How to Sand & Varnish Outdoors & Wood Furniture

Place the wood furniture that you want to restore outdoors or in an area that has ample ventilation. Also, put down a tarp or newspapers to protect the floor below and make cleanup easier. If there is any hardware on the wood furniture, remove it before proceeding. Store it in a container or a bucket so nothing will get lost.

Clean the furniture piece by washing it with a damp cloth and some soapy water. Wipe away the excess water and allow it to dry. The wood has to be thoroughly dry before you proceed to the next step.

Fold a piece of 150-grit sandpaper into quarters. Sand the wood, going in the same direction as the wood grain.

Vacuum the dust away, using a soft-bristle brush. If you are doing this outdoors and have an air compressor, you can blast the dust away.

Repeat Steps 3 and 4 two more times, first using 180-grit sandpaper and then 220-grit sandpaper.

Inspect the wood door for any cracks or holes. Fill in these areas with wood patch. Press the wood patch into the crack or holes with a putty knife. Leave the wood patch a little higher than the surface of the door. Try to match the wood putty with the color of the wood. Leave the wood patch to cure according to the label directions.

Sand the areas that were patched, using 220-grit sandpaper. The patched area should be smooth and even with the rest of the wood.

Vacuum the dust away and then wipe the entire piece off with a tack cloth. The surface must be clear of all dust, or it will interfere with the stain and varnish.

Apply stain to the wood with a rag or sponge. Allow the stain to penetrate the wood for 30 seconds for a light stain or up to 15 minutes for a dark stain. Only do small sections at a time.

Wipe the stain off the wood with a clean rag after the necessary time has elapsed. Change the rag often, or you will just be reapplying the stain, not removing it.

Allow the wood to dry for the time stated on the label directions before applying varnish.

Open the can of varnish and carefully stir the varnish so no bubbles form. The bubbles cannot be brushed out, and they will show on the wood.

Brush on the varnish in a thin layer. Allow the varnish to dry according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Sand the varnish lightly with 220-grit sandpaper. Vacuum away any dust or debris, using a soft-bristle brush. Wipe the area again with a tack cloth to ensure that the wood is dust-free.

Brush on a second thin coat of varnish. Allow it to dry according to the label directions. If you want to apply more layers of varnish, repeat Steps 11 and 12 until you have the results you like.