My Pleasure Walter,
It sounds a LOT harder than it is but the feeling you get when you have it
all done is wonderful.
My solid walnut dining room table is about 100 years old. I resued it from
under a carport where the rain was pouring down onto it.
It's now a wonderful piece of furniture that everyone admires. It still has
some carachter marks that I chose not to fix and I had to paint the legs
because they were so badly damaged but I still love it!
Good luck, and if you get stuck, holler maybe I can help!
svtkate AT selby DOT ws
Kate
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"Walter R." wrote in message
.. .
Thanks for your detailed instructions, Kate. Looks like I have my work cut
out for me.
--
Walter
www.rationality.net
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"Kate" wrote in message
...
HI Walter,
I've refinished a number of old things.I am just terrible about saving old
pieces, dragging them home and loving them back to life. I'm in the middle
of refinishing an old sideboard right now.
The tabletop you have looks really nice to me. It has a lot of
personality.
I like the rustic look of the wood. It's a nice piece.
First, I would use an orbital sancer, not a belt sancer. Belt sanders have
a
tendancy to gouge and are very directional in their use. An orbital will
work nicely with the changing direction of the wood grain.
You've said that the table has no finish on it presently, though from the
photo it looks as if it does.
Before staining or sanding get a can of paint stripper and strip it first.
Then wash it with a scotch brite and lacquer thinner with just a dollop of
paint thinner mixed in to slow the drying time.
Wear gloves, stripper will burn your hands.
When it's all clean and dry, then start with about a 100 grit sandpaper on
your sander and get it smooth, then on to a 220 to get all of the sanding
scratches out of it.
Next, if you want to stain it, go ahead, then apply a clear coat.
For a DIY project like this I would use a Minwax Polyurethan finish and
put
a minimum of three coats on it. The first being a light coat and the next
two medium.
If you get bumps you can lightly sand them out with a 400 grit before the
final coat to give it a nice even finish.
You will need to have patience for this project but in the end you will be
so happy with it and be proud of your accomplishment.
For folks who really know their woodworking try the guys in
rec.woodworking
Best of luck, I'd like to see some photos when you've finished it!
Kate
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"Walter R." wrote in message
.. .
I would like to refinish (do "something" to improve the appearance of) my
octagonal breakfast table.
The top is a composite of small pieces of wood, similar to a parquet
floor,
but smaller individual pieces. It was stained a dark walnut, but the stain
has been partially worn off causing an unsightly appearance. It does not
now
have a varnish or other finish, except the stain. The table is heavy and
looks somewhat rustic, rather than elegant.
What is the best way to enhance the appearance of the table top? Should I
use a belt sander to remove the top layer, re-stain it and then put
several
layers of clear polyurethane finish on it?
Is there a better or easier way to go? Is polyurethane the toughest finish
available?
Thanks for any input.
--
Walter
www.rationality.net
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