What type/kind of paint do I use to paint my old wood end tables?

Sherman Williams sells primer /paint in one

You will still have to sand any rough areas. You may also want to wipe them down with a product called "liquid sandpaper" . This will remove the shine finish and any wax on them.

I had this same problem a few years ago. I had an oak coffee table with a clear polyurethane finish I needed to paint. I had great luck using BIN (that's the brand name) spray primer (2 coats) followed by Ben Moore paint applied with a small roller. The roller left a texture, but I didn't care. If you wanted a smooth finish you could use spray paint.

Hi! If you want your paint job and all your hard work to withstand over time, you may have to do some prep work. A light sanding takes off loose particles so that your new paint will then 'stick' to the wood. If you don't, then it will peel up over time and you will have to start over again...which will cost more time and money. After the light sand, dust it off and use rust-proof paint to better handle the 'elements' of usage.

if you use a chalk paint or fusion paint, you can get away with simply doing a thorough cleaning of the piece prior to painting

I'm going to echo Holly's suggestion...make sure to give each piece a good cleaning, then use chalk paint to cover (you can distress for the "shabby chic" look if you want).

Why don't you post your project for us to see? We learn something new from each other 👩‍🏫

Thanks so much for the helpful advice and answers. I will get it all together and get my project underway soon!