Butchers Block/kitchen Island From a $1 Ebay Purchase

Carole
by Carole
$130
1 Week
Easy
I found this weird, round, heavy timber table(?) on ebay some time ago. I bought it from a guy who said he originally had two of them but had sold one. He could not be bothered painting the second one to sell and just wanted it gone! I have no idea what it was originally used for. Two big for a bedside table, too tall for a coffee table. So I was the only bidder and scored it for just $1. It sat in my garage for a few months before I decided what to do with it. Then inspiration hit. Add wheels, remove the existing glass insert from the top, (the glass was later used for another project), paint it white and add a butchers cutting block to the top and voila! Mobile kitchen island//butchers block! The top is a bamboo lazy susan with the revolving base removed. It was the perfect size for this unit and no trimming or cutting was required.
2 coats of undercoat, followed by two coats of water based top coat in a fresh white - looking so much better!
4 heavy duty casters added to the bottom for mobility - and a bamboo lazy susan with the base removed for the top. Glued in place with wood glue. Great for extra bench and cutting space
Stripping the black paint back to the timber with paint stripper
Tip: wear long sleeve chemical rubber gloves bought cheap from hardware store - don't get the stripper on your skin or in your eyes - protective eyewear also a good idea!
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  • Larose LoganOakes Larose LoganOakes on Jul 21, 2013
    Wow! Great idea! I had a table similar to that one back in the 80's only the top was larger than the base. That table was so heavy. I loved it! Great job! Enjoy!:)
  • Carole Carole on Jul 24, 2013
    If anyone wants to have a go at making their own kitchen island/block I have seen some good results using old filing cabinets. Either wood or metal would do the job. You can paint them up and add a block to the top and wheels. The cabinets may have a locking drawer that is good to keep sharp knives away from children. Just a suggestion - I think I saw that on a Better Homes and Gardens episode here in Australia.
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