Table Restoration : Part 2

And now for the moment you have all been waiting for, the finale of the two part table restoration.  I mentioned before in the last posting how each restoration has its own personality not only in the finished product but in the process of the restoration.  This table, unlike the last one, had certain pieces of the table restored and re-used and others completely replaced.

This table was in very rough condition when it was dropped off.  The legs of the table were the main part of the table that were to be re-used leaving the rest of it to be re-made.  When we got at the table the first thing we did was to take photographs of it and then disassembled it.  Because this table was to match the other table from the part 1 posting, we took the legs sanded them and painted them 3 coats of this antiqued off white paint to match.  The owners of the table decided to do the top as one solid piece so we met up at the wood mill to choose the type of wood.  I suggested a hard wood because this would be used in their coffee shop, so it was decided to use 1 inch thick hard maple.  The width of the table top is wider then would be typical now because we were fitting it with antique table legs.  The older antique tables in this style were usually fairly wide, over 40 inches.  We re-made the border under the table to match the top and secured it using hex head cabinet screws.  The table top then received 2 coats of a stain called 'early american' and then 3 coats of satin finish varnish.

To top off both tables we went in search of functional antique casters.  It took a bit of searching but we were able to find matching casters for both tables but at different sizes.  This table was much lower then the previous one so we used bigger casters to give it a little more height.  Also this table was much bigger and the bigger casters were much more suited to its size.

Wether you are restoring a table or some other piece, you can't help but appreciate the history that you are helping bring back to life.  Sometimes it's a total restoration, sometimes a restoration of the style of the era it was built.  Either way it is always an honor to be a part of it.

Enjoy.

Before

After

Table Restoration : Part 1

 It is always fun designing and building a piece from scratch but when your restoring an item, it always has its own challenges and surprises that come with it.  Every restoration is different but you can rest assured that the reward at the end is well worth it.  

This specific restoration is the first of a two part blog post that we will be doing on 2 different tables that we just did for a local coffee shop here in Newmarket called Covernotes.  

Now before I get into the process of restoring this beauty some of you may be wondering, like I was,  the history of this table.  This table has been in the owners family since the 1940's and was used for years at a children's camp owned by their mother.  For years it was used for kids to sit at and eat their meals together.  So fun.  I find the history behind the piece being restored gets you even more excited to see it in its future glory.  

The first process for this table was to remove all of the paint from the table top.  This took a little longer than expected because their were so many coats, at least 7.  Once they were removed it went to sanding.  I started off with a really gritty paper to remove any color that seeped into the grain of the wood, slowly working to a nice 220 grit.  One of the table top boards had come apart from the rest of the top so we re-glued it all back together.  This table, like many farm tables from its time, was made out of pine.  Because pine is a soft wood it had many marks and scratches left on it from years of use which added to the character of the table.  The legs for this table were given 3 coats of an off white satin finish paint and the top was given 1 coat of a stain called 'early america' and 4 coats of satin varnish.  There once was a drawer for this table but was missing so I rebuild a drawer front and used an antique brass drawer pull.  The drawer for this table is not functional as it will be in a coffee shop.  

I could not be more pleased with how this table turned out.  I never got tired of opening the door to the shop and seeing it staring back at me, all of the history and character.  

Restoring is defined as....

1. Bring back; reinstate

2.  Return to a former condition, place or position

I'm not entirely sure what this table once looked like but I'm pretty sure it has been 

'Brought Back' :)

Enjoy.

Before / After

feel free to leave any comments below :)