Featured Repurposing maple table

We want to use this nice table base for general purposes in the warehouse. This is basically how we got it in the “dumpster dive” I posted about a couple weeks ago. Table is something like 32” square. Helper added the oak blocks you see clamped on after Gorilla Glue applied. Helper loves GG and won’t use anything else on wood, I like it too, wonderfully strong stuff, easy to use. A real furniture restorer would have used wedges vice the blocks the helper used, but since it doesn’t matter to us and wedges require an extra cut, we left the wedges as blocks. We used non-ideal tools because the best tools are at another location and we just wanted to get this done today. I’m looking for an appropriate top, think I’ll try a maple butcher-block top from an older workbench, have to measure, it is in another place. That one has grey sheet-metal legs which I HATE! Dunno why but I’d just love any excuse to throw them out.

 

Personally I hate gorilla glue, but it does have its uses. How about gluing together some of those table leaves you also got from the dump? This is about the perfect use for them.

 

Good idea; if the butcher block top doesn’t work out, we’ll look at the oak table leaves.

 

HA!!!!! GOOD memory!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If it is all painted wood - GG works just fine!! I thought it was metal base adding wood on top!

 

it's weird that you have to wet , whatever it is you're gluing .....that just seems wrong..!

Love their tape though...the clear stuff will stick to anything.....even air !!

 

Yes the water activates something in it that makes it foam up and penetrate the wood better. Now that you mention it I’m gonna have to ask the helper if he used water or not, I didn’t notice any foaming, and he’s extremely forgetful. Or maybe I’ll just do the hammer test on some of the joints. Properly done, the wood will break somewhere away from the joint before the joint fails.

 

'Nuther cute avatar, Spring!!!! Are those flowers for MEEEEEEE!!!

 

Why of course my deah!

 

Roses are red
Violets are blue
use those oak leaves
cuz they got nuthin better to do !

 

Thx for the ideas. Here’s trial top no. 1. I mean, once we pull the wood dowel pegs out of the right side, NObody goin’ know this is a marriage! He’s jes’ Kiddin!

Tried this top first ‘cause was the easiest, might do as is, no cutting. If’n We use it, what color should we paint the bottom? The present mustard color may not be the best one with that top.

I took clamps off today and even tho there’s no evidence that helper used water as recommended, it is now very sturdy and no blocks moved during my hammer test. Feels like one solid piece of wood now.

 

if you want to show off the wood....then eggshell...
if you want to show off............deep purple.

 

More progress photos. I had a somewhat intense discussion with helper who was refusing to moisten the wood as GG instructions direct. I convinced him to dampen the wood first. So he did use water on the photos below of underside of leaves. He created the oak crosspiece from a pallet slat. Photo of table frame joint shows how GG expands while setting, in this case it fizzed up as shown overnight with no water on the wood, so the water may not be as important as I thought, but I feel a lot better following the instructions. Regarding the color the legs and frame will be, Ms. Spring wants Satin Hunter Green if I’m not going to keep the mustard color, which I’m not.

 

I thought about British Racing Green........but green just doesn't POP !

Then again.....I'm not the Misses.....!!

 

And I hope my helper didn’t think I was going “ape” over the Gorilla Glue thing!

 

Here’s yesterday’s work-in-progress pic. Helper is only part-time and is doing other things too; that’s why it isn’t done yet. Table has been sanded and wiped clean of paint dust using alcohol. No need to strip old paint off, all “edges” have been sanded flat. The Rustoleum shown is “Satin Hunter Green” and contains its own primer. It will get at least two coats of the green paint, maybe three if first two don’t conceal all beneath.

 

That's late art nouveau, isn't it?

 

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Good question for somebody like Brad, ihni, maybe those odd-shaped feet tell something. The helper noted that it was very well-joined, solid maple, pointed out two transverse dowels where each leg joins frame, said legs were quarter-sawn, said it had some real age to it, but no top came with it.

 

Likely early 20th century with Mackmurdo feet (English - arts and crafts period) but probably American.

 

Thanks for the analysis!