This is by far the best video on restoring and polishing a piece of furniture on the internet. Actually it’s the only one you need to watch . Simon is easy to understand and during the video explains the steps thoroughly so you don’t have too many questions. His passion for restoration come across too . The products were great and I will be ordering some . Thanks Simon
4 years on and I am SO glad to have found this video - timeless !!! Now I am confident to have a go - brilliant - thank you so much for a masterclass in making things so simple to understand :)
Who gave this video 17 dislikes? Obviously someone JEALOUS ! because they didn't bother to leave a comment explaining their negative reaction. I see quality and a lot of work invested in this table, time spent explaining with plenty of details, and some nice lighting and camera work and editing. A big THUMBS UP from me! I was looking for a video just like this. UPDATE 2 hours later: I live in Germany and went to the local home improvement store. I looked for a similar product and found nothing even close, so I came home and ordered your starter kit. I'm really excited and inspired and motivated by your video.
Thank you for your kind comments. Yes we have invested a huge amount of our time and money creating these videos. We did this because we get asked 'how to' do it so often. We are not a professional film company, we are a small furniture restoration business that wants to share some of our knowledge and we do this ourselves. Thank you AlmostHohn. It's very kind of you.
No one is "jealous". Perhaps it was the background noise, er "music" that bothered them. It sure bothered me and was distracting from a good presentation.
Absolutely superb presentation by a gifted craftsman and communicator. Loved hearing you use the word: 'Charge.' Reminded me of: "Ladies and Gentleman please charge your glasses and be up standing!" Thank you for all the information you gave us.
I wish to commend you for your excellent video. Clear, detailed and I love the fact you ANSWER the questions.Thank you. All other youtubers take note!!!
Simon, what a fabulous tutorial! You are articulate and thorough, and that is so much appreciated! I have recently come into possession of an antique drop-leaf oak table and wasn't sure how I was going to finish it. After watching your presentation I am so excited to get started with your product. Thank you!
I spotted a plane resting on its base. My old woodwork teacher, Mr. (Chisel) Davies would have made you write out the rules of planing 10 times for that. Great and instructive video, thanks.
Excellent Tutorial, very informative ,explaining each step and why, with slow precise language, I appreciate clear diction and explanations, . You did not rush the procedure, nor your explanations of what you were doing and why, and how. I applaud that. thank you for taking the time to make the video. but better yet! Thank you for sharing it with us neophytes !.
Thank you this was a great tutorial. You restored the wood beautifully while keeping that 'homely' look of a well-beloved piece of furniture. Going to keep your instructions as a reference.
A timely video. Thanks for the efforts and the good production quality. That's pretty rare on youtube. I have recently started over again furniture wise and am buying all wood, all antiques (thanks to the fact that millenials are not fans of the stuff, you can pick up fabulous dressers, tables etc for pennies). I have been watching many of your videos for the past month, trying to solve particular problems and am thrilled you are actively answering questions. Thanks for what you do and for being a resource.
Hi Tanya. Thank you. I hope this helps you get back in to the 'Antique furniture world'. If there was a time to buy period furniture now is it! Good quality Georgian and early 19th century furniture can be bought right now for a fraction of the price it once commanded. I find it incredible that I can go to an auction and buy a period hand made George III corner cupboard for £100 or a Georgian Bureau for a few hundred. Strange times we live in. Best wishes Simon.
@@GilboysRestoration Simon, Exactly! I wish we had more Georgian stuff here in the midwest of America (Indianapolis). I'm pleased with the victorian and art nouveau pieces I find and your videos help me figure out how to repair and restore. I wish I had a bigger place so I could stockpile. Cause someday, the millenials are going to tire of their IKEA laminates and "discover" good quality, and the race will be on again. BTW, do you have a retail outlet in the U.S.? thanks, tanya
@@tanyajuli4145 Hi Tanya. I agree the outgoing tide of antique furniture will turn at some point but at the moment it is right out! At present we don't have any stockist in the USA. However we have just listed it on Amazon in the USA, fulfilled by us here in the workshop and shipped direct to the buyer. I do understand the costs increase because of the postage but we have subsidised it as much as possible. kind regards Simon
The greatest inspiration & bliss is to watch a master at work. Just subscrided to the channel and feels great to share that acrossing many problems I make handmade burr puzzles and wooden boxes in Teak. All hand buffed and Shellaced traditonally as you do. Great video, lots of love & Namastey from India.
Great video, cannot believe you are providing this excellent professional information for free! I just bought a 1910 oak table with beautiful turned and carved legs/frame that is almost black with polish. The top has uneven wear and some scratches so I am looking for options of what to do with it. Your table's original state is similar to mine but in very small patches. There was a lot of excellent info in this video! I saw some ppl commenting on how they didn't like the style of the finished result, it isn't what I am looking for (in this instance) either but if I hadn't watched this I wouldn't know that. But I also feel more confident in my options because I now know my table can be stripped back safely and polished up.
Thanks Felicity. I hope it helps you. Our videos do cost us quite a lot of money to produce. There are many ways to finish wood. The purpose of this is to demonstrate an effective way of doing so without any experience. resulting in a pleasing, natural looking durable finish. 😁
@@GilboysRestoration I ended up buying your starter kit and polishing my table with it along with filling in the scratches using your besswax sticks. Again you had more instruction videos for how to use the products which were really helpful when I came across an issue. The table came up really nicely and I am so pleased with it.
Thank you. Awesome. I will email you. I love old furniture and have wanted to learn for many years how to conserve, protect and repair and revive beautiful old pieces.
This tutorial was so helpful. Could you do one on old pine? I have a 37 year old pine kitchen table that originally had a beeswax finish. As a beginner, I found your 1,2,3 step demonstration very helpful.
Hi Becky. You can do this exact same process on your pine table. In fact you can do this on most pieces of furniture. If you want to add colour to your table you can do this at the point when it is stripped back and cleanly prepared. Sometimes adding a subtle stain to wood will enhance the grain and the overall look. You can then go on to seal the able as you see me do in the video. Kind regards Simon
Wow! What a beautiful wax finish, Simon. Thank you for this wonderful tutorial. How do you go about keeping it clean? What can you use, and not use, for daily maintenance?
Can you possibly do a shop tour? I really enjoy seeing other shops and how they organize them. I am currently moving into my new shop and am looking for ideas. Thanks for your videos.
Very informative video, thank you for all your enthusiasm and clear directions. In the process of restoring an old coffer, your products are working a charm.
