Dining Room Table & Chairs

We found this dining room set at the Goodwill for the bargain price of $29.99. Our initial thought was to turn it around untouched on Craigslist, but once we got it home we found some cloudiness in the finish, as well as a nasty scratch that wasn't there when we first saw it.

We decided to start by sanding down the table top to clean up the imperfections, thinking we would then stain the top surface and paint the rest of the table and chairs in a tone that would match the upholstery on the chairs, which was in good condition.

With our Ryobi 5" orbital sander, the table top came out smooth and beautiful. The acrylic finish that was on the table was tough, but the end result was terrific. We used Citristrip Stripping Gel on the curved and rounded edge of the table top. The Citristrip product is great because it gives the same result as more toxic strippers without the nasty fumes.  Hand sanding to finish the edges took care of the table top for the time being, and we turned our attention to the rest of the table.  It was in excellent condition, so we cleaned every surface with warm water and wiped it down with Klean-Strip Sander Deglosser.  This stuff is great and can be used in place of sanding down a surface that you intend to paint.  And you can actually apply the new finish within minutes of deglossing it.

After sanding the table top - it is on a work surface, not on its legs

We will update when we reach the next step!