refinishing teak

[tokyofist]

I'm taking possession of my family's dining table, a structurally sound but cosmetically challenged teak piece. Imperfections are mostly fading or inconsistent color and water stains, with very few dings and dents. It currently has just an oil finish, although the last time its seen any grease may have been during the first Bush administration .

How much is needed to bring this table back to its previous glory? Just some much-needed coats of oil, or full-on sainding down to bare wood and then the oil? If sanding is in order, would you go power or by hand (is an ROS too much tool for the job)?

Thanks

[LCHIEN]

I'm taking possession of my family's dining table, a structurally sound but cosmetically challenged teak piece. Imperfections are mostly fading or inconsistent color and water stains, with very few dings and dents. It currently has just an oil finish, although the last time its seen any grease may have been during the first Bush administration .

How much is needed to bring this table back to its previous glory? Just some much-needed coats of oil, or full-on sainding down to bare wood and then the oil? If sanding is in order, would you go power or by hand (is an ROS too much tool for the job)?

Thanks

seems to me that I'd try just giving it a few oilings and let the oil soak in some. Light sanding or steel wool if it has some roughness, maybe....

danish oil or teak oil.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

1) Try a couple coats of oil. The major draw back here is that you end up with the same soft finish IF it evens out the fading and inconsistent color.
And you gotta go with Teak Oil just because it is Teak! LOL! I don't think that will solve the issue of the fading and inconsistent color. However, you can give it a try. A few coats of oil is not going to change the way you need to refinish the table if the oil does not work.

2) Take some woodworking quality paste wax, thin it down some with solvent like Naptha and use fine steel wool to work up a nice slury. Try to rub out the entire table. This may help with the blending and fading issue. It will not add any future protection from fading (particularly sunlight exposure). It will not add any real protection against water rings, etc.

3) My most preferred method is a strip of the top and refinish. I do a few pieces of restoration and refinishing per month. Given the finish currently on the table this will be an easy task, probably as easy as suggestion #2.
I would use a mild stripper like ATM to remove the finish. I would then use the appropriate color gel stain to even out any discoloration of wood (this is versus discoloration of the finish which would be evened out by the removal of same). I would then go with a more suitable finish that will perform for you a little longer. Personally I think a large family dining table would be well complimented by Deft brushing lacquer. If you spray then your options are opened to other lacquers.

[tokyofist]

Thanks Jeffrey. I've actually gone ahead and sanded everything down to bare wood. After doing some tests on small areas, I determined that the discoloration was in the finish only, but that touching up these areas would not result in a nice even finish. I sanded by hand, starting with 120, then stepping down to 220 and ultimately 4/0 steel wool. So far, I've applied two coats of teak oil, the second of which is currently soaking in.

I'm really pleased with how it looks so far. The grain has really jumped out with the fresh applications of oil. I'm quite fond of the shade as it stands right now. Will additional coats of oil darken it more?

Some protective coating would be swell so I don't have to do this three months down the line after a guest or roomate forgets their tall glass of iced tea on my beautiful table. The Deft lacquer that I've found says 'gloss'. I'm very much averse to high gloss finishes, and would prefer to keep the table looking just as it does now, only with a layer or two of protection. Do you think the Deft will do it for me or should I look elsewhere?

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Cool. That would have been the way I went as well.

Deft products are availiable in different sheens. I am not a fan of gloss myself. Please note that when building layers of finish you will use gloss coats with a semi-gloss or matte final. The matting agents used to create the dull sheen is cumulative and building a finish with those will result in a "Muddy" or unclear veiw of the wood. Clear gloss creates depth. Final coat should be the matte finish or semi gloss. Further reduction of sheen can be accomplished by fine sanding via steel wool and application of wax.
Deft is really good stuff and really highlights figure and natural color. It is also pretty easy to apply via brush and is highly protective.