Solid oak coffee table

[Stingeray]

I have a solid oak coffee table with no finish on it. It has quite bad water stains and scratches on the top.

I would like to give it a makeover- what is the best/easiest thing to do for someone with no DIY skills? Should I try to sand and varnish or wax? And if so, what type of sandpaper and varnish/wax would I need? Or would painting be better?

I got an oak coffee table that needed restoring and I sanded it down and revarnished - clear varnish. It does take a while to do but it looks really good.

Would have thought it's better to sand it down to remove water stains / damage whether you paint or varnish. I prefer varnish but depends what you prefer and what other furniture is like if you want it to match.

I have a solid oak console in the hall, I sanded the top, and it removed the stains, you can then finish as you see appropriate. A matt varnish would be best I think,

Lamp oil products are by far the best for wood protection. I used them on a raw finished oak kitchen table with high traffic. Perfect finish, no stains, waterproof and heard wearing. www.osmouk.com/sitechaptern.cfm?bookid=Products&chapter=82&page=438#WoodFinishes

Osmo oil not lamp. Stupid autocorrect

Sand out stains then Osmo oil or danish oil. Do not use varnish which just sits on the top and doesn't show off the beauty of the wood in the way an oil does. Clear beeswax once oil is dry

thank you for the responses! Sounds like sanding and osmo oil is the way to go then. What would beeswax add to this? Protection against future spills?

Any sanding tips?