(12-16-2023, 11:01 PM)Gary G™ Wrote: The finish appears to be worn through back down to the wood in those areas.
Ok, then it's not a hard repair. Unless it was stained or dyed, sand those areas gently to prep the surface for new finish, feathering the edges over 1/2" or so where it will meet the undamaged finish. Remove the dust and tape off maybe 1/4" beyond the feathered edges. Apply however many coats it takes to build up the repair to at least as high as the existing finish, preferably even a little higher. Apply the first coats just to the area of raw wood and only to the feathered areas when the center area reaches that level.
When you've got enough coats applied, remove the tape and let it sit at least a week, longer if possible. Then sand down the repaired area flush with the rest of the top using 400 or 600 grit, being as careful as possible to minimize going beyond the repaired area. You likely will, but just try to minimize it. If you find low spots, add some finish to bring them up to the level of the rest, and wait another week before proceeding. When it looks flush, switch to 0000 grit steel wool, or the equivalent fiber pad. Form the steel wool into a rectangular pad and place a wood block on top and with some paste wax or Wool-Lube rub the whole thing. Concentrate more on the repaired area at first, but then do it all equally. It should look like new when you're done, except for any aging of the underlying wood or ARS. You can deal with that, too, by first dying the wood, but that's best done on scrap to work out the right dye and concentration, something you likely don't have.
If the sheen is not exactly what you want when you are done then you can apply another coat of finish to the entire top so it's exactly the same as what's in the can. If you do that however, you should avoid paste wax when you rub it out. Use water with a little dish soap and a fiber pad.
Good luck.
