Roadside Pick Of The Summer

There is nothing that gets a DIYer's heart pumping faster than a good roadside pick. As I was walking my dog in my neighborhood, I saw someone putting out 4 ugly looking chairs by the curb. I quickly scooted over to chat with the owner and learned that the chairs had come from a local hospital's reception area and were given to him when they remodeled a few years ago.  He had intended to refinish them but never got around to it.  And the best part . . . . they were FREE.  I asked if he'd put them behind the hedge so I could run home and return with a truck. Well, here they are.

And there they sat, all summer.  It was just too hot and humid in our neck of the woods to think about sanding.  Plus, it took a while to find the right fabric to cover the hideous vinyl seats.  After combing the thrift stores for a set of large napkins, I was able to find a remnant for $5.00 at one of my favorite shops, Knack, The Art Of Clever Reuse, located in Easthampton, MA.  I told myself that Labor Day weekend would be devoted to getting these chairs out of the garage and finishing them.

I hand sanded each piece just enough to scuff up the old finish.  I used Glidden Pecan stain and waited patiently for them to dry. After washing the vinyl covers, I laid out the seat cushions on my fabric.

I suppose I could have finished the edges off, but who's going to look under the chair, right?

And here's the finished project, perfect for my office conference table. 

Total cost:  $5.00.  I already had the stain, a foam brush and the staple gun.  Onto the next project - a retro industrial stool.  Stay tuned!

Butcher Block Baker's Rack Re-do

Saw this butcher block baker's rack at a tag sale in Southampton, MA and purchased for all of $3.00.  It was in very good shape overall.

It needed a good cleaning to remove some grease build up.  I used Dawn liquid on a wet cloth.  My Craftsman orbital sander w/ 60# paper did a great job sanding the water stains and various marks.

 

After sanding, a soft rag was used to remove any dust and it was ready to stain. I used Minwax Maple and applied two coats.

 

 At this point I could have applied polyurethane, but decided to see how it would survive without it.

Here is the completed project in its new home.  It replaced a larger wire baker's rack that was really too big for the space.  Now I even have a place to display my Mom's coffee cup and my daughter's tea cup that she made for me.

Coffee Table Surprise

I paid a visit to The Trading Post consignment shop in Amherst, MA recently to pick up a rock maple double bed frame for $40.00.  While I was there I couldn't resist looking around.  My advice if you visit? Don't rush.  You're likely to miss something hidden beneath stacked furniture or under a pile of books and dishes.  

I found this contemporary looking coffee table that I thought might work well in my daughter's apartment. She needed something long and narrow. It was painted green, but was light weight (one of my prerequisites for apartment moves).

   

 

This was definitely a stripping job as there appeared to be two or more paint layers.  I used an old brush and a non-toxic stripping gel that works really well with little odor.

 

In about half and hour as the gel bubbled up, I began to notice a red layer of paint appear. I'm not sure which color I liked least! 

 

The first two layers of paint came off very easily, exposing yet another layer of paint, this time a dull brown shade. 

 

As I exposed more of the table top I began to think that the quality of the wood wasn't so great and began to rethink my strategy.  It appeared to be a pine veneer over a plywood top and had the appearance of a wood shop project. Oh well,  it's sometimes hard to know what's really in under three coats of paint and that's part of the thrill of the hunt.

 

The question then was whether it was worth it to continue my original plan of staining the top and more stripping and sanding, or whether I should just give up and paint it again - minus the Christmas tree look.

 

After removing the brown paint I found a thin coat of polyurethane over the surface. Not to be daunted, I used a #60 sandpaper and gently began sanding it until I reached the original pine veneer. 

 

The end result wasn't bad and I decided to forge ahead with my original plan of staining the top.

 

It's hard to see in the picture above, but the first coat of maple MinWax stain was very light and required two more coats to get it dark enough and really bring out a richer patina.

 

As a last minute change, I decided to strip the table legs too. Under all that ugly green and red paint I got a little surprise - brass end pieces!  I love it when unexpected treasures appear.

Here's the completed project. I painted the legs a glossy black which really brought out the brass leg stands.  It kind of reminds me of Danish modern.  Not bad for a $10.00 investment.

The Beginning Of The End - Table, That Is

I love going to the Monster Tag Sale held at the Easthampton Congregational Church every spring.  I found this little end table which was painted a lovely shade of green at the time. (Picture is after sanding)

One of the prime considerations for this project was that it be light weight and easy to move as it would accompany my daughter to her first apartment.  The legs even screw off for easy transport, if necessary.

 

1.  I removed the paint from the top and gave it a light sanding.  2.  After wiping it down with a soft cloth, I applied a coat of maple colored MinWax  polyurethane to the top and glossy black paint to the legs.  3.  After the top dried, a light coat of polyurethane was added to keep it stain-free.  

Cost of project:  Table $2.00  plus stain, paint and polyurethane