What you have is one of those 1930's Jacobean Revival revival tables. Walnut veneer top and perhaps solid walnut apron...or maybe veneer too. the legs are "tree wood"....something that carves well and doesn't splinter easily... Wipe all with mineral spirits...legs top and all....to clean it all off and the wet top will give you an indication of the grain color. Then get a stain with some opaque pigment in it....I like minwax, special walnut. There will be a lot of solids in the bottom of the can....don't stir all of them into the stain or it may be too "painty" looking. Rub that over the whole table....even the legs, even though you have not stripped them. Let it dry. apply another coat if you think it needs it.....and finish with at least 3 coats of polyurethane oil based varnish....steel wool with 4 ought steel wool between coats. Use the satin gloss varnish. Linda C

I am always a supporter of "restoration" instead or "refinishing" If you strip a finish and apply a new finish etc it looks like a new table and ruins the wood's natural patina. This is what they mean by discouraging refinishing. My suggestion would to research furniture restoration techniques to determine what your problem may be. It is probably a wax finish. There are many articles on repairing water damage on wax finishes. You could also search for "furniture restoration or repair" in your area to consult a professional.

Pictures would help. What is the style of your house? Do you want round or square or rectangle? How many people would you like to sit there? Do you want wooden chairs, metal, cushion, fabric? There are a host of considerations. I just went through this and ended up finding a round solid oak table at an antique store nearby and purchased five Windsor style chairs and am having a wood expert finish them identical. I wanted solid wood bc with small kids that is easiest to clean. I wanted round bc that best fit the space and I just love windsor chairs with the rustic style of our rocky mountain home. By camouflage green do you mean hunter green? Surely it isn't actually camouflage?

Even though I waited 6-12 hours between each coat as directed (can only said to wait 4, and when I sanded each time with 400 grit it was fine dust, no gummy bits)? And then 24 hours before the first coat of poly, again as directed? I absolutely plan to let the finished piece cure for 30 days when both the top and bottom are complete.