Drop-Leaf Table

Drop Leaf Table After

Drop Leaf Table Before

I acquired this very old drop leaf table at a yard sale and when I asked the owner how much she wanted for it, I could hardly believe my luck! I was able to buy this table for only $2.00! I saw its potential and knew I could not only make it usable again, but could make it look better than new. I quickly paid her and loaded it into the back of my van before the woman changed her mind.

As you can see in the "before" photo, one of the ends was lower than the rest of the table, making it unstable and wobbly. That didn't bother me because I knew it was fixable. My husband, on the other hand, just
sighed when he looked at it, knowing I'd need his expert carpentry skills to make this table strong and usable again, but he also accepted the challenge. Unfortunately, the table was in such bad shape, it had to be taken completed apart, so that the underside could be rebuilt, stabilizing the structure.

Drop Leaf Table After

Drop Leaf Table Before

During this process, my poor husband pinched a finger quite severely(This job doesn't come without minor accidents now and again...). I remember this specifically, because he shouted a few expletives and his poor finger was quite black and blue afterward. Also, recently, I had pinched my own finger in a similar manner and remembered when Jim pinched his finger on this table. Anyway, pinches and all, the next step was to sand all the pieces, then reassemble the table so it could be stained and finished. I chose golden pecan stain and semi-gloss polyurethane, which looked great.
when his finger got between the two leaves as he was prying the old board off.