Thanks Simon for yet another very instructive video. Funnily enough many of the techniques you use are ones that I also use and somehow just figured out for myself, eg adding vinegar to meths fur neutralising, and using 0000 steel charged with polish to help create a satin rather than gloss finish. As always still though plenty to learn. Thankyou
Hi Simon, your most welcome and many thanks, I look forward to being able to use your polishes etc. I have the perfect project for its first use. I am in the middle of the total restoration of a 1870-80s.'s cedar blanket box. So the timing in receiving the polish will be perfect.
always good to see a clip uploaded by you.....i subscribed years ago..........id love to see a clip uploaded more often by you of restorations.........love your channel
Hi Geoff. Thank you for your kind comments. We produced this video with the hope of answering the most asked questions we receive on a daily basis. The process of stripping the finish which you see me demonstrating here can is the same process we would apply to ALL of our restoration work that requires us removing the old finish. I must stress we only ever . strip the original finish when we are very sure we there is no other option. Best Wishes Simon
Great video. I would have liked to see you so the other half of the top. I know it would have been great but trying to get my head around how you would do the transition
Thank you for the insightful video. Would like to ask what are the best finishes for a kitchen counter butcher block? I would like it to be rather easy to clean when water /cooking oil spills. Tq
Hi Vincent. There are many food safe oils on the open market. They should contain good quality beeswax, carnauba wax and a mineral oil. Depending on how often you use it. I would have thought a quick wipe over once a month will be enough. I would reapply it when moisture starts to be absorbed into the wood. ✅
Hi. I received my gold wax today and just put it on a very dry table which I’d stripped. How long should I leave before waxing again? I think I saw on one of your videos to wait a while but I can’t remember which video and how long to wait! Thank you for a prompt delivery and such wonderful customer service x Carole
HI Carole I believe Ian has already replied to your question via email but for the benefit of others... You can apply a second coat of our polish within a few hours of the first. The reason being; the first application will be absorbed quite quickly by the bare wood and the wax will dry faster. Depending on how dry and absorbent the surface is I would wait a week or so before applying further wax applications. As I demonstrate in this video. I personally would seal the table first and then wax it but thats just me. 😁
Hi. Thanks, yes Ian has replied. I didn’t want to alter the colour of the wood so didn’t use oil as they all seem to have a yellow /orange tint. Thanks, the wax is great!
The finish on that table is beautiful. We have moved to a house with oak doors and skirting boards , I think they have previously been waxed but not sealed first, any slight drop of water marks terribly. What is the best way to find out what had been used previously so I can redo them and properly seal. If it is wax only will meths strip it off? Thankyou.
Hi Rick. Good question. Always, always colour the wood when it is stripped and prepared prior to the finishing process. 🙂 You cant really change the colour once you have sealed it, unless you use a pigmented polish, but thats not good because it starts to obliterate the wood itself. So always colour your wood at the beginning of the finishing process. ✅ There's more help on satining and colouring here. ua-cam.com/video/Nu93hys1N58/v-deo.html I hope this helps Simon
Instead of using your good metal cabinet scraper, use an auto body plastic scraper...no chemical reaction and it works just the same...also works with wood fillers.
Hello, Thanks for the video. I would like to use this process to refinish my dining room table. I have a few questions for you if you don't mind. 1) Is this kind of finish practical for a dining table that is used daily for most meals and other activities? 2)Whats product did you use for the wax oil? Is it a product I can purchase from your website or should I just get something locally? For example, Tung or linseed oil? Cheers!
Brilliant video - thanks, I am in Australia and will order your wax. What oil can I use? Would it be Raw or boiled linseed oil? I have an oak coffer which has been damaged by being placed under an air conditioner. Thanks so much!
Hi Steve. You can use any of the wood strippers available on the open market. They will remove the old finish and leave the original wood substrate untouched. ✅
@@GilboysRestoration Thank you for the terrific videos. I tried refinishing old family furniture when I was in college and long before UA-cam. Now years later, with the same family antiques, I'm going to make another go at it and I think will have much better success thanks to your tutorials. My order of your products came yesterday! :-)
Hi Raymond. Email me a few photo's of the table and I will try my best to advise you of the best way to approach the repair. email: restoration@gilboys.co.uk
Thank you so much for your informative video. I am about to start this process on an old sideboard but it has some engravings and ornate wood design so just wondered if there is any easy way to get stubborn colour out of these areas? If I have to sand them, I am afraid I will damage them. Any tips very gratefully received.
I have the same question, having recently acquired a vintage table which has a carved border around the edge of the table top (on the horizontal surface, not the vertical edge) I would like to know the best way to restore the top, which is not in great condition.
Hi Barbara. Sorry for the huge delay. The past twelve months have been challenging. When looking at stripping the finish from furniture, if you need to remove the finish because it is beyond saving then we strip, *but* when it comes to carved relief areas we always try to leave them well alone. Ask yourself does it need stripping? Or can it be left alone during the stripping process and later blend it in during the finishing process. If you have to strip the carved area because its painted or the finish has disintegrated so much it has to be stripped then we get stuck in with the stripper and coarse wire wool. We also use anything that comes to hand that will help extract the waste material. This can be old dental tools, a small wire brush, a whittled dowel or piece of wood, (known to me as a quirking stick) a trimmed old credit card or plastic wood filler scraper /applicator. Basically anything you can think of that won't harm the wood surface but will help clean the material out. I'm sorry if this is too late for you but it may help others. Best wishes Simon.
Thank you for your helpful video. I have an Edwardian oak draw leaf table which has four panels on the top with recesses/grooves around them. The grooves are parallel and vary between 1-3mm wide and 1-2mm deep. How would you suggest filling them? Thank you.
Hi Dan Would you be able to email a few images of the table to me? Our email is on our website www.gilboys.co.uk I can advise you better when I can see what you are looking at. Best wishes Simon
Hi Simon, I am trying to restain/dye an old Ercol Colonial suite. It is in dark wood, and has scratches and bare patches. I have tried numerous dark oak dyes and stains and none are enough to colour this. I have sanded the arms as these are the worst affected. I am not sure what Ercol originally used. I have reached out to them to no avail. Any help you could offer would be gratefully received. I don't need it to be uniformly perfect, it is old after all but I would like all of the dark wood to be dark. Thanks very much :)
Hi Osvaldo. Only on rare occasions would we not use a stripper. We use stripper because it only removes the old finish, This is very necessary when dealing with period furniture. Using a sander is often way to aggressive and will often lead to damaging a piece of furniture. This is especially important when dealing with veneered furniture. It can be ruined in minutes by using a sander with a coarse grit. It is also very important when removing period but unsalvageable finishes, when wish to retain as much of the wood patination as possible. I hope this helps. I have just produced a video demonstrating what can happen if sensitive (veneered or period) furniture is heavily sanded using an electric sander, it will be released later in October 2020 Best wishes Simon
I'm a bit confused about the sanding and neutralising order. Do you sand, then vacuum off , then put the Meths, then Sand again? Also in the video you apply the Oil after sanding but didn't vacuum the dust away. Surely the dust gets mixed in with the oil? Please clarify. Thank you, great video.
Hi Tanya. We will always sand then vacuum off the surface. (as long as I remember to do so). We don't normally sand in this part of the workshop. We have a full air extraction booth where we would blow the dust off using compressed air. So this is a demonstration of how you can do it at home. I would very lightly sand after neutralising, just to smooth out the surface after the fluid has evaporated. Then vacuum off the dust, ready for your next process which is either staining (if you want to adjust the colour) and then sealing.
