"kid proofing" a dining room table top

[timothy snider]

My son & his wife asked me the best way to remove the scratches / gouges / dings ... on thier tabletop and topcoat it for preservation and heavy use with 5 kids. I thought maybe a car polish buffing product might be a way to remove/hide most of the scratches. What about an overcoat? I am going to try and determine the type of finish with lacquer thinner first. Maybe recoat with lacquer and then a top coat? Maybe that's not the best. The topcoat would probably be an oil based polyurethane. But I'm wondering how to best get rid of / minimize the scratches also.
Thanks!

[Mel Fulks]

Yes, an overcoat, one that isn’t dark brown !

[Dennis Jarchow]

If you are unsure what the current finish is, you might want to put down a barrier coat of shellac, then the topcoat of your choice. Or at least test your finish of choice on a small less visible spot. More durable finishes would be things like a conversion varnish, or if you are set up with the right PPE, a 2k finish.

[timothy snider]

If you are unsure what the current finish is, you might want to put down a barrier coat of shellac, then the topcoat of your choice. Or at least test your finish of choice on a small less visible spot. More durable finishes would be things like a conversion varnish, or if you are set up with the right PPE, a 2k finish.

I'll end up doing it in thier dining room so can't do anything real toxic. I'LL test the finish with lacquer thinner give it a very light (240 OR 320 GRIT) , shellac it, and put a floor finish on it.

[Allan Dozier]

Our maple island top got used for years for our kids homework, art projects, magic markers, etc. The marks were deep enough that I brought my Festool ROS and vacuum and sanded it down. No detectable dust showed up in the house. I finished it by brushing on Minwax oil modified poly. It has held up great.

[John TenEyck]

Our maple island top got used for years for our kids homework, art projects, magic markers, etc. The marks were deep enough that I brought my Festool ROS and vacuum and sanded it down. No detectable dust showed up in the house. I finished it by brushing on Minwax oil modified poly. It has held up great.

I used that product on a dining room table, too. Goes on beautifully with a brush and is amazingly durable. I was amazed how it looked like I had sprayed the finish.

John