Stripping wood furniture is a project that takes time and elbow grease but the end result is so worth it. This old desk had beautiful lines but the finish was worn and ugly.
It also had a dark water ring stain on the top. I tried a few natural methods to remove it but none worked. Since I planned to strip this piece, I hoped sanding it off would work.
I started with a round palm sander and the most abrasive sandpaper I had on hand. The top sanded rather easily and the water ring came off during the process.
The most difficult parts to sand were the edges, the details, and the curved legs. For these areas I switched between a sanding sponge and a multimax triangular sander.
I worked on the sanding when I had time, a few hours here and there. It took me about two weeks to finish. Once it was stripped, I loved the finish and wanted to protect it with a sealer.
I wanted to keep the color as natural as possible so I tried two different sealers to see which I liked better. I ended up going with a product called Tough Coat that I use often.
Lastly, I lightly darkened the hardware with black Rub n Buff to get a better contrast on the finished desk.
The end result is really pretty amazing considering where I started on this one! Stripping furniture takes time and effort but with results like this it's totally worth it!