"Ray" wrote in message
...
We have a rather nice mahogany dining room table that is beginning to need
refinishing after 30 years of reasonably careful use.

I'm thinkng of doing this job myself. I have a hand sander.

A few questions:

1. Do I need to remove the old high-gloss varnish before saning?

2. Is sanding likely to significantly change the color of the wood?

3. If it does, can I get a stain that will restore it?

4. After staining, should I apply several coats of high gloss
polyurethane?

5. How do I prevent, bubbles, which I've gotten in the past when I used
polyurethant?

Any guidance appreciated.

Hello,

A dining room table is not something to undertake as a first refinishing
project. Any little flaw will be seen by many people.

Assuming it is a well made table, avoid sanding off the finish if you
can. You will be removing enough wood to change the appearance even after
refinishing.

You should be aware that the color of the table was not created by using
a single stain. There is probably a base stain with colored toners.
Stripping and then slapping on some Minwax will very likely lead to
disappointment.

Polyurethane is a good choice for high use surfaces but it takes longer
to dry than a lacquer. This creates its own set of problems, especially for
a dining room table.

Are you sure that the table really needs to be stripped and refinished?
What about a good cleaning followed by scratch sanding followed by spray
lacquer or a wipe on finish? This is much less work and will retain the
original color of the table. It will, of course, remove a portion of the
patina that has built up over time but I do not get the impression that it
would be a concern for you.

Good Luck.