Red Oak Veneer on a Dining Table

This is a section of table that we just finished working on.  The complete table came to us to be stripped and have the veneer repaired.  We did the stripping work just like we usually do.  Unfortunately the veneer on this table was in much worse shape than any of us could tell while the finish was still on. You can see in this top picture how the veneer around the edges was flaking and peeling away from the wood underneath.

We ended up needing to pull all of the veneer off the center panels and replace it.  We used a  Rift Cut Red Oak Flitch veneer. This is the same kind of veneer that was originally on the table top.  As you can see, the new veneer is much lighter in color than the old because it has not had time to age.  This color difference will have to be addressed in the finishing process.

Custom Color for Pine Table

This is a really interesting table.  It was brought to us by a welder for his clients.  The old farmhouse legs were removed and the welder was making a new bronze base.  Those four circles you see are going to be filled with bronze disks where the legs attach from underneath.   Choosing the stain color for this table was an interesting challenge.  The client wanted a color that would complement the metal base.  We tried quite a few colors, and then quite a few custom mixed colors before we found exactly what our customer wanted.  By the time we were done, the table looked like a quilt of color samples!

All of those color samples were then removed and we finished the entire table in the stain color that our customer settled on.  And it sure does look nice doesn't it?!?

Table Leaf with Plasticizer Damage

 This leaf belongs to a beautiful table that has suffered 'plasticizer' damage.  You can see from the photo that it has a strange 'oily' appearance in the finish.  This happened because the owner of the table put a plastic 'table cloth' over it to protect it, and then left in on for a while.  

The problem is that most finishes have a plasticizing agent in their chemical composition to keep the finish from becoming brittle and shattering when dry.  When the plastic cover was used on the table there was a chemical reaction and it actually broke down the finish.  This can create either the weird oily looking surface that you see here, or it can actually melt the surface so that you can pick the finish off with our finger nail.

Usually the only way to fix plasticizer damage is to completely strip and refinish the table.  But before we took that step we tried a less extensive procedure, just in case.  In this situation it was enough.  We began by removing the top layers of the table's finish where the damage was.  We then stabilized the finish and top coated it with a new water base topcoat in a 'Matte' sheen.  Our client is very happy with the results and has also learned a little lesson about plastic and chemistry.

 

Beautiful Table, With A Special Stain

I have a beautiful dining set to show you today!  This set with a table, two leaves, five side chairs and two 'captains' chairs had been refinished at some time by a company other than ours.  The woman who owns this set remembered in her childhood it being a beautiful color of brown and wanted to get the set back to that color.  We were able to come very close for her.

As you can see, the color now is just beautiful.  We used a stain that you just can't get anywhere other than here, that is because it is supposed to be a 'walnut' stain but when the manufacturer mixed up our batch, he left one of the colors out, so we call it 'Mistake Walnut'.  It is a great color and we think the manufacturer should start offering it as part of their regular line up!

On top of this water based stain, we applied our water based finish in a 'satin' sheen.  This is actually the most popular sheen among our customers.  And reasonably so, it gives a bit of shine, but not to much maintenance.  And whether you choose Mat finish or High Gloss finish, eventually, maybe 10 years down the road, they all end up Satin anyway.  All the rubbing and polishing, and subtle scratching brings a Mat finish up and a High Gloss finish down.

What do you think of our 'Mistake Walnut' stain?  Do you like the color or do you think that mistakes are mistakes for a reason and we should have send the product back?