Finishing an oak table requires diligence and patience, but the reward of a beautiful piece of furniture is worth the effort. Oak furniture has a porous surface that may require the use of fillers to achieve a finish that feels smooth when you rub your hand across the grain. It’s a matter of personal preference as to whether you choose to leave the grain exposed, or to create a perfectly smooth finish.

Start by sanding the oak furniture with progressively finer grits of sandpaper, sanding with the grain of the wood.  The finest grade of sandpaper should be as light as a 220-grit,and then make sure you wipe the surface with a damp cloth to remove every last trace of sanding dust as any left remaining on the table will mar the coats of finish.Use a cloth dampened with thinners or mineral spirits to wipe the surface clean.taking care not to soak the surface as this will darken the wood’s colour.Apply a wash coat of finish to the table before using the filling paste if you are leaving the table in its natural color (not stained)

First check the instructions and then mix the finish and thinner in equal quantities. Let a single coat of the thinner mix dry, but  do not sand as this seals the wood and prevents colour change when the filling paste was applied (as detailed earlier). Brush on a coat of grain filling paste if you desire a smooth mirror finish on the oak table.  Because oak is open grained (you can feel it as you rub your hand over the top surface), the grain must be filled prior to applying any wood stain.

Brush on the filler paste with a stiff paintbrush or pour the filling paste onto a section of the table and spread with a plastic putty knife or use an expired credit card. If you apply the paste to small sections, then the paste dries quickly.

Allow the filler paste to dry once you’ve worked it into the grain and  use a rough cloth (such as burlap) to wipe any spare filler paste off the surface.Wipe the table with cheesecloth, wiping with the grain to remove any remaining traces of the filler. After letting the filler paste to dry for at least 12 hours, use a bright light to inspect the wood surface to locate any remaining filler. Then apply the preferred colour of wood stain once the filler has dried. Wipe with the grain of the wood. Allow the stained surface to dry overnight before applying the clear finish to avoid bubbles in the finish coat of the solid oak furniture. Apply three to five coats of clear finish, allowing drying between coats. allow a few days for the clear finish to harden before subjecting the table to daily use.