Revamp that Old Tramp!

I recently revived an old sofa table for my friends, the Stefani's.  They love the table and the detail, as do I, but were over the faded yellow and the leg wobble.

My Steps to go from "eh" to "ahhh!"

1. Disassemble 

It is waaaay easier to work with parts.  Especially on a piece like this one that has these pretty bowed legs.

2. Sand or Strip

I chose to sand...so will talk about that process.  You want to use a COURSE grade sandpaper (P60-P120) to remove paint.  I used my Mouse sander first and then decided to give my husband's Dewalt man sander a go seeing as though there was a lot of layers to get through.  I love my Mouse.  It's super small and perfect for a lady in the studio...but the Dewalt is more powerful, hands down.  After you've sanded the paint off, you want to sand it again with a FINE grade sandpaper (P500) to smooth everything out before painting your first coat.  Be sure to wipe away all dust before painting.
*Unfortunately, I don't have a pic.  I was beat after the sanding...my least favorite part.

3. Reassemble

I decided to reassemble.  I don't have the tools to prop up a leg piece while painting, so I thought it best to reassemble.  The leg wobble was a concern of the Stefani's, so I decided to glue those pieces together.  I used Titebond Ultimate wood glue.  It's the best!  I glued the legs in, screwed them back on and used C-Clamps to hold each leg together.

4. Prime

I had some spray primer left over from another project so I went with that.  You have to use primer if you want a quality job done.  Period.  No questions asked.  Otherwise the paint seeps into the wood and the color is uneven.  Trust me...

5. Paint

My favorite part :)  So...I used spray paint...and I'm sorry I did.  I was trying to save money but ended up paying just as much or more for 4 cans as I would've a half gallon of paint.  The Stefani's wanted a more neutral color so I chose Rust-Oleum in Espresso Satin.  If I would've bought a canned paint, I would've had so many more fun browns to choose from, but this one turned out nicely.

6. Seal

I love to seal, but you have to sand again between coats...aye yai yai!  I used Minwax Satin Polyurethane.  Lay your first layer.  Follow the directions and wait 3+ hours. Then use a VERY FINE grade sandpaper (P1200+) to flatten your first shiny layer.  Then reapply another layer.

7. Marvel at your work!