Furniture and Furnishings - refinishing table.........

I have a light pine dining table with a shiney, slick finish that over the years has come off in spots---mostly when hot cups or plates have been set on it. Now it has "shiney spots" and "dull spots". I would like to strip the table top and do something rustic---no shine, maybe even distressed---how do I accomplish this and what products do I use? Anyone had any experience doing this? Thanks in advance for any advice.
Vicki in Houston

:) Sounds like a nice table. If it is indeed pine, I don't suggest you use chemical strippers to remove the finish. These will soak into the wood and make it very difficult to get an even finish appearance.

Rather, use a belt sander, then a random orbital sander to remove the existing finish material. You will probably have to start off with 80 grit sand paper to remove the finish than work your way down to 220 grit with the orbital sander to get a really smooth finish.

If you want a distressed finish, you could probably skip the find sandings and finish off with a final sanding with 100 grit. This will smooth out the finish, but not as smooth as the 220 grit paper.

Once you have the appearance you want, then I suggest you use a water based finish to protect the surface of the wood. Pine is soft and will damage and stain easily if you don't.

Good luck, this could be a really fun project.

Ted