A old-timer at the Habitat ReStore told me my furniture refinishing looked "too perfect, like plastic" - I started using steel wool instead of sandpaper after that.

He said the fine grit was killing the wood's natural grain so now I just hand rub with 0000 steel wool and paste wax and the finish actually feels like wood again, has anyone else run into the "too smooth" problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

ward.piper16d ago

Old wood needs to breathe, not be suffocated.

ellis.victor15d ago

Whoa, hold on, you're saying someone actually sealed up old wood? Like, with plastic or urethane or something? That's just asking for rot and ruin right there. I've seen guys try to "preserve" vintage timber by slapping a thick coat of polyurethane on it, and all it does is trap moisture underneath. Then you get that nasty peeling look and the wood starts to crumble from the inside out. Old wood has to breathe, man, it's not a piece of modern furniture. You gotta use oil or wax if anything, something that lets the fibers move and vent out any dampness.