Rustic Table Reveal

Remember this table? My friend Judy asked me to do a makeover on her. She was unsteady, greying in some areas, and badly in need of an updated color.

The old grey mare ain't what she used to be!

Well, lots, and I mean lots, of sanding  and TLC later, she has become a rustic beauty.

A hand sander did the top, and some parts of the legs. I used a small steel bristle brush to get in the nooks and crannies of the legs and then used hand sanding to finish off  the rest of the rounded edges and curves. Fold your sand paper in half to get in the small ridges and just keep folding it over to a new section as it gets worn out.

If you haven't sanded before this is how I did it:

Start with 60 grit and sand everything. ALWAYS sand in the direction of the grain. This goes for staining and waxing as well.  Then move to 100 grit and sand everything, then 150 grit, and, yes, you have to sand everything.

I sanded it as good as I could to try and get rid of the water spots but if I had gone any further it would have looked like a bowl and not a table. So I had to use oxalic acid on the top and legs to lighten the black stains. This is something that I purchased at the Sherwin-Williams paint store. It may also be called Wood Bleach. A little goes a long way and it is most effective when the water is piping hot. Use your rubber gloves!  Use a stiff brush to brush it on and work it into the wood. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and then wash it off. Let dry and you may have to repeat until you get it to the lightness that you want.

Then NEUTRALIZE! This involves mixing baking soda and water and washing the wood down again. You should see some bubbles. Then wipe it off and let it dry completely. When I was ready to stain I gave it one more light sanding with 180 grit. Wipe it off with  a tack cloth. Tack cloth is cheesecloth that is coated in a sticky substance( don't know what it is or I'd tell ya').

Now your ready to color, er,stain.

I stained her with a mix of Special Walnut and Jacobean. Then gave the top two coats of Minwax wipe on wax and the legs just one coat. I felt like the top is going to get heavier use so the two coats would ensure that all of the nooks and crannies were sealed up really well.

I love how rustic the table looks

Now shes got her character back

Didja see that gorgeous sun coming through my windows in those pictures? I think I am going to go outside and enjoy it and this Fall weather and jump in some leaves with my kids!

Always being renewed,

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