I'm Back Did you miss me?
Well, I'm back online - not that anyone noticed I was gone!!My old computer blew up so I had to wait for the new one we kept putting off buying. I began to miss you guys - nothing like a little incentive to get one moving. (gee, gone a few weeks and the place looks totally different when I get back!)
Anyhow, thankfully I don't need the computer to chop wood. Below is my recent project. It's part refinish, part new. We had an old library table that came from my wife's side of the family. It wasn't very good looking and the finish was very dark and kinda green in tint (see pic). My goal was to make it usable again - so I made a coffee table out of it by adding new legs and refinishing the top and apron (it had been refinished at least once before).
As I started into the project, it was clear that this was not a fine piece of furniture - it was built more as a functional object. The wood colors were all over the place, the grain was not matched hence the very dark color obscuring the grain and mismatch. The original legs were laminated pieces, again no concern for grain or color.
So when finishing the top I started with amber shellac and used buttonlac to tone the lighter boards. I think there are 5 coats of amber shellac and another 3-5 coats of buttonlac on specific areas to match the tones. The coats are very light and were sanded inbetween coats. When I got the color and even tone I wanted I put a few coats of wipe-on poly over the shellac - then a coat of wax. The apron and legs were ebonized with the rust/vinegar solution found on joewoodworker.com and then a coat of ebony stain. A few coats of poly and a wax over that for sheen.
I built the legs to bolt on the same way as the original legs did so the table can be returned to its original configuration. They are just red oak 3/4" stock mitered on the corners and tapered with the bandsaw.
All things considered, It turned out well. (i.e. LOML likes the finished result)
Good to be back, Wes
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I can see what you mean by there being kind of a mish-mash of grain patterns, but you seem to have brought out the beauty of each piece! Nice QSOak. Well done! 
