How can I fix these blotches on this table I am restoring?

[redbackspider77]

I am restoring an old table which has a really unsmooth tabletop, so I started with sanding. However, after 5 passes with P80 using my orbital sander, blotches remain from the previous stain. What can I do to fix these?

[JacobZ]

Hi @redbackspider77,

This looks to be a penetrating sealer, meaning it soaks into the timber fibres and penetrates below the surface. The only way to remove it is to keep sanding till you remove the affected timber fibres.

The short and sweet answer to your question is to keep on sanding. 

You could try using some 40-grit sandpaper before smoothing it out with a finer grit, or use a stronger sander, such as a belt sander, to help speed up the process, but outside of this, it is all down to persistence.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[redbackspider77]

Thanks for your reply.

How about paint stripper, particularly Polystrippa? Could that work? I believe I may have simply melted the finish deeper into the wood while sanding.

[JacobZ]

Hi @redbackspider77,

You could certainly give it a try, but if it has penetrated deep into the timber, I'm not positive it would work.

It can't hurt to try, though.

Jacob