How to restain your dining room table using Gel Stain and minimal sanding!
I have an oak table in my farm kitchen that my Dad made for us years ago. She has seen daily family meals, many-a homework session, arts and crafts and anything else a busy household needs a table for. She has been the centre of our everyday life for many years. Besides her sentimental value, she was still sturdy and in great shape, and I wasn’t willing to part with her, even though she was showing her age with her golden oak beauty.
So I decided I needed to give her a facelift. I thought about it longer than I should have, but it wasn’t easy to set sandpaper and a stain brush to her. I researched my options and chose to go with gel stain for the project’s simplicity. (well, relatively speaking). See, with gel stain, you don’t have to sand the existing stain off to the original wood. This was a big bonus for me!
Here is a video of the process
Now, 1 ½ years later, she still looks fantastic, and as I said, she sees use every day! There are a few minor nicks, but otherwise, the finish has held up wonderfully! I think I may try a stain marker on the spot or a q-tip dipped in my leftover gel stain.
