I'm a Vietnamese immigrant mom teaching myself DIY from scratch — no background in furniture repair, just a lot of trial and error on secondhand pieces I've picked up over the years. This list is what I reach for when I restore an old wood piece
This is what brings the wood color back without sanding. I use it to restore the original tone without having to strip the whole piece down to bare wood
Howard Restor-A-Finish RF4016 Walnut 16oz
The last step, I use this after the oil dries to seal the surface and give it that soft, protective sheen. I also apply this on the table top which I sanded it to bare wood.
HOWARD WAX-IT-All Food-Grade Beeswax Polish
Makes prepping pieces so much faster than sanding by hand, especially for stripping at tight corners and edges.
RYOBI ONE+ 18V Cordless Corner Cat Finish Sander Kit with 4.0 Ah Battery and Charger PCL416K1
This is always my first step on the wood piece that I want to completely change it’s color, sanding down the existing finish so the new coat can actually absorb instead of sitting on top.
