Drop Leaf Table

This is becoming a thing:  I find things on Freecycle, Craigslist or Nextdoor that come home with me to be refinished.  I like the results, but oof - I keep getting sidetracked with impromptu projects.

My latest was a drop leaf table.  Rob brought it to my attention and I thought it could replace the trestle table I'm currently using in my sewing room.  I could drop the leaves when not in use, but bring them up when I'm doing a big project.  The table was good solid wood, but in rough shape when I brought it home.  I don't think the wood had ever been finished - water spots, dirt, spots of paint all over, a bit of mildew, too. 

I removed all the hardware (after carefully labeling all of it) then gave everything a good sanding.  It was impressive how much just the sanding improved things.  The legs lightened up considerably, and I managed to clean off some of the paint and water marks.  The only bummer was that the wood was soft and marred easily - so I ended up adding a few more dents and dings in the process.

What a difference!  I gave the whole thing a coat of polyurethane, top to bottom.  The wood was so dry.  I just about poured the polyurethane on it, the wood drank it up so fast.  (I kept saying "you poor thing" as I worked on it.)

After the second or third coat the surfaces stopped looking like raw wood and started to gain some depth.  The legs and skirt got gloss polyurethane (which doesn't look very glossy - it probably could have used a few more layers) and I put satin on the top.  Maybe six coats total?  Honestly, it probably needed two or three more coats, but I got impatient.  Most of the watermarks disappeared, the dings and dents are not so noticeable.  The wood is smooth and glossy.  So much better!

I spent Sunday morning putting it back together.  It will stand in the sunroom for the week to air out - I'm hoping to move it into my sewing room next weekend.

It will never be a beautiful piece of furniture, with the dings and dents and discolorations.  Doesn't matter!  At quick glance it looks terrific; it's a whole different table than what I brought home.  It will be wonderful (and useful!) in my sewing room.