DIY Farmhouse Table

I have been wanting a farmhouse table for at least a couple years now. We have a great four person dining room table but with a growing family we knew we would want a bigger table. However, they are so expensive! I found a couple of amazing wood working/building websites with some DIY tutorials on how to make your farmhouse table. I took the best of both of these tutorials: Rogue Engineer and Ana-White. I was thrilled to get started and try my hand at wood working...then I realized how many tools you needed! Starting in December, I started accumulating tools and have been researching how to build this table. I asked for a Kreg Jig as a Christmas present last year, I've bought  clamps, a speed square, a random orbital sander, belt sander, nail gun, and a 12" compound dual bevel sliding miter saw. I am proud to say I know how to use all of these now. It was so intimidating at first and I was nervous to learn how but now I am feeling comfortable. It's exciting to learn how to do something new and put those skills to use to create something. I will take that over watching a TV show any day! I had a huge goal of completing this farmhouse table before baby Trooper came. However, after tax season and kitchen cabinets/painting came three wonderful vacations and a huge renovation/upgrade to Truman's office. Time felt like it was running out but Truman offered his help to me so we could get it done. I must have been feeling extra crazy and ambitious because at 37 weeks pregnant, we started the farmhouse table! Unfortunately, I couldn't do it 100% myself because being this far along I needed Truman's help with the lumber carrying back/forth, some of the sawing, laying on the ground, etc. to help me out. 

My 37 week prego belly - Truman & I joke that the sound of a belt sander will feel right at home to baby Trooper. 

The people at Lowe's were so nice and helped me pick out my lumber and lifted every piece into my cart. I also picked up this wood nymph in aisle 3. They also loaded it into my car!

Before

 After

Now for the farmhouse table building process...

I used 2x6's for my planked table top

 We used our Kreg Jig to make all of our pocket holes for joining the table top boards laterally,  joining the aprons to the legs, and attaching the table top to the base

 You can make your own farmhouse table legs by using 4x4's but I coveted the look of these elegant turned legs. I bought these legs from a shop on Etsy from someone who lathes them. These legs are enormous at 5" wide and are solid pine. They are expensive at $50/leg but make such a big difference in the appearance of the table. 

 Truman was a huge help to me with this projec, he spent a few evenings helping me out! 

Good bonding time ;)

***WARNING: Sad Story...

I had spent days and probably twelve hours sanding the table top getting it to be perfect. I used the belt sander from 80 grit sandpaper to 120 grit sandpaper working to get the planked table top even and smooth so there would be no rocking dishes. Then, out nowhere - in California - in July - in the middle of a drought - it mists/sprinkles at 6am before we're awake! Truman wakes up at 6:30am and runs out to cover the table. 

We go to Golfland Sunsplash that day with Truman's family and it heats up to 90 degrees. The next day I go to work on the table only to find that it is covered in mold!!! The light sprinkle plus a tarp and the California sun created a perfect heat tent for a nasty bloom of mold! I couldn't believe my eyes! Panic and instant tears followed. How could this be?! My beautiful table that I had worked so hard on and spent so many hours on? Is it ruined? Would I have to start over? 

 I had to google how to take care of mold on wood. I learned that raw unfinished wood such as this has a high sugar content and in the right conditions can mold very easily because it feeds the bacteria. 

I made a bleach/detergent solution as recommended and scrubbed the table, then had to let it dry out and then with mask and gloves and goggles spent six more hours sanding just to get to the point I had it that previous day. 

 I then spackled all the cracks and deep knots with wood filler and spent an additional two hours doing finishing sanding with a 220 grit to get it all silky smooth.  

 A detail that we added that I love is the trim under the apron, I just thinks it adds an extra something

 Then I caulked around all of those joints

 We also decided to add a breadboard on each end

 I wanted a vintage antiqued look on the base of the table so I stained the parts I wanted it to look distressed

 I used the Rustoleum brand stain to stain the top and I loved it! The color I chose was Carrington which is a deep brown and I applied it with a foam brush and then would wipe off after 1-2 minutes with a lint-free cloth

 Then Truman helped me turn the table upside down so I could work on it easier! I applied a light coat of Vaseline on any area I wanted the paint to chip. Then I painted two coats of a stain blocking primer and two coats of white paint. I used the same off-white as my kitchen cabinets, Benjamin Moore Dove White. 

Then I just used my finger nail and scratched off paint on any more easily naturally worn surface to get the chippy look

 I love the trim and the legs!

 I applied six coats of Rustoleum water-based polyurethane and buffed between each coat with 3M between coats finishing pads

The table has little imperfections but it's a farmhouse table right?! At least there's no rocking dishes (thank you belt sander!) and it has some great character. I also feel proud the table itself does not rock either!

 I bought this set of 4 vintage tabouret chairs in a bronze patina finish from Overstock for $50/each! I love the vintage industrial farmhouse look and how they match the new bronze hardware on our kitchen cabinets/drawers

I plan to move a chair to each end and build a matching farmhouse bench! The Etsy shop makes lathes the same turned legs in a bench version. I love the idea of having a bench on one side for our kids to sit. 

 Beneath our finished table is this sweet memory...

On Truman's birthday we finished the very last step of joining the table top to the base. We know we will have this table for years to come. So as a memento of this time and our first big woodworking project, we traced all of our hands. Elle also requested we trace her foot haha.

Weston Family Farmhouse Table

Mama (Prego) - Trooper due in 5 days

Elle 7-25-15, 2 yrs 11m - Fuss the "Wood Nymph"

Dadda - 30 yrs old today