Farmer Mel Part 2

It's time to finish this puppy! See Part 1 of this project here.

I gave the table base and legs a coat of Kilz primer, followed by a coat of a light taupe-y colour mistint from Home Depot. With a *very* light touch I rubbed a brown glaze on all the corners (and anywhere it might naturally show dirt or wear) and finished with a coat of Varathane to protect it.

In order to distress the table top, I beat the snot out of it with a hammer, chain, a chisel and - if you can believe it - a meat tenderizer! This is a great step when you need to get out some pent up anger! Grrrr! Once I was satisfied, I went over it with sandpaper to take off any burrs or slivers.

To achieve the finish, I used gave the entire top a coat of a "white"wash made with leftover mustard yellow paint to give the pine boards a golden base. Then I gave it a coat of Minwax stain in Gunstock, used a small brush and a rag and used leftover gel stain in Walnut to darken the edges of all the boards, and gave it a top coat of the Gunstock stain. Basically I just played around with it til it looked like I wanted it to. To finish the top I gave it 5 coats of Varathane (I sanded with a fine grit sandpaper between coats).

I debated putting a coat of wax on the top but, while wax can smooth out imperfections and protect against minor abrasions, it can also attract dust and other floaties...definitely something you don't want on a surface that you plan to serve food on! Yuckers!

Honestly, I am a wee bit disappointed in how the stainable wood filler took the stain. I have tried several different brands, but none give me the finish I'm looking for. Hmmm, maybe I'll make my own! ::Mr. Mel grumbles in the background::

Anyhoodles, here's my finished farmhouse table! I am thrilled (to say the least). I would do a cartwheel if I didn't think it would end in disaster! The best part about this project is that I don't have to feel guilty about replacing or changing it if trends change. At this price, I can change it out whenever I want!

Here is the breakdown of costs for this project:
$103 for lumber and table legs
$0 for screws
$3 for paint
$0 for stain (leftovers)
$0 for Varathane
Total Cost = $ 106