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The “Do Over” Table

If you have ever watched cooking shows on television, you know how the miracle happens—you know, how the cook just finishes mixing up a cake, and seconds later pulls out a perfectly baked cake from the oven (sometimes with the frosting already on it??).

I think furniture-refinishing blogs use some of the same magic.  I mean, I can show you a “before” table like this one (yes the legs were originally white, but a little dinged up):

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And end up with a picture like this:

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…with no description of the blood, sweat, tears, and bad decisions that went in to it!

Today I will attempt to alter that misconception.  Winking smile

I’m sure you’ve seen these pine tables everywhere.  I think they sell them at all the big box stores!  The top was originally in a natural wood finish, and what these tables have going for them is about 193 layers of polyurethane (they wear like iron).  I thought that I could just sand it down and be done with it.

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Did I mention there are 193 layers of polyurethane?

Well, I thought I had it all off, and so I applied a layer of stain.  After letting it sit for a few minutes, I wiped off the excess—only to find it came completely off the table wherever I “missed a spot”…or twelve.

I sanded my now-slightly-gooey table again (which is kind of hard on sandpaper).  Stained again.  Wiped again.  Ahh, only 9 missed spots.

This was not going well.

Having worked on these tables before, I should have been smarter to begin with (obviously I wasn’t).  I finally did what I should have done to begin with—and that was to apply a healthy layer of stripper to remove the last vestiges of the original finish.

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Sanded again.  Stained again.  Wiped again.

Ahhh….

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So that’s my “do over” table.  No miracles, just a lot of work!

Wishing I had done it right the first time, and saved myself a whole lot of time and aspirin!

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And wishing that all YOUR “do over” moments…are few!

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From Frigidaire:

The Frigidaire Gallery™Dishwasher gets dishes fully cleaned the first time, so there are no dish do-overs. Nearly half of adults admit to re-washing and/or re-drying dishes after the dishwasher cycle has been completed. To prevent dishwasher do-overs, Frigidaire® is stepping in with its new Gallery® Dishwasher featuring the OrbitCleanTM Wash Arm, ensuring dishes are cleaned right the first time.

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I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All the opinions expressed here are my own.

Linking up here:

 Domestically Speaking Elizabeth & Co.
Sisters of the Wild West The CSI Project
Friday Remodelaholic 2805
My Simple Home Life’s Simple Creations Friday Thrifty Décor Chick
Funky Junk’s Saturday Night Special The DIY Show Off
Beyond the Picket Fence Someday Crafts
Knick of Time My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Perfectly Imperfect {Primp}
Simply Klassic Sundays My Repurposed Life
From My Front Porch to Yours  
Cowgirl Up! {aka} design

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