Upcycling an orange pine table/chairs - do I really have to sand it??

[ErlingHaalandsManBun]

This pine table was the first thing DH and I bought together a zillion years ago when we first moved in together.

We love the actual table. Its a good solid table and has literally been with us our whole relationship so we are reluctant to re-home it.

I have, instead, looked into upcycling it.

Everything I have seen points to sanding it before applying paint and/or wax.

Do I really have to do this part? 😥

I am a massive lazy fecker, so would rather skip this step, but DH says if I am going to attempt to revive it then I need to do it properly. He won't do it as (fairly) he works full time and literally just doesn't have time. So the task falls to me but the thought of having to sand the buggering thing just makes me wanna cry!

Tell me I don't have to and I can just whack some paint on? 😂

I’ve skipped sanding before and it’s been fine, but not sure I’d risk it for high traffic furniture. I do a quick sand and then use Frenchics lazy range.

I think if nothing else you need to sand the top of the table as that’s what gets the highest amount of use. You can probably get away chalk painting legs and chairs and seal with wax but the top I’d strip and varnish properly so it’s hard wearing enough to be regularly cleaned.

This. I never sand furniture unless it’s mouldy, bumpy, mad condition.

Either prime and paint.
Chalk paint

It’s all in the paint quality, prep between layers (which does include light sanding), painting technique and topcoating - whether waxing or sealing.

Although you could try just rubbing with a solution that removes topcoat - but you have to know what the topcoat is to know what to rub it with.

Use Colron wax remover. Once wax is off use sugar soap to clean it. Paint with Annie Sloane paint, thin the first coat slightly with a teaspoon of water. Apply with a small roller. Apply second coat as normal. Wait 24 hours, finish with AS lacquer, preferably 2 coats. Mine is at 6 years, going strong.

It will be fine not to sand it.

Upcycle Wooden Furniture with Ease: A Step-by-Step Guide - The Eco Shift

I've also used zinsser primer without sanding, and then second and third coat with my choice of colour and it's been just fine.

How to Remove Varnish from Wood

I've stripped pine and used Zinsser primer and chalk paint.

Zinsser is ok, but I'd not use it again unless I was going to paint the wood. Chalk paint is horrible. Unless you are a very good painter it looks lumpy and it's not long lasting.

I used Zinsser All Coat on a log cabin that was second hand and it came out really well. You can get it in gloss, satin, or matt.

Yes, sanding in between painting makes the biggest difference! The finish comes out so much nicer.

I recommend Rust-oleum furniture paint. It comes in lots of colours and shades, gloss, satin or Matt finish.
honestly it sticks to anything and has a lovely even finish. I have spent years chalk painting and waxing never again.
And no I don’t work for them.

It depends what varnish is on it already. We only ever use zinser primers we painted the top of our stairs not so long ago, roughly sanded all the woodwork, primed then painted. One side was fine but the other side the paint came straight off.
Sanded those bits more thoroughly and all was good.

There's a balance of be had between doing it efficiently and finding yourself having to do it twice!

We danish oiled our homemade tables and that looks great. We sanded the inside table smooth and lightly sanded the outside table (used scaffolding boards) and you can't notice a huge difference in them

If the paint is properly adhered, there is a product you can use which works like sanding, sometimes called liquid sander or deglosser.

Look up 'liquid sandpaper'.

If you use Frenchic, you'd need to use a sealer for a table top - I found the Lazy range scuffs if you're moving things around on it, even though they say it's self sealing. I had to redo some shelves then seal them after they scuffed badly.

This is what I will do I think. I might get a sanding block and give it a quick sand down with that before using the Frenchic lazy range. The colours they do are lovely and I think it will come up nicely. Thanks