Wood refinishing DIY instructions for a first-timer?

nerdbaby

Not even sure if this counts as "refinishing", that's how much of a newb I am, but I want to sand and re-stain a wood four-poster bed frame.  Any good links for beginners would be much appreciated, thanks!

MommyLiberty5013

DH and I purchased a dining table and 6 chairs off of Craigslist that needed refinishing. It was a HUGE undertaking since DH had never done this before.

It required many, many dusty hours in the basement, with stain remover that burns skin, hours and hours of sanding with an electric sander and then many hours of prepping wood for stain, then staining, then sanding, then more staining and then top coats. We bought the set for $200 and paid $73 to rent a UHAUL to get it home. We probably should have paid for a brand new set or just paid to have it refinished professionally.

My advice, pay to have it done if you have no experience with it and can afford it. But, if you're up to the task, just know that it will be a lot of messy work. A LOT.

nerdbaby

Blerg... maybe I'll just paint the darn thing.  I was up to some work, but that sounds way out of my league.

nursecramer

Wait! It doesn't have to be a tortuous experience! I find refinishing wood to be relaxing, and the finished product is so rewarding.

What does the bed look like? Does it have a lot of intricate work, slats, and knobs? Those features would all make stripping it more difficult. If it's relatively simple with straight lines and large flat areas, it will be easier. Chairs with all their legs and spindles are notoriously difficult and take much longer to do.

What condition is the current stain? If it's been painted or stained repeatedly, it will be more difficult. If it's got the original stain and is in pretty good shape, you'll have an easier.

The chemical stripping agents do burn, wearing long sleeves, gloves, and eye protection will go a long way toward covering you. Plus, if you're careful, you can do the job without getting any on you.

Basements are poor spaces to do refinishing (although if it's the only space you have, you gotta do what you gotta do). You need really good ventilation, both so you don't have to inhale all the dust (wear a mask while sanding) and to get rid of the stripper fumes and then later on, the stain and varnish fumes. I would NOT recommend setting up a fan to help with air flow during the later stages of the project; it will blow dust and bits of stuff right into your newly stained wood.

An electric sander will save you lots of time if there are broad, flat surfaces. Well worth the investment.

One final word of advice-- make sure what you have is actually wood. Wood veneer can be refinished if you're careful to not take off too much. However, I once helped out a friend who was really frustrated once because he couldn't "get all the paint off" the dresser..... he was trying to strip a white laminate surface.

Watch a couple of how-tos on youtube, but remember, the difficulty of the project depends on what you start with-- not necessarily the method itself.

 

nerdbaby

Thank you!  It's a fairly simple four-poster bed, clean lines, no intricate woodwork of any kind.. just lots of looooooooooooong lines and the canopy will be interesting to get to as the slats run across the top from side to side.  We'll see....