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How-To Tuesday: Refinish Wood – No Sanding!
How-To Tuesday is a series that incorporates both brand new and newly edited posts from the archives. Enjoy!
Original posts: No Sanding! Refinish Wood with Gel Stain, Reveal and Video
A Mid-Century Modern Dresser, Before and After
Mid-Century Modern Chest of Drawers, Before and After
I first discovered this technique while working with affiliate link General Finishes JQ Gel Stain, 1 quart, Java on my son’s mid-century dresser. It was amazing – I refinished the wood drawers without sanding!
This works beautifully under the following conditions:
- The original finish is in good condition.
- The original finish does not have any shiny lacquer or shellac topcoat.
- You want to go slightly darker in stain color and not lighter than the original finish.
Here is a YouTube video on the process.
Here is a closeup of the top before I stained it and you can see quite a bit of red. My customer wanted to tone down the red and create a darker finish against its newly painted white legs.
After cleaning and removing any dirt, I applied the first coat of the gel stain. I used General Finishes Java as it is a dark color that creates a deeper hue and toned down the red. Using a soft cloth, I dipped it into the stain and wiped it onto the top going in the direction of the grain. I allowed that to sit for a day or two and then applied the second coat. Again, I let that sit.
I came back and gently went over the top with a soft cloth. This removed the tiny bit of excess stain that had not adhered. For the sealer, affiliate link General Finishes SH Gel Topcoat, 1/2 pint, Satin was the perfect option. I used a staining sponge and liberally applied the urethane onto the sponge. I then wiped it along the grain, making sure to keep a smooth and even coat. It was the perfect finishing touch. It gives the top some sheen and finish plus a durable finish.
A few more examples of the java gel stain without sanding. Matthew’s mid-century modern chest of drawers as well as his mid-century modern chair makeover. Fantastic results!
I always love more YouTube subscribers! Please pop over to my channel, Suzanne Bagheri and subscribe for more tutorials – cheers!
Peggy
Thanks for the info. I haven’t had the nerve to use gel stain for some reason. Will give it a try the next time I find a suitable piece. Lately I’ve found things that needed so much surface repair they had to be filled and then painted.
Mary Borgsmiller
Hi Suzanne,
What can be done to cherry furniture that does have a shiny finish? I would love to tone down the cherry and take off the shine.
Suzanne
Hi Mary, I think your best bet is to lightly sand it back and then apply the java gel stain. Maybe try in an inconspicuous spot and see if it works. I likely will need to be roughed up a little so the stain will adhere.