How to Refinish a Maple Desk

Finish Removal

• 1

  Ventilate the room by turning on fans, air conditioning and opening a window.

• 2

  Put on safety equipment. Wear goggles and rubber gloves.

• 3

  Coat the desk with a methylene chloride or a "no cleanup" paint stripper. Use the thicker gel or semi-paste variety and apply the stripper to the maple wood with a paint brush. Read the instructions on the can for how long the stripper should sit on the wood. Allow the stripper to dry.

• 4

  Remove the stripper with a putty knife. Cover any sharp edges of the putty knife with tape or sand them down. This will prevent gouging the wood.

• 5

  Reapply the stripper to any areas where a finish still remains on the wood. You can also use a #2-grade steel wood pad for removal.

• 6

  Clean the stripper from maple desk. Refer to the stripper manufacturer's instructions for cleaning the surface. You may need to use mineral spirits, lacquer thinner or water.

Wood Preparation

• 7

  Sand the maple desk with 120-grit sandpaper to remove any remaining finish and smooth damage in the wood.

• 8

  Sand the entire desk with 220-grit sandpaper.

• 9

  Apply filler to damage areas of the maple desk using a rag or stiff paint brush.

• 10

  Remove any excess filler with a plastic scraper or putty knife.

• 11

  Allow the filler to completely dry and lightly sand it. Sand in the direction of the wood grain.

Stain and Finish Application

• 12

  Apply a liquid wood stain to the maple desk using a rag or a brush. Apply the stain in the direction of the wood grain and allow it to penetrate the surface.

• 13

  Wipe any excess stain with a rag if a lighter-color finish is preferred.

• 14

  Allow the stain to dry according to the manufacturer's directions.

• 15

  Apply a sanding sealer to the maple desk using a clean rag. Allow the sealer to soak into the wood.

• 16

  Allow the sealer to completely dry and sand with 320-grit or 400-grit sandpaper.

• 17

  Wipe the desk down with damp cloth to remove any dust.

• 18

  Allow the desk to dry.

• 19

  Apply a top coating using penetrating oil, polyurethane or a lacquer. You can apply penetrating oil with a clean rag. Lacquer can be applied with a clean rag or brush. Polyurethane is applied by brush.

• 20

  Allow the top coating to dry according to finish manufacturer's directions.

• 21

  Apply additional coats to create a deeper and glossier finish.