Friday, September 4, 2015

MAKING A NEW/OLD FARM TABLE

What started out as making a new table top to set over my old dining table
(I wanted a more old looking table)
turned into making a whole new table.
After examining the legs of my old table I was unsure if they would
securely hold the weight of the new table top.
My old table was an old antique that my dad had made longer for me.
It was also very dark and I wanted to lighten up my dining room.
And since basically the only thing missing after the table top was constructed
would be the legs I just went for it.
New table it was.
And here it is.
Since I started from scratch I could make it not quite as wide as my old one.
Which I had always wanted and I made it a touch longer.
It's now 11 feet by 42 inches. 


Here's how my dad and I made this table.
First we got our lumber from our neighborhood sawmill.



We loaded it up in his trusty "old" truck.
Man it was a hot day that day.


We ran each board through the plainer over and over to get each
one the same thickness.
That was a dirty job.
And VERY noisy.


A lot of shavings were produced.
But not wasted.
I bagged them up to use in my chicken coop.


All stacked up.


We then proceeded to make the frame for the table
and attached the legs.
We did this in his shop.


We then loaded it in his trusty truck and took it to my dining room to finish.
That was quite a site.
 A really old man and his skinny old daughter manhandling that frame.
But we got her done.

Well here it is, all laid out in my dining room
ready to be assembled.


After pre drilling holes in the cross braces I attached them to the boards
for the table top.
I used a metal vice to pull the boards together
 before screwing in the screws on the braces.
Then we turned it over ( it was HEAVY)
and evenly cut off the ends to the proper length.
Talk about a mess, I had one.
I also had to sand down the top (again) with a belt sander
in my dining room.
MESSY
My house needed cleaning anyway.


Before I turned it over I wrote the history of this table on the underside.


And here it is.
Before having the finish applied.


I decided to use tong oil on the top to bring out the richness of the wood.
Here you can see the difference on the left side where the oil has been applied.


I decided to stain the legs a dark walnut to match the chairs
and contrast with the floors.


Here's the side of the table with the bench my dad and I made last fall.


Since I had so much cleaning to do after all that sanding
I decided to go ahead and decorate for fall.
I love fall.
Here's the final result.
My new/old farm table.
Hope you like it.


Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is,
and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls...
Jeremiah 6:16


I enjoy reading your comments.

30 comments:

  1. lyn the admiration i have for you and your dad runs mighty deep,your table is gorgeous and your whole dining room is wonderful i could move right in and wouldn't touch a thing thanks for sharing xx

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  2. Love the story, and the table is awesome. Your dad, however, too cute for words!

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  3. I've been collecting stories about farmhouse tables lately. I'm starting to think it might move up my to do list a bit! I absolutely love the fact that you wrote the story of the table right on the bottom of it. Someday someone will cherish the fact that they know a little about the history of their furniture. (I know I would, anyway. I love furniture with a story to it!)

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  4. Absolutely beautiful table! And I love that your double re-purposed those planks for the table and the chicken coop.

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  5. Awesome post! I would love to invite you to my new link party The Beautifully Creative Inspired. The party launched on Friday and will continue every Fridays at 9AM eastern time on 5 BLOGS! It runs until Wednesday night :D Hope you can party with us!

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  6. This is such a sweet post. The old and the new. I really liked that you wrote your names on the back of the table. Beautiful and sturdy!

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  7. Wow, what a gorgeous table and the fact you did this with your father is such a wonderful legacy. I love the new/old table. Thank you for sharing at Share It One More Time. Cathy

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  8. Love it! And, what a fabulous idea to add its history underneath the table.

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  9. I love your table and how special it is that you and your Dad did it together!

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  10. This is amazing! Sharing today on The Painted Drawer Link Party and thanks for linking up!

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  11. Love seeing all those photos. What an amazing table project. Thank you for adding it to SHARE IT 27! It's great to have you party with us! Hopefully we'll see you tomorrow evening or Sunday at the FineCraftGuild.com site. ~ Rose

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  12. The table is amazing, no doubt. But I'm in love with the fact that you made this with your dad and wrote the details on the bottom of the table. I think we are cut from the same cloth. :) Thanks for sharing at Your Inspired Design!

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  13. Beautiful Lyn! Thank you so much for sharing at SYS. Have a great weekend!
    XO Barbara

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  14. This looks so amazing! Pinned and tweeted. Thanks for stopping by and partying with us! I hope to see you on Monday at 7 pm, so we can pin and tweet your masterpieces! Lou Lou Girls

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  15. Wow, that's fabulous :) So impressive! And I love that you wrote the history on it! Very cool.

    Found you via WW at OMHG.

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  16. Lyn,

    I love that you and your dad made this table! My father-inlaw is handy like this and every time he makes something for my daughter he writes on them too. I love that added touch as it really helps connect the pieces with our lives. People don't spend the time to make things anymore, it is so special when we get to share these projects with someone we love! Thanks you for stopping by and linking up at Dream. Create. Inspire. Link! I'm pinning your post!

    Cat

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  17. Thank you for sharing your beautiful farm country table and thank you for linking to Thursday Favorite Things blog hop.
    Joyously,
    Betty @ My Cozy Corner Co-Hostess at Katherines Corner

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  18. Beautiful! I love that you guys wrote who made it on the under side of the table....this is an incredible piece! Coming over from Your Inspired Design!

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  19. Beautiful work! Such a blessing that you can still do this with your father. Lovely Fall touches as well! Visiting from Make it Pretty.

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  20. Hi Lyn! I am so impressed that you made this table! It is so gorgeous and the writing under it is so sweet. Really glad you stopped by Inspiration Thursday to share this. Hope to see you again this week!

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  21. Beautiful table and great memories. You will cherish it all the more because you and your dad made it. Thanks for sharing this on the Homestead Blog Hop.

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  22. Gorgeous table! Thanks for joining Home Sweet Home!

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  23. Lovely table!
    Thanks for sharing at Our Simple Homestead Hop.
    This is my featured post this week :)

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  24. Lovely table!
    Thanks for sharing at Our Simple Homestead Hop.
    This is my featured post this week :)

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  25. Such a gorgeous table and my favourite pick from last week's linky. Come and grab a button! http://fromevijawithlove.com/home/wordless-wednesday-link-party-3-september/

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  26. Such a gorgeous table and my favourite pick from last week's linky. Come and grab a button! http://fromevijawithlove.com/home/wordless-wednesday-link-party-3-september/

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  27. Hi Lyn! The Weekly Feature Series is live! You are one of the 25 Amazing Features from the Week. Here's the link to check it out. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2015/09/weekly-feature-series_20.html Have a lovely Sunday! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

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  28. This looks amazing! How cool!

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

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