Redoing Table Top's, by Kellie

So, you see a table with 'great bones' (as Tricia likes to say), but the top of it isn't quite right.  It has a few scratches, the top is glass and you want wood, etc.  Don't walk by it... redo it!!

Table #1
A friend was getting rid of a coffee table.  I liked the larger size and the height of it.  But, the top had a piece of inset glass, which I didn't like. It was also cracked.  I have kids and crumbs and toy bits get stuck along the edges of the glass and it never looks clean.  Also, her dog had chewed on one of the legs.  The top looked similar to this one.

I will admit we lived with it as it was for several months while I figured out what I wanted it to look like. I believe you should live with a piece for a bit before you decide exactly what you want it to look like.   I finally had to deal with it when my daughter and I spilled some fingernail polish remover on it, which instantly ruined the finish.


The first step was the leg.  The whole table was stained and had a shiny finish.  In order to paint the base the whole thing needed to be sanded so the paint would stick.  It is fairly easy to take a medium grit (80 or 100) sandpaper and cut through the finish.  My husband used several different grits and sanded down the dog chew marks.  That leg may be a bit smaller than the others, but now that it is finished I can't figure out which leg it was. So, don't be afraid to sand away deep marks on legs.

After the sanding, we put the table upside down on saw horses.  I painted the base flat black using Painter Touch. (See the previous blog on the dining table for details)  It took 3 coats, but the finish is tough and durable!

Next was the top.  After much debate I decided to cover the whole top with wood.  If the top had been solid wood I could have used 1/4 inch plywood.  But, this top had nothing to support it.  The whole center was unsupported.  I removed the glass and cut a piece of wood slightly bigger than the existing top.  I did spend a bit of money and buy a very nice 1/2" piece of plywood with a nice wood grain so it could be stained.  The cost was about $45 for the sheet.  I only used part of it on this table.  The rest I saved for my next project below.  Here is a photo of the underside of the finished table.

The reason I cut it a bit larger than the existing top is that the top had a curved edge.  There was no good place to put the new top edge so it blended into the existing edge.

I stained the top using some stain I had from my last project (the dining table).

After 2 coats of stain I applied the Polycrylic (again left over from the dining table).

Because the wood was so thick I could use screws, screwed in from the underside of the table.  Be very careful and measure the length of the screws to make sure they go into the wood, but not all the way through. I could never do this with 1/4" plywood.  But 1/2" is thick enough.   I also applied a layer of wood glue before screwing it down.

I will admit that plywood looks terrible if you try to stain the edge of it.  So I painted the edge black.  It looks great!  I don't worry about anyone scuffing it up, because I can easily do touch-ups.  The products I used are very durable.  The kids can play on it and we can put our feet on it.

Total Cost: $30
Paint and Stain:  Free (paid for from last project I sold)
Wood top:  Aprox $30

Table #2. 
So, now I had some leftover plywood.  The coffee table had turned out great, which gave me courage to tackle my next table.  I found this one next to the dumpster at our apartment.  (We lived in an apartment while we were house hunting and I collected all sorts of great pieces of furniture)

This was a Mexican side table.  The top of it was deeply carved with a piece of glass over it.  I knew I didn't like the color, and the top carving had to go.  So, keeping with the same design as my last project, I painted the bottom black and covered the top with stained plywood.  I was able to match up the edge of the top nicely.

But, in this case I couldn't screw on the top from underneath.  I used very small finish nails to secure the top at all 4 corners.  I also used wood glue.  It turned out beautiful!  It now sits in our kitchen and holds various plants, photos and our fish bowl.

Total Cost: $15
Paint and stain:  Free (already paid for with last project I sold)
Wood top:  Aprox $15

Table #3
This table was a fantastic find on Craigs List.  Someone was giving it away for free.  It is an antique library table with a ruined top.  Again I lived with it for awhile before deciding how I wanted to redo it. (notice the top is well  covered so the damage doesn't show.)

I love antiques, but they have to be a style I like and functional.  I refuse to dust things that are useless.  This project has been tough decision.  I don't like to mess with an antique that will change its value.  I refused to paint it, and tried to strip the stain.  After attempting a couple of different products the finish looked the same as when I started.  I knew that I would need to take it to a professional furniture restorer.  But, that is pretty expensive and I wanted to see what I could do with it. I decided to oil the finish, which took away the dull look to it.  Then I tackled the top.  It is very thin and completely gone in spots.  It also had some burn or stain marks and a deep gouge. I couldn't restore the top.  But I could cover it.

I didn't need the top to be thick because the new top had the support of the old top.  I bought a piece of 1/4" wood grain plywood.  Aprox $11 for a sheet.  I cut out the size I needed for the top and have plenty left over for other projects.

