"Walter R." wrote in message
.. .
I have a beautiful inlaid burl dining room table. It has a very high gloss
finish. Some miscreant put a small nick (1 mm deep) in the surface, barely
noticeable but, it's there.

I understand there are two types of finish for high-end tabletops, they
are called piano finishes. They can be either lacquer or polyester.

How can I determine if the finish is polyester or lacquer? If it is
polyester, can it be repaired by a DIYer?

Lacquer can be DIY, but unless you have some experience, you may end up with
a large area that is 10,000 times worse than the present damage. Aside
from using a solvent, I don't know how to tell if it is lacquer. Acetone
will dissolve it (and leave a mark) but won't harm the polyester. If you
happen to have a small spot on the side of a leaf you can try a solvent.

Personally, I'd either hire a pro to repair it or I'd just leave it alone.
Tables are meant to be used and they do get dinged.