So my new roommate wants to paint her grandmothers wooden table and 6 chairs but it has the beautiful markings on it (not sure what these are called and also not sure on what kind of wood it is). Neither of us are unsure of how to go about painting it without covering up the dark colored markings on it. I know that staining it wouldn't be a problem cause the stain wouldn't cover them up but a paint color would. Do they make colored stains? Any help on this would be very much appreciated thanks in advance!
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Yes, they make hundreds of different color stains. Just go to the paint department of any decent hardware store or big box store (Lowes, Home Depot, etc) or any paint supplier (ICI Fuller, Kelly-Moore, Sherwin Williams, etc)

What is coating the wood now? You'll probably have to strip that off before you stain/paint. Plenty of chemical strippers out there, but without knowing whats on there, hard to recommend any particular one.
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awesome thank you very much Adam! Neither of us know what is on there at the moment. It was given to her by her mother when she moved out of her house about a month ago. Thanks again brother!
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Can you tell what kind of stain it is by looking at it? Like if we took a leaf into home depot would they be able to recommend a stain remover? Or is it more of a "if you bought company X stain you want to buy company X stain remover"?
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Most decent furniture has a lacquer finish. Depending on the age though it could have a cut shellac finish. Shellac is really a universal primer so no need to totally strip if getting painted. Lacquer on the other hand needs to be removed/prepped prior to most anything being done to it. It could also have a poly finish - if it's really shiny.

If the furniture is just showing it's age due to scratches and such - why not try either some Old English polish (which has dyes in it) or maybe one of the Formby kits. Even a wiping stain may help. I really hate to see furniture get painted - for one if it's not done correctly it will just end up coming off and then you have an even worse mess.

Again - it's okay to let old furniture show it's age. Clean it, polish it and enjoy it.


Ron
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I Agree with you Ron, i'd much rather see an older piece of furniture show its age and be kept up well but shes an artsy kinda girl which i can also respect and appreciate. She doesn't want to use a paint like you would for painting a picture or painting the walls, but she wants to use a colored stain that will show its markings through the stain.

Parts of it are pretty shinny then the top has a lot of wear and tear. I suppose our best bet would be to take it into home depot with us when we look for paint for our new place and ask them what they think. Thanks for all the help guys!
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Okay - well Minwax® Water Based Wood Stain comes in colors and is mixed at the store in what ever color you choose. Being as it's a water base would be a good choice for you two as it will clean up easy. When done you can top with your choice of poly finishes or Minwax Brushing Lacquer.

Also - please note that stripping furniture is extremely messy and you don't say if you live in an apartment or a home/townhouse. My suggestion would be this: using ScotchBrite pads - lightly sand everything over. Wipe with a tack cloth. Apply shellac - spray or brush. Then apply the colored stains and seal. You can test on the bottom side of the table or chairs before attempting the whole thing.

Good luck with it all and post pictures!


Ron
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If you do that, also take it to some place like ACE or Lowes or a paint store and get their opinion too before doing anything.

The type of knowledge you're looking for (identifying an old coating properly) with that kind of a question can sometimes be difficult to find at these types of places.

Sure, they get classes on what goes with what and what paint for what application and so on, but what you're asking is a little bit different.
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Good point and i never thought about that. We'll definitely do that, also Ron, we live in a townhouse so we'll pick up some scotchbrites and scrub away! (i went to school for automotive body repair so that will be a breeze!) I'll make sure to take pics and post em up on here for you guys! Thanks again for all the help and advice, gotta love this place! :-)
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