The guy's suggestion could actually work. Could work better than RAF, even. Skip the steel wool, though, OK? If it's dirty with waxy yellow buildup, clean with naphtha and a rag, until no more yellow comes off. Allow the solvent to evaporate, at which time you'll think it's ruined; it will look absolutely terrible. If you need to cover scratches, select a minwax color accordingly. If you just want to get rid of the dry look, you can use clear mixwax finish (they call it natural). Apply with a cloth or brush, wait five minutes and remove every bit you can with a clean dry cloth until the surface barely leaves a streak w/your finger. Rub hard. In 24 hours you can apply a coat of a paste wax, like Johnson's or Butchers. This is an old favorite trick I have used on varnished floors that were worn and scratched, but could not bear another sanding. The minwax adds a very thin layer of it's resin, colors in the scratches if necessary, and gets rid of the dry look. If you wish to use a more conservative approach, just clean and apply paste wax. That is 100% safe and reversible, it just will not do anything for the scratches. If there are bare spots, nothing will help them get a matching finish without adding some more clear finish, whatever that was originally, and spot refinishing is not possible to teach on an interwebz forum. RAF is about as appropriate for "fine furniture" as a scrubby pad is appropriate for cleaning a Corot. Casey

Did I hear my name mentioned ? Let's be clear about one thing, lindac is NOT a professional finisher. Linda why would you use steel wool between coats ? A light "cut" with a worn piece of sandpaper does the job, no tack cloth needed. You called yourself an idiot not me. I don't like you because you run from forum to forum answering peoples questions like you are a Britanica Encyclopedia . Again, stick to what you know,it's clearly not wood types and how to refinish a piece of furniture. Every time I confront you , you run and hide. The last time you tried to upset me by posting my personal information to the forum, you were outed by half the members for setting up a fake screen name that was actually your son that you were using. Again, I can't sell what your claiming is the answer to my customers.You don't seem to understand that.I can't guarantee my work if I were to go the route you always suggest. Underneath that ladies ( you know the one)Walnut buffet and china is beautiful Walnut, why on earth would you want to leave it basically black with no ability to see the grain ? Try answering just one of my questions ? Like I said and have seen in the past, when confronted you run and hide.

Looking at the leg of the table - you have what was mid-range stylish furniture in the late 1920s. They went in for those bulbous things on furniture in a big way during that decade. Mixed woods were common. You will find solid and/or veneer, either left visible as more than one variety, or stained/varnished to look like a single more expensive wood, usually mahogany or walnut because they are dark. They used multiple stains and colored varnishes, often more like a nearly opaque wood-colored paint. I've removed "mahogany" that was covering up blonde wood (ash or birch) Your choices are to live with it and enjoy the quirkiness of it or try to hide it because it wasn't what you thought you were getting. First: wipe it with mineral spirits and you will see approximately what a clear topcoat will give you ... It might be interesting. To lightly conceal it ... wipe on a medium toned penetrating oil-based stain (NOT a gel stain, not a water-based stain) followed by a clear topcoat. Minwax's oil-based stains can be wiped on and you wipe them off to control depth of color, building it up in layers. You will be able to see the grain differences. If you want a grainless table, one that is not of any apparent species, General finishes gel stains are easier to use than Minwax's. I wipe them on and then wipe most of it off so the grain shows, again using multiple coats. Painted on wiht a foam brush they are a close cousin of the wood-colored varnishes used in the 20s ... they cover it ALL. I would paint as the last resort.

The following is my opinion. Seems like a lot of work to get it the way you want it. I'd sell/donate it and get what you really want. You can paint a pig, but it's still a pig.