I have a 40+ year-old walnut table, 3×5, that has only been oiled. It could use some surface cleaning and stain & scratch removal. I don’t expect to get it back to its original color.
I have been given an estimate of $1600 to do this job, and that seems way out of line to me. What do you think?
I’m not a woodworker; is this a job that I might do myself? I don’t want to wreck it. I’m assuming I wouldn’t want to do it in the dinig room — right?
Suggestions welcome.
Replies
I've used Tung Oil
If I understand your post correctly you simply want to revitalize your table.
That being said all that is required is to clean the existing dirt and oils (not the applied finish oil) from the table and apply an new coat of finish oil. To me that is the total beauty of oil finishes!
I prefer to use tung oil (polymerized) for finishing on the walnut projects I have built. When I have needed to do touchups I generally wipe the piece down with soap and water to clean it, let it dry thouroghly and then recoat with the tung oil.
Tung oil can be applied over other oils that may have been used (ie - lindseed oil) with no ill effect.
You may occasionally get some dust etc. that settle onto surface before it fully dries.
I often use a 0000 steel wood wool to LIGHTLY bufff the finish which will clean that up and leave no visible marks.
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