Hi simon, great video thank you, this is the second time I’ve watched it! How long do you think the whole process took, not including the video work obviously. I’m weighing up painting my table legs & sanding and oiling top vs your method here
Hi Ben. Thank you. I would plan on about a days work from start to finish. The majority of the work is in the preparation. It will very depend on how easy or difficult the old finish strips away from the table. After stripping I would recommend leaving the table to air dry overnight before applying any finishing materials, just to help prevent any retarded drying of the finish. I hope this helps. Best wishes Simon
I have a pine table made from Nottingham pine. It has served us well: 3 boys, 3 wives, 11 grandchildren, for 36 years. It was holding up very well until I watered a plant and didn't notice the water leak. After a week, when I picked it up, the table was full of black mold. It also had colored marker stains, some pen ink. etc. I tried to "bleach" the mold out, which just left it a little lighter black with much whiter spots around the stains. After watching your tutorial I decided to start sanding it to see if that would remove the black stains. Whalla! Black stains gone, but there were still the lighter areas. I have searched the internet to get a good answer about what to do now, but I'm a little confused. My questions are: Do I need to "neutralize" it? I did not use any stripper. Do I need to condition it? I read that pine tends to not take stain evenly. I have purchased Fiddes pine water stain in hopes of evening out the color. I bought hard wax oil to follow your instructions on this tutorial. And I have bought Gilboy Pure Gold for the finishing touch. Please advise with a clear 1,2,3 step instruction. This is my first attempt at refinishing a piece of furniture so I am totally confused.
Sorry Becky. I missed a whole bunch of comments on this video. You have probably sorted this by now but if you haven't.. I would follow the steps I demonstrate in this video. As long as the surface is evenly sanded and has no old finish or dirt imbedded in it, then you can start the refinishing process. There is no need to neutralise the stripper as you haven't used any If you want to stain the table this needs to be done *before* you start the finishing process. I have never used a conditioner before. I would only think it necessary on 'new pine' which can be very absorbent. I would suggest using a naptha oil stain which is very easy to apply. (apply with the grain and wipe off the excess as you go) Start at one corner of the table and apply along the length of the table working your way across from one side to the other. Allow to dry overnight and then follow the processes I demonstrate in this video. I hope this helps Kind regards Simon
Hello, I am a total novice...please if you could tell me how often one must reapply the wax for the upkeep of the furniture? Also, can I apply wax over a tung oil finish? Many thanks!
Hi. Repeat applications depend on how much you use the furniture. And yes you can use it over all the oiled finishes. ✅ Here's a guide to help you. gilboys.co.uk/pages/how-often-should-i-use-gilboys-beeswax-polish?_pos=1&_sid=9954f3ced&_ss=r
Is it just me, did the pre stripped distressed look beautiful as well? Have you ever found a piece and simply removed coffee mark's or ink, etc and used a clear coat?
The pre stripped look is fine to keep, if thats what you like. Its not very practical, I could have waxed it but it wouldn't function well as a daily use table. 🙂
I have bought a mid century Danish extending dining table where the 2 inner unused leaves that sat underneath are still dark stained in the tables original colour and the 2 extremity leaves that have been exposed to light are now bleached out, thus making the table 2 distinct colours when fully opened. Please advise how to get the colour even again. Do I follow this video and stripper it all, sand it down then stain with hard wax oil and then apply your Gold wax on top? Your advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Tanya. Sincere apologies for the delay. Our business has turned on its head (like many others in the past 10 months). Trying to even up faded colours on a dining table is very difficult. You are correct with your above comments. Once stripped and sanded (the sanding process will help even up the mismatched colours) you may want to stain the surface with a colour that closely matches your wood. (you may wish to do this twice) Once dried you can continue with the finishing process as I demonstrate in the video. I hope this helps Best wishes Simon
I have an old 1800's French country oak table that is similar to this one. The four planks that make up the top of mine have pulled apart a bit, creating gaps. The planks are also not flat anymore, each a bit concave. The gaps catch food and water which is not good and the gaps and concavity make the table a bit frustrating to use. Would I be destroying the piece if I sanded it flat and filled the gaps with the bee's wax and then apply the finish as you did here?
Hi Brian . Email a few images of the table to me. (simon@gilboys.co.uk) so I can best advise. My first thought is not to fill the gaps with anything but to carefully remove the top and separate the individual planks out, clean the edges and rejoin them. I would guess that they are butt-joined so there are no complicated joints to replicate making it a relatively simple repair (as long as you have the basic tools). I would avoid sanding the surface, It would probably take a very, very long time to get it flat and you will take out all those years of patination. (send me a photograph) Your problem does highlight an often debated restoration question: The functional justification of restoring antique or period furniture, at what point does the restoration have to stop or how far can one go before it is deemed as 'ruined' or 'devalued' but at the same time have a functional practical use? There are many factors that can determine the answer: Without restoration or repair is it usable? Who made it? When? How many were made, one, two, hundreds? What woods were used? The type of construction? Does it directly reflect or identify with a particular period in history? Has it been 'restored' before? If yes was it done correctly? if not then should it be corrected or left alone? And a very important one is it £ $ worth it? Or does it have sentimental value in which case financial value is mainly overlooked? Many thanks for watching and your comments. Simon
“We’re going to use our own wax because, well, it’s brilliant.” 🥰 Yep, I bet it is! “Too bad” I live in the United States. Thoroughly enjoyed your informative video.
Hi Ashley. Many thanks fro your comments. I hope the video helps you. In the past 18 months we have shipped our polish to every single state in the United States 🙂. Don't just take my word for it. Take a look at the reviews on our website. I don't write them 😁 gilboys.co.uk/pages/reviews Best wishes Simon
I am enquiring about the safety glasses you are wearing do they fog up at all if not can please inform where you got them from please, did you get them off Amazon?... 🤔 Kind regards, Stewart
Thanks, great video. Is it necessary to neutralise the wood if chemical stripper has not been used. I am working on an unvarnished antique pine dresser. Do you recommend any particular brand of wax oil. I want to retain the natural colour of the wood as much as possible. Mary
Some questions: how would this hold up to daily use with kids? Sturdy enough? Or is this more of a look, don’t touch finish? What would cleaning this off look like? Wet rag ok? Finally when re-waxing the top yearly or so is it just that final step of wax and buff? Or does it require more? I have a dining table I’d like to refinish but it gets constant use with children and I want something practical too.
