Lacquer/stain messed up on old table top

[Joe Pack]

Plastic and furniture don't mix. I told my sweetheart that, but years ago she insisted on using a clear plastic "protective layer" on top of a sturdy kitchen table for years to protect the top. By the time I convinced her that the plastic was not a good idea, the laquer had softened and turned to an eggshell pattern in several areas, mainly where warm plates would set. So, off came the plastic and, to cover up the mess, on went the flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth.

We just received our new kitchen table today (plastic will NOT touch it!) and the old table is relegated to the basement. But now the spots that were softened and checked look like they grew a beard...all fuzzy. With nothing to lose, I tried a bit of laquer thinner to remove the fuzz and it worked; the laquer was softened and removed, along with the fuzz...along with the stain. Evidently the laquer finish was actually tinted a dark cherry color and sprayed on. The Malaysian woood (looks like some form of mahogony) seems to have no color in and of itself. Where I rubbed fairly gently, the laquer and the color came off.

I don't have a lot of refinishing experience. What little I have had involved using Formby's, which is just about dummy proof and extremely easy to use on flat surfaces such as this. Formby's does, however, leave a bit of the old varnish behind, almost like a seal coat.

What I am wondering is how difficult it will be to add color back to the table top. By itself, the wood is a fairly ugly material. I want to bring it back to the dark cherry finish, but am not sure how to proceed. Lazy as I am, I really would prefer not to have to do any amount of sanding to bare wood. I can do it if I absolutely have to, but would really rather go fishing or play with my lathe. Any suggestions on how to proceed? :confused:

[Steve Schoene]

The best way to remove the old finish is stripper, not sanding, though I'm not sure that adds a lot to fishing time. This, with some final sanding, opens up a relatively wide range of staining and finishing options. Remember to use serious ventilation if you choose stripping since the most effective stripper, methylene chloride, is not something you want to breathe.

The "Formby's" approach can be made to work, though it wouldn't be my first choice. If you can achieve an even coloration from the Formby's you can restore color by using a gel stain after only an even scuff sanding, though a lot of how much color will lodge on the surface will depend on how much finish remains and how evenly it is sanded.

If you were spraying you could use toned lacquer just as the original manufacturer did and have less uncertainty as to how it will turn out.

[Joe Pack]

Thanks. I appreciate the advice.