Farm Table Advice

Maybe y'all could give me some advice..
I bought this old 7' farm table this past weekend.
I have plans of stripping the white latex paint off and maybe repainting, not sure yet, but the top needs a little tlc

Some of the boards have split and will need reinforcing, what's the best way?

I also want to sand it down as it's pretty gunky and "refinish" it.
Maybe boiled linseed oil?
Should I use a flat poly to seal it?
Just wax?

The SO thinks possibly just replacing the boards (he wants maple, but we have a business I town that does reclaimed wood)

It will be used everyday, 3x a day.

What's the best route?

 

I'd go with the reclaimed wood guy. The ones on it now are too thin, so even if they weren't cracked, some more substantial boards are in order.

 

This was so built in some dads garage ! Personally,I like it the way it is ,it has an 'honest" feel to it. Fill in the worst cracks with wood putty ( I cant imagine the crumbs?!?) slap a coat of varnish on it and use away. I dont think Id spend any significant money on it. Unless your crafty,then theres THIS,wich I think is gorgeous.

 

Think this is cobbled together from reclaimed lumber as it is. Rather than strip and replace the top, why not make one to your own liking with different reclaimed wood? Otherwise, I would repaint over the old paint without stripping and live with the top as-is. If it needs reinforced, attach strips of wood to the underside with screws and glue. It does need to be cleaned (maybe a couple places need stripped) and a new finish applied. A couple coats of tung oil varnish and paste wax would do wonders.

 

I think its a little older than yall think it is..
Its all square nailed together and stout.
Theres not give or shake.

Whom ever built it didnt Jerry rig it together.

 

I've been working on stripping the legs, there's about 4 coats of paint on it.
I'm planning on repainting the legs, just not sure what color yet.
White, black?


Anyways, i sanded down the top and coated it with boiled linseed oil.
I'm not sure how I feel about it.

What do y'all think?

 

Hi,
I love the way the table looks with the linseed oil though I would have used tung oil. The linseed oil will darken with age.
greg

 

After looking down your images, and I'm not one for restructuring antique or old pieces, I definitely am not crazy about the thinness of the top.....I would have pulled that top off and had some nice thick planks put on that went with the base!! THAT being said, I do like what you did with the sanding and staining!! And what all comes out in the end is.... if you and your SO like it, then that's all that matters!!!!! Nice job!!

 

Thanks!
We may still redo the top, but were going with this for now.
Im tired of eating in my lap or off the counter top in the kitchen, lol

 

I think it looks great !

 

The boards are quite thin indicating they were originally power planed which would put the date somewhere between 1890 and 1920 (if the nails are actually square headed. It may be solid, but it was definitely made by a novice craftsman. The top has a lot of character, but I would avoid boiled linseed oil as it gets gummy and will eventually alligator. Howards products are excellent for wood finishes.

 

The paint is slooooowly stripping off. There was the white latex, a bright blue, a really sticky green (oil based) and this apparently glued on blue.
I think I'm going to paint it back a black with a satin finish.

 

Hi,
The first coat which you referred to a "glued" blue might have been a milk paint blue. It would scrub off using ammonia. Paint strippers have an awful time with it.
I could tell tales from experience..
greg

 

You're probably right about the milk paint!

I'm done stripping now.
Now all i need to do is pick a color to paint