Stripping an Antique Oak Pedestal Table

B
by B
How to strip a antique table
This is the table I ate at as a child. It has been in storage for 20 years. I decided to bring it home and strip the top and sides because they had aged differently from the base. It is almost 100 years old.
Supplies: Old Brush, Stripping Gel, Plastic Wrap, Scrapper, not pictured
I coated the table with stripper and covered it with plastic wrap to keep the stripper moist. I allowed the stripper to sit per the directions on the bottle. The plastic wrap was my idea to help aid in stripping the old varnish and stain.
The stripper worked beautifully. It did require two applications to remove all the old varnish. I was thrilled because this only took and hour. I wiped the table with Mineral Spirits and steel wool, after stripping, to remove any left over material.
I added wood filler in the groves before staining. I didn't want to remove the old marks, but just keep debris from the cracks.
The top and sides were a challenge to stain to match the base. More about that is on my blog in the link provided. I'm thrilled to have this table home again! Thanks for stopping by!
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4 of 6 comments
  • Mary Insana Mary Insana on Apr 28, 2014
    Nice jobs, I'm sure you will be enjoying your table for years to come and pass it down to the next generation. I love using Citristrip, it always does the job for me.
    • B B on Apr 28, 2014
      @Mary Insana Thank you! I have used it before too. I have been reading about a soy stripper I may try next though. Many thanks for your kind comment!
  • Quince_Cottage Quince_Cottage on Sep 20, 2015
    Looks great, and how wonderful that so many family memories have been made at that table!
    • B B on Sep 21, 2015
      @Quince_Cottage Thank you! It does feel like an old friend is home!
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