I have a nice solid cherry dresser from Ethan Allan that my wife wants to toss because it has some damage in the top. I’m pretty good with finishing my woodworking projects and I’ve read Flexners book many times and I think I’m somewhat knowledgeable on finishing. However I’m clueless about how to go about fixing this top. It’s got some minor scratches but the real problem areas go to the raw wood. Those areas the stain is still intact but it’s definitely lost all the layers of finish.
Do I have to strip this sucker down to raw wood and start over with the finish of my choice? Or can I determine if it’s a lacquer vs poly vs shellac and spot apply or broadly apply? I’ve watched lots of YouTube videos and they all seem to point to strip and start over.
Welcome sage advice...