Saturday, August 4, 2012

GateLeg Table Completed

Above - you can't see the missing legs and drawer (it's on the other side)...
It seemed best to paint the bottom of the gateleg table 
since I'd made the legs out of wood that didn't match the original...
The lighting isn't the best, but here the table sits--
in the dining area of our kitchen. 

Monday, July 9, 2012

Free and Finished

 See the previous post for the condition this cedar chest was in
 when we picked it up.
 I fastened the loose veneer
 and carefully stripped the worn finish.
I didn't attempt to remove the larger black stains on the top,
but worked a bit on three smaller black circles with some success.
Then I applied two coats of lacquer, sanding in between.
I'll apply a paste wax at least to the top after the lacquer has cured.
We'll probably set the cedar chest at the foot of our bed.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

July Projects

 We found this gateleg table at a garage sale.  Legs on both sides need repair...
 a drawer is missing.
But my wife is excited about this table!
 She called on a notice of a FREE "hope chest".
 We picked it up this afternoon.
 This is it - just as we unloaded it from the car.
In the photo above, you can see a bit of loose veneer.
 ^A little of the inlaid decoration that make this attractive.
 Above, the top of the chest has some stains.
I may not be able to remove them completely.
A surprise link to the original owner of the hope chest
and the fact that it was made in Huntington, IN
where I work a day a week
add to our pleasure in owning this piece!
You can read the history of The Caswell-Runyan Co. HERE.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Free Flags Flying

 My wife found these two flags FREE 
at two places
on two different days.
Today she made up her mind where she wanted them,
and I figured out a way to make them fly!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Just in Time for Summer

It was time to refurbish the potting bench 
that I'd constructed several years ago.
So...I primed and painted the bench to match the trim on the house.
(I also replaced a board that had some damage on it.)
It should be good to go for MANY more summers.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Ugly Duckling Refurbished

 Old, rusty, almost forgotten....
 Sanded, primed, and two coats of paint....
 Decided to use pulls we had on hand rather than purchase new pulls.
 I carefully protected the old decal surrounded by the original paint.
 The result is a beautiful "swan"!

Yet Another Transformation!

 These two unrelated pieces
into
 This!
 I added shelves (1/2 shelf in the sink unit)
 and secured a towel rack.
Found the faucet on a decorative wall urn some time ago
and cut a circle to fit a bowl we had on hand for the sink.





Monday, May 28, 2012

Crafted on Memorial Day

My wife calls it "Bottle Crazy"...
 I call it cleaning out the garage and shed!
We're both pleased with the results.
An old rusted candle stick, 3 white rods (maybe round curtain rods?), and another 
old & tired garden stake turned and twisted into useful decoration.
NOW...DOES ANYONE KNOW AN EASY WAY TO REMOVE LABELS???

Saturday, May 26, 2012

After and Before

 After
 During (but after repairing some veneer chips)
Before

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

All in an Afternoon's Work

This ^
to
This
 and after scraping off old contact paper and sanding and staining...
This!
First coat of lacquer finish, semi-gloss, is now applied.
(I had this finish on hand.  It dries
quicker than polyurethane.  After a second coat,
I'll rub some wax on it and put the hardware back on.
Like this....
Finished Project

Saturday, May 19, 2012

The Latest

 Newly acquired at a garage sale this morning....

 and this...
Total spent on these two?  $9.00!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Another Finished Product.

After priming the frame and seat,
I applied the final coat of paint.
(We decided to play it "safe" with white since
we already had some cushions that fit the swing nicely.)
I'm pleased with the outcome!
Maybe it will be warm enough to sit out and enjoy it tomorrow.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Rescued!

 These two pieces caught our eye as we drove down the street.
 A curbside survey told me it was repairable
so we loaded it into the car.
 At home, I fashioned two boards to replace a broken and a missing piece.
The only expense was the purchase of 2 eye hooks.
We'll decided whether to stain or paint the piece next week.
I'm leaning toward paint...
It's a very comfortable seat for two.
We like it already.