Thanks to all for the great advice!

I failed to mention that only the exterior surface of the door needs to be refinished -
which will likely also require staining, as the lower portion has been exposed to water
splashing off the front porch.

The area to be stained will have to be sanded to bare wood

As with the recommendation for varnish - is there a particular type / brand of stain best
suited for this application?

Plan to use a kick plate - so the area to be stained is significantly reduced.

When selecting a kick plate - are there ready made kick plates for standard size doors, or
is it better to purchase a piece of brass custom cut to size?

What is the typical thickness of a kick plate?

By finished in place do you mean leave the door on the hinges instead of laying down
horizontal?

Showing my lack of experience here - however, would think that to brush apply varnish on a
vertical surface is a sure way to get runs / sags.

After applying a coat of varnish - would it be advisable to provide some form of
protective barrier in front of the surface to ensure nothing gets on / stuck in the wet
varnish?

How can I test the existing finish to determine if it is varnish?

Armed with the benefit of experience from everyone's comments - will start the job this
weekend.

Although not that experienced at wood finishing - do enjoy the work and the results if
they turn out as desired. If not - sand and repeat!

Thanks again to all!

Regards,

Doug


"dadiOH" wrote:

Doug wrote:
All,

Need to refinish my mahogany front entry door - would like to
undertake this myself, however not clear this would be the best
course of action.

Why not?
___________

Understand that finishing in place is not practical and I do not have
a spare door to put in place while the door is off being refinished.
Spraying a large surface with multiple coasts of spar varnish in the
house is also not a good idea.

There is no reason that it can't be finished in place and there is no reason
to spray it. It isn't all that hard to get a good brushed on varnish
finish. You DO need a *good* brush.

You also don't want spar varnish. For some obtuse reason, people seem to
think that spar varnish is the ne plus ultra of varnishes. Not so. As I
and others have explained many times it is a specialized varnish for a
specialized purpose; namely, varnishing spars. It is good for that because
it is softer and more flexible and spars bend.
_______________

Very much appreciate any comments / suggestions on how to proceed -
including recommendations of craftsman / companies that are known to
do reliable and high quality door refinishing.

I would do it myself. I would go buy a decent marine varnish with an UV
inhibitor, a good brush and have at it. You probably wouldn't need more
than a quart.

Step one is sanding down the old finish; if it is varnish, no need to
totally remove it, just get down to a good layer. Step two is
varnishing...you flow it on and want the varnish thin enough to flow easily
but not so thin (or applied so thickly) that it runs. You'll need to apply
several (4-6) coats and don't do it in the sun.

I would not use a poly varnish; it is hard and durable but MUCH harder to
refinish. I'd use an alkyd/phenolic varnish. I always liked Z-Spar (the
"spar" in the brand name doesn't mean it is spar vanish). Here's one
source...
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...keyword=z_spar

___________________________

What is the preferred method for installing a kick plate - glued,
screwed, or both?

I'd screw it. With small, round head brass screws (assuming the plate is
brass).
________________

Is the kick plate installed before the finish is applied?

After