Hi Tiffany. Sorry I missed your comment. Yes this is a good finish for daily use. And yes a wet cloth would be fine to clean it with. The final step of waxing is just a case of applying and buffing as I demonstrate here. You can always apply another coat of hardwax oil. It will overcoat the wax polish without any problem. 😉
Have you ever done any antique Singer treadle sewing machines it wood parts I'm restoring one and I'm wondering whether they originally used wax or the shellac
Personally I really like your method it seems a lot more old-fashioned and like the fact that you're using natural things like beeswax and I'm sure any colors would be from tree resins I always like that idea
@@ernieferguson6346 Hi Ernie. We have re-polished many Singer machines over the years. The 19th and early 20th century ones were shellac finished. I would say that the ones from the second quarter of the 20th century onwards were nitrocellulose finished. When it comes to finishing it would depend on what purpose the owner has in mind. If it is to be kept as a historical piece and the owner is careful then yes, french polish the piece and wax finish it. If the owner wants to use it as a functional piece and like many use it as a working table then maybe a tougher finish may need considering. I hope this helps. And good luck.
For stubborn marks you could use bleach applied with medium wire wool, I worked for a company that restored antique chairs and all seating items, I watched the old pro's at work.
Always enjoy your videos, and I've ordered some products to make a start on a small project. One question if I may - how resistant is the wax to heat ? Would you still have waxed if the table was to have irregular heated surfaces (such as a hot dish for example) placed on it, or would you have finished with another product ?
Hi Jeremy, Beeswax polishes are intended as a sacrificial layer, they are inteded to protect the finish underneath and to enhance the finish. so instead of your beautifully finished table or whatever it may be being damaged, the beeswax polish takes the brunt of it, and you can simply repolish. i hope this helps, kind regards Archie Newnham-Dibley
Great tutorial. I want to wax polish a kitchen bench top and I was looking up the internet on how to do it. I've looked at a few but after watching this video I'm settling for your method. Can you tell me what the sealer is please? I either missed it or you didn't mention it.
Is it possible to lightly sand eg stag minstrel furniture to give it just a light sanding and then use pledge or something like furniture restoration oil
Hi Simon, thanks for the tutorial. Was that a hard wax oil you applied before the Pure Gold, like Fiddes or Osmo? Would a Danish oil have the same effect, please? I sometimes use a shellac sanding sealer on old surfaces before waxing and have always had good results with that.
Yes it was a hardwax oil. I think it was treatex. The reason being it offers better protection to a high traffic wearing area like this table. we still use sanding sealer as it is such a great product bu in this instance a hardwax oil works very well. Kind regards Simon
Simon, Very informative..helpful. I will be attempting my first finish on an old library table made of oak. The entire table from legs up to top have the same original finish....it looks glossy throughout. I've cleaned, stripped, and sanded the top, but not the legs. I plan to use your products if possible. In your demonstration, did pre strip, sand etc the legs? And just apply the Antique Wax on the legs etc? I would like to avoid stripping, etc the legs if I can. They are in relatively good condition, but they may be a slightly different color once I complete the top. What are your thoughts? Thank you!!!
HI, I'm sorry I dint get round too replying to you earlier. I wax polished the legs and frame on the table, over the original finish. Stripping and refinishing the top of your library table is very much the way we would do it in the workshop and speaking on behalf of all restorers, very much the way they would do it. The slight colour difference is perfectly acceptable. 🙂
@@GilboysRestoration Simon, thanks for your reply. Once I finished the top of the library table, I did not like the color difference, so I removed the 4 legs (they were attached with metal plate and screws), and sanded off the varnish finish, then sanded to a nice fine smooth finish before applying varnish. This was a job - to say the least. I am glad I do not do this for a living or for fun. In any event, the table looks lovelier than I expected considering this is my first attempt at this type of project. I'd rather be quilting. Thank you again for taking the time to respond to my questions.
This is by far the best video on restoring and polishing a piece of furniture on the internet. Actually it’s the only one you need to watch . Simon is easy to understand and during the video explains the steps thoroughly so you don’t have too many questions. His passion for restoration come across too . The products were great and I will be ordering some . Thanks Simon
Thanks Robert. That's very kind of you.
Same thoughts , really enjoyed this simple but very skillful proces and understanding more deeply about the type of productsa.
Such an amazing, well taught, explained, visually clear and helpful tutorial . Thanks so much for this.
You're very welcome. Thank you.
4 years on and I am SO glad to have found this video - timeless !!! Now I am confident to have a go - brilliant - thank you so much for a masterclass in making things so simple to understand :)
Who gave this video 17 dislikes? Obviously someone JEALOUS ! because they didn't bother to leave a comment explaining their negative reaction.
I see quality and a lot of work invested in this table, time spent explaining with plenty of details, and some nice lighting and camera work and editing.
A big THUMBS UP from me!
I was looking for a video just like this.
UPDATE 2 hours later: I live in Germany and went to the local home improvement store. I looked for a similar product and found nothing even close, so I came home and ordered your starter kit. I'm really excited and inspired and motivated by your video.
Thank you for your kind comments. Yes we have invested a huge amount of our time and money creating these videos. We did this because we get asked 'how to' do it so often. We are not a professional film company, we are a small furniture restoration business that wants to share some of our knowledge and we do this ourselves. Thank you AlmostHohn. It's very kind of you.
No one is "jealous". Perhaps it was the background noise, er "music" that bothered them.
It sure bothered me and was distracting from a good presentation.
Perhaps it's the fact the table was quite lovely before with the natural patina?
@@robertwear1675Err no it wasn’t..it is beautiful now.. .but if that rough look is the look you go for why watch this ?🤷♀️
@@nedlee3000there’s always someone… well done you’re that guy.🙄🇬🇧
Absolutely superb presentation by a gifted craftsman and communicator. Loved hearing you use the word: 'Charge.' Reminded me of: "Ladies and Gentleman please charge your glasses and be up standing!" Thank you for all the information you gave us.
Thank you. you are very kind.
Thanks for sharing your decades of experience, skills and knowledge. A privilege to see a real craftsman at work.
Glad you enjoyed it. thank you
Thank you. I bought your products after watching the really helpful video and I couldn’t be happier.
Thank you. That's very kind of you to say so.
I wish to commend you for your excellent video. Clear, detailed and I love the fact you ANSWER the questions.Thank you. All other youtubers take note!!!
You're very welcome. Thank you.
Simon, what a fabulous tutorial! You are articulate and thorough, and that is so much appreciated! I have recently come into possession of an antique drop-leaf oak table and wasn't sure how I was going to finish it. After watching your presentation I am so excited to get started with your product. Thank you!
Thank you for watching our videos I’m glad you enjoy them.
Best restoration video on UA-cam.
Thank you.
I spotted a plane resting on its base. My old woodwork teacher, Mr. (Chisel) Davies would have made you write out the rules of planing 10 times for that. Great and instructive video, thanks.
Oops! Good job Mr D isn't in the workshop!
Thanks for your feedback Tony
Craftsman at work. The finish on the top is lovely 😊
Thank you 😊
Excellent Tutorial, very informative ,explaining each step and why, with slow precise language, I appreciate clear diction and explanations, . You did not rush the procedure, nor your explanations of what you were doing and why, and how. I applaud that. thank you for taking the time to make the video. but better yet! Thank you for sharing it with us neophytes !.
Thank you for kind comments. We have tried our best to help people discover how to refinish their own furniture in a few simple steps.