Since the table is a pretty dark color, I did one coat of stain in Minwax English Chestnut and one coat of Provincial.

I used both because the Provincial tones down the red of the Chestnut, but I still get some great color depth.  I then put on 2 coats of Polycrylic Satin. (Again all of this is leftover from my first dining table project)

I used finish nails to just secure the corners.  My goal is to not damage the piece if I decide to have the whole thing refinished by a professional. You can see the small nail head in the left corner of this photo.  I took a black pen and darkened the nail head so it wasn't shiny.

 

Total Cost: $5

Stain and Polycrylic: Free (left over from last project that I sold)

Wood Top: Aprox $5

I hope these projects have shown how easy it is to rework the tops of tables.  I have a few more projects I'm working on so check back to see what is next!!!

Tips for Free Projects by Kellie

Sure, people say they can get a bargain on something.  But what is a bargain?  Instead of $200 someone pays $175.  OK, not bad as a percentage.  But, that's not a bargain for Two Mom's & A Truck!

We like to get things for free.  So, how do we do it?  Here is a list of tips...

-Do you have an Environmental Center?  We live N of Dallas TX.  About 6 months ago we discovered our Environmental Center.  At first we used it to drop off old electronic equipment for recycling.  Then we discovered they take paint and other hazardous items, check them and put them in an area for people to take.  It was worth checking out.  WOW!!!!  Half full can's of spray paint.  Or full cans of house paint.  Or weed killer, or any number of other things.  They also give away large bags of mulch once-a-month.  It is amazing what a city has to offer if you ask and investigate.

-Craigs List.  They have a free section.  Again, this is for someone who has time.  Check it a few times a day when you have 5-10 minutes.  My personal rule is I have a good chance of getting something that was posted within the last 10-15 minutes.   You would be amazed at what you can find.  As a test I took one room in our house and furnished it completely with free items.  If you are diligent you can get one to two items a week.  It doesn't take long before you have quite a few items to refinish. Personally I have at least 6 projects I need to work on.  As I work on them I get back on Craigs List and look for more items.  Take a look at a few of my current projects.

The top one is an antique library table.  The top is ruined, but wait till I show you what I'm going to do with it!  It will be a future blog post.

This is a TV cabinet.  There was nothing wrong with it  The people just didn't want it anymore.  It holds our treasures from our travels as well as blankets for curling up on our couch.  The large flat drawers hold big sheets of paper for the kids to do crafts.  It is a very useful piece of furniture!

-Ever notice those strip malls that constantly have businesses move in and out?  Drive by one when a business is leaving and go around back.  Drive by the dumpster.  What do you think these spa's and restaurants do with everything in the space when they leave?  Or when a new place moves in, they remodel and throw out all of the old decorations.  About 6 months ago a place next-door to our gym was leaving.  It was a spa.  I happen to drive behind the building and there next to the dumpster was this....  Yes a huge ironwork. It was fun getting it into my car, but I wasn't going to leave it behind.    I made sure the photo had the double doors in it so you can see how huge it is. (And yes, I have huge trees in my house as well)

-Do you live in an apartment complex?  Do you know someone who does? What do you think happens when people move into and out an apartment?  What do they do with their extra furniture?  Put it by the dumpster.  Find out what days the complex has move in and move out.  Usually it is the 1st of each month.  We were moving out of our apartment into our house and I saw this dresser.  It is beautiful!  It is a project for my daughters room.  Wait till you see what it turns into!  That will be a future blog post.



-Does your neighborhood have a community yard sale?  Go around with flyers and give them to each person having the yard sale who has stuff you might want.  It's OK to be picky.  The flyers can advertise that for free you will take all of the items they have left to the local charity or the transfer station.  (For us, we are allowed 2 trips per month to our local transfer station.) You would be surprised to find out that many people just throw everything away.  They have worked so hard on the yard sale they don't want to haul it away.  You can take the clothes to a charity and the larger items to the transfer station. (aka the dump)  You will put in some sweat, but your neighbors will appreciate it and you can ask them if they mind if you take a few things to keep.   This nice little pillar was such a find.  It looks great now with a can of free spray paint from our local environmental center.  (Normally a large potted plant sits on it.)

So there are a few tips on how to get things for free.  Some people may roll their eyes and say 'That is just to much work!!'.  If you say that, then you probably have enough money to buy what you want.  Again, this is for someone who doesn't mind putting in a bit of effort and a little gas money.  Best of all it works with any schedule.

Happy Hunting!!!

Refinishing A Dining Table by Kellie

A bit of background....  I tend to be very practical.  Sometimes to a fault.  (I'm also very detail orientated, so my blog posts tend to have lots of info and tips)

We tend to move often and get rid of a lot of stuff in each move.  So, we got rid of our dining table and were living in an apartment before finding our current house.  We had a simple, small table.  But, when we moved into our house we couldn't have friends over because the table was too small.  Thus, my practical side wanted a new table.  But, it takes me forever to decide on what I want.  Knowing myself, it was going to take too long to figure out my perfect dining table and we needed something in the short term.

