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A chair in my garage taught me to always check the wood first
I was stripping a 1930s oak chair in my garage last month, ready to put on a new stain. I sanded it down smooth and started applying the stain, but it just would not take evenly, leaving big blotchy patches. I realized too late that someone had used a silicone polish on it years ago, and I had not cleaned it well enough before starting. I had to stop, wash the whole piece with mineral spirits, and start the sanding process all over again. Has anyone else run into this with old furniture that had hidden polish or wax?
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wright.leo4mo ago
Forget polish, check for lead paint dust in the grit. Sanded a table that looked clean, ended up with a fine gray powder everywhere. Had to stop and get a proper respirator, not just a cheap dust mask. That old stuff is no joke.
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lucasw844mo ago
That's such a classic home project lesson. It feels like half the work is fixing the shortcuts someone else took years ago. Always assume an old piece has a secret history you need to uncover first.
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