Expert: Eileen Cronk - 5/25/2007

Question
We have a large kitchen table (62x98 inches) with 3 leaves in it.  The table is cherry with a "cider finish".  The top needs desperately to be redone.  I would like to refinish just the top and leave the sides, legs as is.  Is that an impossible task in matching a new stain to the existing stain?  Is there any way to remove the polyurethane finish and not the stain on the top of the table?  I would appreciate any suggestions you may have.

Answer
Hi Theresa
Nice to hear from you.
You can certainly refinish the table top and not the legs and skirt, but when you strip the top most of the stain will come off too. Thats just the way it is.
Theresa I have never heard of a "cider finish".
And when you say the table is cherry, do you mean there is a label that says cherry or is the table built from solid cherry wood?.
The cherry label will only mean cherry in color not made from cherry wood. There is a big difference.
Usually to fake this cherry color a dye rather than a stain is used. So it gets complicated for the home handy person LOL.
So instead, why don't you just give the top another coat of poly? That is if you are sure its poly.
This will only involve a slight deglaze of the surface and a coat of poly brushed on.
Get back to me if you can. I will be away for the weekend on vacation, but back at my PC on Monday evening.
Kindest Regards
Eileen