Painting Designs on Wood Furniture Using Oil Based Stain
Home improvement is often something as simple as giving old furniture a lift, but the idea of trying to reupholster or refinish a piece seems daunting to many. It shouldn’t âÂ?¦if you remember you’re supposed to have fun with it!
Too often, we sell a piece that we think would cost too much to restore. If you stop thinking about restoration, that’s a good start. Unless a piece is a high quality antique, which is valuable, there’s no reason not to start thinking about it in a completely different light. A Victorian piano-legged dining table might seem like a white elephant especially if it’s missing the leaves, but it isn’t at all. It is easily convertible into a great coffee table or breakfast sized table, and you can give it some new life in the process.
The one shown was exactly that when I found it at the town dump. It just seemed too good not to take home and work out some way to use it, and because I took with with me, it became a project that opened up new avenues for me.
In this case, I simply gave it a good scrubbing with a little Clorox and water. What was left of the varnish virtually came off with a little steel wool and I smoothed the surface with fine sand paper. With what became a blank canvas, I remembered a piece of furniture I’d seen in Scotland which was a tartan design done with intricate inlays of wood. It was far beyond my budget and I couldn’t buy it, but I always remembered it. So, I started thinking about plaid.
My first step was to give the entire table a thin coat of oil based wood stain and then rubbed it down. This gave the table an overall base color. During the time it was drying, I researched some tartan designs and decided on one that I felt was simple enough to recreate with different colors of stain. In assessing what steps it would take to get the design, I realized I would need to start with the lightest colors and work upwards to the dark ones, that I would need a lot of masking tape, different colors of stain, and a room where it wouldn’t matter that the table set during drying times.
First, I measured the table and worked out the math for the tartan. I felt if I came up with a proportion appropriate to the size that the plaid would work better. Finally, I was ready to take the first step so I marked and masked off one set of stripes. The first coat was nothing more than the same stain I’d used on the table to begin with, but I applied it somewhat heavier, let it set for a while before taking the excess up with a cloth. The minute I pulled back the masking tape, I knew I was having fun. But the fun was diminished a little by knowing I would have to wait until the stain was completely dry before proceeding. As I learned, it’s possible to do stripes of a layer about every 24 hours. That’s why you need a place to leave the table for the entire project. Don’t try to cheat by using water based stains …they just don’t work.
So, one day one way and the next the other direction, learning all the while the importance of really securing the masking tape and taking very precise measurements. Yes, I screwed up. But since I quickly recognized it, I had a rag handy and was able to wipe away any evidence!
I also learned how much Japan drier is worth. A little bit added to stains will decrease drying times even when the weather is very damp. It’s also a nice medium to gauge color. If you have a small can of every color wood stain made, you can come up with some wonderful colors. The reddish cast of mahogany against a Jacobean dark is great and is quite a contrast. The other important tool is your masking tape. Because I was using some much, I tried discount versions before realizing that it came apart, left residue on the wood, and didn’t stick when you needed it to. I became a big fan of the 3M Corporation and their masking tape. It’s more expensive but it works!!!! You don’t need many tools for this type of work. A few disposable paint brushes (who wants to clean up anyway?), rags made from old t-shirts are great, margarine containers for mixing and saving your colors, a can of spray air for getting dust off between coats and the ability to not be in a hurry.
As I continued to do these types of finishes, there were times when I would be completely done and realize I didn’t like the design. That’s the great part about stains âÂ?¦some paint thinner on a rag and you can erase the whole thing and start over in minutes. I’ve done it. But if you like where you’ve gotten to, it’s time to seal the whole design onto the table with polyurethane sealant. Whether the finish is matte or glossy is completely personal, but I’ve always like glossy. Besides, it’s a much tougher finish. About four coats of polyurethane (no sanding in between so watch the dust in the air) later, you should really let the piece sit for a few days before using. Let it really cure and when it does, it will be hard as nails!
I happen to be mad for plaids but this technique can easily be used to put a plain border, stripes, or just about any other design you can think of, onto pieces which have become boring. You aren’t hurting it in the least, but you’re giving it a new reason to be wonderful all over again.
