Hi, I have a dining room set from the 40's. It is in pretty good shape, but not perfect, It really would look better if it was refinished.
The set consist of table, 6 chairs, a buffet, server and china closet. I have been wanting a new set but my husband thinks we should get it refinished.
It really is beautiful, but I was thinking it would cost an arm and leg to have all that work done. It is a Mahogany wood.
Does anyone have any idea how much something like that would cost to have professinally done? I could never do it myself, and how does one find the right person for the job? Thanks for your help.

To find a furniture refinisher you could ask at antique shops, they usually know who does good work in your area. I have no idea how much this will cost but it won't be cheap because it is labor intensive to strip and refinish furniture.

If the furniture is in good shape with no extensive damage to the wood, and if the finish is only slightly worn or scratched you could use Howard's Restor-A-Finish in the color of the finish. It removes white water marks and hides scratches very well. Then a wax with Butcher's Wax will protect and give a nice mellow shine. That would be the easiest and least expensive way to rejuvenate your furniture. Old furniture IMO looks better when it has not been refinished to look new but has been cared for and has some patina of age.

In this thread if you scroll down to my posts and click on the links you will see my tea trolley which was in dreadful condition when I bought it in a yard sale. It had likely been in someone's shed and was dirty and had white water marks. I washed it with Murphy's oil soap and literally hosed it off on the patio, dried it quickly and thoroughly, then used Howard's. It really did "restore" it.

Hi! Thanks for your response. You've got me thinking how much work and time something like this will take if I go the refinishing route. And the Money!! Just as the furniture looks now, it does need some work, I will look for the Howard's Restor-A-Finish. Maybe I can try to do a chair myself and see if that might work. You did a great job on the tea trolley, Thank you for showing me that. Thanks again!

JDW3RD,if you like to paint, paint it white.it will bring out the detailing in the wood.

MY MOTTO:IF IT'S NOT MOVING,PAINT IT WHITE!

It is likely you have a build-up of dirt and oils on the surface. Also you might have some of the finish deteriorating, cracking, checks, hazy, etc. If you can take just the finish off you have a beautiful piece that you can re-varnish or finish anyway you like (I like hand rubbed tung oil where practical)

It is really not hard to do.... just time consumming. Try it on a chair first, like you said. To get the old finish off there are products (usually called furniture refinisher) that can be found at your local hardware store. You will need a well ventilated area (garage) and rubber gloves.

I have heard that if you wash with Murphy Oil Soap it leaves a residue that is difficult to get off when refinishing. Have not tried it on anything refinished so I have no first-hand knowledge.

Here are some refernece sites for you
http://www.furnitureknowledge.com/tiparkiv.htm#27

http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-repair-wooden-furniture-surfaces.htm

http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod02/01500432.html

quote:

Originally posted by metwo:
I have heard that if you wash with Murphy Oil Soap it leaves a residue that is difficult to get off when refinishing.

I've heard that also but it's probably not as bad as the silicone furniture sprays (Pledge) that are used by a lot of people.

I have removed old finishes and it's a job I hope never to do again. Glad you don't mind doing it, I wish I could say the same!

if you want to go the stripping route instead of furniture restorer product, an easy way i've found is to put on the stripper cover with a garbage bag, wait 15 minutes & the stripper comes off easier; the chemical reaction is sped up by the garbage bag holding in the heat. hope this helps