Solid oak table - how to remove stains and treat?

[Nickbrapp]

I’ve been gifted this John Lewis calia solid oak dinning table

It’s untreated from the factory and the pervious owners never bothered to oil it etc so it’s got a few stains on it

I want to get it back to a good state, but now sure how to go about it or what products to use?

I don’t want a shiny finish, just natural, so I’m assuming teak oil or something as apposed to a varnish?

[Wombat3]

So many different products available from the likes of Osmo. Hardwax oil etc . Or you could just wax it.

If the stains bother you then take a sander to it first.

On the other hand there is still a lot to be said for varnish if applied correctly - lots of thin coats & sanded with very fine paper in between.

Plenty of different finishes available from Matt through Satin etc - doesn't need to be shiny.

[k99]

There’s a multitude of ways to do this, depending on tools you have, budget, skill set and especially how you’ll use and look after the table.
Probably best bet is to first use a sander to take off the top layer to carefully remove the stains. I’d double check first in case it’s some type of veneer layered finish before you remove the top layer just in case.

[Andeh1]

Get a cheap rotary sander & it'll have it looking brand new in less then an hour. Then a nice oil to finish it off!

Beauty of this sort of thing is, if you change your mind.... Another hour of sanding & do it differently!

[Simpo Two]

Oil is likely to darken it, which may influence your decision. If in doubt try some on the underneath first.

As for sanding the stains out, well, it depends how deep the stains go.

[gfreeman]

Simpo Two said:

As for sanding the stains out, well, it depends how deep the stains go.

A good liberal wash with white spirit and wire wool will give a very good clean and help establish how deep the bad stains go. If you are lucky that is all you need before applying a good quality finish such as osmo oil.
If you want something a bit more robust a good quality well diluted oil based clear varnish gives a great finish and dries very quickly. It needs to be so thin it is only a little thicker than the white spirit! The more coats you give the glossier it becomes and only needs a quick wipe over with wire wool between coats.