Check out the link. I use Tiny Pic for my picture website. They are free. Here is a link that might be useful: Gardenweb FAQ - Pictures

Any dots of paint should come off by lifting with a single-edge razor blade. Tiny atomized spatters or smears will come off with some 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper or a rubber sanding block, lubricated with paint thinner or water+detergent. If the old varnish is nice and thick you don't have to worry about sanding through the finish to bare wood. Pick off the big flecks, then abrade the mist/smears. Casey

Is this raw wood new construction, unfinished furniture or recently stripped? *** Existing Kitchen Table; not sanded down yet (still in use) Stains and poly don't have an indefinite shelf life. Get fresh and reduce your risk for a few dollars. If it goes wrong, you're looking at a lot more expense and time to undo and redo. *** Sounds like some experience here. *** What kind of stain ??? Alot of confusing choices. What should I gravitate towards ? ...shy away from ??? *** MinWax brand ? Oil-Based ? Gel ? Stay away from PolyShades. MinWax Polyurathane...Satin? Semi-Gloss ? Gloss ? A - Sand with ___ grit sandpaper (using Palm Sander) > Start with a grit coarse enough to smooth it out, but not so coarse that it creates more damage. Once it's smooth, subsequent sandings just reduce the scratch pattern to a finer one. B - Dust off / wipe down with wet rag / let dry > Dry rag will work. Dampened with mineral spirits if you want. If you dampen with mineral spirits, you will get a preview of what the wood looks like with finish only (no stain). *** Regular HD/L Mineral Spirits good enough ? C - Re-sand with ___ grit sandpaper > Keep going up to about 180 to 220. You can skip a grit if you want in this sequence: 100-120-150-180-220. If you're using a pad sander, I'd recommend hand sanding the last grit or two. You don't want pigtails. *** the 180 & 220 by hand; the courser ones by Palm Sander D - Dust off / wipe down with wet rag / let dry > same E - Stain with rag; let dry overnite > Be sure to wipe off and not leave heavy stain on surface. Depending upon the wood species (and choice of stain) you may get blotching. Whatcha got? *** I can't identify it...probably not too great - bottom of chairs say "Made in Malaysia". Has a cream-colored opaque finish that's pretty much "done". F - Rub down with steel wool (grade of steel wool ????___) >>>> NO - Not steel wool. Not needed now and not under any coat of finish. It can leave metal shards that can rust and leave ugly spots. *** There will be no steel wool ! G - Dust off / wipe down with wet rag / let dry > You don't abrade after the stain, so you won't have anything to wipe off. H - One more coat of stain > Usually not needed. But again, depends upon your choice. You might do this to adjust your color to your liking. *** OK. I - Dust off / wipe down with wet rag / let dry >ditto - no abrasion here J - Put on a coat of polyurathane > I'd never use less than 4 coats of poly. Less and less thinning as coats progress. Sanding to dull the surface to create a mechanical bond and to remove defects is important between each coat. P400 sandpaper and light gray Scotch-Brite. Apply "as little as possible to ensure complete coverage" at each coat. Thick poly coats lead to brush marks, curtains, and plastic-looking finish. *** OK. 'light grey Scotch Brite' ??? I'm lost on this one. K - Let it dry > yep L - Put it back in the Kitchen *** Thank you so much !!! This will be a new 'adventure'...still in a NY winter - so likely won't start till later on... Again - thank you for steering me in the right direction !!!

I totally agree w/lindac~it isn't necessary to strip the piece down to the original finish~that's just a waste of time for what you're wanting to do. Your biggest concern will be in finding a color of paint~I would start with a light beige or tan. For the edging, a combination of brown/black. I use a stenciling 'pouncer' for doing edging~load the paint, wipe off the majority, and with the flat end and a steady hand, glide it across the edge. If you want it darker, give a second coat, but don't load the 'pouncer' too heavily. Wipe off 'bleeps' right away. As for the glaze, you can use the same combination of black/brown, but water it down a bit, or use a ready-made glaze. Don't overthink....it's a lot easier than it seems. ;o)