Anybody Refinish Furniture?

The top for sure is oak. I cannot tell from the base as much but I am confident it is oak as well. I have a table almost exactly like that in my kitchen. If you finish it correctly that top grain will pop and it will look very nice.

What would you guess your stain color is? How old do you think your table is. The top is what was screwing me up because showed those rays. The base looked more oak grain to me.

Terrific profile name!!!! lol.
 


I agree with ankle23 if you are going to keep it. You would stain it the color you like. I was thinking of the value of the wood in general not just a table. Unfinished wood is always more valuable when it is as rare as American Chestnut. If that is what it truly is. Of course in all things there are varying opinions. I personally would make sure it is what I think it is. I'm not trying to tell you what to do.
 




the above is similar to mine. what is mine worth? who knows. mine is much nicer than the one above - but for me, the value isn't in dollars, it is much deeper than that! :)

as far as stain, what i would recommend is getting a few that you'd think were nice and simply apply them. look at it then in different times of day, and see what you like best. the not too dark because you don't want to cover the wood - you want to enhance the look like camel says.

you have an oak table, pedestal and top. i'm open to being wrong - but everything i see tells me oak.
 






Found out is Quartersawn White Oak. I have now completed the poly finish coats and now ready to assemble back together. Turned out pretty good for my first refinish, IMO. Used Early American stain. The grain really pops out in the table top. I put extra poly coats (high-gloss) to have the table top shine. Will post a pick of the completed project later.
 


Found out is Quartersawn White Oak. I have now completed the poly finish coats and now ready to assemble back together. Turned out pretty good for my first refinish, IMO. Used Early American stain. The grain really pops out in the table top. I put extra poly coats (high-gloss) to have the table top shine. Will post a pick of the completed project later.

Thanks for the follow up. Can't wait to see the finished project. I was actually hoping it was American Chestnut. Not to be able to say I was right but you would not only have a very meaningful family heirloom but one with some great collectable value because of the rarity of the wood.
 


Thanks for the follow up. Can't wait to see the finished project. I was actually hoping it was American Chestnut. Not to be able to say I was right but you would not only have a very meaningful family heirloom but one with some great collectable value because of the rarity of the wood.

Yea, you kind of got me excited with that. When I researched it found out how rare it is. It was used more back then until the American Chestnut forests got a bit depleted then they moved on to oak and other hard woods. I think the piece is somewhere between 1900's to around 1930. All the support boards in the back are a hard wood indicative of being old. Also, all screws are straight head and not phillips head screws. Phillips head screws started in the early to mid 1930's. I pulled a screw and it looked to be a machined screw which I think they started mass producing from the 1880's forward. Prior to that, one can tell if older if the screw (straight head) was cut with a hacksaw. Prior to machining they would use a hacksaw to cut the screwhead for the screwdriver. These screws also didn't have the nice corkscrew to a sharp point like the manufactured screws. They were often times shorter screws with a more blunt end. Those are just a couple of points I learned while trying to age old furniture. Quite interesting.

I will try to get a pic of the table on here this weekend.
 


Yea, you kind of got me excited with that as I would have had a very expensive piece! When I researched it, I found out how rare it is. It was used more back then until the American Chestnut forests got a bit depleted then they moved on to oak and other hard woods.

I think the piece is somewhere between 1900's to around 1930. All the support boards in the back are a hard wood indicative of being old. Also, all screws are straight head and not phillips head screws. Phillips head screws started in the early to mid 1930's. I pulled a screw and it looked to be a machined screw which I think they started mass producing from the 1880's forward. Prior to that, one can tell if older if the screw (straight head) was cut with a hacksaw. Prior to machining they would use a hacksaw to cut the screwhead for the screwdriver. So, often times the cut in the screw would be quite narrow or may not be perfectly centered. These screws also didn't have the nice corkscrew to a sharp point like the manufactured screws. They were often times shorter screws with a more blunt end. Those are just a couple of points I learned while trying to age old furniture. Quite interesting.

I will try to get a pic of the table on here this weekend.
 






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