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How to Restore an Oak Table

Restore an oak table to add life and beauty to a piece of furniture that was meant to last for decades. Oak is a hardwood that is strong and resilient when treated right. Stripping and refinishing an oak table is very time consuming and tedious. However, by removing all of the old finish and starting over with the wood's natural state, you can protect an oak table and keep it looking lustrous for many years to come.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 qt. liquid stripper containing methylene chloride
  • 1 qt. sand sealer
  • 1 qt. polyurethane
  • 1 package 120-grit sandpaper
  • 1 package 220-grit sandpaper
  • 1 package 360-grit sandpaper
  • 1 box #2 steel wool pads
  • 2 paintbrushes, 2-inch
  • 1 old paintbrush
  • 1 scraper, 2- to 3-inch
  • 2 large old metal coffee cans
  • 1 drop cloth
  • 1 dozen cotton rags
  • 1 pair rubber gloves
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Instructions

    • 1
      Strip wood

      Prepare your table by placing the drop cloth under the legs. Put on your rubber gloves. Pour the stripper into one of the metal cans and use the old paint brush to layer a thick coat of stripper on a section of wood approximately 2 square feet. Allow the solvent to work for 15 to 20 minutes. Use your scraper and remove the old finish, placing the excess in the second coffee can. Remove leftover traces of the old finish with steel wool, always following the grain of the wood. Wipe off excess finish with a rag often. Repeat this process until the entire table has been stripped.

    • 2
      Sander

      Sand the table with 120-grit sandpaper. After all bad areas have been smoothed and all traces of the old finish are gone, sand the table with the 220-grit sandpaper, always following the grain of the wood. Wipe off all dust with the rags.

    • 3
      Oak table

      Use a new brush to apply a thick coat of sand sealer and allow it to soak into the wood grain for a couple of minutes. Remove the leftover sand sealer from the surface by wiping with a rag and allow to dry completely. Sand the entire piece with 360-grit sandpaper. Wipe off any dust with a rag.

    • 4

      Apply the polyurethane finish with your third brush using very thin, overlapping strokes. Allow each coat to thoroughly dry and sand again with 360-grit sand paper. Wipe off dust. Repeat this process for as many coats of polyurethane finish as you want.

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Next:

Tables
  1. How to Sand an Oak Dining Table
  2. How to Paint an Oak Table
  3. How to Refinish an Oak Table
  4. How to Extend an Oak Table
  5. How to Sand & Shellac a Table
  6. How to Tell If a Table is Solid Oak
  7. How to Sand Table Legs
  8. How to Sand an Oak Table
  9. How to Sand Table Tops
  10. How to Restore Pine Tables
  11. How to Sand a Pine Table
  12. How to Restore a Glass Table

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