WOW!!!! that is one very unusual looking table...

You do know that I am SICK of this !! Just kidding...sorta :) You are amazing ! That table had better not be seen by those folks or you are going to have to give it back. WOW ! WOW !! Beautiful. I may have to move up there so I can have a shot at the CL...you truly do have a gifted touch. c

Oh, what a gorgeous little table that is! Can I have it? ;-D

I don't know how you do it, but you should offer "treasure hunting" lessons for those of us who wish to follow in your footsteps!

TR, I know that you have been converted into a lamp-a-holic, like me, and also a CL junkie - what could be nicer? You're getting GOOD stuff, and isn't part of the fun working on them to make them truly 'you'? :-)

When I read all about Howard's Restore a Finish here, it motivated me to get going on it. I finally found Howard's at an Aubuchon Hardware store here in Maine, as NO ONE else stocks it.

It didn't work on this table - the finish just sat there and challenged me to try to get it off, so I brought out the heavy artillery. Once I saw how nice it was underneath that almost black finish, I had to see the results. Give me the patina and a few 'age spots' any day, over something shiny off a show room floor.

The fact that this took some elbow grease makes me appreciate it all the more. I know you'll feel the same way about your lamps and other recent finds. AND, your home will be truly unique and very interesting! I enjoy my 'old stuff' completely, and I know you will, too!

auntjen, I just got lucky! We have the same old 'junque' up here as all the other CLs...I actually went to the house to see a marble topped oak 'antique' plant stand that had been made yesterday. The woman didn't know it was newly made - she just wasn't into antiques. (which I can't imagine!)

She and hubby were divorcing, and she was selling a bunch of stuff, so took me through the house. We got to the bedroom, and I saw this sad crusty little table, but loved the lines. She was shocked, as they truly couldn't stand it. Her hubby had actually called to say 'don't sell the plant stand', so when I offered to buy this instead, she was thrilled and he was, too! "One man's trash is another man's treasure."

I had no idea what I'd find underneath, but YAY!!!! Thanks to folks on here and their projects, I got going on it.

That is a truly nice little table after you worked your magic.
Are you going to leave the front as is or put a pull for the drawer. Just wondering because I know you always have great ideas.

Beautiful table, excellent work. What is the heavy artillery you ended up having to use?

Beautiful little table, with so much character!

My mother and I refinished many pieces that we found at the Salvation Army and at "used furniture" stores -- cheaper than antique stores, my mother said -- starting when I was in high school. We followed the same procedure that you did, ending with tung oil and wax. It was always exciting to find gorgeous walnut under the old black varnish.

lyban, I briefly considered putting on a nice pull, but since it has never had one, I decided that I should leave it as is.

eandhi, the product I used is listed above - Parks Furniture Refinisher. It's a clear liquid that used with steel wool and lots of rubbing, dissolves the old finish. You just keep discarding the old steel wool that gets dirty, and use new pieces to get it clean. I used the old tooth brush to get into all the little crannies in the 'apron' area just below the top. Where it's 8 sided, there were a lot of them.

Wow, what a gorgeous piece. Could I hire you to pan for gold on my behalf or maybe pick my stocks? You have such great luck at finding those little jewels in the rough and making them real true gemstones.

Regarding putting a pull on the drawer: If it were my lovely table, I would leave it just as it is.

Some old furniture had "secret drawers" where you could put your valuables and hope no one would notice. Years ago I refinished a large old buffet and was surprised to find the secret drawer, where I still keep my silver flatware.

Yep it is fun to discover the treasure underneath. I wish we had a better way of finding stuff around here. It is just too small a community. I am enjoying your finds vicariously !! Really I am. My post sounded terrible. I am sorry.

What kind of wax do you suggest? I know it was suggested I wax the lamps and buff but I don't know what kind to buy. Thank you for all your help and encouragement. You are a great source. Caroline

Beautiful little table and you have done a wonderful job refinishing!

I am pretty sure that a table like that was once in my grandmothers home. I will have to check and see if my parents have the table.

My3dogs,

I have a table similar to that upstairs in my daughter's room that I bought for $40 at a junk store some time ago. It's been painted, and doesn't have the pretty acorn edge on top, but does have the spool legs and secret drawer. Seeing how beautiful yours turned out has given me inspiration to try to restore mine - the wood is lovely and has such a nice aged patina. So much prettier than "new", and you've made it have life again!! Now I'm off to the hardware for some stripper......

