How to Refinish Furniture

In this instructable, I will be showing you how I restored the top on this coffee table. I actually found this item being thrown out on the curb for bulk trash, but I thought it still had a lot of value in it. The piece was in pretty good condition on the sides, but the top had several spots where it had been drawn on by children. Watch the 2 minute video above to see how I fixed this or keep reading below.

For this project, I used:

• Ryobi Sander: https://amzn.to/2JXEz2W
• Sander Sandpaper: https://amzn.to/2HRKxk0
• Stain https://amzn.to/2UxO5yN
• Paintbrush: https://amzn.to/2WxwCD0
• Drop Cloth: https://amzn.to/2Uqej5h
• Kleenex Hand Towels https://amzn.to/2UpwQ1n (these are more durable than paper towels and do not leave behind residue on the furniture)
• Polyurethane Protective Finish https://amzn.to/2UqP4R4
• Mineral Spirits https://amzn.to/2Usd5qN

I started by sanding down the existing finish. Then I wiped down the coffee table with a wet paper towel to remove all of the sanding debris.

Once it was dry, I used a brush to apply a thick layer of stain in the direction of the grain, making sure to do so in a well ventilated area. I did this over a drop cloth to make sure no stain got onto the ground. After a few minutes, I wiped the excess stain off of the furniture using a Kleenex hand towel.

I then cleaned my brush off using mineral spirits in a well ventilated area. I poured the mineral spirits into a paper plate and agitated my brush in the product until all the residue had dissolved. I pressed out the excess, wiped it with a clean towel, and laid it out to dry. I then placed all of my trash that had mineral spirits or stain on them into a trash bag and kept them outside until trash day. I do not like to keep them inside the garage with the rest of the trash since that is where the water heater is and these chemicals can be flammable.

After I allowed the coffee table to dry for an hour, I applied a coat of Polyurethane Protective Finish to the top.

And that’s all it took to transform this coffee table. If you enjoyed this tutorial, please consider following me on Instructables and subscribing to my Youtube channel to see more content like this. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMQQAmEG3HaUyNFH...