I had been pouring over the online resale ads for weeks, hoping to find a decent table to replace the very cheap and wobbly one sitting in the center of the kitchen in our new home. We were on a tight budget, and I had saved up babysitting money for weeks to justify the “splurge” of buying a used table.
When I finally found the one that fit within the saved budget, I coordinated the details so my husband could go pick it up on the far outskirts of the next town over. “The Country.” He returned with the beast of a table, and I could barely help him unload the pieces since it was so heavy. But, it had 6 sturdy chairs, and a leaf option!! I was thrilled with this new-to-us-piece.
Over the years, we shared many dinners as a family, with friends and extended family. The soft golden oak stain reflected candlelight beautifully. And it matched the kitchen of our last home.
The one and only problem with our beautiful table…. The decorative “cracks” running around the edge. It was the perfect place to gather crumbs and sticky substances. The only way to clean these obnoxious grooves was to first scrape with a knife and then vacuum. Often times, it still required a good scrub with soap, water and a stiff toothbrush.
So, last winter when we moved into our current home, I figured it was time to fix this major problem. Also, I wanted to the table to have a timeless, yet old farm-house-y look. However, it ended up at the bottom of a very long to-do list. Which means, I’ve only just started on this tedious project.
Here is an up-close picture of exactly what we are dealing with… (& yes, I cleaned the grooves before taking the photo!)
I began by thoroughly cleaning the table, making sure to really clean out the grooves. Using a varnish striper, then orbital sander, I removed the top layer of stain and clear coating. After another scrub and dry, I filled the cracks with wood filler.
At this point, it starts to get a bit dicey… In moving the table outside, I found a leak from the exterior wall which went under the flooring. Then, after staining the table top twice, I realized it looked worse than ever, as the old water marks were made even more obvious. In an effort to “make it work” I painted the surface (before the stain had fully dried…) and, of course it scraped off easily. Not a good plan for a highly used gathering place.
The next day, I used Kilz to cover the offending stain, and because of an over-packed schedule and cold front the table project will be continued….
