The Benjamin Table
Here it is, the first of the 50 project countdown! I named this beauty Benjamin because of the stylized legs that draw on vintage American furniture.
This table wasn’t one that I imagined would be the most drastic before and after. I was offered this table when I went to pick up a cabinet for another project. However, I was encouraged to take this table as well and I am very happy with all the new techniques I got to test out.
This table had a significant layer of grime built up, three major gaps in the top, and the stylized legs were going to be quite the challenge to sand. I began by sanding all of the flat parts that my sander could reach. The plan for this table was to apply a new stain so I knew that I had to try and get the table down to its raw state as best I could.
I decided to take the next leap in my purchases and buy a Dremel to help me sand all of the curves and details. When I tell you how frustratingly little information there is on how to use a Dremel, I mean it. I spent a good deal of time learning how to switch out all of the different bits. I tested the normal sanding bits, I tried out a fan bit, a detailed bit, and then cutting bits to see what would work best for different details. Eyewear was my best friend during this process; not just to shield my eyes from flyaways, but also because of the amount of dust being kicked up. In my YouTube video, I showed how each bit worked and how it was useful or where I thought it fell short of my expectations.
The top of this piece might be why I was most proud of this project. I watched another video teaching a technique on cutting a clean section around a split in the wood, then a completely new block of wood would be used to fill in the gap. I figured it was worth a try. I crossed my fingers and it worked! The new additions were almost seamless, I was so pleased.
This piece already had a buyer by the time I started so I was able to take it to its new home right after it was all finished. I hope you like this project as much as I did, make sure to follow The Phoenix Finish on TikTok and YouTube to see all of the videos as soon as they come out!