HOW TO WIPE ON POLY

 

 

When someone asks me what I recommend for a hard durable finish for a surface I always suggest

Minwax's wipe on poly because I remember the first time I used it. It was easy to understand and

follow the directions that are offered on the can and the resulting finish is very hard and durable.

 

 

I never got around to finishing the whole look or applying a new surface finish to George's old desk

 but now that it has to find a new home I figured this would be a good time to share with you how

easy it really is to apply the poly.
 

wipe away any dust, dirty, or left over stain that might be sitting on the surface

 

I use gloves and a folded piece of paper towel

 

I pour the poly right on the surface of my project

 

I then wipe it from side to side covering the whole surface in a thin coat



if you have freshly stained your piece your rag will look like this the first time

 

leave it dry for 4 hours



once dry lightly sand the surface 220+ grit



re-apply as many times as you like, waiting 4 hours between coats



always move with the grain

  

after the final light sanding, apply a coat of wax and buff

 

 

You do not have to add wax however, when you apply any finish that takes time to dry it can collects dust particles and bubbles that will create a rough texture.

Giving it a final light sanding and a coat of wax makes it super smooth and soft.

 

PLEASE NOTE :

 

Wipe on poly will yellow light colored surfaces.

 

George's old but glamorously updated desk is listed on the SHOWROOM page

with price and dimensions along with his Passionate Home desk chair.

Yes he will be getting a new chair to match his new desk.

 

 

 

If you are looking for specific information you might like to:

check out the FAQ page

or

-skim through the topics list at the bottom of this page

-type a key word into the search box on the right hand column

ECLECTIC SHABBY CHIC

 

 

I hope you like this new project as much as I do.

 

 

 

These provincial night stands have been traveling around our house for sometime.

I repaired them when I first purchased them, then they sat around getting moved from place to place.

 

 

I remember the day they got painted, but I had not found the doors I wanted to add to the bottom yet. 

So they sat around a bit longer.

 

burlap panel adhered to insert

 

Eventually I found the right doors and installed one to make sure they would work and look good.

Now I had to keep track of the other door, screws, and hinges until I felt like installing the other one.

Some more time went by and if I recall right I even painted the one with the door installed again (just the door part) and painted the door that was not installed yet.

 

As long as we are moving forward each time right? 

 

At this point I would like to stop and say this is not my typical motis operandi

but I am willing to admit on the rare occasion I am human.

 

Finally the second door was installed ....

and they sat around for a bit longer moving from room to room as I worked on

"more important projects?"

 

 

Well the day has finally come where all the final choices have been made, wax has been applied,

handles and knobs installed and photos taken.

 

Canadian made vintage handles purchased on Etsy

 

Are they not just the most cutest eclectic shabby chic nightstand you have ever seen?

 

 

 

This pair of nightstands / side tables are listed on the SHOWROOM page with price and dimensions,

with a new mirror added to the ACCESSORIES page ...

 

 

If you are looking for specific information you might like to:

check out the FAQ page

or

-skim through the topics list at the bottom of this page

-type a key word into the search box on the right hand column

PRICING

I usually do not include pricing information in my articles about refurbishing furniture because everyone's demographic is different. Yesterday I did offer a purchase price for a desk I bought and I have received many emails asking for advice regarding pricing. 

The majority of my blog followers are US residents and across the board all of our demographics are way different. I encourage everyone to understand their own market and establish who their customers are without comparing to someone living elsewhere.

How many of us read a post and start to compare what is written to our own lives and abilities. Plz use common sense when information is offered and rely on your own judgment for decisions.

 

What makes us unique also makes us noticeable!!

Now that being said … I don`t feel as if I have strict rules regarding prices however I will offer some general thoughts.

I value my time so furniture that needs repair needs to be extremely cheap … $5 to $20 I spend countless hours fixing broken furniture and I want room to compensate for the time.

Look around you, ask fellow colleagues in your area for advice, and do your own research. Hard work always gets you there.

Over time you get to understand what your market will bear for certain pieces and how much you can put into pieces. This is going to be trial and error for many starting out.

A perfect example of different demographics ...

I had just finished painting and upholstering some dining chairs and when I advertised them a US follower suggested my asking price was outrageous because she got the same chairs for half the price where she lived. My asking price was $110 each, the same price I sell most of my chairs for. The deal she was fortunate to get was in the US, where fabric costs are less, paint costs are less, shipping costs are less, and so on. I also live in the most expensive area of Canada.

