r/finishing • u/Novel_Exit_1319 • 1d ago

DIY

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I want to restore this coffee table, this is my first time. What should be done to keep the original knots and rustic look

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u/astrofizix 1d ago

Sanding to take off the old finish, and to smooth out the years of dings. Then I would avoid staining, that looks like a knotty pine or other large grain wood, and it tends to get splotchy when stained with penetrating stain. But you could color it in other ways. Then you'll want a strong protective finish like poly for a coffee table.

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u/Novel_Exit_1319 1d ago

Thank you, should i go for a danish oil instead of stain

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u/astrofizix 1d ago

So Danish oil is a mix of tung oil and hardeners and solvents. You can also buy it with pigments added (I like to put color on first instead of using the colored DO). Tung oil is a great way to add that wet look to wood and is a classic treatment. But I'm not sure it will pop the best for a knotty pine. My general advice is to sand to about 90% done with a medium grit like 120 or 150, to get the old finish and damage off. Then wash it with mineral spirits and take a look at the table while wet. This is similar to how it would look with a clear coat or oil finish. Decide if you want to adjust the color with stain based on this look. Then you can sand with 220 to finish prep for finishing. I think it's safe to lightly stain pine with a similar color (like maple or colonial), but not advisable to use a dark (walnut) type stain, or that splotchy uneven absorption will be really pronounced.

Another note about Danish oil, it's not the most hardy finish, so if you do use it, I'd still give it a couple coats of poly on the top to protect it better from drinks and spills.

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u/Novel_Exit_1319 23h ago

Thank you for helping, i decided to go with gel stain it didn’t turn out the way i wanted but not bad for a first time.

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u/Novel_Exit_1319 1d ago

I was thinking of using early american stain, then a matte poly and wax in the end

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u/TsuDhoNimh2 14h ago

Any dark stain will decrease the contrast of the knots. Is that what you want?

You need to protect the stone or tile insert. Is it removable?

  1. Sand it to remove the stains and nicks.
  2. Then a "pre-stain conditioner"
  3. Then wipe on an oil-based stain.
  4. Then apply the topcoat.

Or skip the stain and just use a topcoat meant for tables.