How do you get nice refinished wood trim?

[jbach36]

I took off the old weathered and yellowed plastic type of coating on my, shifter, dash, and radio console Zebrano wood.

I read a lot of articles online, but I think most of them just used Spar gloss spray that doesn't go on thick. How do you get that nice, thick, glass-like gloss finish?

I'm afraid to use a brush-on product, fearing it will have ripples in it and not cover curved areas (due to gravity) as well as flat, horizontal areas while it's on my work bench.

1991 300d

[BodhiBenz1987]

I used Epifanes Clear Marine Varnish ... and a lot of patience. I did about 8 coats, waiting a day between coats. I used an HVLP gun and just did a thin coat at a time ... it flows out great. My painting skills aren't the best but it basically self-levelled. The biggest problem was dust. I did my best to keep dust away (made a little drying booth) but ended up with a couple bits anyway (esp. since it dries so slowly). After each coat cured I scuffed it up with sandpaper and added another layer, then wait more, repeat. It builds really well and has lasted ... I live where it gets below 0 in the winter and can hit 115 in the summer but it still looks great after four years.

[mach4]

Originally Posted by jbach36

I'm afraid to use a brush-on product, fearing it will have ripples in it and not cover curved areas (due to gravity) as well as flat, horizontal areas while it's on my work bench.

Use several coats of an automotive polyurethane clear coat.

[jbach36]

Originally Posted by BodhiBenz1987

I used Epifanes Clear Marine Varnish ... and a lot of patience. I did about 8 coats, waiting a day between coats. I used an HVLP gun and just did a thin coat at a time ... it flows out great. My painting skills aren't the best but it basically self-levelled. The biggest problem was dust. I did my best to keep dust away (made a little drying booth) but ended up with a couple bits anyway (esp. since it dries so slowly). After each coat cured I scuffed it up with sandpaper and added another layer, then wait more, repeat. It builds really well and has lasted ... I live where it gets below 0 in the winter and can hit 115 in the summer but it still looks great after four years.

I don't have any way of spraying that, do you think I'd be successful brushing it on?

[SD Blue]

It's possible to get a gloss finish with a brush or wipe-on may work even better with contoured surfaces. Wipe-on will just take longer due to a lighter application coat.

With either one, there are a few hints I've read that help considerably.
1)Dust control. Wipe the surfaces to be finished with a microfiber cloth. One hint I read, mentioned running a vaporizer/humidifier beforehand to help remove airborne dust. Of course, your local climate will determine how much dust control will be needed. I've seen some phenomenal finishes where the "paint booth" was damp canvas drop cloths hung on the walls of a garage.
2)Dampen the brush/cloth with mineral spirits or water (depending on the finish base).
3)High quality brush (china bristle or polyester) There is a technique called "tipping off" that eliminates most of the brush strokes.
4)Sandpaper, not steel wool, between coats. Very fine, there are grits up to 1000+. The idea is to promote adhesion, not leveling the surface when sanding finishes.

Spraying a finish makes the application faster but prep and dust control are still the main factors.

[barry12345]

Catalysed laquer is quick drying and fairly durable. Touch dry in minutes. I just am not sure how you can get it in small quantities. I buy gallon sizes.

Straight laquer was the finish rubbed out at one time I believe. gives that deep glossy appearance.

You could prep them and find a furniture restorer that may finish them for you. Let them dry out really well before refinishing them after stripping though. Some varnish products can get sticky. Any auto body shop could probably shoot them with a few coats of clear base coat as well.

[BodhiBenz1987]

Originally Posted by jbach36

I don't have any way of spraying that, do you think I'd be successful brushing it on?

Though I have not tried it personally, Epifanes can be applied by brush, and just based on watching it flow out after spraying, I think you could also get a really nice look by brushing. It is slow-drying and evens itself out nicely, so I don't think brush strokes would be much of an issue.

[fowleramyfarah]

I guess spraying made it more beautiful..You must use bright and dark color on it..I also have one..and I have used spraying lol it looks merely flabbergast.

[Ol' Yeller]

A trick that the old timer furniture guys use is, if the original surface was lacquer finished, then simply use some lacquer thinner to "heal" the wounds. Yes, you'll get brush strokes because the thinner cuts really fast and dries really fast, which is why we used to be able to paint a car out in the driveway after hosing down the asphalt. You can get aerosol cans of Minwax lacquer at Home Depot.

I've used this trick on some old furniture and it worked out well. Lovely mahogany book case that looked like someone spilled a container of lacquer thinner down the side. Brushed on thinner to melt and 'heal' the existing lacquer finish. 220 dry sand paper with a block sander. Aerosol lacquer, more sanding, done. This approach worked just fine for me. No doubt you could use a DA to buff it out.

If you decide to go the Epiphane route, or aren't happy with the lacquer experiment, be sure to read the directions on the can. The stuff levels out just fine with a brush. No one has mentioned it, but the first coat gets thinned 50%, let dry for 24 hours, sand with 220 dry sand paper. Second coat gets thinned 25%, sand with 220 dry paper. Third coat gets thinned 15%, sand. For coats 4-8, if so desired, thin 0-5% as needed. Let dry 24 hours between coats.

Spray booth? How about a nice, new (dust free) cardboard box? Put your pieces on a nice clean length of board, etc. Spray/brush apply your pieces, stick 'em in the box. Blue masking tape the box shut for the next 23.5 hours.

[funola]

Does anyone know what the orig finish is? It is quite thick approx 1/64" and plastic like. I remember soaking a small chip of it in a paint strippet (EZ strip) and it didn't do a thing to it.

[firstdiesel]

I don't know either. I actually ran this by a woodworking forum to see how this is accomplished and they didn't have an answer.

It appears that the w123, I am not sure about the newer models, has the tint or color 'IN' the finish, the wood does not seem to be stained. I had a chip come off and the veneer is much lighter.

I've seen people stain the veneer and then add clear over it. It doesn't look bad, but I'd like to try to make it as original as possible. I think the marine varnish or epoxy is the way to go, it would just have to be tinted.

[panZZer]

if you got an old console piece with cracking polyester-(the clear is polyester), you can leave it submerged in acetone in a sealed tupperware overnite and the stuff usually does a NuMbEr on the thick clearcoat, then go with some sedona red from homo depot. and perhaps automotive clear urethane in a preval sprayer -building up/ sanding with 320, spray again 400, , 600 polish!

[firstdiesel]

NICE! The stuff (poly) in the container is tinted. How do you replicate that? Or do you use sedona red and then clear?

[panZZer]

Originally Posted by firstdiesel

NICE! The stuff (poly) in the container is tinted. How do you replicate that? Or do you use sedona red and then clear?

Nope--not tinted--its factory stain bled off--you end up with a un finished raw part--if any polyester spots stick you can grind with a piece of 120 on a 3" rollock --you must be very careful--take it down CLOSE to almost gone but NOT thru the clear, the zebrano veneer is very thin and you can easily bust thru---- (then its time to get some choclate stain and an artist brush to re stripe ~~ had to do that a little bit myself.)

after grinding down close to gone then another nite in the acetone will work over the thin residual clear.

[firstdiesel]

panZZer, that clears up quite a bit and it sure beats having to color match!