Sunday, February 24, 2008

Trim complete, table still progressing

I finished the toe molding in the bedroom yesterday. It is odd. The photos suggest that there is a radical difference between the color of the molding and the baseboard. In actuality it's not that different. We used 3/4" quarter round for the molding. This is the size that was there. No, I did not strip the original and replace it - too much of it got ruined in the demo and there were still about a thousand staples per foot in that stuff - it looked like crap.

It is amazing how "finished" this makes the room seem. It also brings attention to all the little things I need to do - like touching up the paint at the edge of the plaster and cleaning the floors and baseboards (there is still some residue from when I washed down the plaster). There is also a splotch where I spilled some stripper and I need to fix that somehow. I figure I can hold off the cleaning and touch-up until the very end.

I put a coat of Cabot's "cherry" stain on the table. It is looking nice. I am going to finish it with a few coats of wipe-on poly and I'll then put on the top. The little gap is still bothering me - I may take it apart once more and try to re-align it but my smarter side is saying leave well enough alone. Hmmmm.

10 comments:

Our Little Bungalow said...

I like the trim, I know how the camera distorts color. Is the trim now close to what was there originally? I think it looks nice.
LEAVE THE GAP ALONE. Your table looks great. LEAVE THE GAP ALONE. But if you are like me, you prob won't. But please do. ;-)

Chris said...

The trim is the same size as the trim in the rest of the house pretty much the same as I pulled out - except that it is not caked with layers of white paint.

Sandy said...

I think the table looks nice.

Andy said...

I'm no expert woodworker (I strive to be), but just a thought, assuming I'm understanding this gap correctly. It sounds like one of the legs is just 3/32 too tall, right? Can you get a belt or orbital sander, figure out which one is "pushing" the top up that much and just shave it down? If it's going to be under the top of the table, it should be concealed. Unless I'm misunderstanding here...I built an end table from scratch once, set up a jig to cut the legs and still found the legs to be about 1/16 off...so I shaved off the bottom of the legs until it sat perfectly (they'd already been attached to the top!).

Just a thought...the table looks totally awesome though... :)

Chris said...

Andy, I think that's exactly what happened. I think two of the legs got mounted slightly low (very slightly) I think I am going to live with the gap at the top because once the top is mounted, you won't be able to see it. There will be a slight gap on two sides but since the legs will support the top, it shouldn't be wobbly.

Joanne said...

The table looks great. I think you've inspired me!

Jennifer said...

Gap, what gap? I don't see a gap. :) Seriously, I wouldn't do it. Well, actually I WOULD... and that is the problem. You will be much happier if you leave it! (And I really don't see it).

The trim looks really nice!

Chris said...

The gap is only annoying because it wasn't there when I dry-fit the pieces together. So the error occurred during assembly. If only I could... No, I really just need to get the top on it so I don't see the gap anymore.

Anonymous said...

Your floor, baseboards and trim look great. I bought a Speedheater based partly on your recommendation - Now, can I quiz you about what you used to refinish the wood?

Chris said...

I wish the wood in this room was a little darker but I like it. I did two-coats of minwax gel stain, red mahogany, and then followed with three coats of tung oil. I don't love the shinyness of the tung oil but I do like the way the wood grain comes through. I found a low-sheen tung oil that I am going to try in the bedroom hall. If I like that better, I may do that in the rest of the house. The original finish in the house was a very dark varnish/stain (I still have it on the back of some doors) It is shiny and almost completely conceals the wood grain.