The top is so pretty you do wonderful work. Could watch your videos all day.
Thanks so much 😊
Well done with the eye protection, absolute necessity in these types of jobs, another great video, thank you for this.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you.
Thank you this was a great tutorial. You restored the wood beautifully while keeping that 'homely' look of a well-beloved piece of furniture. Going to keep your instructions as a reference.
Thank you Pieter. Glad we could help.
This has been so helpful. I have just inherited two beautiful pine school lockers c 50's. I'll be restoreing them with the tips you have given.
Brilliant video, now I can start on the old kitchen table lying in the garage for the last decade.
Go for it!
Great to watch a master craftsman at work
Thanks for watching.
A timely video. Thanks for the efforts and the good production quality. That's pretty rare on youtube. I have recently started over again furniture wise and am buying all wood, all antiques (thanks to the fact that millenials are not fans of the stuff, you can pick up fabulous dressers, tables etc for pennies). I have been watching many of your videos for the past month, trying to solve particular problems and am thrilled you are actively answering questions. Thanks for what you do and for being a resource.
Hi Tanya.
Thank you. I hope this helps you get back in to the 'Antique furniture world'. If there was a time to buy period furniture now is it! Good quality Georgian and early 19th century furniture can be bought right now for a fraction of the price it once commanded. I find it incredible that I can go to an auction and buy a period hand made George III corner cupboard for £100 or a Georgian Bureau for a few hundred. Strange times we live in.
Best wishes
Simon.
@@GilboysRestoration Simon, Exactly! I wish we had more Georgian stuff here in the midwest of America (Indianapolis). I'm pleased with the victorian and art nouveau pieces I find and your videos help me figure out how to repair and restore. I wish I had a bigger place so I could stockpile. Cause someday, the millenials are going to tire of their IKEA laminates and "discover" good quality, and the race will be on again.
BTW, do you have a retail outlet in the U.S.? thanks, tanya
@@tanyajuli4145 Hi Tanya.
I agree the outgoing tide of antique furniture will turn at some point but at the moment it is right out! At present we don't have any stockist in the USA. However we have just listed it on Amazon in the USA, fulfilled by us here in the workshop and shipped direct to the buyer. I do understand the costs increase because of the postage but we have subsidised it as much as possible.
kind regards
Simon
Tanya Juli oh piss off you self-righteous old bat. Millennial here who just bought a Victorian parlor suite to go in the Victorian house I own.
@@louisak5958 I guess Millennials are not only interested in old furniture but they are rude as well
Simon reminds me of Tim Vine! Thoroughly watchable!
I love the authentic look. Comfortable, but very presentable. I want one!
Thank you I learnt alot from this video to go on and restore an old sideboard! 👍🏽
Thanks Cassy. Glad it helped.
Stunning. Its truly beautiful with the natural finish.
Thank you. 🙂
My edwardian dropleaf table is going to love me when I try this.
The greatest inspiration & bliss is to watch a master at work.
Just subscrided to the channel and feels great to share that acrossing many problems I make handmade burr puzzles and wooden boxes in Teak. All hand buffed and Shellaced traditonally as you do. Great video, lots of love & Namastey from India.
Thank you. Manish. :-)
Brilliant video, thank you so much. Followed your instructions and products used and am delighted with my table
Thanks N.C.
I’m glad it worked well for you. 😀.
Best wishes
Simon
Thank you...fantastic tutorial...so pleased to have found it!!!
Thank you, glad it was helpful. 🙂
Great video, cannot believe you are providing this excellent professional information for free!
I just bought a 1910 oak table with beautiful turned and carved legs/frame that is almost black with polish. The top has uneven wear and some scratches so I am looking for options of what to do with it. Your table's original state is similar to mine but in very small patches. There was a lot of excellent info in this video!
I saw some ppl commenting on how they didn't like the style of the finished result, it isn't what I am looking for (in this instance) either but if I hadn't watched this I wouldn't know that. But I also feel more confident in my options because I now know my table can be stripped back safely and polished up.
Thanks Felicity. I hope it helps you. Our videos do cost us quite a lot of money to produce. There are many ways to finish wood. The purpose of this is to demonstrate an effective way of doing so without any experience. resulting in a pleasing, natural looking durable finish. 😁
@@GilboysRestoration I ended up buying your starter kit and polishing my table with it along with filling in the scratches using your besswax sticks. Again you had more instruction videos for how to use the products which were really helpful when I came across an issue. The table came up really nicely and I am so pleased with it.
Thank you very much, greetings from Holland
You are welcome.
You are the best teacher.
Thank you.
Just got my wax and applied to my farm table as I had already done all steps. Thank you!
No Worries I hope you enjoy !
I have learnt so much, have purchased the starter kit and I can't wait to get started.
Thank you. Awesome. I will email you. I love old furniture and have wanted to learn for many years how to conserve, protect and repair and revive beautiful old pieces.
Great video Simon, Thank's for the share, have a nice day !!!
Thanks Brian. I hope it helps.
This tutorial was so helpful. Could you do one on old pine? I have a 37 year old pine kitchen table that originally had a beeswax finish. As a beginner, I found your 1,2,3 step demonstration very helpful.
Hi Becky. You can do this exact same process on your pine table. In fact you can do this on most pieces of furniture.
If you want to add colour to your table you can do this at the point when it is stripped back and cleanly prepared. Sometimes adding a subtle stain to wood will enhance the grain and the overall look. You can then go on to seal the able as you see me do in the video.
Kind regards
Simon
Wow! What a beautiful wax finish, Simon. Thank you for this wonderful tutorial. How do you go about keeping it clean? What can you use, and not use, for daily maintenance?
Can you possibly do a shop tour? I really enjoy seeing other shops and how they organize them. I am currently moving into my new shop and am looking for ideas. Thanks for your videos.
We may do one day!
Every time I salvage some dumped piece of furniture, I end up painting it. It breaks my heart. I love the natural grain of wood.
Very informative video, thank you for all your enthusiasm and clear directions. In the process of restoring an old coffer, your products are working a charm.
Thanks Ann
This is a wonderful demonstration and explanation! Exactally what I was looking for. Thank you so very much! Your videos are wonderful!!
Thank you Theresa for your kind feedback. We are glad you find our videos so helpful
Thanks Simon for yet another very instructive video. Funnily enough many of the techniques you use are ones that I also use and somehow just figured out for myself, eg adding vinegar to meths fur neutralising, and using 0000 steel charged with polish to help create a satin rather than gloss finish. As always still though plenty to learn. Thankyou
Hi David. My Pleasure and thank you for your order of Gilboy's Gold. I hope it works well for you. Let me know how you get on.
Best Wishes
Simon
Hi Simon, your most welcome and many thanks, I look forward to being able to use your polishes etc. I have the perfect project for its first use. I am in the middle of the total restoration of a 1870-80s.'s cedar blanket box. So the timing in receiving the polish will be perfect.
Alway enjoy watching your videos. You make it look so easy. Thank you!
