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Dec 31, 2011

Behold the Refinished Featherweight Table!



Friends, I simply couldn't wait till 2012 to show you my refinished Singer Featherweight table, which I fished out of the trash only one week ago.  Ready?

Ta da!  (Click on pics for bigger view)



Before:



After:







Here's what I used -- which cost less than $20 total:

1) Small (8 oz) can of Minwax Polycrylic (clear satin finish).  I used less than half the can on this project.



2) Minwax wood filler.  I didn't have to use the wood filler, but there were a few deep gouges I wanted to fill.  Perfectly smooth edges are more important to me than the visible mark, which the unstained wood filler does leave, since I'll be sliding fabric over the table edges.





3) Three grades of sandpaper: 100, 150, and 220.  The lower the number, the grittier the paper.  The 100 and 150 were for sanding off the old finish.  The 220 was to sand between coats of Polycrylic. 





4) I applied the Polycrylic with a small foam brush that cost only about 79 cents and did a superb job.  Between coats (I needed to wait two hours before reapplying Polycrylic) I rinsed the brush with soap and water -- it cleans up very easily.  I applied four coats total, sanding (and wiping clean the dust) between coats.

Even though I didn't stain the wood, it darkened to a lovely light honey color.  As I mentioned earlier, I decided not to paint the wood edges black; I prefer them natural. 

I'm excited about using this table in the new year -- and every time I look at beat up wood furniture I now think to myself, Could I refinish that?  It's addictive.  Obviously this Featherweight table is about as easy a refinishing job as you could choose, especially since the original finish was already badly broken down.



The table fully stripped.





I think this table needs a permanent place in the living room, so something else will have to go, and please don't say Patti Playpal.  Maybe those dogs...

Readers, that's all the news on this last day of 2011.

Happy New Year, everybody!

48 comments:

  1. Impressive! It looks great and absolutely deserves a place in the living room for all to admire. I would love to refinish a dresser and end table, but like everything else in this house they are piled high with stuff and it would required two months of daily ditches just to find them.

    On another note, did you know that you received a marriage proposal by way of Vogue Pattern Magazine? I think that's a sign of a true celebrity - public proposals from fans!

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  2. I'm drooling now. Especially since what I'm currently wanting most is a replacement for the cheap plastic table I sew on!

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  3. Peter, it's absolutely beautiful! I am on the hunt for a small wooden coffee table for my den. I will certainly keep this post in mind as I search. Happy new year darling!

    *hugs*

    Lynn

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  4. There is nothing more beautiful than nicely finished wood. Not only will the projects on it be lovely, by itself it is an object of beauty.

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  5. Pretty, pretty, pretty! I love how the table turned out!

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  6. It looks great! You'll get a lot of enjoyment from that table and it deserves a place of honor in your apartment.

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  7. I'm THIS impressed and proud of you .... and jealous!

    P.S. Keep the dogs

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  8. One more thing...a thorough cleaning & polishing of that feather will be a walk in the park compared to refinishing the table.

    Just sayin'.....

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  9. Nice work, you should be proud. This is a fitting end to what may be the find of the year.

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  10. Showed your work to hubby and you got an "impressed head nod" and WOW from him.

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  11. Fabulous job!!! Happy New Year!

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  12. I hope this makes you feel fantastic about your find. My DH bought me a featherweight table in 2002. It was in better shape than your original find but not perfect. He paid almost $200 for it. It was a surprise or I never would have let him do it. Great work, Peter. It turned out beautifully.

    BTW, my best find was a wood desk from the early 40's at the Goodwill. I paid $21.50 for it. I was going to use it to learn how to refinish. Turns out is is solid mahogany and the pulls on the thing have been seen for $11.50 a piece on ebay. Mine are intact and there are 10 of them. So, the refinishing of furniture is absolutely addicting. Happy New Year!

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  13. Beautiful! I am sooo jealous ... of your featherweight and your table. It is truly a miracle on 24th Street!

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  14. My goodness Peter, I think you have a future in furniture refinishing. Looking forward to seeing many more of your fabulous creations in the New Year.

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  15. Wow! That looks fabulous. Be careful, Peter, refinishing CAN be addictive after you've succeeded so well.
    You'll be so satisfied when you sew on that smooth new surface that you created yourself.

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  16. WOW -- it's GORGEOUS! I love that you left the wood lighter, and I can't believe this was out in someone's trash a week ago. It's sleek, sexy and fabulous! What an inspiration!

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  17. It turned out great! What a satisfying find and project.

    Happy New Year to you, Michael, and "those dogs."

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  18. They say genius is making the difficult appear effortless. You've conquered sewing in a mere months. Furniture revival in a week! Can we interest you in making world peace your next foray?

