How to Get The Perfect Raw Wood Finish

Get the perfect raw wood finish and seal and protect furniture WITHOUT darkening the beautiful different types of wood. 

Are you a natural wood/stained furniture lover or prefer the look of painted furniture?

I'm typically a "scuff up furniture and paint" kind of girl, but now and then, I get the itch to refinish a piece of furniture to its natural wood finish.  There's nothing better than allowing the beautiful natural wood of furniture to shine.  

Recently, I bought this little side table from a local auction (find my favorite used furniture sources HERE) that was screaming for a raw wood look.  Granted, it would have been much easier and quicker to slap on a few coats of paint and call it a day, but something about this piece told me the raw wood needed to shine. 

- SUPPLIES NEEDED TO GET THE PERFECT RAW WOOD LOOK- 

Affiliate links have been used 

- Dewalt Orbital Sander

- Sanding Pads (80/120/320 grit) 

- Ryobi Corner Cat (for getting into corners and along edges)

- Sanding Pads for Ryobi Corner Cat

- Sandpaper sheets 

- Amy Howard Liming Wax

- Lint-free microfiber cleaning rag

- Drill and drill bits (To drill new hardware holes)

- Screwdriver (To remove old hardware) 

- Simple Green 

- Shop rags or paper towels 

Let's go over a few common questions before I share the steps I like to use to achieve the perfect raw wood furniture. 

HOW TO REMOVE FINISH FROM WOOD FURNITURE? 

Two common ways exist to remove old paint or stains from wood furniture.  You can use a sander to sand off the old finish or use a wood stripper such as Citristrip to strip and scrap off old layers of paint or stain.  There isn't a right or wrong way, but I prefer a sander. 

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU USE REGULAR WAX ON RAW WOOD?

When you raw wood a piece of furniture you are stripping away any previous paint, old stain, or sealer protecting the natural wood.  If you leave furniture raw without applying a new coat of wax or poly, you risk furniture drying out, cracking, swelling, or staining.  

To limit wood damage, preserve furniture, AND keep it looking natural you'll want to seal raw wood with Liming or Cerusing wax.  Clear wax or poly (from my experience) will darken the wood and may enhance yellowing and orange tones.

CAN YOU APPLY POLY OVER WAX?

No.  Wax will repel poly, therefore, wax can not be applied after the furniture has already been sealed with poly.   

Here are the steps I took to remove an old stain from furniture to achieve the perfect raw wood look. 

HOW TO GET THE PERFECT RAW WOOD LOOK 

STEP ONE: REMOVE OLD FINISH AND STAIN

Start with 80-grit sandpaper on an orbital sander (I used a Dewalt Orbital Sander) and sand off the finish until you expose the original raw wood.  A Corner Cat is great for getting into corners and along edges where an Orbital Sander can not reach.  Once the original stain has been removed (leaving satin in cracks and groves is okay and adds depth and dimension), switch to 120 then 320 grit sandpaper.  

STEP TWO: HAND SAND 

Using the same grit sandpaper (80, 120 then 320 or similar) hand sand around edges and crevices where the orbital sander and Corner Cat couldn't reach.   

***TIP***. You don't need to completely remove all the old stain around the edges and in the grooves.  Just be sure to sand the old finish out to blend into the raw wood. 

STEP THREE: CLEAN

Clean furniture with Simple Green or similar household cleaners to remove sanding dust. 

(The finish looks blotchy in the picture below due to the wood still drying.)

STEP FOUR: SEAL

Apply Amy Howard Liming Wax (Cerusing Wax works great too) in a circular motion using a lint-free rag or wax brush.  

Liming and Cerusing wax are both white wax that blend beautifully to create a natural wood look.  They help cut orange tones, which are especially common with pine and other softwoods. 

I love the beautiful and rustic worn look of this little raw wood side table.  Leaving a bit of stain in the cracks gave it depth and dimension while the Liming wax sealed the wood for a beautiful raw wood finish.

     

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