Finishing an oak table requires diligence and patience, but the satisfaction of creating a beautiful piece of furniture is worth the effort. Oak furniture has a porous surface that may require the use of fillers to achieve a finish that feels smooth when you rub your hand across the grain. It’s a matter of personal preference as to whether you choose to leave the grain exposed, or to create a perfectly smooth finish.

Start by remembering the key to a smooth finish is to sand with increasingly fine grades of sandpaper, ensuing you stay with the natural grain in the wood. The finest grade of sandpaper should be as light as a 220-grit,and then make sure you wipe the surface with a damp cloth to remove every last trace of sanding dust as dust left in the furniture’s surface will mar the coats you will apply later.Wipe any remaining dust off the table with a rag dampened with paint thinner or mineral spirits, taking care not to soak the surface as this will darken the wood’s colour.Apply a wash coat of finish to the table before using the filling paste if you are leaving the table in its natural color (not stained)

First check the instructions and then mix the finish and thinner in equal quantities. Apply one coat of the thinned finish and allow to dry, but  do not sand as this seals the wood and prevents colour change when the filling paste was applied (as detailed earlier). Brush on a coat of grain filling paste if you desire a smooth mirror finish on the oak table.  Oak has an open grain that you can feel when you rub your hand over the surface of the wood and the grain must be filled before the piece is stained.

Brush on the filler paste with a stiff paintbrush or pour the filling paste onto a section of the table and spread with a plastic putty knife or use an expired credit card. The filling paste dries quickly, apply to small sections.

Work the filler paste into the grain of the wood and allow it to dry until it forms a haze and use a rough cloth (such as burlap) to wipe excess filler paste off the surface.Make sure you then wipe with the grain to take off any last traces of the filler. Allow the filler paste to dry overnight, and then inspect the surface with a bright light to find any remaining filler. Sand any filler paste that the light detects with 320-grit sandpaper, use a light touch on the sandpaper, and work with the grain of the wood. Apply stain in desired colour after the filler paste has dried. Wipe with the grain of the wood. Allow the stained surface to dry overnight before applying the clear finish to avoid bubbles in the finish coat of the solid oak furniture. Apply three to five coats of clear finish, allowing drying between coats. allow a few days for the clear finish to harden before subjecting the table to daily use.

Filed under: Wood Carving Tools

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