How to Easily Refinish a Wood Tabletop

Learn how easy it is to refinish a wood tabletop, with just a few materials, transforming it from drab to fab in no time.

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We've had this oak table and chair set many years. It's extremely sturdy, and still very functional, but there are two problems. One is that I no longer love the golden oak look, and two, the top of the table is in rough shape. So I thought, how hard would it be to refinish a wood tabletop? It turns out, not hard at all.

How To Refinish a Wood Tabletop

I had my husband help me move the top to the garage and placed it on an old metal table. Then I picked up some stain with polyurethane already in the mix and basically just followed the directions.

Materials

Minwax Polyshades Satin in Bombay Mahogany - 1/2 pint
Palm Sander 
220 sandpaper
Extra Fine Steel Wool
Tack Cloth
Bristle Paint Brush

Here's a close up of how bad the tabletop looked before. Lots of scratches, and many areas where the finish had worn off.

Using a palm sander, sand with the grain from one side to the other. If you don't have a palm sander you can use sandpaper over a piece of wood and manually sand the top. I sanded the edge and the wood underneath piece by hand.

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Wipe off the dust with any soft cloth, then go over it with a tack cloth which will pick up any remaining particles.

Stir your can of satin. Then using a bristle brush, I recommend one that is not expensive as you may want to throw it out when you are done, start at one end and brush the stain on with long strokes, in the same direction as the grain. Make sure you do not leave a wet edge, which means keep going until you get to the edge of a section, for a seamless look. If you start to notice brush marks go over the area lightly back and forth with your brush to smooth it out.

This picture has one coat of stain. Since you will probably need 2-3 coats, you will have plenty of time to perfect your technique.

According to the folks at Minwax, you need to allow the stain to dry for at least 6 hours before applying a second coat. Once dry, lightly sand by hand with the steel wool. Use the tack cloth again to thoroughly remove any dust, then apply another thin coat of stain.

I ended up applying three coats and waiting over night in between coats, as this was done in my garage during the humid summer weather.

You can still see some of the dents and marks, but I kind of like the way that looks.

We are certainly pleased with the way it turned out, and though it did take me three days, this was a pretty easy project. I may just have to stain the base, or maybe just the chairs in the future.

For now I think just having the top refinished has given this old set a new life. 

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How to Easily Refinish a Wood Tabletop

See how easy it is to refinish an old wood tabletop. It takes time to let each coat dry, but it is a simple process and turns out beautifully!

Prep Time1 hour hr

Active Time2 hours hrs

Additional Time3 days d

Total Time3 days d 3 hours hrs

Course: DIY Projects

Cost: $40

Equipment

• Palm Sander

Materials

• Minwax Polyshades Satin in Bombay Mahogany - 1/2 pint
• 220 sandpaper
• Extra Fine Steel Wool
• Tack Cloth
• Bristle Paint Brush

Instructions

• Using a palm sander, sand with the grain from one side to the other.
• Sand the edge and the wood underneath with sandpaper.
• Wipe off the dust with any soft cloth, then go over it with a tack cloth.
• Stir your can of stain.
• Using a bristle brush, start at one end and brush the stain on with long strokes, in the same direction as the grain.
• Make sure you do not leave a wet edge, which means keep going until you get to the edge of a section. 
• Apply 2-3 coats.
• Allow the stain to dry for at least 6 hours before applying a second coat.
• Once dry, lightly sand by hand with the steel wool.
• Use the tack cloth to thoroughly remove any dust, then apply another thin coat of stain.

Tried this project?Tag @hearthnvine on Instagram