Removing polyurethane from coffee table.

[Clementine]

I am so upset. I built a coffee table (from pine). I stained the top and painted the rest. On the top I first stained it with minwax tinted stain, water based (china red), then on top of that I painted minwax red chestnut (oil based) and then topped it with minwax polyurethane (gloss). It was beautiful with a glass like finish. When I went to paint the trim with black latex, I taped the finished part with 3M painters tape. When I removed the tape, some of the polyurethane came off and brought spots on the table back down to the oil based stain layer. Now I want to remove the all of the poly without messing up the beautiful color I achieved with the stain. Help. How can I remove just the layer of polyurethane?

[Clinton1]

how long did you wait between applying the polyu and applying the tape?
Maybe the polyu was still hardening?

Maybe you can recover from the issue, rather than removing all the ployu.
Are the two minwax products compatable?

If the two products are compatible, then you applied the tape too soon, or you thinned the finish too much.

Your supplier should be happy to provide advice on removal, however the polyu can will give clean up directions, if it is clean up in spirits, try flooding the top and rubbing with a plastic scouring pad or steel wool. If the products are compatable, then a 'keying' with spirits and the scouring pad and or steel wool may bring the surface up ready to redo the polyu finish.
If the polyu has gone into the timber, then sanding it all off will remove a lot of the stain. For that reason I suggest rethinking the cans directions, and seeing if you can 'recover' rather than remove.
So, check compatability, if compatible then clean it up the surface and recoat... my suggestion.

If the two products are not compatible, then remove the polyu, restain, start again.