Thread: Advice for Restoring A Custom Jarrah Table

Hi All, I am a new member and have joined to seek advice for restoring a very special piece of furniture that I have ended up with. I have done some search for Jarrah restoration and finishing and will continue to do so but I haven't yet seen exactly what I am looking for so this is a call out for advice. I should say up front that I have no real wood working skills but I am a reasonable handy man and DIYer.

The table in question is a large octagonal table 1700mm in diameter. The base of the table is the original Alter from the Forrest Park Methodist Church in Walcott Street, Mt Lawley, WA (converted to a restaurant many years ago now) . The top is made from the original floorboards from the same church and the whole lot is solid Jarrah. It was handed down through the family that originally built it and was in storage for many many years in a loft in a shed until I came across it. It is still solid and weighs a frigging tonne, but its in need of complete restoration. I am currently sanding back the top before I tackle the base which has some carving that will require special attention. The jarrah is coming up nicely but when it was built, there have been gaps between the planks that were filled with putty of some sort. The putty is no-good and I have been removing it as a go which is leaving gaps that will need to be refilled. There is also a number of knots and indents that need filling. I am thinking that french polishing and wax finish probably won't fill big gaps and imperfections, but is this correct? Would a urethane type finish be a better bet for this? I am aiming for a high gloss finish that highlights the jarrah grain and richness of colour.

Thanks in advance for any advice received. I'll try post some pics up at me stage.