I recently received a table to refinish from a customer who claimed her table was solid oak. Upon sanding it, it was discovered that the outer frame was oak, but the center portion was plywood that had been finished to look like oak. With that being said, what is the best way to finish this table so that it does not look like cheap plywood?
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Replies
I assume from the fact you have an issue that you power sanded the top veneer too hard.
Short of sanding it right back and laying new veneer you could rout out the worn sections and inlay new veneer. But if you've gone through the top one nothing short of paint will cover it.
If a table top has an all round frame the panel HAS to be plywood or veneer over a solid ground. Movement of a solid panel would blow the frame. So you would expect it to be veneered. A solid panel would have breadboard ends for this reason.
There is a finishing technique that uses a brush/comb to imitate quarter sawn oak. Could it be what you describe ? If so try not altering it, clean and scuff the coating and varnish.
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