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How to fix coffee table that has been sanded too much?

So I thought I would give this 20 plus year old coffee table a glow up. It was a custom made piece and I thought under all the coating I would have a nice piece of wood ( seeing that it was custom made that’s what I thought). Obviously not and now I’ve sanded through a bit too much. How can I fix this? I was wanting to just put an SFO on there but I’m worried the part I’ve sanded through will be too obvious. Thoughts?

I was thinking of having white base with timeber top. I could get a filler but then would that mean i would have to paint wash? AAAHHH this is too hard lol

PIC 1: the table

PIC 2: Sanding this was a nightmare, my wrists were aching.

You can see the particle board on the edge 🙁

2 coats of Zinser 3 in 1

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JacobZ

Hi @sareh,

I'm sorry to see that your project isn't going as smoothly as you'd hoped. But please don't lose heart, I think it looks fantastic as it is.

Without being able to touch the table it is hard to tell whether there is a veneer, but I don't think you've uncovered chipboard. I think you've found a spot where the original furniture maker has created a wood filler using PVA glue and sawdust. You could confirm this suspicion of mine by looking at the underside of the table. If the grain pattern is very close to the top, it is unlikely the core is chipboard.

If you could check this, I will be able to assist further.

Jacob

sareh

Thanks for the reply @JacobZ

please see pics of the underside as requested.

EricL

Hello @sareh

Thanks for sharing those extra photos of your coffee table. You've done very well with sanding the surface. I suspect that your table was created with a timber inlay pattern on its surface. Looking at the spot you over sanded, it appears that it is a particle board surface. The issue with creating a filler is that it will not absorb sealers or stains properly if applied in a large area.

I propose leaving it as is and sealing or painting it with your preferred product. If anyone does notice the spot, you can always say that it's a character spot of the table.

Let me call on our experienced members @lifestylebymari and @daniknight4 for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

sareh

@EricL Thank you. Would the come with if I was to do a paint wash? Originally I was just going go seal it but was told the seal may not adhere. Hence resorting to a paint wash which I have never attempted before but unsure if I should fill it for that or not necessar.

daniknight4

Hi @sareh

I know why you might not want to paint over this it's a beautiful top and you've probably been sanding for weeks😆. I tend to paint wash everything and if you did a really light wash it would probably blend this in and just lighten the timber a little without covering the grain. Because the table top is quite patchy and has a lot of grain patterns anyway it probably wouldn't be noticeable so if it were me I'd probably just do that. I did a similar oversanding thing on a pine table top and when I put the topcoat on it actually magnified all the parts I had over sanded and it looked really ultra patchy so I ended up painting it but that was pine I think yours is way too pretty to paint over with a solid color.

I guess you could paint the timber border the same color as the base to cover it completely but that might be difficult because of the curvy edges. Don't give up though, it's going to be beautiful😊

💮This is what happened when I applied the top coat after over sanding!

sareh

@daniknight4 Thank you. I was thinking a paint wash with fusion Algonquin, never done it before but guess there’s a first time for everything. I just got filler from Bunnings and I’m regretting it right now. I’m thinking the paint wash would have sufficed. I hope I haven’t ruined it completely. May go in with a pencil once I’ve sand it when de ried and add some ‘grain’

daniknight4

@sareh I hope it all goes well😊 let us know how it goes 🌸

sareh

@daniknight4 I shouldnt have done that right?

daniknight4

@sareh It may be a little bit noticeable under the wash maybe? I know in my experience sometimes the more that you do to try and fix a problem just makes it worse but just sand it back gently and see how it goes. I’m still doing things by trial and error and am not an expert that’s for sure. You can get wood fillers to match different wood colours that may have been better.

sareh

@daniknight4 @Thank you. Have sanded back lightly. Not sure exactly what it’s done but I drew in some grains 😂. I think I’ll stop and just wait for my paint to arrive and see what happens. It was instant regret.

daniknight4

@sareh I think it will be ok the wash should even it all out and hopefully tie it all together. I bet no one will even notice😊

EricL

Hello @sareh

I propose using Flexovit 100mm x 1m 600 Grit Wet And Dry Sandpaper Roll to gently remove the remaining filler in the timber. I suggest going slowly and only in the areas where the filler has infiltrated. Your goal is to recover the finish you've achieved.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

sareh

@EricL @Thank you. Not as big but still obvious. I’m hoping the paint wash will sort it a bit. I had an 800 grit so I used that. Out of all the grits I have at home 600 was not one lol

EricL

Hi @sareh

The 800 grit will work just as well. Remember to sand in a single direction only and avoid circular sanding.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your table painted and ready for use.

Eric

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