You are so welcome. 🙂
fab tutorial ive learned a lot today..thank you
Thank you for your feedback
Amazing. Thank you.
always good to see a clip uploaded by you.....i subscribed years ago..........id love to see a clip uploaded more often by you of restorations.........love your channel
Hi Geoff. Thank you for your kind comments. We produced this video with the hope of answering the most asked questions we receive on a daily basis. The process of stripping the finish which you see me demonstrating here can is the same process we would apply to ALL of our restoration work that requires us removing the old finish. I must stress we only ever . strip the original finish when we are very sure we there is no other option.
Best Wishes
Simon
Really nice finish on that table,much prefer Matt/satin to a high gloss,it looks more natural. Thank you.
Thank you ! 😀
Id just love to learn this trade or craft 👍👍👍
I used to be a French polisher.. brings back memories
We're glad you enjoyed watching David
Excellent video thanks. How do you clean the cotton cloth after applying the wax oil?
Thak you Sir...you are defenitely a Master...
Thank you. That s very kind. ☺️
Educational and useful. Thank you so much for uploading ❤️
Thank you Anna. x
Great video. I would have liked to see you so the other half of the top. I know it would have been great but trying to get my head around how you would do the transition
Hi Randall.
After the filming crew left, I stripped the entire table top again and completely refinished it. ✅
Beautiful. Thanks for the helpful information
Thank you for watching.
Beautiful finish, thank you for sharing
Thank you. 😊
Looks fantastic thanks some great tips. 🙏❤️🙏
You are so welcome
Thank you for the insightful video. Would like to ask what are the best finishes for a kitchen counter butcher block? I would like it to be rather easy to clean when water /cooking oil spills. Tq
Hi Vincent. There are many food safe oils on the open market. They should contain good quality beeswax, carnauba wax and a mineral oil. Depending on how often you use it. I would have thought a quick wipe over once a month will be enough. I would reapply it when moisture starts to be absorbed into the wood. ✅
Well done very good job
That was an awesome video, I'll be buying your products and getting restoring!
Thanks Andrew. I hope you have success.
Ahh... reminds me of the good old days when my mom would scream from the kitchen “USE A COASTER!!!”
T CNN
Amazing skills 👍
Very helpful Thanks
Hi. I received my gold wax today and just put it on a very dry table which I’d stripped. How long should I leave before waxing again? I think I saw on one of your videos to wait a while but I can’t remember which video and how long to wait! Thank you for a prompt delivery and such wonderful customer service x Carole
HI Carole
I believe Ian has already replied to your question via email but for the benefit of others...
You can apply a second coat of our polish within a few hours of the first. The reason being; the first application will be absorbed quite quickly by the bare wood and the wax will dry faster.
Depending on how dry and absorbent the surface is I would wait a week or so before applying further wax applications.
As I demonstrate in this video. I personally would seal the table first and then wax it but thats just me. 😁
Hi. Thanks, yes Ian has replied. I didn’t want to alter the colour of the wood so didn’t use oil as they all seem to have a yellow /orange tint. Thanks, the wax is great!
The finish on that table is beautiful. We have moved to a house with oak doors and skirting boards , I think they have previously been waxed but not sealed first, any slight drop of water marks terribly. What is the best way to find out what had been used previously so I can redo them and properly seal. If it is wax only will meths strip it off? Thankyou.
Thank you! That was great
Glad you enjoyed it.
Many thanks for another top video! If you wanted to darken the oak at what point would you apply a stain, please?
Hi Rick.
Good question.
Always, always colour the wood when it is stripped and prepared prior to the finishing process. 🙂
You cant really change the colour once you have sealed it, unless you use a pigmented polish, but thats not good because it starts to obliterate the wood itself.
So always colour your wood at the beginning of the finishing process. ✅
There's more help on satining and colouring here. ua-cam.com/video/Nu93hys1N58/v-deo.html
I hope this helps
Simon
Instead of using your good metal cabinet scraper, use an auto body plastic scraper...no chemical reaction and it works just the same...also works with wood fillers.
Hello, Thanks for the video. I would like to use this process to refinish my dining room table. I have a few questions for you if you don't mind. 1) Is this kind of finish practical for a dining table that is used daily for most meals and other activities? 2)Whats product did you use for the wax oil? Is it a product I can purchase from your website or should I just get something locally? For example, Tung or linseed oil? Cheers!
I am wondering the same thing.
Brilliant video - thanks, I am in Australia and will order your wax. What oil can I use? Would it be Raw or boiled linseed oil? I have an oak coffer which has been damaged by being placed under an air conditioner. Thanks so much!
Can you advise on how to clean very grimey 450 year old oak flooring before waxing please !
Really good thank you - do you think I could use the same process on a wooden Belfast sink that is not looking its best?
Yes, absolutely. I would probably give it three coats of hard wax oil. to make sure its well sealed. 🙂
Great video...just a quick question, What would you use to remove water based paint off of furniture without damaging the original wood underneath?
Hi Steve.
You can use any of the wood strippers available on the open market. They will remove the old finish and leave the original wood substrate untouched. ✅
Hi Simon. Fabulous video. Can you give any more info about the wax oil you use please? Thanks so much
rogannaful Hi! Thank you for watching our videos. In this video we used “Treatex Ultra” I believe we used the Matt one.
@@GilboysRestoration sorry my thanks took so long!
My exact question as well!
@@GilboysRestoration Thank you for the terrific videos. I tried refinishing old family furniture when I was in college and long before UA-cam. Now years later, with the same family antiques, I'm going to make another go at it and I think will have much better success thanks to your tutorials. My order of your products came yesterday! :-)
Hi there, I have a whole in my table what would you recommend, masking underneath and fill it with wax.......?
Hi Raymond.
Email me a few photo's of the table and I will try my best to advise you of the best way to approach the repair.
email: restoration@gilboys.co.uk
Sell it to a massage parlour.
Thank you so much for your informative video. I am about to start this process on an old sideboard but it has some engravings and ornate wood design so just wondered if there is any easy way to get stubborn colour out of these areas? If I have to sand them, I am afraid I will damage them. Any tips very gratefully received.
I have the same question, having recently acquired a vintage table which has a carved border around the edge of the table top (on the horizontal surface, not the vertical edge) I would like to know the best way to restore the top, which is not in great condition.
Hi Barbara.
Sorry for the huge delay. The past twelve months have been challenging.
When looking at stripping the finish from furniture, if you need to remove the finish because it is beyond saving then we strip, *but* when it comes to carved relief areas we always try to leave them well alone.
Ask yourself does it need stripping? Or can it be left alone during the stripping process and later blend it in during the finishing process.
If you have to strip the carved area because its painted or the finish has disintegrated so much it has to be stripped then we get stuck in with the stripper and coarse wire wool.
We also use anything that comes to hand that will help extract the waste material. This can be old dental tools, a small wire brush, a whittled dowel or piece of wood, (known to me as a quirking stick) a trimmed old credit card or plastic wood filler scraper /applicator. Basically anything you can think of that won't harm the wood surface but will help clean the material out.
