Tips To Refinish Cherry Dining Table

Cherrywood is unlike all other woods. Although it is considered a hardwood, it has an unusual curly grain pattern that creates many problems for the wood finisher during staining and finishing. Cherrywood requires some extra attention to detail when prepping the wood for staining, when staining the wood, and when adding a finish. However, refinishing cherrywood is a moderately easy task, and you can usually refinish in one day or less.

Sanding

First, remove any finish that remains on the table. Although you should never sand bare cherrywood with a coarse sandpaper (60 or 80 grit)--usually, the darker the finish, the coarser the paper you use--you need to do so here to remove the old finish. Once the finish has been removed, smooth the bare wood with 120, 220 and 320 sandpaper. Always sand with the grain pattern if possible. Pay attention to small crevices and carving. Use a dental pick to get into the hard-to-reach areas.

Staining

Cherrywood darkens over time without any staining; however, if you want that dark color immediately, stain the table with a cherry stain. First, condition the wood with an oil-based wood conditioner; oil-based products dry more quickly than water-based. Make sure to get the conditioner into the end grains of the wood, as well. Failure to condition the wood will result in blotches in the curly pattern of the wood grain and darker end grains. Allow the conditioner to dry per the instructions on the can, and then apply an oil-based gel stain. The gel stain will also help prevent blotches. Apply stain more than once if you want a darker color. When the piece is fully dry, apply the finish.

Finishing

Apply a coat of thinned polyurethane finish (1 part paint thinner to 4 parts polyurethane) using a cotton rag. Once this coat has dried, wipe over the entire table with 3/0 steel wool. The wool will smooth out any uneven areas in the glaze coat and knock down any rough ridges or bubbles. Apply another two or three coats of unthinned polyurethane, using a fine-bristle brush or by wiping it on. Choose satin, semigloss or gloss for the finish.

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