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The Dropleaf Coffee Table

The befores:

Here is a shot of the whole table which doesn’t look sooo bad until…

So sad

…you see this shot of the finish.  There are chips in the finish.  And white spots I have no explanation as to their origin.  Then there are spots where the clear coat even threw in the towel and went off to find a better neighborhood.

The finish on the top has been ruined

I had figured this table was a goner.  I had already picked out a new one for the living room.  Luckily I am a freak show and I love to strip furniture.  Yes, that’s right.  I love the possibility of what I may discover.  The detail work.  And when you use greener, less messy options it becomes a more enjoyable job.  But a word of caution – if you too enjoy this activity you cannot say ” I love stripping.”  The word ‘furniture’ must be in the sentence or people can get the wrong idea if they overhear.  Like your boss.

Out came the SoyGel Paint Stripper for a test spot to see if it was going to be worth the trouble.  The left side has been stripped:

Left side stripped – right side still yucky

So needless to say I figured it was worth the trouble and I stripped the rest of the table.  Then I went to work with a Safecoat Durostain in Walnut.  I went for a more weathered finish where I stained and sanded a few times to get some depth.  Then it got finished off with a wax from Kerf’s.

And here are the results:

After!The new finish

 

It has now been returned to its rightful place in the loving room to be enjoyed once again.  And I have to say I didn’t realize how much I missed the ol’ girl.

 

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