07/04/2022
Today is as good a day as ever to post a final "reveal" of the Buy Nothing table and Goodwill chairs I refinished for outdoor use in my garden. All were used last night for their inaugural dinner, a BBQ with friends, and tonight I'm having my family over for BBQ 2.0. This was the biggest and most involved project I've ever taken on. Learned a lot (merci, Google and YouTube), and admittedly while I wanted to abandon the project at various points, I am very happy I saw it through. Scroll through to see before and after of the patio, table, and chairs!
DO: be prepared to spend -- on good products and tools (especially brushes), make sure you are using the correct materials and combination of materials (ex. acrylic v latex paint, what varnish can go on top certain paint or stain), read all the labels and instructions ahead of starting (pay attention to recommended dry times), check the weather forecast for rain/humidity (humidity is going to make drying take longer and rain will ruin things if coats are not dry and get wet), use paint/varnish stripper (still need to sand, however this will save a lot of time)
DON'T: RUSH, default to whatever material supplies to you have on hand (especially paint) without checking if it's the right material for the job, glob paint on to try and fix imperfections/uneven spots (sand, sand, sand!), use the same grade of sanding material for everything (depending on how much sanding is required, you should gradually use higher and higher grades or you are going to create more work for yourself), expect perfection (there is a reason professionals charge what they do, it really is an art and takes years of experience to really master the craft)
