This drop-leaf youth table, with two matching chairs, is Clare’s latest project. There are [at least] four coats of paint on it, and it’s definitely the work of a DIY carpenter. While the design is clever enough and it’s sturdy enough to have survived for several decades, there are obvious indications that it’s not professional quality. The hinges are attached with fasteners that don’t match. Even worse (perhaps for durability?), there are pairs of fasteners that were attached from opposite sides of the wood, leaving obvious marks on the upper surface of the table. But, despite all this, it’s fine for a toddler and this is going to Grandchild #3.
While Clare started sanding, hoping to get to bare wood and stain the piece, there are too many coats of paint, and the underlying wood is nothing special, so Plan B is to sand down the paint drips and repaint it in a two-color scheme.
Clare asked me about any structural changes I would want to make. The table is sturdy enough, but what’s evident here is that I want to add a “stop” for the swinging bars that hold up the leaves when they’re in the “up” position. I pre-drilled the holes for the stop, so the only trepidation drilling into the underside of the tabletop was to not go all the way through. Without an appropriate drill bit with a depth guide, I just wrapped masking tape around the bit. A poor man’s depth guide! I did have to glue the spindles for the back on one of the chairs, but the table and two chairs have held up remarkably well.
Mystery: No one in Clare’s family remembers this table!
Retired economics professor (“dismal scientist”). Married 40+ years to the love of my life; we have two grown daughters, both married, two granddaughters and a...
Grandchild#3 will love it!
As a toddler my daughter had a table with two benches. She used it so much for all her projects from Legos to drawings to eating snacks!
@rhoing When and if I ever finish with my late mother's house, then it will be time to start on mine. It's exhausting - physically and emotionally, but it's go to be done.
@corinnec In a thank you note this week, our daughter wrote, “she’s already figured out how to get in and out of her seat,” so it’s had a “mobility benefit” already!
@marlboromaam Yesterday I took 5 plastic bags of shredded paper to a recycling depository. The immediate motivation is to tidy up my home office so it can actually be the 4th bedroom when the kids' families come for the total solar eclipse in the spring. But, yeah, the long-term project is to Get. Cr*p. Outta. Here!
@rhoing It's deciding what to do with over 33 years of "stuff" collected from all over the world while dad was in the Air Force. The auction guy is mainly doing furniture. That leaves me to do the rest.
Since we started preparing for the kids to come with their families, I've discovered that being in a ruthless frame of mind makes all the difference. When Covid came and we began driving the 1200 miles to Massachusetts, we accepted it as an opportunity to “transfer” items we no longer needed/wanted to the two young families. Clare came up with a simple question regarding things we no longer wanted or needed: “Would the girls want this or appreciate having this?” If not, out it goes. There's also this guiding quote,
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to
be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” ―William Morris
Amen, Billy!! :)
@rhoing Good advice! I have no kids and few family members to distribute to. A year from now, I just don't want to say that I wish I'd kept that or that. It's not easy.
As a toddler my daughter had a table with two benches. She used it so much for all her projects from Legos to drawings to eating snacks!
Since we started preparing for the kids to come with their families, I've discovered that being in a ruthless frame of mind makes all the difference. When Covid came and we began driving the 1200 miles to Massachusetts, we accepted it as an opportunity to “transfer” items we no longer needed/wanted to the two young families. Clare came up with a simple question regarding things we no longer wanted or needed: “Would the girls want this or appreciate having this?” If not, out it goes. There's also this guiding quote,
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to
be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” ―William Morris
Amen, Billy!! :)