I’m crazy for even considering it, right?
It’s the 86 year old table. I just cleaned it and witnessed all the wear. MY original plan was to clean it, wax it, and call it good. There’s no major damage just scratches, dings, and a couple chips. Any other finish suggestions are welcome. I don’t know what the finish is. I know it’s not shellac because of the years of alcohol spilled on it.
Thanks.
I went with my gut and just cleaned and waxed it.
Replies
What sort of wood(s) is the piece made from.
Quartered white oak, and book/flitch match veneer of the same.
Your plan to clean and wax is good if that fits your needs. If you must apply a new finish, maybe try one of the "restore a finish" products first and see how that works. Otherwise, it is best to use a chemical stripper rather than sanding. Particularly coarse grained wood will have finish deep in the grain that you cannot completely remove by sanding. And with a thin veneer, you shouldn't sand it anyway. Just use the stripper with a stiff brush to remove the old finish.
If the veneer is flat and has no raised edges, a light sanding can bring it back to its original beauty. I sanded numerous mid-century teak and walnut tables, the edges are the most succeptible to over sanding so I use masking tape around te edges and use a random orbit sander, the tape eventually becomes scuffed that is when I remove it and finish sanding the edges by hand with a backing block.