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Q&As since 1989
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Finishing ideas for Parawood tables, chairs & furniture
Q. To Whom Concerned:
My mother bought 4 unfinished chairs they from outlet store in Harrisburg, Pa. The tag reads:
Made in Malaysia, Mfg # 35, 02118
My questions are:
What kind of wood is parawood that I was told the chairs were made of? And what kind of stain should I use to refinish the chairs?
Thank You.
- Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
2002
Killed for its hyde -- the cruel fate of the now extinct Blue Nauga :-(
Hi, Edward.
'Parawood' sounds like 'Paramedic' & 'Paratransport', so I thought 'parawood' was an imitation wood, and that maybe a Blue Nauga gobbled up the last of the parawood shoots. But actually, parawood is real wood from the Heva Brasiliensis, the rubber tree.
Regarding your question of how to finish it though, I must leave that to those who have actually done it. Good luck.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. I own and operate a furniture finishing business, in San Diego. I came across your site looking for material on parawood. I am very familiar with parawood, we see it's stubborn dense wood grain mostly in inexpensive chairs and tables. This is my question: Does anyone know how to prevent "fish-eyes" when finishing parawood? I'm told that due to the parawood tree producing latex, that when the latex dries after curing and prepping for furniture manufacturing, it leaves a hard semi-transparent resin like knot. Needless to say any effort to stain over it is near impossible.
Nick GiovinazzoCustom Finished Furniture - Cardiff-by-the-sea, California, U.S.A
2004
A. Hi there. My Name is Natchada, responsible for marketing & sales for a parawood company. The answer of your question is Yes. You can't remove the fish eye of the parawood.
Thank you.
Natchada Honghirunruangparawood - Bangkok, Thailand
Q. Is parawood good for kitchen table and chairs in everyday use with young kids? What is the best way to protect it?
Barbara Dimattiaconsumer - Williamstown, New Jersey
2006
A. Try using Zinsser Seal Coat Sanding Sealer [on eBay or Amazon] or shellac thinned down, then stain.
Joe Ward- Sevierville Tennessee
2007
A. I used a beeswax & orange oil finish which rubs on easily, and looks beautiful. it's called Feed n Wax [affil links] by Howard.
Polly Pillsbury- petersham, Massachusetts, usa
December 20, 2011
Parawood Furniture
on
Amazon
(affil links)
Q. I am thinking of purchasing a para wood TV stand. I would like to paint it. I would appreciate any tips on doing this. Thank you!
Sue Reuschlein- Lenexa, Kansas, USA
November 17, 2013
Q. Has anyone tried painting parawood? We want to buy unfinished solid wood dining room chairs and paint them in gloss colours (not decided which colours yet).
Richard Willingham- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
May 7, 2017
Q. Only want to "varnish" two new parawood chairs. What is the best product to use, and should we sand?
L McGinnis- Whiting, New Jersey
March 11, 2020
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