Our New Kitchen Table

I got my Christmas present early this year :-)

The hubs and I made a table.

And it turned out even better then I imagined it would.

We are planning on getting a glass top to cover the cracks.

The chairs were on the side of the road with a "Free" sign.

I was with my sis-in-law and I will be eternally grateful that she saw them.

They were in pretty shabby shape, but they spruced right up with a coat of paint.

I used the same paint I used for my pantry door.

I love the difference paint can make.

This table is so strong and sturdy. I am so impressed with the quality.

We got the plans for free at ANA-WHITE.COM

And they were a great guide but not super accurate.

A few tips if you want to build this table.

#1 - Read the comments, there are some great tips in there.

#2 - The instructions say to cut all of your wood first and then put it together, DON'T DO IT! Cut your wood as you go, measure twice, cut once.

A few of the measurements in the plans were off, too long not too short fortunately.

And everyones lumber will be different. Lumber cures and swells differently everywhere so it's important to cut it to the specifications YOU need.

We made the table about a foot shorter the what was in the plans.

We also used 4x4's for the legs instead of 2x4's

To make the benches my husband used the same plans as the table he just modified them for a bench.

Ana White does have a bench plan to go along with this table but my husband said it looked "weak".

So he built them the same way as he built the table except he used a 2x6 for the ends instead of a 2x8 and he used 2x4's for the middle instead of 2x6's.

The materials for the table and two benches including the hardware, stain and poly, were less then $200.

And once again,  I am so impressed with the quality.

This table is strong and sturdy. I keep telling people to sit on it and they look at me like I'm crazy but then they sit on it and are amazed how it does not jiggle, bend, wobble or rock.

You are welcome to come over and sit on it too! *wink*

The table was not difficult at all to build.

We had the boys help, one day their wives will thank me for teaching them how to build. They drilled, screwed and sanded. My 11 year old kept commenting "I can't believe how easy this is! It looks like it would be hard but this is pretty easy, I bet I could do it myself." And he probably could do it himself, if I allowed him to use a power saw. Although that kid is quite a builder and I don't know if it should give you encouragement  because he thought it was easy. He can put together lego things that are beyond my skill level, so yes, this table was probably a piece of cake for him to understand. I understood it, but most importantly my husband understood it. I would say you need medium carpentry skills to build this. If you can frame a basement you should be able to build this table.

Now on to the finishing!

Since I provided you a link to the plans I will not tell you how we built it, but I will tell you how we (I) finished it, because the finish really turned out nice.

Here is the table with the holes filled, sanded, wiped down and ready to be finished.

First I brushed the whole thing with a wood conditioner.

Let that dry for just a few minutes, by the time I painted the whole thing the place where I started was dry and I could begin staining.

Stain: I used rust-oleum wood stain in sunbleached. Stir it up before you apply.

I let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then wiped off the excess.

I let the stain dry for about 30 minutes and then I applied my distressing techniques.

First, I rubed over it with an ink pad.

I got this ink pad at Hobby Lobby with the scrap-booking supplies.

You can see how that really makes the grain pop.

Then I got out my antiquing medium, a damp rag and an old bristle brush.

I also got the antiquing medium at Hobby Lobby. If you can't find any, mix up some glaze with brown paint. I talk more about glaze HERE.

Dab it right on your brush and then brush on and brush off..... Danielson.

I tried not to say "Danielson" but I couldn't help myself.

With all the brushing I did on this project I could probably kick butt in a karate tournament.

Sorry, I'm getting distracted.

Focus on brushing the antiquing medium on places where the wood would naturally be more weathered and brown.

On knots, in cracks, around joined pieces and in corners and under ledges etc.

After doing all of this you should know every nook and cranny of your table.

The last step is to apply your poly.

We used polycrylic in a satin sheen because I didn't want my table shiny.

I did two coats on the sides and legs and 3 coats on the top.

Lightly sand between each coat and after the last coat, and I mean lightly sand. Pass the sand paper (220 grit) lightly over the surface. With only the weight of your hand pressing down. Kind of like you are wiping the table. You don't need to scrub at it, press hard or go over it a ton of times. Pass over it 2 or 3 times and then feel it. It should be nice and smooth.

If these wordy instructions and lame jokes have you confused about my technique, I have good news for you. I have a video demonstration for you.

I must warn you that I made this at 1:00 a.m. so I am not very articulate. Also, the camera is just propped up on a chair there so is not a whole lot to see. And you can hear my husband's saw in the garage. But it will help you get the idea of how I did this.  

I don't know why I turned the camera on its side like that in the end, maybe I thought I was taking a picture... It was 1:00 a.m. I didn't really know what I was doing.

Good memories are already being made!

Happy Birthday Clint!

Love you so.

I hope this gives you some inspiration in your own building endeavors.

Good luck and thanks!