 

Here`s a hypothetical example of how much goes into a piece, I say hypothetical because with every piece there are a large number of variables.

I pay $20 for a single nightstand at a second hand store.

I add legs to this night stand costing anywhere from $20 - $40

A can of ASCP cost $56 here in Canada so take into account the cost for paint

A can of AS wax cost $39 here so add another cost for the wax

I use a paint sprayer so there is equipment costs and electrical

Supplies and tools used – wood, saw, drill, screws, nails, appliques, filter, water, paper towel, brushes, sandpaper, filler

Hardware usually needs to be added at a cost of $10 - $20 
Depending on the amount of work it can take up to 8 hours over 2 days to finish.

And lets not discount my camera, computer, Internet, and all the time needed to photograph and post on line. I ask $200 for this nightstand, averaging all costs out I might get paid $100 for all the hours I put into redoing this piece of furniture.

 

And my final and most important note on the subject of pricing ...
 

You must know when to walk away from a purchase if you don`t want to lose money.
There is another piece waiting around the corner.

 

 

If you are looking for specific information you might like to:

check out the FAQ page

or

-skim through the topics list at the bottom of this page

-type a key word into the search box on the right hand column

THE MOST GEORGEOUS DESK

 

If you follow on Facebook you know George has been bragging about a new desk

I have been woking on. Well it's finished and in place in our kitchen.

 

 

First thing I feel in love with when I saw this desk was the legs, big surprise huh?

I found it while we were out yard saling this past weekend and had to give the owner

every cent I had on me ... $85.  BTW she did originally want more.

 

 

Then I realized this indented curve in the center would lends its self perfectly to our small space.

That was the moment when the light bulb went on!!!

 

And when I discussed with George swapping out his desk it was a no brainer.

the words he used when talking about his current desk was "it's fine"

the words he used when I asked about the new desk was "it's pretty cool"

 

When George is at the PC and I have to walk past him it is tight,

with the new desk there is a bit more room.

It may only be inches but around here every inch counts.

 

I had planned to strip and stain the top until I found this under the old finish.

So I have simply stripped and waxed instead.

SEE I REALLY DO LOVE WOOD!!!

 

One handle was awol but I had a similar looking pair so I installed them on the middle drawer.

 

The desk top even got an accessories update.

 

So that does mean that the old desk will get cleaned up and ready for a new home.

Watch for that in the next week.

 

 

This week I'm trying to get back on track and have a few night stands available.

I have 2 singles finished and listed on the SHOWROOM page so far

and still have a french provincial pair to get through.

 

 

An important step to a cozy bedroom retreat that works well for you is the right bedside tables.

 

If you are looking for specific information you might like to:

check out the FAQ page

or

-skim through the topics list at the bottom of this page

-type a key word into the search box on the right hand column

BENCH BUIDING TIPS

 

Thank you everyone for the support and comments over the last 2 days.

For those who don't know someone took the weekend to attack my Craig's list ads.

I've been doing my best to deal with it with out dwelling and getting back into building.

 

I learned long ago to focus negative energy on getting something wonderful accomplished

and that's how this new bench came to be built from a midcentury bed frame.

 

 

I use to build benches often back when I was doing my driftwood furniture

It's a bit different now when you are using a bedframe from the 50's vrs.

raw tree parts that have floated down the river.

 

 

This footboard measured 50" wide, divide that by half you get 25"

which is way to deep for bench arms.

So when you use a foot board for your bench sides you are going to loose a

good size piece in the middle as you can see below. 

 

 

 

I secured the sides into place with 4" screws.

 

 

Next I cut a 2" x 4" to be the front cross support.

 

 

Mark the height your cross piece needs to sit at and when you don't have

a helping hand you can use a pair of clamps to hold your board in place as you screw it in.

 

 

 

 

This reclaimed bench is listed on the SHOWROOM page with price and dimensions,

a long with a new sofa table. This sofa table is quite large with a glass insert over the lattice work.

 

 

 

 

If you are looking for specific information you might like to:

check out the FAQ page

or

-skim through the topics list at the bottom of this page

-type a key word into the search box on the right hand column