BEFORE AND AFTER - OAK TABLE

I had bought an antique table several years ago. I bought it at an antique store in Pierre. It was is oval-shaped in great condition. It has three leaves and six chairs, and was what I had been looking for quite some time. I felt that it was a very sound purchase, however, I was never quite in love with the finish on the tabletop. Instead of aging to a beautiful patina, it had come to resemble a dishwater blonde color. I had decided when I bought it that I would eventually get around to refinishing the top. About four years later I finally got around to it.

So the other day, I gathered the necessary supplies: Heavy-duty stripping chemical, a natural bristle brush, a putty knife, and chemical gloves. Special note: Spend the $3 and get the gloves. I have done many of these refinishing projects and cheaped out and not bought gloves. No matter how careful you are, you end up getting stripper on you and then you feel the burn. Yikes! You would think that I would learn after the first 2 or 15 times, but I am a very slow learner.

After donning said gloves, I usually start by pouring a liberal amount of stripper onto the piece. I try to work in manageable areas, because this stuff dries quickly.

Use the brush to spread the chemical over the piece. Let it work it's magic. Usually about 5 minutes or less.

When the old finish starts to bubble, use the putty knife to start scraping the old finish and stripper off. I usually have a cardboard box or something else handy to scrape the nasty stuff into. You may have to repeat this process again depending upon how many layers of old stuff you need to remove. I have had to do this process up to 6 or 7 times on some things, especially if paint is involved. Major pain!

Once all the old stain is removed, you can use another chemical rinse to prep the wood for refinishing. Most of the time, at this point, I am usually so sick of this project, that I usually just wipe it down with a damp cloth. Then I can slap some stain on it and get on with my life!

Check that off the list. Goodbye dull, dishwater blond; hello shiny warm highlights!