I have a piece of occasional furniture that I'm thinking of painting. The problem is that I think that its made from something like teak and has either been oiled or waxed (and I'm not sure how to tell the difference).
So my question is what should I do to prepare the surface ready for painting, and does it make a difference if its been oiled or waxed?
Many thanks in anticipation.
Les Hazlewood
Teak is a very oily wood with a tendency to interfere with finish drying so whether it has been oiled or waxed you might be no better off with the old finish gone. I would be inclined to matt down a test area with fine abrasive paper or wire wool and find out what happens if you paint on some shellac. (Button polish will do) If the shellac hardens (and it is a big 'if') then you could consider using it as a barrier coat all over before applying the paint you want to use.
Nick
White spirit and coarse wire wool should remove oils and/or waxes
And follow up with acetone of you fear a reaction to the natural oils in teak. Personally it wouldn'nt bother me.
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