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Home HOMES DIY

How to restore a coffee table

Bringing a well-loved coffee table back to life can involve as little as a light sanding to remove blemishes and key the old surface, then re-coating and waxing to make it look like a treasured piece of furniture.
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Better Homes and Gardens

Gather your supplies

* 120-grit sandpaper
* cork block
* shellac or French polish
* bristle brush
* methylated spirits
* Carnauba wax (optional)
* soft cloths

Here’s how

Step 1
If a tabletop shows no end grain, chances are its not solid timber, but veneered particle board or similar. Here, the coffee table has had veneer applied to all edges in order to hide the particle board. Using a cork block and 120-grit sandpaper, sand surface lightly, ensuring you do not lose the patina of age or sand through the thin veneer down to the particle board. Work in direction of grain, then wipe off dust.

(Credit: Better Homes and Gardens )

Step 2
Shake a bottle of shellac or French polish to mix thoroughly, then pour a small amount into a container. Shellac is very fluid and quick to apply, and a little goes a long way. Using bristle brush, apply a very thin coat to all surfaces. Shellac will dry quickly, so where you started coating the table will be dry by the time you finish applying the final brush stroke. Store brush in a jar of methylated spirits while you sand table lightly, then apply a second coat. Sand and repeat, storing brush in jar between coats, until you have applied 5 or 6 coats. You can leave this as the finish or, for a smoother and more lustrous finish, apply a very thin coat of Carnauba wax using a soft cloth and buff with a second cloth when dry.

(Credit: Better Homes and Gardens )
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Better Homes and Gardens

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