Through the years people have enjoyed the natural beauty of wooden furniture. Today with the help of modern stains and varnishes, you don't have to be a professional craftsman to get professional looking results - whether you're working with a true antique or an inexpensive artwork. Refinishing a piece of furniture doesn't have to be difficult. You can do it at home with a minimum of effort and tools. It's a way to turn an eyesore into a great looking piece of furniture.

The wood refinishing process requires three basic steps.

1. Stripping off the old finish.
2. Preparing the wood surface for refinishing by repairing any scratches on the wood's surface and then sanding the wood smooth.
3. Refinishing by staining and applying protective finish substances.

It will help if you make sure you have all of the proper tools. Gather everything you're going to need before you begin. First, you'll want to choose a workspace that has plenty of ventilation, a lot of space and is relatively clean. Dust can be your worst enemy in refinishing, so select a space where you can keep dust problems to a minimum. Of course you are going to need some tools like; cutting knives, sandpaper, varnish and stain removers etc. Your can find them easily from a local hardware store.

With tools and chemicals, your first concern should be safety. Some products can be harmful if used improperly, so read the directions carefully. Also remember these basic safety suggestions:

• Paint remover should not be stored for long periods of time.
• Never apply a flammable product near an open flame or electric motor.
• Keep caustic and flammable chemicals away from children and make sure that you provide yourself with adequate ventilation.
• Remember that rags and brushes soaked with finishes and varnishes are fire hazards. They should always be cleaned immediately or stored in a bucket of water until discarded.
• Wear rubber gloves and if you are allergic to varnish keep away from it or else wear something to protect inhalation.

Once you have gathered all your tools and supplies, you are ready to begin.

When considering furniture for a refinishing project, ignore the old finish since it is going to be replaced. Instead, look inside for the kind of wood the piece offers. Choose a simple piece of furniture for your first attempt, and one that won't need a lot of structural repairs.

Stripping

The first step in refinishing is removing the old finish. The best product for this task is a chemical finish remover. Removing the old finish with sandpaper would take a lot longer, and with sanding it is much easier to accidentally sand away part of the wood's natural finish. This natural finish is called a "patina." Patina develops on the surface of wood with age. It gives the wood its antique look. Refinishers use chemical removers instead of sanding to retain the wood's patina.

Before you begin stripping, check to see if the piece you're working with has a veneer outer surface. Veneer is a thin piece of high quality wood that is glued over a less expensive, but thicker, wood base. Veneers are common and many craftsman use veneers to create beautiful yet inexpensive furniture. Careful examination will usually reveal the lines that signal veneer construction. These faint lines are usually found near the edges of the furniture. Strip the larger surfaces of your piece as quickly as possible. This will prevent excess stripper from soaking under any veneers and separating them from the wood underneath.

All chemical removers have vapors that can be harmful if they are inhaled, so set up in a location with adequate ventilation. Use a fan if necessary or work with doors and windows open. Wear rubber gloves and a long-sleeved shirt. If necessary wear goggles. Pour the stripper into an open container or bucket, so it will be easier to use. Apply the stripper liberally. You don't want it to dry out. On vertical surfaces work from top to bottom, covering every inch of the piece with a thick coat. When one section is covered, wait until the stripping process is complete before moving to the next section. It normally takes from five to 20 minutes to see the chemicals work. When the surface begins to appear wrinkled or to pull away from the wood, use a wood cutting knife to scrape the residue into a container, perhaps a cardboard box. Be careful not to gouge or chip the wood's surface by forcing your knife. Just slide it along the finish. Keep the surface of the wood moist.

If you prefer using a sand- paper then again get the right number of sand-paper used normally for wooden works and start from top to bottom if the wood contains vertical lines and from left to right if the lines are horizontal. In hard to reach areas, try using smaller tools like a brush, which is less likely to harm the wood than steel wool. Toothpicks, cotton, and old toothbrushes can also be helpful in tight spaces.

