What to do with this old table thing?

[Morrisman]

I bought it in the Philippines 20 + years ago, covered in brown varnish and some old overspray. At one stage I cut the legs down to make a tv stand.

Today I decided to take my sander to it. Unfortunately the wood is a lot lighter than I expected, and with so many dinks and bumps and stuff it’s looking rather ‘distressed’.

What could I coat it with to make it look presentable, rather than just half done? Varnish? Stain?

I really can’t be bothered sanding and scraping and ferreting the varnish out of a million dents.

 

[Bullet2012]

Sorry

 

[frank horton]

Sikkens do a brush on product, semi sheen waterproof stain...plenty of colours.....
I use it on my planed wood projects...even the patio 8x4 pine roof supports.....
brush on even a roller......
plus other manufacturer's.....

 

[Bryan Williams]

You could make a nice pallet out of that.

 

[Morrisman]

Sikkens do a brush on product, semi sheen waterproof stain...plenty of colours.....
I use it on my planed wood projects...even the patio 8x4 pine roof supports.....
brush on even a roller......
plus other manufacturer's.....

I think quite a dark shade, to cover the, er, ‘muddy’ finish......

 

[Screwdriver]

It has a certain rustic charm to it and a convincing story with the Philippines. You might get lucky and sell it for £100+, £50-£80 start price and watch it fly.

If I was going to buy something like that, I might prefer it to be "unfinished". Not that I ever would. That would be bonfire fodder in my house.

I could easily see one of my neighbours snapping that up for £250 at some swanky retro shoppe tho.

List it for £50, expect it to sell for £100, buy it now £250.

 

[mdr]

(a) Shabby chic look for the whole thing (https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/283963861204?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28)

(b) Get just the top as best you can and sand smooth then stain/varnish that part. However, for all the lower part farrow and ball or chalk paint in a sage green or blue-green, or grey, or white. Like: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/898649756/vintage-oak-sideboard-painted-sideboard using a chalk finish paint. Example: https://www.therange.co.uk/decorating/paint/upcycling-and-spray-paint/chalk-paint/

Consider changing the handles to brass (or brass coloured) to highlight them. It's the details.

 

[Arc Tourist]

If you are going to sell it, mention in the add that you haven't found the secret drawer.

 

[Morrisman]

It has a certain rustic charm to it and a convincing story with the Philippines. You might get lucky and sell it for £100+, £50-£80 start price and watch it fly.

If I was going to buy something like that, I might prefer it to be "unfinished". Not that I ever would. That would be bonfire fodder in my house.

I could easily see one of my neighbours snapping that up for £250 at some swanky retro shoppe tho.

List it for £50, expect it to sell for £100, buy it now £250.

Er, I’m not selling it. I plan to put it in the front room.

I just watched a few minutes of some tv program ‘find it, flog it’ or something similar. The guy had took a plank of trees, varnished it, stuck another couple of planks under as legs, and was supposedly going to sell it for £800.


This must be worth £500 then, easily.

 

[Bullet2012]

Ah I saw that today, wondered what Alan Millyard was doing in it, tarting up a duck shoot, bit of a waste of his skills.

 

[Morrisman]

It has a certain rustic charm to it and a convincing story with the Philippines..

Oddly enough, it wasn’t actually for sale when we got it. It was in one of the numerous wood carving shops that head flourished there in the glory days of American occupation, but were run into the ground when I arrived. The table took my eye, amidst a warehouse full of identical tourist type stuff, I offered money, sales girl took it, a receipt was given and wifey and me carried it out to the car.

Then the owner suddenly appeared and told us it was actually their cashiers desk, and sure enough there were papers and stuff inside....

.....but a deal is a deal and we fled with it.

 

[Parm]

How about just keeping it simple and apply a few layers of wax. Stick on a coat of dye if you want it darker

easy to apply and easy to maintain

if your feeling flush, then some Oscar polyox stuff

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Wipe it over with a "meths" damped cloth.
Allow to dry.
Using wire woo, seal with sanding sealer.
Cut back with 0000 wire wool.
Then wax with a a wax shade of your choice, polishing with wire wool. Then a cotton cloth.

 

[TechnicAl]

I do up old Drawers etc. Id sand the top and either wax it or Polyx Oil it and the paint the rest with Farrow and Ball Estate Eggshell....the dark colours are the flavour and one called Downpipe is very popular...dark bluey grey. I never get anything near TV prices but I find that the Larder Cupboards fetch the best money....I look for wardrobes with 3 drawers (maybe 2) and fit them out inside with shelves, internal drawers and spice racks....sometimes add an old tin vent to the door....Ive sold some for upwards of a grand....I use the profit for the shed and more tools etc....Oh and glass knobs are well liked

I painted this one on the inside....Outside was a right mess...took loads of sanding and waxing

 

[Parm]

I do up old Drawers etc. Id sand the top and either wax it or Polyx Oil it and the paint the rest with Farrow and Ball Estate Eggshell....the dark colours are the flavour and one called Downpipe is very popular...dark bluey grey. I never get anything near TV prices but I find that the Larder Cupboards fetch the best money....I look for wardrobes with 3 drawers (maybe 2) and fit them out inside with shelves, internal drawers and spice racks....sometimes add an old tin vent to the door....Ive sold some for upwards of a grand....I use the profit for the shed and more tools etc....Oh and glass knobs are well liked

ive got a bit of furniture awaiting that sort of attention

 

[TechnicAl]

This is the downpipe colour ....but it looks darker

 

[Moose McAlpine]

I do up old Drawers etc. Id sand the top and either wax it or Polyx Oil it and the paint the rest with Farrow and Ball Estate Eggshell....the dark colours are the flavour and one called Downpipe is very popular...dark bluey grey. I never get anything near TV prices but I find that the Larder Cupboards fetch the best money....I look for wardrobes with 3 drawers (maybe 2) and fit them out inside with shelves, internal drawers and spice racks....sometimes add an old tin vent to the door....Ive sold some for upwards of a grand....I use the profit for the shed and more tools etc....Oh and glass knobs are well liked

I painted this one on the inside....Outside was a right mess...took loads of sanding and waxingView attachment 263064 View attachment 263065

Looks good. Looks like the furniture that ski resort hotels have. Kind of alpine rustic feel.

 

[jsf55]

Warm up some decent furniture wax, i'm sure it will darken it too and give it a good coating all over and build up the layers

 

[Screwdriver]

Er, I’m not selling it. I plan to put it in the front room.

I just watched a few minutes of some tv program ‘find it, flog it’ or something similar. The guy had took a plank of trees, varnished it, stuck another couple of planks under as legs, and was supposedly going to sell it for £800.

This must be worth £500 then, easily.

View attachment 263054

Ah. OK misunderstood the "what to do with this old table thing" which sounded like you were poised over a skip.

 

[julianf]

I do up old Drawers etc. Id sand the top and either wax it or Polyx Oil it and the paint the rest with Farrow and Ball Estate Eggshell....the dark colours are the flavour and one called Downpipe is very popular...dark bluey grey. I never get anything near TV prices but I find that the Larder Cupboards fetch the best money....I look for wardrobes with 3 drawers (maybe 2) and fit them out inside with shelves, internal drawers and spice racks....sometimes add an old tin vent to the door....Ive sold some for upwards of a grand....I use the profit for the shed and more tools etc....Oh and glass knobs are well liked

I painted this one on the inside....Outside was a right mess...took loads of sanding and waxingView attachment 263064 View attachment 263065

Is this some colloquialism that im missing, or is someone really that keen on jelly???