    Glad the table went au natural - it's what a good face-lift is all about; being refreshed without a trace of anything severe.

    Happiest New York New Years Eve.

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  19. Not all of the pictures are rendering, but from what I can see, it looks great! I'm sure it will be a wonderful table to use and I'm so glad you saved it from the scrap heap!

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  20. Excellent work - it looks marvelous!

    Always enjoy your blog and look forward to reading it throughout 2012.

    Happy New Year!

    Micky

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  21. Fabulous job on the refinish.

    Is it just me, though, that thinks the table puts the sewing machine into a really awkward position for sewing? Every time I have looked at Peter's posts about this table my back and shoulders twinge. I just can't imagine sewing with the needle this far from the edge of a table.

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  22. The table turned out great. I don't always comment on your blog anymore as you have so many comments to read each day, but I read you all the time and I wanted to say thanks for the inspiration you've given me in 2011. I look forward to more in 2012.

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  23. That table looks amazing! Happy new year!

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  24. Peter, are you sure that Santa didn't have a couple of human elves to help him make that delivery? I should keep quiet I know, but it seems to me...

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  25. From a pro like me, that's the way to refinish a piece. A job well done and correctly. Congratulations!

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  26. that looks so great. I want an old machine like that one and the table is a must. Not bad for dumpster diving! And you cleaned it up so well.

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  27. Wow, that's a beautiful job, Peter. Speaking of one person's trash being another one's treasure . . .What's it like to sew on? I do have an entire sewing room, but can't imagine having such a large, lovely space on which to do the actual sewing.

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  28. It looks absolutely stunning. I never knew a table could be stunning, but yours is.

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  29. the table looks fabulous! Since you posted after midnight Australian time, this was my first blog read of 2012!

    I, like everyone else, laments that there are no such treasures in my local curbside rubbish :(

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  30. Great job Peter!
    Happy New Year to all 4 of you!

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  31. Nice job. Everything you do turns out so nice and quick. I think I hate you....

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  32. Wow that looks fantastic! I need to refinish a 50s sideboard and it fills me with dread but maybe I should just go for it seeing as yours looks so fab!

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  33. Super job Peter, there is certainly a great deal of pleasure to be gained from turning something that somebody else has thrown out into something so useful. Is there no end to your talents and skills?

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  34. Peter,

    You deserve this miracle on 24th street! Enjoy your table and your lovely Featherweight! Happy 2012!

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  35. With regards to it being addictive. It is. I have re-created many old furniture pieces in all different kinds of ways. Your imagination can go wild. I love painting furniture too, but in this case, you did the perfect job, and it looks lovely.

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  36. Very nice and I bet if anyone can find an insert for it you can!

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  37. Thanks, everybody!

    OMG, Phyllis -- that would be a TRUE miracle.

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  38. Love you, Peter - A Happy 2012 to you and your family ! xoxo Carina

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  39. Happy New Year Peter!!! You must must must check out this movie for the shots of old New York and the fashion http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049453/

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  40. Oh shoot the link did not come up the name of the movie is Lovers and Lollipops and Weddings and Babies by independant NY filmmaker Morris Engel I hope you can find it.

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  41. Peter, what a find! ...and you did a beautiful job refinishing it! Bravo!

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  42. Peter, the table is wonderful. Great job, but you do not have the space to be a furniture refinisher. Michael would surely be at wits end. I am speaking from the voice of experience. My mother has always been a trashpicker, embarassing the daylights out her kids when she would pull over to the side of the road, jump out and throw and old rocking chair missing several pieces in the back of the station wagon. My father, who took furniture building in high school would cut out new rockers or turn new spindles and put it all back together and they would sell the pieces. My mother is 84 and still gets sad when she sees something by the side of the road, my dad no longer around fix it up. He had his own room in the basement of the garage, probably bigger than your entire apartment! It very addictive, choose your projects wisely. Thanks for the blog, it makes my day everyday. Happy New Year.
    Sewgranny

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  43. Happy New Year. this find will certainly make it a better one. Nice job.

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  44. Nicely done! Question- where exactly did you do this project? As a fellow apartment dweller I'm always stymied by where to work on projects like this...
    -Caitlin

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  45. Caitlin, I have a small balcony. Even though Polycrylic is not as toxic as regular polyurethane, you need to use it in a well-ventilated area. Outside is best.

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  46. i love how great this free table turned out! i recently responded to a craigslist ad for a couple of card tables. when i arrived at the warehouse to pick them up i saw that one was a featherweight table! $5 and it really just needs to be oiled down. but free is great! you did a really great job!

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