You know those old folding tables from about 25 years ago? The kind with a chipboard top, wood grain printed vinyl surface, and rubber edge banding? The kind that look like garbage if they ever get wet? Well ours got wet several times and saw some hard use over the last 25 years or so and it really looked like garbage. Also, the edge banding shrinks over time and starts to come loose.
I really like how light, portable, and durable the newer folding tables are with their blow-molded plastic tops, but I don’t like that much plastic in my life. I mean… bletch.
So anyway, I figured I could remove the hardware from my old 6-foot table, make a new top from some 1×10 pine common boards, slather it with outdoor-grade polyurethane, re-use the old hardware, and have a new-looking table. So that’s what I did!
I started by straightening up the edges of the boards with a hand plane to make joining easier. Then, I drilled dowel holes into the edges using a cordless drill and drilling guide. (I like the Kreg guide for this job, since it has a 3/4″ slot on the underside that clips right onto the edge of the board to keep the hole straight and centered.) Next, I put dowels in the holes to keep the boards aligned, and glued all three together into a single surface. Overnight in the clamps for the glue to cure, then scrape off the squeeze-out. (Kunz glue scraper, accept no substitutes.) Finally, trim the ends with a hand saw so they all match up.
Construction complete, it’s time for shaping. I trimmed off the corners with a hand saw, because they were likely to get all busted up anyway. Next, I rough sanded everything with the random orbit sander and some 100-grit to remove the last of the glue and smooth out any uneven joinery. I used a cordless trim router with a 45-degree chamfer bit all the way around the top and bottom to break the edges. I also filled any gaps, holes, etc. with wood filler I made by mixing sanding dust into water-based rice paste. Another round of power sanding with 150-grit and it’s starting to look like furniture.
For me, finishing always starts with sealing. I like to use (General Finishes) water-based sanding sealer because it soaks in and hardens without getting gummy. Then, a round of 220-grit power sanding to make things smooth and ready for polyurethane. I pay special attention to the end-grain at this step. The sealer enables me to get this as smooth as the edges!
Now, start with the underside and add a coat of poly. I brush this on by hand, which is a lot of work, but I have done this so many times that it is very satisfying and almost pleasurable. Make sure to wipe off anything that drips over the edges, then apply a super-thin coat of poly to the edges themselves. Once that was dry I flipped it over onto blocks and did the same to the top. This dried for maybe a week because I didn’t have much time in the evenings after work.
Yesterday morning, I hand sanded both surfaces with 320-grit to rough up the poly and remove bubbles and nibs. I have one of those sanding pads that take the same velcro discs as my sander, and I really recommend them. I applied a second coat of polyurethane to the underside (and a third light coat to the edges) and let that dry for most of the day. Then I attached all the metal leg and apron hardware. One thing I discovered when studying the old tabletop is that this is not a precision job. None of the hardware is straight or even to begin with, so don’t stress too much about measuring and aligning the legs and brackets. I drew a single center-line on the underside, perpendicular to the long edges, aligned the feet to that by eye, then drove screws through the brackets into the wood. Then, I lay the apron/frame down, centered it up by eye, and screwed it down. Now I could unfold tthe legs, flip the table over onto its own four feet, and apply a finish coat of polyurethane to the top.
Now I have the nicest looking cheapass folding table in the neighborhood.
I figure I will probably spend the next few years sanding the top and applying more polyurethane every Spring until a durable surface is formed. Any dings or scratches can be repaired instead of tolerated. I have saved the hardware from a $50 folding table using only $54 in lumber!