I'm sorry if this is too late for you but it may help others.
Best wishes
Simon.
Thank you for your helpful video. I have an Edwardian oak draw leaf table which has four panels on the top with recesses/grooves around them. The grooves are parallel and vary between 1-3mm wide and 1-2mm deep. How would you suggest filling them? Thank you.
Hi Dan
Would you be able to email a few images of the table to me? Our email is on our website www.gilboys.co.uk
I can advise you better when I can see what you are looking at.
Best wishes
Simon
Hi Simon, I am trying to restain/dye an old Ercol Colonial suite. It is in dark wood, and has scratches and bare patches. I have tried numerous dark oak dyes and stains and none are enough to colour this. I have sanded the arms as these are the worst affected. I am not sure what Ercol originally used. I have reached out to them to no avail. Any help you could offer would be gratefully received. I don't need it to be uniformly perfect, it is old after all but I would like all of the dark wood to be dark.
Thanks very much :)
Great tutorial and thanks for sharing, if I may ask: why use a stripper instead of sanding the surface to remove the old finishing? thank you so much.
Hi Osvaldo. Only on rare occasions would we not use a stripper.
We use stripper because it only removes the old finish, This is very necessary when dealing with period furniture. Using a sander is often way to aggressive and will often lead to damaging a piece of furniture. This is especially important when dealing with veneered furniture. It can be ruined in minutes by using a sander with a coarse grit.
It is also very important when removing period but unsalvageable finishes, when wish to retain as much of the wood patination as possible.
I hope this helps. I have just produced a video demonstrating what can happen if sensitive (veneered or period) furniture is heavily sanded using an electric sander, it will be released later in October 2020
Best wishes
Simon
@@GilboysRestoration thank you so much for the time you took for a very helpful answer.
I'm a bit confused about the sanding and neutralising order. Do you sand, then vacuum off , then put the Meths, then Sand again? Also in the video you apply the Oil after sanding but didn't vacuum the dust away. Surely the dust gets mixed in with the oil? Please clarify. Thank you, great video.
Hi Tanya. We will always sand then vacuum off the surface. (as long as I remember to do so). We don't normally sand in this part of the workshop. We have a full air extraction booth where we would blow the dust off using compressed air. So this is a demonstration of how you can do it at home.
I would very lightly sand after neutralising, just to smooth out the surface after the fluid has evaporated. Then vacuum off the dust, ready for your next process which is either staining (if you want to adjust the colour) and then sealing.
Hi simon, great video thank you, this is the second time I’ve watched it! How long do you think the whole process took, not including the video work obviously. I’m weighing up painting my table legs & sanding and oiling top vs your method here
Hi Ben.
Thank you.
I would plan on about a days work from start to finish. The majority of the work is in the preparation. It will very depend on how easy or difficult the old finish strips away from the table. After stripping I would recommend leaving the table to air dry overnight before applying any finishing materials, just to help prevent any retarded drying of the finish.
I hope this helps.
Best wishes
Simon
Thanks for such a great and helpful video. It is mandatory to apply the liquid oil/wax before you finish with the paste wax?
Hi Craig. Sorry for missing your comment. No it's not mandatory but the finish will be far more durable /practical if you do use a sealer first.
I have a pine table made from Nottingham pine. It has served us well: 3 boys, 3 wives, 11 grandchildren, for 36 years. It was holding up very well until I watered a plant and didn't notice the water leak. After a week, when I picked it up, the table was full of black mold. It also had colored marker stains, some pen ink. etc. I tried to "bleach" the mold out, which just left it a little lighter black with much whiter spots around the stains. After watching your tutorial I decided to start sanding it to see if that would remove the black stains. Whalla! Black stains gone, but there were still the lighter areas. I have searched the internet to get a good answer about what to do now, but I'm a little confused. My questions are: Do I need to "neutralize" it? I did not use any stripper. Do I need to condition it? I read that pine tends to not take stain evenly. I have purchased Fiddes pine water stain in hopes of evening out the color. I bought hard wax oil to follow your instructions on this tutorial. And I have bought Gilboy Pure Gold for the finishing touch. Please advise with a clear 1,2,3 step instruction. This is my first attempt at refinishing a piece of furniture so I am totally confused.
Stain that area alone lightly a few more times maybe? A few coats to build up the color
Sorry Becky. I missed a whole bunch of comments on this video. You have probably sorted this by now but if you haven't..
I would follow the steps I demonstrate in this video. As long as the surface is evenly sanded and has no old finish or dirt imbedded in it, then you can start the refinishing process. There is no need to neutralise the stripper as you haven't used any
If you want to stain the table this needs to be done *before* you start the finishing process. I have never used a conditioner before. I would only think it necessary on 'new pine' which can be very absorbent. I would suggest using a naptha oil stain which is very easy to apply. (apply with the grain and wipe off the excess as you go) Start at one corner of the table and apply along the length of the table working your way across from one side to the other. Allow to dry overnight and then follow the processes I demonstrate in this video.
I hope this helps
Kind regards
Simon
Hello, I am a total novice...please if you could tell me how often one must reapply the wax for the upkeep of the furniture? Also, can I apply wax over a tung oil finish? Many thanks!
Hi. Repeat applications depend on how much you use the furniture. And yes you can use it over all the oiled finishes. ✅
Here's a guide to help you. gilboys.co.uk/pages/how-often-should-i-use-gilboys-beeswax-polish?_pos=1&_sid=9954f3ced&_ss=r
Is it just me, did the pre stripped distressed look beautiful as well? Have you ever found a piece and simply removed coffee mark's or ink, etc and used a clear coat?
The pre stripped look is fine to keep, if thats what you like. Its not very practical, I could have waxed it but it wouldn't function well as a daily use table.
🙂
After the oil sealing, can you stain it too, before you polish it?
I have bought a mid century Danish extending dining table where the 2 inner unused leaves that sat underneath are still dark stained in the tables original colour and the 2 extremity leaves that have been exposed to light are now bleached out, thus making the table 2 distinct colours when fully opened. Please advise how to get the colour even again. Do I follow this video and stripper it all, sand it down then stain with hard wax oil and then apply your Gold wax on top? Your advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Tanya.
Sincere apologies for the delay. Our business has turned on its head (like many others in the past 10 months). Trying to even up faded colours on a dining table is very difficult. You are correct with your above comments. Once stripped and sanded (the sanding process will help even up the mismatched colours) you may want to stain the surface with a colour that closely matches your wood. (you may wish to do this twice) Once dried you can continue with the finishing process as I demonstrate in the video.
I hope this helps
Best wishes
Simon
I have an old 1800's French country oak table that is similar to this one. The four planks that make up the top of mine have pulled apart a bit, creating gaps. The planks are also not flat anymore, each a bit concave. The gaps catch food and water which is not good and the gaps and concavity make the table a bit frustrating to use. Would I be destroying the piece if I sanded it flat and filled the gaps with the bee's wax and then apply the finish as you did here?
