I really wanted to share a gorgeous, stunning and beautiful before and after with you all today. Instead, I have spent two days sanding back the table top and this is what I have. 
No bueno.
I shall stay at it. I can’t paint it after all this work. There has to be a way!
I took this great selfie when I woke up this morning as I couldn’t believe my own eyes when I looked in the mirror. This is what sanding a table top for two days does to a girl 😉
I honestly can’t believe I just shared that pic with you all!
The Painted Drawer Link Party is tonight!
Sanding is one of my least favorite DIY activities 🙂
Just go with what the table is telling you. It may not be your standard makeover, but listen to the table. Let the variations in the top shine and work with them. Maybe try something along the lines of a light stain with a dark wax to highlight the variations & unevenness. That’s what I had to do with this table… http://entriwp.com/2015/06/28/starburst-pedestal-table-with-driftwood-stain/ You’ll get it right – you always do!
LOL…that is how I look most days! Why can’t it be painted?
after sanding her butt off she would rather stain it to show off the wood xx
Oh…I see what you mean..I miss interpreted what she meant when she couldn’t paint it.
How much sand paper does that take? Why not strip it first? If you apply stripper, then cover with plastic ( trash bag or Saran wrap ) and let it sit for a short time, it doesn’t take very long. Rinse with mixture of hot water and ammonia in open air It’s strong. Rinse with clear water. Let dry. This is an old fashioned way that saves money. It especially helps when you have funky wood like you have here. It raises the grain.Then sanding is faster, easier and uses less sand paper.. That’s what works for me. I have been working with furniture since 1974 when I was twenty years old. I still love it.
Thank you so much for the great tip! I will try it next time. The finish on this table was already peeling off in many places so I assumed it would be pretty easy to sand off and by the time I realized I was wrong, it was too late to go back as I didn’t want to apply a stripper onto the bare wood. Live and learn!
omg that made me really laugh out loud very loud thanks for sharing xx lmao still xx
Wish I looked as good.
Oh, please – you are gorgeous!
Too funny!!! You have alot of guts sharing that pic! Yeah, and I HATE sanding too. Almost as much as I HATE cooking (lol)
I’m with you on that one!
I can feel your pain, Suzanne! Sometimes the raw wood finish is just not salvageable and you have to move on to Plan B. I’m sure that whatever you decide to do will be just beautiful! 🙂 Good luck
A real woman reveals her morning look!:)
Brave and talented!!!!!
Thank you!!! You are too kind!
Just wondering why you didn’t just strip the top and then sand?!?!!?!? I know the table will be beautiful, whatever you wind up doing, though. Take a break to recover!!!
I didn’t bother stripping it first because the finish was in such bad shape that I just assumed it would sand right off (I was wrong!)!
Lol! YOU are a very brave woman Mrs. Bagheri! You’ll figure it out. With your experience you have a LOT of tricks up your sleeve from which to pull.
Looks like you had quite a day, Suzanne! I just finished stripping a whole table and legs and OMG it sure indeed is a lot of work. If your table is solid wood, I would stain it. If it’s a veneer top and you still want to stain it, make sure you have not sanded down too far as the stain won’t take. Not sure if this is your case, but I see some lighter sections in your picture.
Hi Mary – Saw your table yesterday! It is gorgeous. I am finally done with this one and it was a true labor of love. It worked out in the end by using GF dye stain. Not sure if you have tried it but I was happy. It really worked to give the undercoat a cohesive color and then I stained on top of it with a gel stain. Finally looks good 🙂
I loved your photo, it’s nice to know that other women out there struggle with projects as much as I do. How about one of your gray stains?
Hi Cyn – I almost went in that direction but came up with a different idea. I used GF dye stain first. I’ll share tomorrow but it turned out quite well 🙂
Keep’n it real girl, gotta like that. You look like model compared to the bed head this chick woke up to this morning. One side completely flat against my head and the other sticking straight to the side. Scaaaaaaaaary. You’ve definitely worked too hard to give up now on that top. Just keep telling yourself, “I think I can, I think I can, choo choo”.
I didn’t give up 🙂 and am happy to say it is almost done. Thanks for the pep talk!! I needed it!
I had this happen to me once before only to find out the table had been waxed in the past with something like mop n glow n or rejuvinate. These waxes penenetratr the wood. I found this out the hard way after two attempts at sanding it and staining it. I didn’t realize there was a problem till I applied the poly. I actually sanded, stained, and polyurethane the table twice before I knew I had a problem. Just a little fyi
Thanks for the tip – I think this one had the same issue or a stain that just seeped in. It has turned out just fine though. I’ll share tomorrow. Isn’t it so frustrating?!! What we do for a good furniture flip!
You still look way better than the table…if that makes you feel better. Or in this case maybe it doesn’t hmm
Lol!
Love the dose of reality and the behind the scenes look at what sanding/stripping can do to a person. I recall decades ago, before I got an electric sander, an old farmhouse buffet I stripped 5 layers of oil paint from with a heat gun for WEEKS – I never recuperated to my normal condition of sanity prior to that project haha!
Do you think they have sanding in heaven or does it all just magically wipe off with dish soap or the like beyond the pearly gates?! One can hope! LOL
Hi Kari – I did the same with an old mantel years ago! Stood there with a hairdryer and scraper and it took days lol!
This is why you’re one of my favorite people to follow. Got to keep your sense of humor:) and I’m sorry this top is giving you so much trouble. But I agree with a bunch of others…you’ll figure it out and it’ll be stunning. Half of my projects leave me scratching my head, it’s good to see even the pros get stumped sometimes. Good luck.
Hi Mimi – thanks! I am no pro – just like you and working it out as I go!