SouthernLady wrote:Bless you, Phil.
What would be the best thing to use on a surface that sees moderate use, such as my kitchen table? I use placemats and coasters with the table setting, and I usually serve buffet style from the kitchen counter bar for now (one day that sucker is coming out to go back to the original open floor plan).
This surface sees occasional water (wiped up quickly--glass condensation).
well it is quite a general question and I don't thing there is a general answer , because if you were to refinish the table you'd also have to consider , if it was an antique, how old, what would be an appropriate finish for that table in your circumstances.
if you have kids and lots of accidents , sticky fingers and you want it to be able to withstand say a spill that wasn't cleaned up for an hour then poly would be a good finish, but if it was a nice antique table everyone would scream if you put poly on it and wrecked it's value. most production firniture from the early 30's on to the 70's was lacquer. lacquer needs to be treated with more respect, you can wipe it with a damp cloth , that's fine but a spill left on it or a spill of an alcoholic beverage would damage it.
my table has a fairly imperfect finish but it is shellac and it's an old table. it works fine , I can wipe it but if I put a hot drink down on it the cup sticks to the table.
I have lots of antique radios and most are lacquer. since they are about my house , often people will put hot coffee mugs on them and that will leave a ring. lots of people haven't been around furniture that is so easily damaged so it takes some education or at least handy coasters on the radios.. I am not going to poly them !
we have a table from the 50s, it is a fold up affair, I often saw the same one on I love Lucy. it has seen a lot of wear and at some point the lacquer got scratched up and someone took whatever remaining lacquer off with a scraper and put an oil finish on it. the oil stands up better because it can be renewed, but it isn't original to the table and I wouldn't do that to something that was valuable. the best restoration of that table would have been lacquer but the oil finish was ok and i could say well the table paid for itself and care about it more as a useful object and not so much as a collectable antique so I don't feel bad at all that it was changed to an oil finish.
If the table has value as an antique you probably shouldn't change the finish. I have a big table that was made in about the 50's I think . it is a true canadain machine made table with a very solid frame. It's venerer but I think teak or maybe maple for the structure. .Queen anne style legs, made by Baetz furniture some of the last of the "true furniture" before they used particleboard and stuff..
I have been advertising it for 300.00 and it isn't moving. the top is lacquer but it could use re-spraying because the finish has some blush or cloudiness and a lot of crazing. the leaves never saw light so they are much lighter than the rest of the table. I can't refinish that table and profit from it because big tables aren't really in high demand but if I had all the chatirs and the matching hutch then it would be more worthwhile. If I really wanted to use it I'd have someone re-spray it. but I still wouldn't have the heart to change it's original finish type. it's too big for my kitchen and it isn't very high in value.
the ones that baffle me most as far as price goes are old wash stands or work tables from laundry rooms. with milk paint, they go for crazy prices ! and the other is early Canadian or early American. usually it isn't anywhere near the quality of the furniture from Europe but the prices are quite high, that's supply and demand at work.
I think you need to ID the finish you have, probably lacquer, and for that the best solution is probably to repair the lacquer finish and keep using it. if you change anything original about an antique it will devalue it. From what you said about place mats I think you are already protecting it. a furniture shop could likely re-spray it for you and amalgamate the old finish into a new finish, but you need to ID what you have exactly to answer the question properly.
personally I really like old oak or hardwoods with oil finishes. barley twist and stickly style fiurniture.. I want an atmosphere where people can feel right at home and dont' have to use coasters or placemats. I hate asking people to take better care, I find it insulting. I like antiques, but I like the kind of feel of an old pub or a farmhouse where it is well worn and you can't really harm anything easily, but that isn't for every one. some want the nice finish and fancy table cloths. and to put out the silverware for everyone with matching cups. Im ok with every person having a different plate or even different knife and fork and if most are antiques that's cool. what I have is a mixture of antiques, and that's ok too.. some want all dusty rose, I am ok with every cup being different. I think it adds interest and allows me to just replace anything broken without worry that it doesn't match the set. those rogue tea cups need to find a home somewhere
Phil