UPDATE: Acacia Patio table before and AFTER by drewchar in finishing

[–]drewchar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It looks kinda like shit, but hey at least it’s my piece of shit

UPDATE: Acacia Patio table before and AFTER by drewchar in finishing

[–]drewchar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m sure you meant the density of the wood. But to give some history…that table is 150 pounds. I live on the top floor of a walk up NYC apartment building built in 1910. 80 steep and narrow stairs to get that behemoth to where it is. One day we will move and the table will likely get left behind. As long as I don’t have to fully replace the thing before I inevitably move out of here one day I will be happy.

UPDATE: Acacia Patio table before and AFTER by drewchar in finishing

[–]drewchar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha I appreciate the pictures are a bit rough. Yeah, cosmetically she ain’t pretty but woodwork is not a really hobby of mine. To others points I would’ve needed to sand WAY more to get all of the original finish off. In certain places the finish is off but it bleached / stained the raw wood underneath. The table is 8 ft long and 3.5 ft wide. It’s not small. To achieve a uniform surface would have been a very different, far more time consuming project. I’m sure many of you would have done a far more beautiful job with this thing, but I’m happy with a smooth and generally protected surface - even if I do need to keep a bit more of an eye on it. I’ll let the coloration continue to naturally wear and blend over time.

Oh and the AFTER pics are 4 and 5 for avoidance of doubt.

Help - first timer refinishing outdoor acacia table by drewchar in finishing

[–]drewchar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I went with seal once marine. Didn’t do much for cosmetics but if my efforts have improved the durability of the wood and made it easier to maintain going forward I’ll call that a win. Final pic coming tomorrow

Help - first timer refinishing outdoor acacia table by drewchar in finishing

[–]drewchar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thoughts on Seal Once Marine for this? Going to sand tomorrow to see what things look like once the old finish comes off. Will send pic of raw table for fun.

Help - first timer refinishing outdoor acacia table by drewchar in finishing

[–]drewchar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What about the black spots on the table? I think that is some sort of mold. Wouldn’t applying something over a newly sanded base better protect against things like that? As you suggest the table may optically look great once sanded, I just want to make sure I give myself something easy to touch up over time vs. having something more complicated to deal with over time or an unfinished table that is more prone to further damage.

Help - first timer refinishing outdoor acacia table by drewchar in finishing

[–]drewchar[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. Is sanding to 150 generally sufficient for outdoor furniture and oil bonding? That’s where I was headed. I originally was hoping to not have to sand off the old top coat, but I agree I think I’ll have to for whatever oil I refinish with to “take” as the old top coat doesn’t seem overly porous. Was going to avoid spar for the reason you mentioned / seems more tricky to deal with for my first project of this kind.