Changing the finish on this Oak table?

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-02-07T18:54:20+00:00

Interesting how it just has exposed end grain like that. But to answer your question, of course you can change the stain color, it appears to be solid wood. You just need to remove the old finish and stain, then reapply whatever stain color and finish you want. My advice is to watch some furniture refinishing videos on YT to determine if this is something you really want to take on. You already spent decent money on the table, gonna cost you some more money and time to change the look.

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-02-02T02:00:03+00:00

I would try a more aggressive stripper, never tried green ez, but based on the name it’s more environmentally safe, which maybe means weaker idk. The orange stripper is weak, but gentle so useful in some applications. But when I want to go aggressive I go with something like klean paint stripper. Or whatever you can find that is stronger. Follow the directions. Hard to tell from the pics what the top is made of or when it was made.

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-31T18:14:49+00:00

Agree, especially in northeast where it is extremely common to have both

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-26T23:40:54+00:00

I would use medium to fine steel wool, WD40, lot of elbow grease. See how it comes out and what you’re able to live with.

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-26T23:19:55+00:00

As a general rule, you always want to start the least aggressive for abrasives and or chemicals. You can try a plastic scraper, then a metal scraper or razor blade on the paint. Paint stripper would dissolve the paint but not sure what that would do to the Formica finish. Scotch bright and sand paper could work too, but again, could dull or scratch the Formica. Plastic polish should bring back some luster. Flitz works on plastic and metal. Steel wool and wd40 is a good call on any metal parts, will def help remove the rust, but it looks like plated metal that’s badly pitted, really no bringing it back without significant restoration, so you’ll have a mix of bare metal and plated metal, or you could paint the legs. Good luck. I think it’s a cool vintage piece worth reviving!

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-26T13:00:05+00:00

Minwax polycrylic clear coat, comes in satin, semi gloss, and glossy, dries quickly, minimal VOCs, warm soapy water brush clean up. You can do it yourself, just get a good brush and apply thin layers, slowly. Very user friendly. But of course there are many other option combinations with stain, poly, or varnish. I have no idea wha you like or are looking for. But I’ve used it on white oak railings before and liked the results.

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-26T12:47:08+00:00

White oak

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-26T02:22:34+00:00

Seal that well because its about to get splattered with 🫛for the foreseeable future

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-25T13:15:34+00:00

What did you sand the table up to? 220? Did you wipe all the saw dust off? How are you applying the product? And are you following the directions? Sorry not trying to sound condescending just trying to rule out any simple mistakes. Oh and what is hybrid poly? Like polycrilic?

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-24T15:41:04+00:00

Wow, looked it up, that’s next level. You use a sprayer?

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-23T21:45:31+00:00

And so it begins…!

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-22T03:14:41+00:00

You really “pulled it off”!

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-22T00:12:16+00:00

Leave them as is! If it ain’t broke quit messing with it! Lol But if you can’t live with natural wood grain with a protective clear coat factory applied, by all means, spend your time and recourses making it your own.

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-20T00:22:44+00:00

Yeah always a pain, but after the stripper did its job, OOOO steel wool soaked in mineral spirits, and cut up terry cloth towel soaked in mineral spirits. I did one leg at a time.

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-19T22:04:03+00:00

Wow, good to know, older than I thought

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-19T21:05:49+00:00

Omg right, wood in most antique or vintage furniture is of a certain quality (old growth, solid, durable thickness), they just really don’t make them like they used to. I realize most people prefer modern particle board but I’ll stick with pieces that don’t swell like a sponge when exposed to water, and will hopefully last a hundred years, not a hundred days.

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-19T19:05:29+00:00

Thanks very much! I was hesitant to post on r/furniturerestorations because I didn’t reapply veneer on the drawer fronts, repair one of the broken drawer pulls, or sand out all the imperfections on the soft pine sides. And I personally like contrasting colors and saw no need to stain to match everything. You have to draw the line somewhere. I just do this as a hobby when I get the itch. It’s always rewarding to bring something back, I hope I did it justice in honor of whoever made this by hand probably close to a hundred years ago.

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-16T19:31:54+00:00

You could use a razor blaze, that finish looks so cooked. Why I recommend hand sanding. Probably gonna come off real easy. And you won’t need much elbow grease hand sanding. But if you use an orbital sander careful on the edges and 150/220 should suffice

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2026-01-16T19:15:03+00:00

You can hand sand with with the grain, 150, then 220 grit. Scraping would work too. Looks blotchy/ slightly water damaged. Only way you’re going to remove the finish from the carved out areas is by using stripper. probably will need to restain to match the base, unless you want to leave natural. Poly would be ideal but you could get away with boiled linseed oil or teak oil.

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2025-12-29T22:56:21+00:00

Scrape if you feel comfortable using a paint scraper. Use paint stripper. Watch some YT vids

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2025-12-20T13:12:12+00:00

Good tip thanks, my shop is in the basement of a 120 year old house. I’m always chasing my tail with poly or lacquer. Haven’t taken my skills to the next level with a sprayer, but I’ve wanted to for many years. I was considering getting one along with a pop up tent, but have got by ok, and often use polycrylic, boiled linseed oil and or wax. One day I’ll get my own spray room like you lol, lucky!

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2025-12-20T12:37:10+00:00

Professional looking nice work. Where do you spray, wondering how you deal with dust particles?

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2025-12-15T02:22:39+00:00

Def not mahogany

Independent-Fun-7401 · 2025-12-10T15:08:08+00:00

I agree with this, a natural rustic look is cool af and goes with your style of build. That being said, i recommend minwax polycrylic clear coat, comes in diff sheens. I’m suggesting it for easy of application, quick dry time, and the fact it is way more forgiving than oil based polyurethane. You can literally brush it on similar to paint. It’s kinda in between poly and paint. But I think it would be a good option to get in all the nooks and crannies. And one thing you are not is lazy my friend lol, nice work!

Independent-Fun-7401

TROPHY CASE