How do I refinish a 100 year old oak table?

That's tough, oil is extremely hard to redo. Wash down with amonia, it desolves wax. Thoroughly sand until you are no longer getting wax up and surface is clean. Wash down with lacquer thinner and go over it again with the thinner and 000 steel wool. If you sprinkle a little water on it and it beads up, there's still wax in it. Repeat steps above. After that should be ready to accept stain and or new finish. Good luck.

Hi Deanna. You can also try mineral spirits to cut through the oil that has accumulated. If the oil has dried out you should be able to redo it fairly easily. I use Hemp Oil to finish my pieces all of the time and once it has dried and cured I have painted right over it. Good luck!

I agree with the solutions suggested to remove the oil. I hope you are planning on refinishing it with stain to show the beauty of the old piece. It would be a shame to paint an old piece this. I have many pieces that have been handed down and when they need help, I always restain so that they can be handed down again in their original wood look.

The oil is what has made it last 100yrs. just sand it down to remove scratches and reoil it it will last another 100yrs.. Please don't paint this piece of history.

Just remember that anything you do to it except normal care could decrease the value of the piece.