When we moved across the country, bringing only what we could fit inside a 4x8 u-haul trailer, one of the items we left behind was our family table. I've learned in life that every item in a household, with the exception of antique, irreplaceable pieces, can be replaced. So, we sold and donated 95% of everything we owned, packed up the trailer, the kids and the dog and hit the road. We arrived to our destination 5 days later and began the task of unpacking and settling in. Our new life had begun. Time to get to work. I picked up this piece off FB marketplace and it definitely had it's challenges, The table top itself was very well used and the covered in paint and old food and who knows what else. One of the inserts had a large crack down the wood and required repair. The chairs that I picked up with this piece ended up in the trash as they were just too far gone after further inspection. The bases had some wood splitting issues as well. It literally seemed like this table had been through a war. Determined to keep this piece out of the landfill and into my home for a new lease on life, I got started. PROCESS: I thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed this piece with dish soap and water. When refinishing any piece, a thorough cleaning is ALWAYS recommended prior to sanding and for the paint and stain to adhere well. Also, some pieces are just so gross when you first get them, I can't imagine not cleaning it before getting to work on it. Next, I assessed what the extent of the damage was to the one insert with the large crack. I ended up drilling 4 pocket holes using my Kreg Jig mini and wood glue. It worked perfectly and I was happy with the end result. As this piece was remaining in my home, I was not overly concerned about it being as close to perfect as I would normally, if I was selling it. I then began stripping the old protective coating and aged stain off using my go to paint and product stripper - EZStrip . This is my go to stripper as with my current set up I work in our basement and it only has 1 small window for ventilation. This product is super effective, is eco-friendly and I can work with it safely without concern for dangerous chemical smells. Once the old finish was removed, I was able to get a really good look at the wood and think about what color I wanted to stain it. My husband and I had already discussed the color for the base. We knew we wanted a dark base with a dark stain so I chose Espresso by Minwax . I did 2 coats for a rich color. I then protected it with 3 coats of Minwax Fast drying polyurethane in Satin. This is my topcoat of choice. I primed and painted the base in Valspars Base Clarinet - 6210-73 - and again applied 2 coats of polyurethane for protection. This piece is almost done and I can't wait to share the end results with you. Keep an eye on my Instagram & Facebook page for the reveal pics! Until then, stay thrifty my friends, Katerina
0 Comments
|
Welcome to Five Hearts Refinishing!Hi and Welcome! FOLLOW ME!Archives
April 2024
|