So I asked friends if anyone had a large table they were getting rid.  Thus... for free... we ended up with this table.....  It was really beat up and the top was a very pale pine color, but it came with a leaf and could sit at least 6, which was much better than the 4 seater we had.  Here's what it looked like without the leaf.

I wanted it to match our decor so I did what any smart person does and ask someone who knows about design.  Tricia told me the top needed to be a dark ash color and the base needed to be black.  Great!!! I can do that.  The top is flat with a slightly curved edge so sanding it would be easy.

You never want to sand something that has groves because you will go insane before the project is done.  But, you have to sand down the top to remove any imperfections (like gouges and stains).  Always do this with the leaf in the table!  Otherwise you will have uneven heights and could possibly take off the sharp top edge of the leaves, causing the table to have a grove in it where the leaves touch!!  Note:  I checked to make sure it was solid wood so there was no worry about how far down I sanded it.

I have a little electric palm sander.  Just wear a mask and do it outside so you don't have a cloud of dust to clean up.  Use a medium grit sandpaper, like 100 and sand it. Always go with the grain of the wood so you don't have swirl marks from the sander. Don't move it in circles!  In this case that meant going back and forth across the table. It took me about 3 passes.  Wipe your had across the table and dust it to see if you need sand more.  It will turn white as the varnish comes off.  Then take a fine grit, 200, sand paper and go over it several more times.  This makes the top very smooth. Make sure you do the curved edge too.

Spread the table apart and wipe with a slightly damp rag, including the edge of the leaves.  Look for any swirl marks in the damp wood and resand if needed.   Let the table dry and put it into your garage for the next part.  (Yes, you have to kick the cars out for a few days )  That was all I did for the first day.  With 3 kids I was pretty sure someone needed something by now.

For the next part you can do the bottom first or the top.  It doesn't matter as long as one is dry before you do the other.

There is a bit of money to invest in an excellent paint and stain. (But at the end I'll tell you how I did it for free)   If you have kids and they kick the table, run toys into it or on top of it, you will be mad if the table chips.  Spend a few extra dollars on decent products!  You will have plenty left over for other projects.  I've done 3 tables with this set of products and used less than half of each.

1 8oz  can Minwax stain. You can get it from any hardware store. It is an 8 oz yellow can.  The cost is usually about $4.50.  I chose Early American and Provincial and English Chestnut because I didn't know which would give me the color I wanted.

I flipped over one leaf to the underside and applied all 3 stains.  Apply 3 coats and let it dry. Then take it into where it will live (in this case our dining room) and see what you think of the color.  You can also combine colors by doing a different stain with each coat.  In the end I chose Provincial.  The oak of the table had a natural red color and the Provincial did a good job of toning that down.

Making sure the table top is spread apart or even better, put the leaves on a separate stand.  Make sure all tops are clean and dry. Wear gloves!!  Gently swirl the can (with the lid ON) to mix the stain.  Don't shake it or else you will get bubbles.  Take an old rag with NO lint, ball it up and dip it into the stain. Just dip a corner to get you started. You will soon figure out how much of the rag to dip in.  Wipe it with the grain across the table.  Be careful of drips!  The first pass will be a bit scary and ugly.  It's OK!!!  Don't put on too much. There shouldn't be any puddles.  When you are finished the part you started with should almost be dry.  Make sure you applied it over the edge too.  Go back to the beginning and do anther pass.  Now the color will even out and you'll have a bit more confidence.  Note that each pass will require less stain and will take longer to dry. Usually you need 3-4 coats to get an even color.  Between coats put your rag on a paper plate to dry on the garage floor with a bag under it to prevent staining the garage.  Stain is flammable so don't leave the rag balled up and keep the plate away from everything else.  Reuse the same rag for each coat of stain.  If you see a swirl mark from your sanding, don't worry, most will tone down with each coat of stain as the surrounding wood gets darker.  If not, you can say 'I did this table, see my mark!!'  Trust me... people will be impressed!!

At this point I stopped for the day. It is important to let the last coat of stain dry completely per the can instructions.

Make sure the table is clean and dry before the next step.

1 QT of Minwax water based Polycrylic.  The cost is about $17.  Yes it is pricy, but will last a very long time!  I've had the same can for over 2 years.  I prefer the satin, but it also comes in other shines.  Note... the glossier the finish the more durable the finish.

You need a basic painting brush.  Don't get one so wide it won't fit into the can.  Don't use a foam brush because it creates bubbles.  Most will pop, but if your climate is exceptionally dry you run the risk of having bubbles as it drys too fast.

