what else

bought a rocking chair for 20 bucks. Got a stool along with it free. So the stool was obviously in sad shape. The varnish was all peeling off. But the wood was great. Thought I could do a reasonable job with same sanding and painting.

So at home my aunt told me that she had a sander and stuff. I was under the impresssion that it would be a block with a piece of iron sticking out. She brought out a whole electrical unit, with special paper attached to do the job. And special stain and finisher. Now I really had to know stuff about sanding and varnishing so as to do justice to all the equipment I had.

Started out on the sanding. The purpose being to get the old varnish out and to make sure all the wood is at the same level. The stool is really good wood. It took me 3 hours to get a plank done [there are 4 planks on the surface]. The sander makes enough noice to wake up the neighbourhood, so I give them a break at 9 pm. I spent the entire weekend sanding, and I still have the sides to do.

The varnish needs to be used when the temperature is around 70 F. So waiting for the clouds to clear up and the sun to beam through.

The instructions say that I should get all the dirt off the stool, and have a clean brush. Thats gonna take some searching.

First, need to get the sanding done though. Then will think about the paint. I think the stool is looking a little rotten from all the humidity all week without the varnish. Should get done with it quick.

Good learning experience. Basically sanding and varnishing is painstaking stuff. Save yourself the trouble and buy new stuff.