get into tung oil finishing technique.
I sanded the first top down deep to get past the pores that had the old finish in them. The result is a typical open pored oil finish. The second top left the pores filled with the old dark finish. This will allow for a flat/level finish that does not have the open pores. It will be interesting to see how that looks after I have the that oil finished.
Fumed oak is placed in a chamber or plastic film tent and fumed with ammonia to get similar effects. What I have done is quite radical/insane, but seems to be fast and easy.
posted by 65.64.191...
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