Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - How do I distress and finish an old pine wood coffee table

Hi,
I have an old coffee table that is stained and waxed. I have never done any staining or distressing before and would like thorough directions on how to do so. The table is a dark stain wood with dings and is warn...I like the look and want to distress it even more then seal it or something to protect it and then stain it with a dark stain. Any help or suggestions would be great! Thanks.

If the piece has just a wax finish (which I doubt) paint thinner and steel wool will remove it.

Before the table can be restained, you must get it down to bare wood. Additional distressing can be done with chains, bent nails pounded into the surface, additional sanding, etc.

Staining MUST be done before any finish is applied, and after the distressing.

The old finish must be removed. If it is too thick to sand off easily you will need to buy a stripper. Follow package directions carefully. This is a strong chemical.

Next stain the table the desired color.

Then distress it. Sand the edges down to bare wood. Like they would look after years of wear. Beat on it with a heavy chain and/or pound on it with hammers and bent nails. The amount of wear you give it is up to you.

Finally, give it a good protective top coat. I like urithane. It is easier to brush on than varnish.

Before you begin on the actual table, you might consider buying a scrap piece of similar wood and testing out your stain and distressing technique.

Have fun! It should make a great weekend project.