On Apr 8, 3:05 am, "riverman" wrote:
I'm a novice and newbie, so go easy on me, please :-)

Some houseguests have left serious white rings on our wood dining
table, and they cannot be buffed out with various methods (toothpaste,
furniture polish, light sanding, etc), so I think I'm faced with doing
a repair job. I have previously sanded and varnished a teak picnic
table, but never a nice dining room table. And because I really like
the old character of this table, I'd prefer to just repair the rings
rather than redo the entire top.

I'm hoping that I can buff out the rings with an orbital sander and
just touch up the spots, but I don't know what was used to finish the
top originally. I expect that I have to do some homework before I do
anything, but can anyone point me to a primer on
a) determining what a table is finished with
b) how to strip off a small spot of that finish
c) how to redo that stripped spot.

Thanks,
MB

I have refinished many pieces and have also taken finishing classes at
the local tech school. It will be difficult to refinish a small part
of the surface and have a good result. You will almost certainly
still be able to see the repaired spot no matter what technique you
use. Of course it is possible. A master furniture restorer would
have to be hired and he/she will not give a guarantee.

Have you ever refinished any furniture, ever? Best idea is to forget
about it and save your money and energy for something else. Next best
idea is to refinish the entire surface. That job is far more
straightforward and can be accomplished much faster and easier than
trying to refinish small areas. It is better suited to the skills of
a beginner as well.

If you are totally new to refinishing it is a good idea to take a
class or read a book. Perhaps try it out on a cheaper piece first.
It is easy to do more harm than good when you are a newbie.