Renew a table

[techman1]

Need a recommendation from the PBT.

Daughter was gifted a small drop leaf table.
The center needs a refresh. Maybe something to match the sides.

Totally understand how hard just a photo makes good advice so I really appreciate any suggestions.
Maybe something type of oil? Not looking to repair the crack.

Any tips?

[KFC911]

Old English ... or be like King Arthur ... remove the center leaf ... a perfect round table is born

I have leaves ... perfect leaves ... in a closet at my parents house ... removed the last one a week ago

Milt & others will steer you right ...

[wdfifteen]

I know a guy. I sent him a 100 year old music box with worse damage than that and the work he did was stunning. If you want to do it yourself he has videos. Look up oddjobfix on YouTube.
It looks like the center panel is all that needs repair. In my limited experience, you are going to need judicious application of wood bleach for the round stain and some major stain matching skills to make the center panel match the wood applied to the decals on the sides once it’s been repaired. Or not - what do I know?
Some people would take a palm sander to the whole thing and start over - but what’s the fun in that?

[techman1]

Agreed.
Palm sander, refinish and get a wonderful, sanitary look.

and lose the history.

Will be visiting daughters in Ohio, near you, and possibly give it a try.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

If this was mine, I'd practice any refinishing fixes on the bottom side of the centerpiece to see how it works out first.

You don't want to mess with the side pieces. If the bottom works as a rough draft, and blends well with the sides, the middle top will be a final answer.

[herr_oberst]

Always remember, "do no harm".

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by techman1

Agreed.
Palm sander, refinish and get a wonderful, sanitary look.

and lose the history.

That would be a shame. If it has no sentimental value it would be great project to build skills on. What a challenge, but worth it if you can pull it off. Color matching is my weakness.

[Scott Douglas]

Here's how I handled a similar dilemma. :
https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1118150-water-wood-furniture-help.html

[Scott Douglas]

The trick to getting the water stain out of the finish was using a steam iron and towel.
You have to be careful to not cook the finish or it'll end up rough.

[john70t]

One trick for filling in crack might be using a mix of shaving dust from the same wood. Perhaps the underside. IDK.
The glue/binder has to be porous enough to absorb stain and top finishes equal to the wood.

[techman1]

All great advice.
Testing stain on bottom great idea.
Nervous about using steam to get the ring out.

We may leave the crack as is, will decide when I see it.

[craigster59]

Hit it with some Howard's Restore-A-Finish, available at Home Depot and most hardware stores. Works wonders in one easy swipe. We used it all the time in film to make old damaged tables look presentable again.

[wdfifteen]

The "crack" in the water damaged area is the glue joint between the boards that were glued together to make the table-top. The glue may have been softened by the moisture, or the wood expanded when it got wet, then shrank when it dried, pulling the joint apart mechanically - or both. The loss of the connection between the boards on either side of the crack needs to be addressed. I would test the strength of the joint by gently flexing the table-top to see if it comes apart. If it does, the edges need to be straightened by running them through a jointer, then re-glued. If it's still strong, you can go ahead and fill the crack.

This video shows how to deal with the black stain at about the 7:15 mark.

[Scott Douglas]

Originally Posted by techman1

Nervous about using steam to get the ring out.

You don't actually use steam, you use a hot steam iron on a towel to warm the wood and draw the moisture out of the wood under the finish. If you get too aggressive with the heat it will crystalize the finish by cooking it.
Patience goes a long ways in this process and you don't want to 'hurry' things along by applying too much heat for too long a time.

[LWJ]

People above seem far smarter than I about this sort of thing. But I would probably just slap some Johnson's Paste Wax (which isn't sold anymore!) on the top and be pleased with the patina.

Or, I used "lemon oil" on an old Crosman pellet gun this week. It did a similar job. Sort of just glossed up the dull stuff and made everything homogeneous. Not sure if that is what you are looking for?

[911 Rod]

Is paint an option?
Table cloth?

[Zeke]

Oxalic acid works on oak, teak and the mahogany family. Should work on maple. I have used steam many times for many circumstances but I have not used it for stain removal. I may just be that the steam accelerates the process. I like to watch the progress and with a towel and iron over thew work it hasn't occurred to me to try it. I will next time if the finish will bear it.

That table is seriously damaged finish wise. There are no band aids that I know of that are going to help much. I specialize in non finish stripping restoration and I would not take that job as such. Stripping, bleaching and matching is well within possible.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by Zeke

That table is seriously damaged finish wise. There are no band aids that I know of that are going to help much. I specialize in non finish stripping restoration and I would not take that job as such. Stripping, bleaching and matching is well within possible.

+1

I'd do that to the center section and see if the two sides could be improved enough without going whole hog on them to match the middle well enough.

I think it's possible, it will just take a lot of care and patience.

If stain matching is new to you, you can take a piece of the table to a paint store, along with a few pieces of the type of wood the table is made from and get a stain mixed that will get you in the ball park. Get a few ounces of the various tints used so that you can adjust the color as needed. I think you can get pretty close, if you play with it some.

Somebody like Zeke might get it closer, faster... but patience is a key tool.

Probably lots of videos on Youtube, if you want to learn what's what.

You may never get it perfect but perfect isn't always the goal.

[Zeke]

YT channel "Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration" is full of stained wood dolor matching. Tom retired last year and is regurgitating old episodes but there's at least 12 years worth to watch. Every aspect is addressed over the years. It will take awhile to find what you need but along the way you will learn a whole lot.

I did.

[gregpark]

I would sand and finish the middle leaf to match as well a possible masking off the green feature stripe. Keep in mind, like Zeke says, you're not going to make it perfect but at least you can fix the water damage in the center and keep the character.

Option 2: keep a vase of flowers in the center at all times like the last care takers did for 100 years. Option 2 if a hell of a lot less work.