How to restore a piece of wooden furniture yourself
A weekend for a small table or chest. £25–£60 in stripper, abrasives, filler and finish.

THE JOB

How to restore wooden furniture, in order

1. 1

   Assess and photograph

   30 min

   Look at the piece in good daylight. Note the timber, the joints, any veneer, the hardware and the finish. Photograph everything, including the underside and any maker's marks. Decide from the preparation section above which case you are in. If the piece might be valuable, stop now and get an opinion, because stripping and sanding cannot be undone.

   • Look for small round holes with fresh pale dust below them — active woodworm
   • Check whether the top is solid or veneered by looking at the edges
   • Note where the finish is sound and where it has failed

   Mistake to avoid: Stripping a piece because one area is worn. Much of the value of old furniture is its original finish and colour.

2. 2

   Clean it

   45 min

   Remove handles and hardware and bag them. Clean the whole piece with a mild soapy cloth wrung out almost dry, a small area at a time, drying as you go. On a wax finish, use a little white spirit on a cloth instead, which dissolves old wax and grime. Clean the hardware separately. Look again at the finish once it is clean; this is when you decide whether to strip.

   • Never soak old wood; water raises the grain and lifts veneer
   • Use a soft toothbrush in mouldings and carving
   • Work outdoors or with a window open when using white spirit

   Mistake to avoid: Using a household spray cleaner with silicone. It contaminates the wood and new finishes will not stick to it.

3. 3

   Repair loose joints

   1 hr

   Ease apart any joint that is loose enough to separate without force. Scrape the old glue from both faces — new glue does not bond to old. Apply fresh wood glue thinly to both faces, push the joint home, and clamp it with a strap or clamps, with scraps of wood under the jaws to protect the surface. Wipe away the squeezed-out glue with a damp cloth while it is wet. Check the piece stands square and leave it for the glue's full setting time.

   • Measure the diagonals of a chair frame to check it is square before the glue sets
   • Do not add nails or screws to a loose joint; they split the wood and the joint loosens again
   • Leave clamped work overnight

   Mistake to avoid: Leaving squeezed-out glue to dry on the surface. It seals the wood, and stain and oil will not take there.

4. 4

   Strip the failed finish

   2 hr

   Outdoors or in a well-ventilated space, wearing chemical-resistant gloves and glasses, brush a thick coat of stripper onto one area at a time. Leave it for the time on the label, without letting it dry. Scrape the softened finish off along the grain with a rounded scraper, and use fine wire wool and a toothbrush in mouldings. Repeat on stubborn layers. Clean off the residue as the stripper's label says, and let the wood dry completely.

   • Work on one surface at a time, horizontal where you can so the stripper does not run
   • One woodcare maker reminds you to check the manufacturer's dwell time and keep an eye on the stripper as it works
   • Put the scrapings straight into a lidded tin

   Mistake to avoid: Using a heat gun on old paint. If it contains lead, heat makes fumes, and HSE says not to overheat leaded paint.

5. 5

   Sand through the grits

   2 hr

   When the wood is dry, sand along the grain with a block. Start with the coarsest grade the surface needs and no coarser, then work through the finer grades without skipping one, so each removes the scratches of the last. One woodcare maker's sequence for taking off varnish is 150 grit then 220 grit, and it suggests 120 grit to smooth wood before varnishing. Dust off between grades. On veneer, sand by hand, lightly, with the finest grades only.

   • Wear a dust mask; fine wood dust is harmful to breathe
   • Wrap abrasive round a shaped block for mouldings
   • Wipe the wood with a damp cloth to raise the grain, let it dry and sand once more with the finest grade

   Mistake to avoid: Sanding across the grain or with a coarse grit at the end. The scratches look like nothing on bare wood and stand out like lines under oil or varnish.

