You must eliminate the glossy topcoat.
You can reestablish the beauty of the old, fading finish on your oak dining chairs by refinishing them with the proper coating. Before you dive into the application process, you must employ specific preparation strategies, or you may end up with shedding. Finished oak chairs are coated with a protective layer of varnish or polyurethane wood sealer. These coatings protect the dining chairs from moisture and abrasion. If you apply a new finish directly over this protective gloss coating, the finish will fail. You must remove this coating prior to application, or you will end up with a messy finish that won't last.
Instructions
1. Lay plastic drop cloths down in a ventilated area. Place fabric over the top of the plastic ones. Place the oak dining chairs on top of the drop cloths.
2. Sand the dining chairs until they appear dull. Don't sand against the wood grain, or the wood will splinter.
3. Wipe down the oak dining chair with tack cloths, effectively removing sawdust that would inhibit stain absorption.
4. Cover portions of the dining chairs you don't want stained with painter's tape.
5. Apply two thin coats of oil-based stain to the oak dining chair, using a 2- to 4-inch oil paintbrush specifically manufactured for applying oil-based coatings. Wait two hours between coats.
6. Wash the brush with mineral spirits.
7. Wait six hours for the stained oak dining chair to cure. Apply a coat of polyurethane wood sealer or varnish to the stained oak dining chair, using the clean brush. Wait six hours before using the chair.
Tags: dining chair, dining chairs, drop cloths, Wait hours, chair using, dining chair using, polyurethane wood