Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Oak veneer table????

I bought this second-hand table (matching chairs, hutch) with the intention of sanding and polyurethaning. I had no knowledge at the time of veneer and it being thin and dangerous to sand. HELP- I don't want to ruin the table, but I do need to fix it up. Any suggestions?

Also, WHAT in the world do I do with those chairs? I wanted to change the material (re-apholster), I attempted to take one down and it was a pain in the neck with the glue and staples:mad: Should I just take it to someone (and WHO woud I take it to?) and how much will it cost (approximately) I would do it myself but I think the whole glueing thing is going to be very frustrating. Any thoughts?:) Thanks so much!!
http://www.growthspurts.com/drivee/images/571882872647.jpg

Nice set.

It is hard to tell exactly the condition of the table and what you might want to do to it. Veneer is not a bad thing, some of the very nicest furniture around is made with veneer.

You can remove the finish by using a chemical stripper, then stain and finish it. It will look nice and new.

If the finish is sound and simply shop-worn, you may be able to refresh the finish by cleaning it, lightly sanding it, and adding a coat or two of fresh finish.

Give us a feel for what you would like to do and we will give you the help you want.

--

Upholstery is not my strong point. Here are some things that I found. I imagine a good book from a hardware store or the library might be a good place to start on the essentials of upholstery.

http://www.upholster.com/howto/slipseat.html

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_furniture_chairs_sofas/article/0,,HGTV_3442_1387044,00.html

Hope this helps.

Thank you so much, Chris!!!!!

So, I can get a chemical stripper and not bother sanding then? The table is in great condition except for some areas that are lighter where the finish has worn off. I actually like the lighter shade- I guess I can just get a lighter stain for that effect??

What if I wanted to get rid of that top design of square pattern? Is that impossible? I don't see where that layer ends- I should probably not even fool around with it, right?

Thanks for the links, too- I will get that Reupholstering at Home book from the library. Not looking forward to it, though. Chair covers are looking better and better:D

The patterned effect is a parquet veneer. It is part of the table, for all intents and purposes. You would have to replace the veneer to remove it.

If you don't need to refinish the apron and legs, you can carefully strip and refinish just the top of the table. If you are fond of the light color that you see when you have all the finish off of the top, you can simply apply a clear finish without stain to keep that clear look of the wood. Oak darkens somewhat with time, anyway.

From what I have seen, upholstery is work, but quite rewarding.

Hope this helps.

Oh thank you SO much- I'm usually pretty good at researching stuff online, but I wasn't sure if what I found applied to my situation!!

Thanks again, I so appreciate your responses:)

If the finish is not damaged, only dirty looking, try Goop hand cleaner and #0000 steel wool before you strip it. It works wonders - even takes out water rings without damaging the finish. Use paper towels to wipe off the Goop.

If you strip it and want the color to be a bit lighter, you can use regular laundry bleach. Be careful not to spill it on any wood that you don't want to lighten. If you want it lighter still, you can buy wood bleach at the hardware store.

Oh, thanks, Shey!!

I really want it lighter.

Don't I have to do the legs, too, to match the top? Dumb question, I know! It's just you mentioned Chris that I could get away with just doing the top (I guess you meant if there was no significant color change?) Just need clarification on that.

Considering that the legs don't come right up to the top, it is not necessary to refinish them just for the sake of stripping. The oak wood will be somewhat lighter because you strip it and remove the color from the surface. It naturally gets darker with time and exposure to light.

As far as lightening the color beyond its natural state is concerned, bleaching oak is not going to make a lot of difference. Oak is a naturally light color. Besides, the naturally dark sections of the wood won't necessarily lighten to match everything else. As I tell people, wood is a natural product and yields natural results. You cannot always control how the wood looks in the end unless you paint it.

As far as bleaching is concerned, I recommend starting with wood bleach or oxalic acid as it is called. Chlorine bleach is pretty harsh stuff to be working with around wood. It works quite rapidly and might leave you with unfavorable results. Oxalic acid works more slowly and can be repeated to approach the changes in lightening that you want.

Hope this helps.