856 Views
Refinishing a Craigslist Table
by
Monica Green
(IC: homeowner)
$60
Medium
I purchased this solid oak table from Craigslist for $20, and it was not exactly eye candy. However, I could see an attractive sunburst veneer design laid over the oak plank top, and really wanted to remove the paint and stain the wood to show it off. I learned several things one should NOT do when refinishing a table during this project, which would have made the process much less time-consuming. First of all, I removed the paint with Citristrip paint stripper, which is an excellent product and it worked very well. However, not all of the paint on the surface of the table was ready to remove at the same time; many areas began to bubble after an hour, but the rest looked no different. I tried removing as much as I could, applying a second thin layer of Citristrip to the stubborn spots, and then vigorously scrubbing with steel wool and mineral spirits on the remaining residue....not advised. I ended up scratching the surface of the wood in some areas, which required a lot of sanding and a little blotchiness in the stain. I should have been patient and left the initial layer of stripper on the areas that were not ready at first. Second, it is MUCH easier to do a project like this in a garage or shop (neither of which I have) that is protected from the elements. I was constantly having to move the table in and out of the house due to rain, sprinklers, dust storms, etc, and the unfinished exposed wood needs to be protected from water and dirt. Other than that (and making lots of trips to Home Depot for supplies!) the project was quite successful and a lot of fun, definitely good for rookies. All the steps are outlined below with the pictures, since I don't have a blog (yet). Enjoy!
Enjoyed the project?
Published June 29th, 2013 3:06 PM
Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 4 comments
-
Alexandra Arena on Jul 01, 2013You made this look amazing, Monica!
-
-
S. Ulmen F on Jan 20, 2014Very nice!
-
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?