6. 6

   Fill and stain

   1 hr

   Fill dents, holes and cracks with wood filler, pressed in and left slightly proud. One maker's multi-purpose wood filler is dry in two hours. Sand it flush. If you are staining, test the stain on the underside first, then apply it evenly along the grain with a cloth, wiping off the excess, and let it dry fully before any finish.

   • Filler does not take stain like wood; keep repairs small or stain to match before filling
   • Stain the whole surface in one go to avoid lap marks
   • Stain looks lighter dry; judge it after the first coat of finish

   Mistake to avoid: Staining before checking for glue smears. Every patch of dried glue shows as a pale blotch.

7. 7

   Apply the finish in thin coats

   2 hr

   Wipe the wood with a tack cloth or a cloth dampened with white spirit to remove dust. For oil, wipe on a thin coat, leave it to soak for the time on the tin, then wipe off every bit of excess. For varnish, brush along the grain from a well-loaded brush, laying off lightly, and leave the coat to dry for the time on the tin. One woodcare maker says to expect two or three coats of varnish for a good finish. Rub down lightly with the finest abrasive between coats.

   • Work in a warm, dust-free room once the stripping is done
   • Thin coats always: thick varnish runs and stays soft
   • On oil, buff each coat with a clean cloth once it has been wiped off

   Mistake to avoid: Leaving excess oil on the surface to build up. It turns sticky, gathers dust, and has to be stripped again.

8. 8

   Wax, refit and let it cure

   45 min

   When the last coat is hard, apply a thin coat of wax with fine wire wool or a soft cloth, if the finish suits it, leave it a few minutes and buff it to a sheen. Clean and refit the original hardware with its own screws. Let the piece cure for the time on the finish's tin before you use it, and keep hot dishes and wet glasses off it for longer.

   • A little wax goes a long way; several thin coats beat one thick one
   • Put felt pads under the feet before it goes back on a hard floor
   • Keep a note of what finish you used, under a drawer

   Mistake to avoid: Using the piece straight away. Most finishes are dry to the touch long before they are hard, and an early mug leaves a ring.

1. 1

   Assess and photograph

   30 min

   Look at the piece in good daylight. Note the timber, the joints, any veneer, the hardware and the finish. Photograph everything, including the underside and any maker's marks. Decide from the preparation section above which case you are in. If the piece might be valuable, stop now and get an opinion, because stripping and sanding cannot be undone.

   • Look for small round holes with fresh pale dust below them — active woodworm
   • Check whether the top is solid or veneered by looking at the edges
   • Note where the finish is sound and where it has failed

   Mistake to avoid: Stripping a piece because one area is worn. Much of the value of old furniture is its original finish and colour.

   Done — next step
2. 2

   Clean it

   45 min

   Remove handles and hardware and bag them. Clean the whole piece with a mild soapy cloth wrung out almost dry, a small area at a time, drying as you go. On a wax finish, use a little white spirit on a cloth instead, which dissolves old wax and grime. Clean the hardware separately. Look again at the finish once it is clean; this is when you decide whether to strip.

   • Never soak old wood; water raises the grain and lifts veneer
   • Use a soft toothbrush in mouldings and carving
   • Work outdoors or with a window open when using white spirit

   Mistake to avoid: Using a household spray cleaner with silicone. It contaminates the wood and new finishes will not stick to it.

   Done — next step
3. 3

   Repair loose joints

   1 hr

   Ease apart any joint that is loose enough to separate without force. Scrape the old glue from both faces — new glue does not bond to old. Apply fresh wood glue thinly to both faces, push the joint home, and clamp it with a strap or clamps, with scraps of wood under the jaws to protect the surface. Wipe away the squeezed-out glue with a damp cloth while it is wet. Check the piece stands square and leave it for the glue's full setting time.

   • Measure the diagonals of a chair frame to check it is square before the glue sets
   • Do not add nails or screws to a loose joint; they split the wood and the joint loosens again
   • Leave clamped work overnight

   Mistake to avoid: Leaving squeezed-out glue to dry on the surface. It seals the wood, and stain and oil will not take there.

