RECLAIMED COFFEE TABLE

When we tore our old deck down I thought it would such a waste not to reuse the wood that was left.  I finally decided that I wanted to try to make a hybrid coffee table out of an old table I found at the junk store ($10) and the deck wood.  The table had nice legs but a cheap looking top.

This is a picture of the table after I had cleaned it up and given a couple coats of Java gel stain.

The wood was in pretty bad shape but I cleaned it up with a power washer.  If you have never used one of those things let me tell you they are awesome! It took off dirt I didn't even realize was there.  The wood looked great after it had dried.  I wanted an authentic rustic look so I left the nails in the boards and cut them off on the back side.

I used the table as a guide and cut the wood a few inches longer on both ends for an over hang and about an inch on the long sides. I made the cuts so the nails were staggered along each board.

I tried two different stains, Dark Walnut and Java.  I decided I like the Dark Walnut the best.  It is at the top of the wood.

After the stain, I gave the boards three coats of semi-gloss polyurethane.  I should have tried that along with the stain because it is just a bit too shiny for my taste.  My husband helped me attach the boards to the table with wood screws.  

It isn't too bad for something that I just wanted to try out.  I will probably end up using it in the new garage rec room.