The Polycrylic is very watery.  Just dip your brush in and brush it with the grain.  Be careful of drips!  It is self-leveling.  This means your brush strokes will disappear.  I've even used it vertically on cabinets and it doesn't drip.  Just don't use too much.  Again, buy the time you brush the entire surface.. .go slow don't rush... where you started should almost be dry.  If you do have a puddle you can brush through it if it is still wet.  But, if not, let it dry.  Your finish will be fine!

Now, since this is a kitchen table it gets a lot of wear!  So I put on 3 coats.  Each coat will take longer and longer to dry.  Read the instructions on the can!

Let this dry!  Again this was a stopping point for the day.

Next was the bottom.  I put a piece of cardboard on a furniture moving dolly.  (This is basically a board with wheels. I love it.  It moves things around with ease!)  Flip the table upside down and protect the top.

1 can (32 oz) Rust-oleum Painters Touch.  This is a fantastic paint.  It is very durable.  Especially for a kitchen table! The cost is approximately $8.  I used Semi-gloss because of it's durability.  I prefer satin, but I wanted the extra durability and it is under the table.  And as you can see below, it really wasn't too shiny.

Make sure the table is clean of all oils so your new paint will stick.  If your table has a high gloss paint on it, you need to break through that gloss with sandpaper.  You don't need a sander.  Just do it by hand.  Your goal is to scratch the paint.  Use 80 or 100 grit.  Sand all parts of the table.  I recommend this even if you don't have a high gloss paint on it.  For all your time and effort you don't want any chance your paint will peel off.  This step doesn't take much time.

Wipe it down with a damp rag to remove all dust.

Using any brush you want, paint the base.  This paint is very durable, but it does take 3 coats.  The first coat will go on like water and be very thin.  You need to realize this is building the base for the other 2 coats to go on top.  The thickness doesn't matter. Thin is good!!  Let it dry according to the can.  The next coat will be thicker. With the 3rd coat the table should have a nice rich paint color with great coverage.  Feel free to touch up any spots.  Let it dry.


My husband was thrilled with the results.  It is a beautiful table and I did it all by myself!!!  Here is a photo with our little chairs from our old table.  With 2 kids the table held up beautifully.  From Play Doh, to wine spills to crayons.  There wasn't a mark on it 12 months later.....

 

Can you guess what happened 12 months later when I found my dream table?  Yes, we sold it at our garage sale.  Here it is sitting outside.  There isn't a price tag on it because it sold and I snapped a couple of photos before the happy buyers put it into their truck.  Notice the nice dark ash colored top and how the grain really came out with the stain!  I loved it!!

  

So, let's do the math:

$Free.  Cost of table

$4.50 x 3 cans of stain (because I couldn't figure out which I wanted)

$17 for Polycrylic top coat

$ 8 for can black paint

Total:  $39.50 plus tax and my time

Table sold for $60 at our yard sale.  Plus I have plenty of each of my supplies left for many many more projects.  

Now I have $20 in my pocket, all the knowledge I learned from this project and the supplies to do the next project.  PLUS... I'm really proud of myself for this project I tackled!

Wait till you see what I did with my new-found bravery and my supplies!!!  I'll be putting those up in the coming weeks!!

Welcome to DIY on the Cheap

Hi,

We are Two Moms & A Truck. Just two suburban moms happily raising our kids, keeping house, and doing all the things that moms do.  We are also both savvy, smart, and creative women.  There isn't anything the two of us can't handle.  Together with a truck we can tackle a variety of projects!

Tricia is our designer diva.  Anything she sees she can morph into an amazing creation.  She is constantly designing something wonderful that has her friends saying 'OHHH, I want one!!'.

Kellie wears our builder hat.  Anything she sees she says 'I can make that!'  She likes to build and create original items.  She also loves to paint as her creative outlet.

Like all moms we are BUSY!  We find random bits of down-time when we focus on the creative aspects of our lives that fire us up!  We've had enough of our friends ask us, "How did you do that?  I can't do that!  I want one!" for us to realize we do have a special talent.

Sure, we could explain how to go to a boutique, buy an expensive item and put it in your home.  Where is the challenge in that?  Lets make this fun and show people how to do things with little or no money.  Homes are meant to be an expression of us....cookie cutter decor is so not fun!

Are you drooling for a $20 fancy tassel to use at Christmas but can't justify the cost? Perhaps longing for a custom tile topped patio table but don't wanna fork out the dough? How would you like to create them with little or no money in your spare moments?

Enter Two Moms And A Truck....we are here to show you the way....the messes, the glorious results, the hideous "oops!" and all the fun we have along the way doing it together as best friends (in the midst of potty training, dusting, diapers, laundry and all the glamor of motherhood).

Check back weekly as we add the messes projects we've created!