It’s true that I’m given most of the things I makeover. If not given to me I find them on the side of the road left for the trash truck to pick up. I also shop garage sales, thrift stores and auction houses. How you get an item free or not doesn’t make the work you put in to the piece value any less. There is sanding, repairs, painting, sanding back to give it that shabby chic look and the finishing coat wax or clear finish. Lets not forget somehow getting the large piece into your truck, home to unload and the reload and travel to the store. It all adds up to sore muscles and work. I’m not complaining I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life. Most day’s I’m covered in dirt and saw dust. Most day’s I can’t remember the last time I washed my hair. Most days Greg has to remind me I need to eat. Everyday I say a prayer thanking God for this blessing of a creative mind.
This table was no different from any road side find. I almost passed it up because I though the legs weren’t with it. I passed it at 4am in the morning and thought if it’s there when I come back from the gym I’ll stop and take a look. Even it the legs aren’t there maybe I can use the top on something else. After the gym, getting gas in my truck and Walmart grocery run that dang table top was still there on the side of the road. It was still a little dark outside so I was careful to dig around but I decided to take the top of the table. I weeble wobbled it to my truck and put it in as quiet as I could. After all it was early in the morning. As I shut my tailgate I realized the legs where right there all along under the table top. Grabbed those babies and tossed them in the back. When I got home I thought I had a black table but oh no I had a 1980’s hunter green table with a butcher block top. These were a dime dozen in local thrift stores in the 90’s and have sense begun to fade away as a standard stock. The top had lots of damage done to it. I’m pretty sure a kid took a pair of scissors to it. So many deep cuts and slices along with some water damage to the edge.
First up sanding to get off that thick layer of clear finish. This was thick and more than likely was sprayed on when it was manufactured. When it’s that old and the clear finish hasn’t faded away you know it will be a job to remove it. This table was smaller than the last so it only took me 5 hours to sand the top and the edge. I didn’t count the sanding pads I used on my sander but it was a stack on the floor at the end. I was just to tired to stop and count before I tossed them in the trash.
Wood repair was up next and boy was there a lot to do. First those scissor cuts and slices. Most of them sanded out and those that didn’t become a part of this tables makeover story. I’m staining the top, wood fill in a long scratch can sometimes make it more pronounced than just leaving it alone. So I had to hand sand to smooth those scratches out a bit more. As for the water damage only so much can be done with sanding them. You have to use wood fill to fill the spots that lost wood. The damage is on the edge of the table so the wood fill want be as pronounced as it would be right on the top. I use a product called Casting by Chalk Country. Its like concrete when it dry’s. It fills the negative space and will not shrink, cave in or chip away once it’s dry. You can also sand it to a smooth finish before you stain. The stain takes to this product just like it was wood and in most cases you don’t notice it.
Now we are at the fun part when I get to paint and do my shabby chic thing with my little sander. I decided not to fight the dark green and try to make this dark table base turn white. I choose to use black chalk paint so the green would be easier to cover. It took 2 coats because of the smooth lacquer finish on the paint. Once dry I used my electric sander to sand it back. The sand back is my favorite part. This is where my creative soul gets to come out. Everyone sands different on each piece. The way you hold the sander and pivot your wrist makes all the difference in how it comes out. Some artist like to hand sand and I do that on occasion but the electric sander is my favorite. I used black on the base to give it the same finish as the hutch I have on show in my booth at Rustic Warehouse. I wanted to find a table that would compliment that piece.
Staining the top was pretty simple. I used dark walnut satin going with the gain of the wood. I finished it off with Defender clear coat from Chalk Country paint. When I put on the clear finish I use a lambs wool pad also purchased from Chalk Country. It allows you to get a finish that is flawless and smooth like glass. I wipe down the top after the stain is dry and apply the first coat letting it dry. Before I put on the second coat I lightly sand with a finishing grade sand block followed by wiping it down. I apply the second coat and it drys like glass. My finish skills have gotten so much better over time. I’m so picky about the top finish of a table, dresser or chest. I think it’s so important on a makeover to have the top so beautiful. It’s like a piece of art for these makeovers, so having the top properly finished out makes me happy.
Just because a piece is found on the side of the road doesn’t devalue it in anyway. If anything it raises the value because of all the work that has to go in to the piece. No one is tossing out a perfectly good piece of furniture. When a piece of furniture hits the curb it’s more than likely got some repairs needed. It this case it was more than the average work to be done but in the end it was totally worth it.
