Advice on refinishing This End Up Furniture Project

[Nancy H]

My sister-in-law's church has a lot of old This End Up couches, chairs, and tables that need refinishing. She wants to set up outside and have volunteers come every week to work on 1-2 pieces at a time. She would like me to help her come up with a plan for this. I would love some suggestions. I would assume we would need an orbital sander and a palm sander to take off the old finish. What would be a good finish to do outside? It would be in a covered area. Would a mixture of Polyurethane, shellac, and linseed oil brushed on be a good way to go? Would it be worth doing a spray lacquer for durability?

 

[smallboat]

If the photo is typical of the condition they are in, they may just need a good cleaning.
It looks like the original finish is intact.

If there are problem pieces that need more work, I would determine what the current finish is and just scuff it up and re-coat with the same.
I would be cautious about putting sanders in the hands of volunteers unless you have some good experienced supervision. A well meaning person can do damage before they realize it.

For stains and spills (I’m imagining tables used for work surfaces might have seen some abuse) I’d consider stripping the finish. Some are citrus based and more user friendly than the solvent based.

Unless you are going down to 100% bare wood everywhere (labor intensive and tedious), the final finish will depend on what was the original and how will the furniture be used in the future.

 

[Tarhead]

I would clean them first with Greased Lightning/Simple Green/Trisodium Phosphate or other strong cleaner per label instructions with a rag, rinse well, and see if they really need refinishing. Any areas of heavy wear like the tops of the arms and accumulated gradue can be scrubbed with steel wool or a grey abrasive pad and Naptha and taken back to a clean surface. Dents can be raised with a wet rag and an old clothes iron or a soldering iron. Pretty sure they used a Danish Oil finish on those that can be renewed with more Danish Oil.

 

[Nancy H]

If the photo is typical of the condition they are in, they may just need a good cleaning.
It looks like the original finish is intact.

I should have mentioned that the photo is off the Internet just to show the type of furniture. These replies are very helpful and I will go look at the furniture to see if will be an easier job just refreshing the furniture.

 

[Nancy H]

I would clean them first with Greased Lightning/Simple Green/Trisodium Phosphate or other strong cleaner per label instructions with a rag, rinse well, and see if they really need refinishing. Any areas of heavy wear like the tops of the arms and accumulated gradue can be scrubbed with steel wool or a grey abrasive pad and Naptha and taken back to a clean surface. Dents can be raised with a wet rag and an old clothes iron or a soldering iron. Pretty sure they used a Danish Oil finish on those that can be renewed with more Danish Oil.

I don't know why, I just assumed it would be a polyurethane or lacquer. Thank you so much!

 

[Chaz]

I would clean them first with Greased Lightning/Simple Green/Trisodium Phosphate or other strong cleaner per label instructions with a rag, rinse well, and see if they really need refinishing. Any areas of heavy wear like the tops of the arms and accumulated gradue can be scrubbed with steel wool or a grey abrasive pad and Naptha and taken back to a clean surface. Dents can be raised with a wet rag and an old clothes iron or a soldering iron. Pretty sure they used a Danish Oil finish on those that can be renewed with more Danish Oil.

Trisodium Phosphate? That's some nasty stuff, but it really works on some surfaces.

 

[mkepke]

Adding on…I recommend you take a close look to understand the construction of each piece and whether they would survive refinishing.

Anything veneered you risk doing more damage with unskilled labor (like sanding through edges).

These days ‘Solid wood’ sometimes just means veneer over a cheap lumber core.

-Mark

 

[Craptastic]

If you are going to use TSP, especially if you use it outdoors, please take care that it gets disposed of properly when done. DO NOT let it get down any storm drain or channel that leads to a lake, river, or pond. It's presence and prevalent use back in the 60's and 70's was the cause of severe algae blooms.

 

[Tarhead]

Adding on…I recommend you take a close look to understand the construction of each piece and whether they would survive refinishing.

Anything veneered you risk doing more damage with unskilled labor (like sanding through edges).

These days ‘Solid wood’ sometimes just means veneer over a cheap lumber core.

-Mark

This End Up furniture was popular back in the '80s. I can attest it's solid SYP.