Hi Brian . Email a few images of the table to me. (simon@gilboys.co.uk) so I can best advise. My first thought is not to fill the gaps with anything but to carefully remove the top and separate the individual planks out, clean the edges and rejoin them. I would guess that they are butt-joined so there are no complicated joints to replicate making it a relatively simple repair (as long as you have the basic tools). I would avoid sanding the surface, It would probably take a very, very long time to get it flat and you will take out all those years of patination.
(send me a photograph)
Your problem does highlight an often debated restoration question: The functional justification of restoring antique or period furniture, at what point does the restoration have to stop or how far can one go before it is deemed as 'ruined' or 'devalued' but at the same time have a functional practical use?
There are many factors that can determine the answer: Without restoration or repair is it usable? Who made it? When? How many were made, one, two, hundreds? What woods were used? The type of construction? Does it directly reflect or identify with a particular period in history? Has it been 'restored' before? If yes was it done correctly? if not then should it be corrected or left alone? And a very important one is it £ $ worth it? Or does it have sentimental value in which case financial value is mainly overlooked?
Many thanks for watching and your comments.
Simon
@@GilboysRestoration Just e-mailed you a few photographs.
“We’re going to use our own wax because, well, it’s brilliant.” 🥰 Yep, I bet it is! “Too bad” I live in the United States. Thoroughly enjoyed your informative video.
Hi Ashley.
Many thanks fro your comments. I hope the video helps you.
In the past 18 months we have shipped our polish to every single state in the United States 🙂.
Don't just take my word for it. Take a look at the reviews on our website. I don't write them 😁 gilboys.co.uk/pages/reviews
Best wishes
Simon
@@GilboysRestoration thank you so much for your response to my comment. Love(!) your videos! My BIL is from Cambridge. Love the Brits! 🇬🇧
I am enquiring about the safety glasses you are wearing do they fog up at all if not can please inform where you got them from please, did you get them off Amazon?... 🤔
Kind regards,
Stewart
Thanks, great video. Is it necessary to neutralise the wood if chemical stripper has not been used. I am working on an unvarnished antique pine dresser. Do you recommend any particular brand of wax oil. I want to retain the natural colour of the wood as much as possible. Mary
Some questions: how would this hold up to daily use with kids? Sturdy enough? Or is this more of a look, don’t touch finish?
What would cleaning this off look like? Wet rag ok?
Finally when re-waxing the top yearly or so is it just that final step of wax and buff? Or does it require more?
I have a dining table I’d like to refinish but it gets constant use with children and I want something practical too.
Hi Tiffany. Sorry I missed your comment. Yes this is a good finish for daily use. And yes a wet cloth would be fine to clean it with.
The final step of waxing is just a case of applying and buffing as I demonstrate here.
You can always apply another coat of hardwax oil. It will overcoat the wax polish without any problem. 😉
Have you ever done any antique Singer treadle sewing machines it wood parts I'm restoring one and I'm wondering whether they originally used wax or the shellac
Personally I really like your method it seems a lot more old-fashioned and like the fact that you're using natural things like beeswax and I'm sure any colors would be from tree resins I always like that idea
@@ernieferguson6346 Hi Ernie. We have re-polished many Singer machines over the years. The 19th and early 20th century ones were shellac finished. I would say that the ones from the second quarter of the 20th century onwards were nitrocellulose finished.
When it comes to finishing it would depend on what purpose the owner has in mind. If it is to be kept as a historical piece and the owner is careful then yes, french polish the piece and wax finish it. If the owner wants to use it as a functional piece and like many use it as a working table then maybe a tougher finish may need considering.
I hope this helps. And good luck.
For stubborn marks you could use bleach applied with medium wire wool, I worked for a company that restored antique chairs and all seating items, I watched the old pro's at work.
Always enjoy your videos, and I've ordered some products to make a start on a small project.
One question if I may - how resistant is the wax to heat ?
Would you still have waxed if the table was to have irregular heated surfaces (such as a hot dish for example) placed on it, or would you have finished with another product ?
Hi Jeremy,
Beeswax polishes are intended as a sacrificial layer, they are inteded to protect the finish underneath and to enhance the finish. so instead of your beautifully finished table or whatever it may be being damaged, the beeswax polish takes the brunt of it, and you can simply repolish.
i hope this helps,
kind regards
Archie Newnham-Dibley
@@GilboysRestoration Many thanks Archie - keep up the great work on the videos, and keep safe !
Great tutorial. I want to wax polish a kitchen bench top and I was looking up the internet on how to do it. I've looked at a few but after watching this video I'm settling for your method. Can you tell me what the sealer is please? I either missed it or you didn't mention it.
I believe he said it was the hard wax oil.. 🙂
Fantastic video thank you. Can I ask as I am a novice starting different projects what grade coarse wire wool you use. Thank you
Hi. We used '0000' to apply the wax. And Grade 3 for stripping.
@@GilboysRestoration Thank you.
Is it possible to lightly sand eg stag minstrel furniture to give it just a light sanding and then use pledge or something like furniture restoration oil
Hi Simon, thanks for the tutorial. Was that a hard wax oil you applied before the Pure Gold, like Fiddes or Osmo? Would a Danish oil have the same effect, please? I sometimes use a shellac sanding sealer on old surfaces before waxing and have always had good results with that.
Yes it was a hardwax oil. I think it was treatex. The reason being it offers better protection to a high traffic wearing area like this table.
we still use sanding sealer as it is such a great product bu in this instance a hardwax oil works very well.
Kind regards
Simon
Did you clean the bottom half of the table before applying wax? Nice step if it’s not needed.
HI Ashley.
No I didn't clean the base prior to waxing it. Its rarely necessary to do so. ✅
Simon,
Very informative..helpful. I will be attempting my first finish on an old library table made of oak. The entire table from legs up to top have the same original finish....it looks glossy throughout. I've cleaned, stripped, and sanded the top, but not the legs. I plan to use your products if possible. In your demonstration, did pre strip, sand etc the legs? And just apply the Antique Wax on the legs etc? I would like to avoid stripping, etc the legs if I can. They are in relatively good condition, but they may be a slightly different color once I complete the top. What are your thoughts? Thank you!!!
HI, I'm sorry I dint get round too replying to you earlier. I wax polished the legs and frame on the table, over the original finish. Stripping and refinishing the top of your library table is very much the way we would do it in the workshop and speaking on behalf of all restorers, very much the way they would do it. The slight colour difference is perfectly acceptable. 🙂
@@GilboysRestoration Simon, thanks for your reply. Once I finished the top of the library table, I did not like the color difference, so I removed the 4 legs (they were attached with metal plate and screws), and sanded off the varnish finish, then sanded to a nice fine smooth finish before applying varnish. This was a job - to say the least. I am glad I do not do this for a living or for fun. In any event, the table looks lovelier than I expected considering this is my first attempt at this type of project. I'd rather be quilting. Thank you again for taking the time to respond to my questions.