Thursday, November 11, 2010

Table update

Taking advice from your comments, I went over the table again with 220 grit sandpaper, just to be sure that it was completely ready for stain.  The first application was pretty nervewracking, it's a very dark stain (Varathane Espresso we used on our floors) and always tends to look blotchy while it's soaking in. 
You ya like my polka dot dishwashing glove?  I couldn't find any throw away gloves, and I never use these for dishes, so booyah! New staining gloves.  I really didn't want another 'zombie manicure', one is enough in my lifetime.  Speaking of zombies, did anyone get into 'The Walking Dead' on AMC?  I'm still scared to watch the last part of the first episode! 
Anywannaeatyourbrain, I was pretty pleased with the way the table came out after just one coat of stain...
But then I pulled it outside the following day and was a little disappointed that there were little missed spots in the heavy wood grain, and it was generally washed-out. 
So, I tortured myself by applying a second coat and then getting all upset when some areas turned out darker than others.  But honestly, it's the pattern of the good grain and how they sawed the wood...not so much my fault.  Plus, I think it looks richer now - and I love how the striping of the wood is so much more visible.
Now I just need to figure out how to apply the top coat without getting all the sanding dust in our garage all over it.  And don't tell me to use the shop vac, I'm lazy.  God knows I can't do it outside, either, my neighbor's trees would immediately drop heaps of leaves all over it and a pesky squirrel would run across it for good measure.  Plus, it's supposed to rain this weekend.  Bah!  Bah again!

19 comments:

  1. That is gonna be one nice looking table! Looks great already!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like it best how you have it in the first photo....it reminds me of a black and white cookie. YUM!

    Man, you really missed the boat on something big when you neglected to paint your kitchen table like a black and white cookie.

    Food fail, I tell ya ;)

    (PS on a serious note, the finished product looks great with the stain. Big fan).

    ReplyDelete
  3. i love hearing the good and bad about diy projects, makes me feel better about myself! i think it is going to look great!

    ReplyDelete
  4. your funny! the table is beautiful... good luck with the dust, squirrels and leaves. can't wait to see the finished product :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. ooh, I think its going to look very pretty when done.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the stain! It is coming along so nicely already.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Looks great! I have always loved the darker stain colors. Looks so rich and warm.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is going to be beautiful. Although I'm none too surprised. Everything you do, I love.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Going to be beautiful. Great stain colour.

    ReplyDelete
  10. That is a lot of work, but it is going to be beautiful when you are done with it.

    I wouldn't vacuum either.:)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yes, dark stains are definitely nerve-wracking. It looked so much darker before it dried and soaked in! Can't wait to see it all nice and shiny (and hopefully sawdust-free).

    At least the painting part should be less stressful... right?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Awe, it looks very good. Don't over analyze it. I do that all the time. Trust me. Can't wait to see what you will do next.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I think it's looking good! Let it dry and walk away from it for a couple days. I had to do that a lot when we were redoing our buffet

    ReplyDelete
  14. 1. I follow Walking Dead through recaps because I'm too much of a wuss to watch the entire episodes.
    2. I wouldn't have noticed any spots if you hadn't told me. I think we're more critical about our own projects.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ugh, I hate staining! I re-stained a dresser for the Mr.'s bedside. He decided I should put a third coat on - even though the bottle said not to. He also decided I should sand it between coats - which the bottle also said not to do. I ended up having to sand the whole thing back down and start over. Major hassle.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sara, I have looked high and low for that stain, where did you find it? The table looks great. Can't wait to see it finished!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Its going to look wonderful I love the color.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This looks awesome. I can't wait to see it finished. Zombie manicure indeed - it's the first thing I thought of when I looked at the picture again. And the Walking Dead I'm head over heels for that show! I hate watching it before bed though all I do is have nightmares about zombies!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for reading....your comments mean a lot to me!
Sara