Dining Table Top Refinished

Table Top Before

Table Top After

We all know how much we use our tables, therefore the top of them tends to get plenty of use, which is okay, because that's what they're for. This solid oak table was purchased twenty-five years ago and got plenty of use, so the top had some wear on it. Nothing too bad, but enough to justify a refinish, top only. It also had two leaves, so the owner wanted those refinished as well.

This great table was made by the Amish and the quality of the workmanship showed. Amish are known for their precision and attention to details as well as simplicity in structure so their furniture is easy to use and guaranteed to last a long time. The woodgrain of this table was beautiful, which became apparent after I totally stripped the top.

I kept the leaves on the table and stripped them in place (much easier) and made sure the sides of the
leaves were also wiped clean.  I chose "Golden Oak" stain which was the perfect match to the bottom of the table and once I applied three coats of semi-gloss polyurethane, that twenty-five year old table looked brand new! I cleaned the gears underneath the table's mechanism so they glide smoothly when you pull it apart.

A little secret...use bar soap and rub it on anything that doesn't slide easily like the end of screw, gears, chains, etc., and the soap will make the stuck item glide easily, with no mess to clean up! Another trick is talcum powder. You can use talcum or baby powder if you have any two items of wood that touch and squeak or don't move easily. The powder won't harm the wood, yet it allows the wood to slide easily against one another. It's a trick I learned by watching "This Old House." Anyway, this not so old table will look great for at least another twenty-five years.