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Home » Aged » Rustic Wood Farmhouse Table Top from Reclaimed Lumber

Rustic Wood Farmhouse Table Top from Reclaimed Lumber

April 27, 2015 Brittany Bailey 25 Comments

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Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

I’ve always wanted a rustic wood farmhouse table. I wanted a table that looked worn, well-loved and appeared to be over 100 years old. It’s very hard to achieve that look with new lumber. To get that rustic look, you either need old reclaimed lumber or the skills to stain and distress new wood. I chose the first option and bought reclaimed rafters from The ReUse Warehouse in Durham, NC.

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

They were very rustic to say the least. I was prepared to plane and glue them together myself, but I don’t own a planer (insert sad trombone sound.) Instead, I brought the rafters to Mark Kegler of Kegler’s Woodwerks. Mark has ALL the woodworking equipment and he convinced me to let him glue the tabletop together since I realized I also don’t have 5 bar clamps (Christmas wish list updated now.)

For fun I thought I’d show you the behind the scene pictures of the table top as it was being planed and ripped. That way you can view the process should you decide to piece together your own reclaimed lumber table top.

Behind the Scenes at the Shop:

First they ran a metal detector over the beams and then removed nails with an extractor.

tool-in-wood-shop

Next, the rafters were fed through a planer to give them all a uniform thickness.

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

It was like Christmas morning watching the wood as it came out and I could see the of the beautiful grain revealed.

reclaimed-lumber-before-after

Mark and Randy used a straight line rip saw to cut the edges straight with the exception of two rafter edges that would be used for a live edge on the table. I was able to salvage the edges that they ripped off for later use.

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

The boards were glued with wood glue and clamped together. Then they were left to cure overnight. In the morning, the short ends of the table were cut square.

Back at home I built the table base (the apron and legs).

Finishing the Reclaimed Wood Table Top:

Remember the salvage I kept from Mark’s shop? I used it to cap the table as edge band to hide the end grain. Hold the edge band up against the end, mark and cut the excess off.

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

Add wood glue to the inside of the edge band.

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

Attach the band to the table with finish nails.

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

You can fill any voids, knots or holes while leaving the character with this method. Sand down the table with 180 grit sand paper. Give a final sanding with a 220 grit sandpaper.

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

Wipe off the table with a damp rag.  Apply two coats of natural stain. After the stain has dried, apply one coat of General Finishes Flat Finish Top Coat.

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

When the top coat has dried, lightly sand any rough edges or bumps. Vacuum up the dust and wipe with a damp rag. Then repeat with another coat of topcoat. (Add at least 4 coats of topcoat to a table.)

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

The table top is now protected from water and wear. To tone down the sheen and give the table an authentic antique waxed finish, apply a coat of Miss Mustard Seed’s Furniture Wax. Buff off the wax with a dry rag.

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

Attach the table to the table base as shown in this tutorial. Now your table is ready for your next dinner party!

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

The live edge and edge band gives the table a rustic but finished look.

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy GirlReclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

One of the rafters has a hole drilled through it. I’m not sure what it was for, but I love the character it adds. Then again, I may change my mind if I happen to find uneaten broccoli stuffed inside the hole.

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

It’s time to put this beauty to use.

Reclaimed Lumber Farmhouse Table | Pretty Handy Girl

Sources:

Rope Twist Legs – Osborne Wood Products

Head chairs – World Market

Side chairs – Craig’s List

Table runner – World Market

Navy & White Rug – Rugs USA

You’ll definitely want to see the tutorial for distressing and aging the table and chair legs.

PHGFancySign

 

Pin for later!

How to DIY a Reclaimed Wood Table Top | Pretty Handy Girl

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You might also like:

Aged, Build It, dining room, distressing, stain, tablescape

Comments

  1. Lucy says

    April 26, 2017 at 3:33 pm

    Hi! Did you sand/finish the edges the same as you did the table? I want to preserve the natural edges as you did, but wasn’t sure how much the 80 grit would remove.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Brittany Bailey says

      April 26, 2017 at 4:32 pm

      Lucy, that’s a good question. I think I just used a light grit (220 grit) on the edges to retain the dark natural look. But, I did use a polyurethane and wax to finish the top and sides.

      Reply
      • Lucy says

        May 9, 2017 at 10:55 am

        Awesome, thanks! Do you happen to recall how you got the corners to look uniformly rounded together like that? Did you sand that edge to be rounded? I’ve got the strips attached, but am struggling to blend them as well as you did!

        Thanks!

      • Brittany Bailey says

        May 11, 2017 at 10:38 am

        Yes, I glued and nailed the end cap then sanded with a rough grit, medium grit and finally a fine grit.

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Hi, I'm Brittany aka Pretty Handy Girl. I like the smell of coffee and sawdust in the morning. I live to break stereotypes and empower you to take on your own DIY project.

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