It's "French provincial" 1960's version. The piece of marble was obviously cut in Italy. The finish was called "fruitwood" and the wood was most any light colored wood. Looks like a well made table. He probably got it from one of the North Carolina furniture makers. Linda C

This is a ceramic tile top table that i would like to replace the 4 corner tiles with floral designs. What would you recommend? The floral designs are stamped and painted so there are grooves going into the tile - is there a substance or paste to fill it in then paint over it? Or should i smash the tiles and replace with new ones? They measure 7 3/4" wide. They sit inside a pine ? wood table frame so underneath is not exposed to tile. Any ideas? Look at this photo posted at webshots.com: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2626630950014131356oNssnf Here is a link that might be useful: tile top table

Try mineral oil (from drug store) and and old T-shirt first, if that doesn't take it out then you can try a very fine abrasive - I would tend to use rottenstone, but I would try baking soda if you don't have a source for rottenstone. Silver polish might work if there is no acid in it, it should just be a fine abrasive (like jeweler's rouge), I wouldn't try toothpaste b/c don't know what else might be in it that might affect finish. Whatever you use, rub gently only on the spots that need it. It may change the sheen in that area. You don't say whether your finish is glossy or more of a satin. You may have to buff the entire surface to get it to blend in. You could try posting over on Woodworking. BTW - I learned the hard way that those shelf liners/china separators that are rubbery mesh mats leave marks on the finish. At least it was only inside my china cabinet drawers. But they're selling chair pads now with the same stuff ("The Gripper") on the bottoms - don't leave them on your chairs! Here is a link that might be useful: Smithsonian's take on furniture polishes

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 !!!