The table started out looking like this:
I saved this little gem from the dumpsters at Grand Valley. I was an RA, and one of the residents was going to throw it out, so I took it of their hands. As you can see, it was very badly abused by all previous owners. The top was scratched deep into the finish, the shelf was scuffed up and sloppy on the edges, and the legs were spotty and pock marked with dings and scratches.
Luckily, this was an easy save. All that was needed was some painters plastic, plastic scrapers, Citrustrip (my personal choice for stripping compound), plastic scrapers, mineral spirits, rubber gloves, and high grit sand paper.
Apply an hearty coat of the Citrustrip, and let stand for 30 minutes to an hour. Begin scraping the slop off of the surface, and it starts to transform instantly.
It was my first time using it so it took a couple of tries, but I eventually removed all of the finish with the Citrustrip. I then rubbed it down with mineral spirits to remove any excess chemical residue, sanded lightly, and rubbed down with tack cloth. The result:
The end result was a slightly discolored table top with a lot of fantastic grain to it, and a deep and rich red coloration on the shelf. It was left to sit for a day or so in order to make sure that all mineral spirits had evaporated and were not present in the wood when it came time to polyurethane.
With a few thick coats of polyurethane, and a light sanding between each coat, the end product looks something like this:
And now this piece sits in our entryway by the staircase, with a small lamp, and bowl for keys.
In my humble opinion, this was a way better route to go than to trash this beautiful piece, or to paint it. It's much easier to salvage this dirty gold than people would like to believe. I'm very glad I did because this was the perfect addition to our foyer area.
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