Love what you have done with that table My3dogs, and the best part is that you saw the "diamond in the rough".
The restore a finish posts on here motivated me to work on a night stand of my grandfathers that looked black like your piece...has to be 100 years of build up! It is coming along but now I am thinking maybe Parks is a better way to go . Thanks , Kareen

Caroline, your post didn't sound bad at all. I know if I saw this pictured, I'd want it, too!

I have just put some Howard's Feed & Wax on it, and if I may say...it's even prettier than before!! I bought that at the same time I got the Restore A Finish last weekend. I like it because it's soft and easy to work in. I can highly recommend it!

NHB, DO check! I'd love to see another one similar. The size of this is nice, at approx. 26" wide, 16" deep and 26" high.

Nanny, PLEASE take a pic of your table before you start to strip it. I'd LOVE to see one similar, as I have not been able to find one online. 'Chijim' from this board told me a while ago that he thought it had a Gothic look to it, and I think he's right.

Prior to this I had just used Butcher's Wax (no color), or Briwax, which comes in several colors. I have the light brown and dark brown. I used the Briwax in crafting to make new wooden frames that I had painted look old. It adds a bit of color if you don't want or need to take the finish off a piece. I have used the Butcher's wax on a lamp, just to seal in the finish and give it a soft glow.

Here is a link that might be useful: for BriWax

Beautiful. I have a fetish for small antique occasional tables.

What a beautiful find! I have to agree with you on the possibility of being too close to fire or extreme heat. Before I read that it's wood I thought it was metal. I thought right away of fire once I saw it was wood. And what a great surprise for you when you refinished it. I love walnut.
~Becky

Gorgeous table mythreedogs. I do think it's white rift-sawn oak though. We make furniture and cabinets with quarter-sawn oak, rift-sawn oak and walnut. I happen to love the rift-sawn oak...It's my favorite wood.
Tungoil will darken the oak, however the walnut is naturally dark. We finish our walnut pieces with one part BLO, one part linseed oil and one part semi-gloss varnish and then wax with butchers wax.
I can show you an example of walnut if you wish, the walnut grain looks different as well. Joann

Joann, I'd love to see the oak sample, although the grain here is very tight, and unlike any oak I have ever seen.

I love the table, but I am NOT an oak fan, so hope it 'remains' walnut! I can show it to a cabinet maker who lives on my mother's street for a verdict, but please show me the samples you mention, and THANKS!

I used tung oil, and then Howard's Feed & Wax only. The color didn't change when I oiled it.

You did a fabulous job at stripping it down to it's real beauty. Great find.

WoW Good eye!! It is adorable. I am looking forward to where it will live in its new home! I am also glad to learn about a product that is new to me!

It looks like to me that it's rift sawn oak, which is very different than regular flat sawn oak. This table top is rift sawn and we clad the ends with walnut. I wanted the bottom of the tables dark, the top light and the ends natural unstained walnut. The chessboard we made as well, it's natural unstained walnut,(the dark squares as well as the ends) unstained maple,(the light squares) and unstained rift sawn oak on the ends, the ends we clad in walnut.

This is what both table tops look like. We used walnut on the ends, rift sawn on the frame like edge, rift on the cross in the middle, and quartersawn oak in the 4 squares.
The tops have no stain, just the BLO, linseed oil and varnish.

I'll get you photos of our mantle that we recently completed a few weeks ago. It's natural walnut.

I forgot to mention the four squares in the middle of the table tops are quarter-sawn oak and have the rays and flecks that are characteristic of quarter-sawn oak. The ends and the cross as mentioned above are rift sawn, and that's what your table looks like to me. In my opinion white quarter-sawn and white rift sawn are highly desireable, and much more expensive than flat sawn oak.

This is the natural unstained walnut, I took these photos before the mantle was waxed with the butchers wax. You can see how dark the natural walnut is, as well as the lovely grain swirls.

You turned a pig's ear into a silk purse! Wow. Maybe you should take a picture and send it to the people you bought the table from.

Thanks, Joann!

To me, it still looks and feels like walnut, which was common for these little tables. But, I am not familiar with with riff sawn oak, so you may very well be right! Your tables are incredible! I'll show it to the cabinet maker near my mother and report back. :-)