I have a solid wood restaurant butcher block table whch measures 24" X
24" X 10" thick. I found it thrown out on the sidewalk. I am really excited about restoring it. Before I ask for help have a look at it here:Its really dirty and kind of nasty at the moment. Can someone offer some suggestions about which solvents i can use to clean it thogroughly? I'm thinking denatured alcohol / mineral spirits but will that be tough enough to clean it?
In terms if bringing this to life, I think sanding it would ruin its character no? Given the knife marks and the sag that you can see in two sides it would be sort of a disconnect to look at that as freshly sanded and sort of homogenously colored dont you think?.
Though I picture sanding it and adding a linseed oil to it could look pretty damn cool but once you go the sanding route you gotta commit, theres no way back. Do you think a very fine grit sandpaper could do the trick of cleaning it up without taking the color off?
What are your thoughts? Can you see what i'm driving at about wanting to keep its character? I dont have much expericne with this, i usually sand things until i get the original wood and then completely refinish it. One person i asked suggested to leave it as it and buff it with a paste wax a few times a year.
All you experienced woodworkers out there send me your suggestions ! Thanks so much!