Can I rescue this dining table

henrygregory

Last summer, I tried to apply some Woka Worktop Oil to my dining table as I was also applying it to an oak coffee table.
My dining table looked to be oak, however (I should have known) it seems to be an oak veneer. I very slightly sanded the top off before applying the oil with some rags.

The end result is not great.... 

Can this be salvaged? The frame of the table is solid and the chairs are really solid also so would be a shame to bin it. 
I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how I could get the table top part to look better than this, or is it too late? 

theoretica

It looks to me as though your sanding was patchy - in some places it went through the finish, in others it didn't.  I would do some more sanding.

I see the chairs are painted - that is a second option, making sure you have a sufficiently robust paint.

Murmansk

Give it a good all over sanding with an electric sander and it'll probably look a good deal better - but don't go too hard at it given that you think it's veneer. Once it looks consistent maybe give it a coat of French polish to seal it and then give it a quick go over with very fine sandpaper to smooth the raised grain, then apply Briwax. 

Bendy_House

Fair chance the original finish was something like a polyurethane varnish or similar, so a 'coat' on the wood, and not oil. The oil you are adding now would therefore not get to the actual timber, except in parts that were sanded fully down. It's hard to tell if the parts the oil did not get to are the light or dark patches - which is closer to the original shade?

Anyhoo, the answer is as above - you need to gently sand back to bare wood, taking care to not wear through the veneer (tho' you should be ok).

Sand with the grain, and use a flat block.

There's some patchy bits on the solid outer frame too? In which case you could initially try adding more oil to a patchy section of this (since, being 'solid', you cannot wear through it) and rubbing it gently in using wire wool (choosing a grade suitable for such work). If this manages to 'cut' through any remaining coating in order for the oil to get to the timber to oil it all evenly, then it could be an option for the whole table.

With oil, the secret is thin coats, well rubbed in. You can APPLY it liberally, and rub/WW it in to begin with, but then the excess should be wiped away quite thoroughly leaving only a very light film behind, which you then allow to dry. If that works, then subsequent coats can be applied with a lint-free cloth, wiping it along the grain in very light coats, look at it at a low angle and ensure it's a thin film - again wipe away excess if needed.

twopenny

After sanding wipe over with a cloth and white spirit.
This removes all the lingering dust from sanding and any oil or grease left on the surface.
Go lightly but firmly along the grain then across the grain then along the grain.
Use less spirit each time and you probably need 4 clean cloths 1st time, 3the second and third. They should be cotton. Cheap or old tea towels should do cut into quaters. 

twopenny

It's just dawned on me that if you oil or wax a dining table there is a strong chance that it will mark easily with heat, moisture fron condensation or spillages.