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Trash To Treasure

Tips for refinishing this?

16 years ago

I just found this coffee table on Craigslist -- for $8!!!

It has paint on the top, and some scratches and a few little places where the wood is lifted up a little. I have my little orbital sander out ready to go tomorrow (if the rain holds off and I can do it on the deck). I do believe the piece is solid oak, but I'm wondering if it's veneered on the top just by the slight raising up in places. There is also a bit of scuffing on the edges and the feet.

Do you please have any tips for how to turn this back into the beauty it used to be?

{{!gwi}}

Comments (6)

mojojojogrlnj
16 years ago
this table is perfect for that shabby chic look...scratches and dings just wonderful lol....you can go get the ivory distress kit at wallmart if youve never shabby chiced its so easy....anyway post a pic after your done whatever you decide
oceanna
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for your reply. This is a gift for my son and he's not into shabby chic. I've been sanding the top and it's not perfectly blended yet... the damaged spots still show up as slightly blonder irregular patches. Do I need to blend them completely with sanding, or will the stain handle that? I'm a little afraid there is veneer on the top and of going through it.
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Sorry, no help here, but are you in NC by any chance? I had to ask because of your user name.
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The floor doen't appear to be sanded thoroughly. You need bare wood for stain. It won't penetrate old finish. See if you can find a Varathane EZV floor sander. It's a rental unit and, I believe, the best for a DIY floor job. For the water stains you might try oxalic acid. It's available in hardware stores. Follow the directions carefully. Minwax Polyshades is a tinted polyurethane. It's difficult to get an even color with it. Multiple coats will obscure the grain. Is there any reason you didn't want to use a stain and clear poly? If the floors sanded correctly only one coat of stain is necessary or useful. Also I would think that a stain as dark as Bombay Mahogany would do a pretty good job of hiding the water stains after you lighten them. I can't tell about a color match without seeing it. You could try your stain on a small area near the kitchen. If it doesn't look good then sand it back off and get another stain. Good Luck
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I've come to see that there's no "right" answer on this and you should do what seems best in each situation. We had our floors re-done recently and I did tip the refinishers for a job extremely well done, they were thorough and conscientious and went way beyond what they needed to do. The head man called later to say thank you for both of them, and told me it had enabled his assistant to buy a new tire for his wife's car, she was driving around on one that was dangerously bald with a lump. It made me realize when the heart says to do something, do it. I hadn't thought of it being anything but an expression of my gratitude, but when it became apparent that what I considered to be a relatively small amount was something really big to the other person, and really NEEDED, I was very glad I'd erred on the side of being generous and tipping. I would not tip someonebody who didn't do a good job though. Rewards need to be earned or they are meaningless.
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First off I want to take my hat off in admiration of the job you have done. Considering all the work it took getting to where you are I would incourage you to make your own decisions on staining and top coating. It's obvious your are not lazy and looking for quick fixing the project. As a matter of opinion and to give you something to consider. The room would look good with the piece finished "primitive",and the piece looks like it would agree. Going that route benifits if some old finish remains. I would sand it smooth, either clear coat as is or use a light wash coat of light color translucent stain then clear coat. getting the best look requires standing back and allowing your eyes and taste guide you in wherther to sand,stain or scrape here or there. One simple but potentially impressive trick is sanding slight recesses in places where years of use would have resulted in wear such as next to handles and latches. Do the deep sanding AFTER WASH COAT for best effect. The really adventurous will make a few gouges and dents then fill with finish same color as origional if non are naturally present. The old pros will run down DIY product lines and reccomend professionel grade products. If one is inexperienced it's best sticking with DIY products until they pratice with pro grade a few times on scrap boards. Whatever you choose,try to stay with a single system from start to finish,following directions on containers. Min-Wax and Deft are easy to find products. Good luck,have fun, trust your heart,judgment and eyes.
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luvstocraft
16 years ago
I think those tables were solid oak, no veneer. I actually like some dings and gouges in the wood myself--just gives it more "history". ;o) I think just a good sanding to make the top nice and smooth again and then a new coat of poly or varnish should do it. It looks like a nice sturdy table. Luvs
oceanna
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks. I finished sanding it. I had to sand it because it had some raised places and some deep scratches, not just because someone decided to use it as a painting bench several times.

The bottom of the table is solid and the top is veneered. I stained it tonight and have put on the first coat of tung oil. It's not perfect and I didn't dare sand any deeper. There are a few small scratches and dings still showing, but nothing glaring -- just enough for a little patina. It looks about a billion percent better than it did. I'm really happy! I sure hope my son loves it as much as I do. I think he's going to be very surprised at this gift and it will look wonderful in his home.
ashli
16 years ago
I think it looks great as-is. (or was)Looks very heavy...and nice with your floor.
oceanna
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks, Ashli. The top was pretty rugged when I got it. It had quite a bit of paint on it. I could have just stripped that. But I had to sand because it had gouges and raised places as well. That didn't show in the picture above. I've applied my third coat of tung oil now and it's getting shinier with every coat. I hope my son loves it! He's getting it early as I have no place to store it... right now it's in the middle of my kitchen. I'm not even sure how I'm going to get it over there. I told him today he's going to have to come and get his present. lol

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