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How to Finish Wooden Chairs

Interior chairs can be subject to a fair amount of wear, requiring reasonable protection. Dining room tables and chairs can be coated with either extra tough clear varnish or hard wax oil, both finishes provide tables and chairs with a good level of durability while retaining the look and character of the wood. Wax is also sometimes used on chairs.

Stage 1: Preparation Stage 2: Staining Stage 3: Top Coats Stage 4: Buffing Chair Maintenance Optional Extras

Stage 1: Preparation

Chairs often become scratched, scuffed and chipped, good preparation can help to remove and repair any minor damages ensuring a smooth and clean looking finish.

Wax Remover Recommended
Perfect for the removal of old wax coatings from chairs and tables, wax remover provides an effective alternative to sanding potentially saving time, effort and money.

Brand: SWS

from £1.95

Stainable Wood Fillers Best Value
Stainable wood fillers are perfect for filling scratches, dents and holes in chairs and most other wooden surfaces. Available as a light or dark filler, it is easily applied and can be stained, oiled or varnished after it has dried and been sanded smooth.

Brand: Bonda

only £4.29

Wood Filler Gel Best Quality
Wood filler gel is ideal when repairing or renovating chairs or other pieces of furniture. Mixed with wood dust from the piece being worked, the gel provides a colour matched filler that can be easily applied and sanded. Wood filler gel readily accepts wood stains, oils and varnishes to produce an almost invisible repair.

Brand: Manns

from £16.59

Filler Knife
Made from high quality components, our wood filler knifes are both strong and flexible, perfect for applying wood fillers to chairs, tables, floors, doors and more.

Brand: Mako

only £1.77

Sandpaper Rolls
essential for smoothing repairs or maybe removing an existing top coat, our aluminium oxide sandpaper is both strong and long lasting. Available in a range of grits and as a pack of sheets or a roll, Aluminium oxide sandpaper is ideal for repairing or renovating wooden chairs, tables and most other wooden surfaces.

Brand: Hermes

from £14.27

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Stage 2: Staining

Choosing the right stain can be important especially if you need to match the shade of different woods such as beech chairs around a pine table. Wood stains can be used to enhance, transform or colour match the look of old or new chairs. If the stain you want isn't available as a pre made shade, a compatible wood dye or a combination of wood dyes can be added to achieve the desired effect.

Wood Stain
Ideal for use on tables, chairs and most other wooden surfaces, water based wood stains can be used on new unfinished wood or older furniture as part of a restoration or repair project.

Brand: Manns

from £2.50

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Wax Stain Alternative Product
Wax stain is a great product for producing an aged wax look on new tables chairs and other pieces of interior furniture. With a soft wax content, wax stain can be buffed to produce a gentle sheen.

Brand: Ciranova

from £9.00

Wood Stain (Solvent Based) Alternative Product
Solvent stains are available in a range of colours and provide an effective method for achieving the desired colour on furniture and flooring. Ideal for use on tables, chairs and most other interior wooden surfaces, solvent based wood stains can be coloured further by adding a compatible wood dye or combination of dyes.

Brand: Manns

from £37.95

Stage 3: Top Coats

Chairs can be time cosuming and fiddley to finish with many turned areas and therefore awkward places to get in to. Here, we have chosen 3 very easy to use top coats that are simple to apply with a paint brush (advised method). Each has its own advantage.

Easy Wax Easy to Apply
Perfect for chairs, tables and most other interior wooden surfaces. Easy wax is a soft brushable wax that can be quickly and easily applied on to turned, shaped and moulded areas, such as chair and table legs with a paint brush.

Brand: Manns

from £5.97

Hard Wax Oil Recommended
Quick drying and hard wearing, hard wax oil is perfect for areas that require a high degree of protection such as tables and chairs. Drying to a natural satin finish, hard wax oil is water repellent and will not peel or flake.

Brand: Fiddes

from £3.50

Extra Tough Clear Varnish Best Protection
The strongest finish for tables and chairs, extra tough clear varnish provides a very strong coating that will help to protect chairs and table tops from the day to day rigours of use. Low odour and quick drying, this clear varnish can be stained with a compatible wood dye to achieve almost any colour or shade.

Brand: Manns

from £3.47

Stage 4: Buffing

Cloth
Ideal for buffing easy wax or hard wax oils on chairs and tables. stockinette cloth is very soft, lint free and disposable. Available on a roll or in a pack, these highly versatile cloths can be used to polish and buff any surfaces around the home.

Brand: Manns

from £2.97

Drill Buffing Brushes
Saving time and effort, drill buffing brushes are perfect for applying, polishing and buffing waxes on shaped, moulded or turned table and chair legs.

Brand: Manns

from £15.25

Chair Maintenance

Cloth
Ideal for use on chairs and tables, these highly versatile stockinette cloths can be used for the day to day polishing, buffing and cleaning of interior furniture. Lint free and very soft, stockinette is available in packs of 10 cloths or in a variety of roll sizes.

Brand: Manns

from £2.97

Optional Extras

HVLP Apollo Spray Mate
Ideal for coating new wood furniture or perhaps re-coating a renovation or repair project. HVLP spray systems work exceptionally well on tables, chairs and other furniture as they can spray waxes, oils and stains into difficult to reach areas such as turned, moulded or shaped chair legs.

Brand: Apollo

only £102.77