Refinishing rosewood table

Most photo sensitive woods I've worked do respond to being sanded but there
are variables so no guarantees.

You can use any stripper that works for you. For a nice piece of furniture
I'd prefer a card scraper and reserve the chemicals to soften up finish in
tough to get too places. Things like inside carvings and ornamental areas.

I would try to pin down what you are dealing with. A little alcohol in and
unobtrusive area and see if it softens the finish. If yes, the finish is
alcohol. If no, try lacquer thinner, if yes the finish is lacquer. Since
each is a solvent for the respective finish you can use them to aid in
removing the finish. If neither bothers the finish it is something that will
need, if you are going to use chemicals, a stripper.

Me, I'd use a lacquer. You could also. If you have no spray equipment you
can get Deft in spray cans at most home stores.

However, use what ever you are comfortable with. Just remember that any
finish will have some effect on how the bare wood looks. Not usually a big
problem but in your case you will want to test a finish in an unobtrusive
spot to see how it matches up with the rest of the set you are trying to
sell.

Good luck
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Michael Press" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Mike G" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >Are you assuming the piece is stained or are you positive?
>
> I'd guess it's not stained, just clear-finished, but I really don't
> know for sure.
>
> >If the first it is possible that if that side of the table was, say,
> >situated near a window and the sun hit one half longer then the other the
> >wood has reacted to having more sun hit it the other half.
>
> Yes, that's the most likely scenario, though it's odd that one half is
> uniformly light and the other half is not lightened at all. (I'd
> expect the directional-sun scenario to produce a gradual transition
> from very light to unaffected.
>
> >Should that be the case, removing the finish and lightly sanding the wood
> >could possibly restore an even color.
>
> So are you syaing that sun-bleached wood is only affected on the top
> surface, and a light sanding exposes unbleached wood? Seems worth a
> try.
>
> Can I use standard furniture stripper I get at home depot? What kind
> of finish should I use to restore it to 'fine furniture' - is wipe-on
> poly sufficient or do I need to learn about varnish or shellac or
> something "real"?
>
> Thanks,
> Michael
>

> "Michael Press" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I have a rosewood dining room table with mismatched color. One of the
> > halves has faded significantly from the darker brown/purplish color of
> > rosewood to a light brown/tan color. It's noticibly different from
> > the other half of the table and the leaves. I'm trying to sell the
> > table (whole set actually) but the color difference keeps turning
> > buyers off. The table is about 15 years old.
> >
> > Can I strip the topcoat (I have no idea what it is) and restain one or
> > all the pieces to match? I've stripped, restained and poly'd oak
> > chairs before, but I'm a bit wary of a "real" pice of furniture. But
> > then again I don't have too much to lose...
> >
> > You can see pics at http://www.pjpress.com/furn/
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Michael

This may be a silly suggestion, but if the fading is due to UV, maybe
you should just set the table outside on a couple of sunny days, maybe
with the faded side covered, and let nature even it out.

Dave Hall

Are you assuming the piece is stained or are you positive?

If the first it is possible that if that side of the table was, say,
situated near a window and the sun hit one half longer then the other the
wood has reacted to having more sun hit it the other half.

Should that be the case, removing the finish and lightly sanding the wood
could possibly restore an even color.

--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Michael Press" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have a rosewood dining room table with mismatched color. One of the
> halves has faded significantly from the darker brown/purplish color of
> rosewood to a light brown/tan color. It's noticibly different from
> the other half of the table and the leaves. I'm trying to sell the
> table (whole set actually) but the color difference keeps turning
> buyers off. The table is about 15 years old.
>
> Can I strip the topcoat (I have no idea what it is) and restain one or
> all the pieces to match? I've stripped, restained and poly'd oak
> chairs before, but I'm a bit wary of a "real" pice of furniture. But
> then again I don't have too much to lose...
>
> You can see pics at http://www.pjpress.com/furn/
>
> Thanks,
> Michael

"Mike G" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Are you assuming the piece is stained or are you positive?

I'd guess it's not stained, just clear-finished, but I really don't
know for sure.

>If the first it is possible that if that side of the table was, say,
>situated near a window and the sun hit one half longer then the other the
>wood has reacted to having more sun hit it the other half.

Yes, that's the most likely scenario, though it's odd that one half is
uniformly light and the other half is not lightened at all. (I'd
expect the directional-sun scenario to produce a gradual transition
from very light to unaffected.

>Should that be the case, removing the finish and lightly sanding the wood
>could possibly restore an even color.

So are you syaing that sun-bleached wood is only affected on the top
surface, and a light sanding exposes unbleached wood? Seems worth a
try.

Can I use standard furniture stripper I get at home depot? What kind
of finish should I use to restore it to 'fine furniture' - is wipe-on
poly sufficient or do I need to learn about varnish or shellac or
something "real"?

Thanks,
Michael