Be careful to get every bit of the old finish off with your stripper or sandpaper. Sanding paint away is difficult and the new finish you will soon be applying needs a totally clean surface to adhere properly. So if any of the old finish remains apply more remover or scrub the wooden surface with sand-paper to reach to a completely clean surface. Once all the old finish has been removed, wipe the piece down with a clean cloth moistened with thinner. Use cotton in those hard-to-reach areas. If you have used a chemical stripper then let the furniture dry for 24 hours otherwise start the next process.

Bleaching

Strippers remove old finish but they don't remove old stains. If your furniture has been stained darker than you like it, you can use a bleaching process to lighten the tone of the wood. Bleaching can also help to remove blemishes and discolorations that are too deep to sand out. The best bleach for most home refinishing work is oxalic acid. Laundry bleach tends to be too weak while commercial bleaches are extremely strong and potentially dangerous. To prepare a standard oxalic acid solution, dissolve three ounces of oxalic acid crystals in one quart of hot water. Apply it to the wood's surface with a sponge or a brush made from synthetic fibers, since natural bristles may dissolve in bleach. After you are finished bleaching be sure to neutralize the toxic residue that will be left on the wood. Do this by washing down the wood with a borax solution. Then let the wood dry thoroughly. Bleaching should be done just before the final sanding stage. Beware that bleaches are toxic and can burn your skin, so take the same safety precautions as required with stripping.

Once you have stripped your furniture and allowed it to dry, you are ready for the next step: smoothing and preparing the surface for the application finish. Go over the piece carefully, looking for anything that might be a problem later: Cracks, Scratches, Gouges etc. For dents, place several thicknesses of a moistened cloth over the dent and press on it with a hot iron. This can help to swell the compressed wood fibers back to their original position. For gouges or holes use a patching compound (what we call wood putene or putty). There are many types available on the market, so choose one that dries quickly, sands easily and will absorb the stain. Wood putty will absorb some stain when dry, but it is best to choose a color just a little bit lighter than your final finish. This can be tricky, especially if you plan to stain your piece after patching, so experiment with putty and stain on a seldom seen piece of your furniture. Wipe the putty into the gouge and leave it slightly overfilled. Fill larger holes in stages, allowing the filler to dry completely between layers. After the putty dries, sand it to flush the surface.

Smoothing & Sanding

After you have repaired your furniture, you are ready to smooth your overall surface for finishing. Stripping closes the grain of the wood, so you'll want to reopen the grain to expose it's natural beauty. That's where sanding comes it. Sanding reopens the grain and erases minor scratches on the surface. Sandpaper is often over-used. The rule is to sand carefully and gently. Throughout the sanding process you will use papers with different degrees of roughness. Sandpaper is rated in numbers that tell you how rough its surface is. The larger the grit, the courser the paper and the lower the rating number. Never hold the paper directly against your hand. The uneven pressure will heat up the paper and cause scratches during sanding. Use a sanding block or make your own block by wrapping sandpaper around a piece of wood. Make sure to pad the paper by lining the face of the block with a thin strip of felt or rubber. This padding helps prevent scratches. Keep a variety of wood scraps handy so you can create sanding blocks that work for you at all times.

Begin with a fairly course paper. Sand the entire surface at an angle with the grain. Use straight even strokes, applying moderate pressure. After sanding with the coarse paper, wipe the piece down with a rag moistened with turpentine and varnish, also known as a "tack rag." Begin the process again with finer sandpaper. As you make additional sanding passes, increase the grit number of the paper used. For the final sanding you can use a 220- to 280-grit sandpaper. The goal is to make the wood surface as smooth as possible, but don't use a grit so fine that you polish the wood before you stain. This will keep the stain from penetrating the wood.

Until now, we have been concerned with returning our piece of furniture to its original unfinished state. We stripped the old finish off and then we repaired and smoothed the wood's surface. Now comes the step that creates the wood's new look: staining and finishing. All woods have a grain that provides its natural beauty. Open, green woods have distinct pores, which must be filled to achieve a smooth finish. On very porous woods use a paste filler. On less-porous wood, simply apply a sanding sealer. Fillers are available in a variety of colors or in neutral tones that can be colored with tints or stains. When applying the filler begin by vigorously brushing it in with the grain of the wood. Then brush the filler against the grain, working it in to the open pores. If the filler gets too thick, thin it slightly.

