Need to redo oak table top (only top)

Hi Sauserm1

If it's solid wood you can sand the top and refinish it with a poly acrylic sealer. If it's a veneer, you can still do that but you must be very careful because veneer is very thin. It might work better to gently sand the scratches and feather them into the rest of the table. Then seal only those places - again using a feathering technique. Once that dries add another coat of sealer to the whole table. Wishing you the best.

First of all try using Old English Furniture Oil on the whole top. You may be surprised how pretty it looks and you may not have to refinish it. I really like this oil, and use it all the time. It comes in two colors, Light or Dark.

If you sand you will see the spot and it will be hard to match up. You either do the whole top (sanding) then apply the correct stain color but do the whole top. After it dries then several coats of shellac sealer. Then take minwax paste wax and apply. When dry then buff. The pastewax makes the sealer harder and stronger. Easy route are the stain wax pens full scratches wipe smooth no sanding use a smooth lint free cloth when dry then seal it.

You really never want to use shellac on a table that gets a lot of wear, water or wine! All of these mess up shellac badly. You never a urethane type finish. Sand the top, finish w fine steel wool. Restain, spray on a clear coat.

I faced the same problem recently with a 10-year-old oak table. It's the center of all our family activity-- meals, homework, art projects-- and the varnish started wearing off in the areas where it's used most. I used Howard Restor-a-Finish with great results. Good luck!

I agree with Linda Sikut. Don;t use shellac. It will give a yellow tinge. Sand the whole top. Use at least three coats of a water based polyurethane. Doesn't yellow over time.