PING: John

Your only option is to somehow cover the "flaw" with a non opaque finish. IE; Some kind of paint. It is in the nature of varnish or lacquer, that you can see through it to the underlying wood surface, and thereby view the "flaw" or boo-boo, that lies buried beneath. You might try to get creative, and not worry about what kind of wood is below whatever finish you put on top, as that is what you will see. Some suggestions: Mock or fake wood graining with a feather used to supply the "wood grain" with a darker colored grain color. This was popular during the late 19th century by people who wanted an exotic imported wood look and only could afford cheaper American domestic wood. I remember doing some remodeling work on a house that had that sort of thing done on all the woodwork trim and it was rather striking. Don't know how big the "flaw" is, but a competent woodworker could inlay a piece of Cherry, into the flaw and feather the edges to blend into the surrounding table top, thereby making the saw cut less noticeable. That would take a fair bit of expertise, but would provide you with the most authentic restoration of the offending saw cut. Keep in mind here, that a saw cut is a straight and non natural element that that would probably not occur in a wood grain in Cherry, so even it would be somewhat noticeable. The last thing you might consider, is to just throw caution to the winds, and paint it a wild color and use and love it in it's new and "fun" appearing state. I know that painting nice hardwood, is considered sacrilege, but so is using the table in question for a saw horse. The choice would depend on how important your bank balance is, compared to the degree of authenticity you require. That is often the deciding factor for many of us. The old Champagne taste vs Beer budget conundrum. Hope this helps. John

Amy, how 'bout a "quilt-y" table cloth?? We DO know how ta make one of those!!

Nana

Thanks, John...and all... This is a big diningroom table. the middle stationary part is 3 feet long and 60" wide at the middle. The drop sides are scalloped and extend the table another 3-31/2 feet out. I want to go down and take a picture, but my camera is dead. Maybe later when i go to the store i can get fresh batteries and upload for you. I was actually thinking of painting it black, but my DD is livid. She's the one who wants to restore it if we can. And if i do paint it would i have to sand it first? the legs are turned and very ornate. Probly would have to flip it over to do those first.

maybe i should just burn the thing. =/

amy in CNY (snowing today!)

Amy: If you paint the table top, you could leave the legs and supports natural wood. The old Hitch c*ck tables and chairs had this combo, but usually reversed. HTH. PAT in VA/USA

I did think of Black paint for the table top and leave the legs and braces natural. My DD likes this idea. At least we could use it without being ashamed of the thing Right now it's down in the basement/garage with Christmas storage boxes on it. I guess i'll refinish it down there and bring it up after it dries.

Thanks everyone for the input. Wish me luck!

amy in CNY

I bought a vintage bedroom suit and refinished it. I had to rush the project because I was moving- the former house had a garage to work in and the current house doesn't. I used water based black latex paint. (I had to make too many repairs to use stain.) Big mistake! The water based paint raised the wood grain and all my beautiful sanding was in vain. It was like glass until the water in the paint raised the grain. Do use oil based paint if you decide to paint it.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Before you start this, if you are sure about your black, have a Google look to see if you can find some pictures of Japanese lacquer work. It might go up in your estimation (the table I mean!). You might be able to incorporate some similar decoration? . In message , amy in CNY writes