Thread: newbie with old oak dining table...

Originally Posted by helend

I inherited my grandmother's old oak dining table, gorgeous, weighs a ton. It's been a bit neglected and I'd like to give it some love, but am not sure how to go about it. It's been finished at some stage with a layer of something ('poly'?) which has worn off the edges of the table, which are now sticky... on the rest of the table surface there are tiny splits in the poly layer.
I'd love to use some sort of wax/oil finish, and have tried researching but now I'm confused. We need to protect the surface from water marks from cups etc, and generally stop the wood from further drying. Not too dark a finish. We don't mind if the finish is matt or satin or in between. And, simpler would be great for this beginner. Any suggestions from the collective wisdom would be much appreciated!

We need some photo's to see what your options are. Without seeing the table we don't know what sort of finish it has on it, it could have a stain, varnish or other finish which needs to be removed before restoration can begin.

Home - Constantia Organic Finishes

I use a lot of Constantia Organic Finishes. it is as advertised and does give a professional finish for very little effort.