Allow the filler to set up for 10 to 20 minutes; then use a course cloth to wipe against the grain. Finish by gently wiping in the direction of the grain. Allow the filler to dry for at least 24 hours. Sanding sealer need only be brushed on in the direction of the wood grain and allowed to dry. Both the sanding sealer and the paste filler should be sanded with a very fine sandpaper after drying. Soft woods, such as pine, absorbs stain unevenly, resulting in blotchy color. Soft woods need to be conditioned or sealed. If your wood does not need filling, you can go ahead and stain. Stain adds character to woods. It also camouflages defects and it can even make one wood look like another. Rich dark woods are generally not stained. On the other hand, most medium- and light-colored woods need a stain to improve their overall appearance. The final choice is yours. If after testing you decide you like a certain stain on a certain wood then go ahead and use it. Just remember to test it first.

To Stain or not to Stain

The first test you can use is the "no-stain test." To get an idea how a piece of wood is going to look if it is only finished and not stained, rub a small portion with paint thinner. The wood would appear much like this if you did nothing more than varnish it. If you prefer the natural, unstained look, skip ahead and apply the final finish. If not, you should get ready to stain. The biggest danger in staining is to over-stain. Test a variety of colors on an out-of-the-way place. First wipe away any dust with a rag. Then stir the stain. Stain must be stirred often in order to keep the pigments from settling.

Brush or wipe the stain on in long, uniform strokes. Brush enough onto the surface to insure good penetration. When the color has reached the proper tone, begin wiping off the excess with a clean cloth. Wipe in the direction of the grain. Application and wiping usually takes five to 10 minutes. The longer the stain is left on, the darker the wood will turn. To make sure that you don't overdo the stain, start out by leaving the color on for a maximum of five minutes. You can always stain the piece darker with additional applications, but if you let the wood absorb too much stain, you have to remove it with bleach and start all over. After staining the wood to the shade you prefer, rub the surface with a clean cloth. This is a good way to make sure you have removed all of the excess stain. It will take 12 to 24 hours for stain to dry.

The Finishing Coat

Finishing your furniture is the final step. The finish provides the wood with a coating of protection and determines the glossiness of the wood surface, as well as the wood's texture. There are many types of finish available for example lacquer polish etc. No matter how careful you are, the finish will probably pick up a few dust specks. To keep dust to a minimum, make sure that your clothes are dust-free and clean your work area before beginning. Try to stay out of the room while the finish is drying. Start by stirring the varnish carefully to avoid creating air bubbles. Then pour the varnish through a strainer into a bucket you are using for this purpose only. This will remove any particles in the varnish. Don't pour any more varnish than you will need for one coat. Apply the varnish carefully with smooth continuous strokes. Dip no more than one-third of the brush into the varnish. This prevents bubbles from forming. Bubbles can cause pin holes or craters in the varnish as it dries.

Try to work with the furniture in a horizontal position. This will minimize runs and streaks as far as the actual application of the varnish. First, brush on the varnish with the grain, then brush quickly against the grain working the varnish in. Finally lightly go over the same area - with the grain again. Work in small sections, completely finishing one before moving on to another. Use a bare minimum of brush strokes and don't try to do the whole piece of furniture at once. Apply several thin coats of varnish rather than one heavy one. Let each coat to dry thoroughly and then sand it lightly with a sandpaper. Always remove the sanding dust with a rag before applying another coat. Don't attempt to touch up mistakes. It will usually only make the problem worse. You don't need to sand the final varnish coat.

Furniture refinishing can be enjoyable and satisfying work. You can save money and at the same time practice a time-honored craft. But the nicest part of furniture refinishing is your ability to give the wood back its natural beauty and elegance.