Friday

It Is Finished

Now this was a fun project. I've been determined to find a dinning table for the patio for over a year now. As you know, I love entertaining so the fact that our kitchen table only seats 3 was not cutting it. I've been to a great deal of thrift stores, garage sales, antique stores and countless hours on Craigslist. I had come to the point were I was sure I was going to have to spend at least $200 for the right one. And then last week, while searching through Craigslist, there it was. The One. It had just posted "College student moving home this week. Need to sell table ASAP! $20.” I couldn’t believe it, I was sure there had to of been something wrong with it. I was so excited that I took the ½ hour trip downtown on a Monday night to pick it up. Apparently this kids’ grandma had given it to him when he started school and now he was in a rush to get rid of it. I arrived to pick it up and he helped me load it into my car. I tried to act calm as I handed him a $20 bill for this beautifully designed, heavy, solid oak table that was atleast 80 years old. It appears as if to only have been used with the leaves folded in to seat 4. Which meant that when fully expanded (the only way I was going to use it) the table was in pretty good condition. Of course within a few days I learned the hard way that there was no sealant on that side of the table. I left a beautiful wine stain to haunt me forever. I knew I was going to have to take good care of it, especially with it being outside and the main dining table.


   So I went to one of the happiest places on earth, Home Depot. I passed the old perverted sales guy that somehow remembers my name and went straight to the paint aisle. I was going to need a few things, but most of which I knew I could use for other jobs in the future (my justification for spending more then the table itself) I decided to get a stain that was darker than the current stain, I went with dark walnut. I purchased both a stain and a heavier sealant because it’s an outside table, but you may not need both for some jobs. They do make some products with two in one. I was looking forward to starting the project, but it was going to have to wait until the next day.


 I woke up, bright and early and got started. I was wishing I had picked up a mask for the project, my silk scarf wasn’t holding up so well. I finished sanding the table and was onto the stain when Gabe, my roommate Kari’s boyfriend, saw what I was doing and couldn’t resist the urge to do something manly. So I gave him a few chairs to start on. The day before, at my favorite thrift store, I’d found the perfect chairs to go with the table. After turning them over to remove the seats, we discovered that they were made in 1920. It was bitter sweet. I love having antique pieces but I don’t always like to refinish them without knowing their true value. Too late!  It was a good, hard work’n Sunday. Kari soon realized that this wasn’t going to be a quick project. So like the dear friend that she is, she ran out and picked up lunch from Mozy’s for us and made some iced cold lemonade. That day I was reminded of an old boyfriend who once said to me while I attempted to help him build a fence, “Hey, this is a man’s job, can you go make us some lunch?” Needless to say that didn’t last long. If he knew what good for him, he would have let me do both.  The staining was a breeze, I was surprised at how easy it was and after the table and chairs, I started looking around for anything else I could spruce-up a bit. But that was it for the day. Now it was time to just let it dry and go get ready for Anthology with Meghan.


   The next day I felt very inspired and eager to finish the table. I shook the can of sealant (which it said NOT to do). I should have grabbed a stir stick from Home Depot. I started on the inside of a leg and I applied it with a clean paintbrush. I was a bit nervous when I saw it turn white with a bunch of tiny bubbles. It especially looked worse every time I brushed another stroke in the same spot. But after about 5 mins it turned clear so I finished the entire table. I was on a roll so I grabbed an old frame I had purchased the day before at a garage sale for $.75 and painted it a vibrant red. The same red that I decided needed to be on the old serving table I’d picked up on the side of the road years back. So I pulled out the tarp and went to town. An ugly, old green chair and smaller frame got the metal/rust spray-paint finish. I waited a good few days before setting anything on either table. I should have waited longer on the red table, I set a few things back on it 2 days later and it removed the paint in those spots. As for my dining table, in less than a week it’s held up to a few gatherings and wine spills. As a wise man once said, "It is finished."







Moral of the story: Take your time searching for a good deal. You can refinish anything. Read the directions. Give things enough time to dry. Don’t ever tell a girl that she can’t help you fix something.

What you’ll need:

Tarp/Newspaper
Sand paper # 120   (the heavy stuff)
Sand paper # 220   (to smooth it out)
Sanding block
Stain of your choice
Staining Cloth/Sponge
Bowl or Paint tray
Sealant/Urethane (depending on inside/outside)
Disposable Gloves
Paint Brush
Stir stick
Mask

  • Plan your project to be in an open, ventilated, dry area and lay down your tarp or newspaper.

  • Start with the heavier sand paper, using long strokes and going WITH THE GRAIN, followed by the smoother sand paper to finish it off. Wipe off all remaining dust using a clean, dry cloth (I also used a hairdryer to get into the crevasses).

  • Pour just a bit of the stain into the bowl/tray (a little goes a very long way) Dip in the staining cloth and apply IN THE DIRECTION of the grain. Let sit 5 mins and repeat for a darker stain. Remove any excess stain with dry cloth.

  • Allow drying for a minimum of 8 hrs.

  • DO NOT shake sealant. Pour sealant into clean bowl/tray and apply with paintbrush, avoiding going over the same area too many times. (Will appear as a milky color but this will completely dry clear. Repeat if necessary (especially for outside furniture, may need up to 4 coats)

  • Allow drying an additional 24+ hours before using the furniture again.

Table $20, Frame $.75, Green Chair $0, Wood Chairs $25, Serving table $0, Supplies $36 Total Cost = $81.75

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