   Done — next step
4. 4

   Strip the failed finish

   2 hr

   Outdoors or in a well-ventilated space, wearing chemical-resistant gloves and glasses, brush a thick coat of stripper onto one area at a time. Leave it for the time on the label, without letting it dry. Scrape the softened finish off along the grain with a rounded scraper, and use fine wire wool and a toothbrush in mouldings. Repeat on stubborn layers. Clean off the residue as the stripper's label says, and let the wood dry completely.

   • Work on one surface at a time, horizontal where you can so the stripper does not run
   • One woodcare maker reminds you to check the manufacturer's dwell time and keep an eye on the stripper as it works
   • Put the scrapings straight into a lidded tin

   Mistake to avoid: Using a heat gun on old paint. If it contains lead, heat makes fumes, and HSE says not to overheat leaded paint.

   Done — next step
5. 5

   Sand through the grits

   2 hr

   When the wood is dry, sand along the grain with a block. Start with the coarsest grade the surface needs and no coarser, then work through the finer grades without skipping one, so each removes the scratches of the last. One woodcare maker's sequence for taking off varnish is 150 grit then 220 grit, and it suggests 120 grit to smooth wood before varnishing. Dust off between grades. On veneer, sand by hand, lightly, with the finest grades only.

   • Wear a dust mask; fine wood dust is harmful to breathe
   • Wrap abrasive round a shaped block for mouldings
   • Wipe the wood with a damp cloth to raise the grain, let it dry and sand once more with the finest grade

   Mistake to avoid: Sanding across the grain or with a coarse grit at the end. The scratches look like nothing on bare wood and stand out like lines under oil or varnish.

   Done — next step
6. 6

   Fill and stain

   1 hr

   Fill dents, holes and cracks with wood filler, pressed in and left slightly proud. One maker's multi-purpose wood filler is dry in two hours. Sand it flush. If you are staining, test the stain on the underside first, then apply it evenly along the grain with a cloth, wiping off the excess, and let it dry fully before any finish.

   • Filler does not take stain like wood; keep repairs small or stain to match before filling
   • Stain the whole surface in one go to avoid lap marks
   • Stain looks lighter dry; judge it after the first coat of finish

   Mistake to avoid: Staining before checking for glue smears. Every patch of dried glue shows as a pale blotch.

   Done — next step
7. 7

   Apply the finish in thin coats

   2 hr

   Wipe the wood with a tack cloth or a cloth dampened with white spirit to remove dust. For oil, wipe on a thin coat, leave it to soak for the time on the tin, then wipe off every bit of excess. For varnish, brush along the grain from a well-loaded brush, laying off lightly, and leave the coat to dry for the time on the tin. One woodcare maker says to expect two or three coats of varnish for a good finish. Rub down lightly with the finest abrasive between coats.

   • Work in a warm, dust-free room once the stripping is done
   • Thin coats always: thick varnish runs and stays soft
   • On oil, buff each coat with a clean cloth once it has been wiped off

   Mistake to avoid: Leaving excess oil on the surface to build up. It turns sticky, gathers dust, and has to be stripped again.

   Done — next step
8. 8

   Wax, refit and let it cure

   45 min

   When the last coat is hard, apply a thin coat of wax with fine wire wool or a soft cloth, if the finish suits it, leave it a few minutes and buff it to a sheen. Clean and refit the original hardware with its own screws. Let the piece cure for the time on the finish's tin before you use it, and keep hot dishes and wet glasses off it for longer.

   • A little wax goes a long way; several thin coats beat one thick one
   • Put felt pads under the feet before it goes back on a hard floor
   • Keep a note of what finish you used, under a drawer

   Mistake to avoid: Using the piece straight away. Most finishes are dry to the touch long before they are hard, and an early mug leaves a ring.

   Done — next step

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