The Beginning Part 2

     Okay, on to the fun part. Putting together this planked top was certainly the most labor intensive part of the entire process for me. All that labor meant I got more lazy about taking pictures, so I'll just do my best to explain the process I followed. Let me start by initially reiterating what Ana says in her walkthrough. BUY STRAIGHT BOARDS! I made absolute sure when I was purchasing my 2x6's that I was being as picky as I could be and I STILL had some minor difficulties, so just remember to be very selective.

     First things first, you'll want to cut your 2x6's to size but I honestly wouldn't worry about absolute precision here because I wound up running a circular saw down the ends to ensure perfection after the boards were joined. Secondly, lets make sure you get your pocket-holes taken care of correctly. Ana doesn't give an example of the pocket-holes on this particular walkthrough buuut we can just borrow one from her original Farmhouse table shown below.

Courtesy of Ana-White.com

     Please note the example above is NOT an exact representation our our tabletop. We use 7 2x6's and as shown below. The center plank (shown in blue) will have no pocket-holes. What I did was join the three planks on the right together and then the 3 on the left and then joined them to the middle, making sure that the pocket holes on either side of the middle plank are facing in the direction of the middle plank.

Pocket-hole guide

     As I just mentioned, I joined the top in three steps out of necessity as my workbench was not big enough to accommodate it being done all together. The process that I followed to get my tabletop as straight as possible was to lay a 2x4 across each end spanning the width and clamping from the 2x4 to my workbench to ensure the planks were all laid down as flat as I could get them. Then I took two longer clamps and clamped them the width of the planks as well to ensure the boards were pulled together very tight. Make sure none of your clamps are covering pocket-holes and then screw them together with 2-1/2" PH screws. 

     Once my tabletop was joined together I mentioned I ran a circular saw down the ends and to do that I followed Ana's video guide here. So after the all the work done to ensure a nice flat, even tabletop - I STILL had a lot of work to to. I busted out the random orbital sander and spent the next few hours before bed sanding the top as flat and smooth as I could. I brought one of our dinner plates out and while the plate did not rock at all, you certainly knew you were going across planks if slid over the width. I'm still very happy with my results just know I wasn't able to achieve absolute perfection, which I should mention is one of my downfalls - I always expect that out of myself - sometimes to no good end!

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     In-between all the work with the tabletop I applied another coat of paint to the base of the table and once that dried, hit it with a sanding pad to help create that aged "Old World Finish" that Ana also has a walkthrough for here. And wouldn't you know, its for this table too!

Distressed look on the legs

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     The next part of the walkthrough was the only part I ran into any real problems.  Ana created another walkthrough for Staining and Finishing Tabletops for this exact table and while there is no mention of it in the walkthrough, Ana responds in the comments section

"My sister really wanted a planked look - like boards are just resting on top - but functionality at the same time. So we choose not to use tongue and groove, but did Kreg Jig all the boards together. There were a few boards that were not as cooperative as I'd have liked, so I did fill any open gaps with clear silicone before applying the top coat (but after the stain). The top coat then really filled all the gaps so it's easy to wipe clean."

     So being the studious gent that I am, I decided to silicone in-between the planks. Used my finger to run the silicone smooth and then used a lightly damp cloth to remove any excess residue. Ana said she did this AFTER the stain but BEFORE top coat. THIS IS WHERE THINGS GO SOUTH! After the silicone cured clear, I applied the Helmsman Spar and let it dry, and plain as day there was a noticeable color difference where the planks meet. Either I didn't do a good enough job cleaning the residue or the silicone didn't interact well with the Spar or the stain - or both?!? Either way I knew I was going to have to un-do A LOT of work. Afterwards I went back and re-read her comment and realized that she said "open gaps". All of my diligence with the clamps ensured I really didn't have any obvious open gaps.

     I waited a day or so until the Spar appeared dry and broke out the sander again and got to work only to find some spots on the table must not have been as dry as others because when the sander hit those spots it immediately looked like I poured a thick molasses on the sanding disc. Because of this I probably went through 7-8 discs before I had the top re-sanded back down. If I had it to do over again, I would still use the silicone as I want this table to last generations - I would just apply BEFORE the stain so that I could still lightly sand where the planks meet to ensure no residue was left, THEN I would stain and topcoat. 

     So, I wound up re-staining the top and this time I decided to thin the spar with some odorless mineral spirits as I had read somewhere this would help achieve a slightly more matte finish and also speed the drying time. Lightly sand in-between top coats and repeat the process until you are satisfied with the results. As Ana commented, I agree that the top coat really does fill in any gaps for a very easy to wipe surface.

     With the top dried all that was left to do was put that bad boy together. I carefully brought the tabletop in from the garage and laid it top down onto some towels.

A very curious chocolate lab

     Anyways, a few measurements to get the placement right and now it's time to take advantage of those pocket-holes we drilled earlier. Using 2-1/2" pocket holes, attach the tabletop and have someone help you flip it over to see your finished project in all it's glory!

My labor of love

     I was able to find some old weathered chairs on Craigslist and negotiated the price to $25 a chair if I purchased all 6. I just felt like they totally matched the theme I was trying to achieve and had to have them. $150 may seem like a lot to spend but I could barely get 1 chair for that price much less 6 in some local decor stores. All we need now is some decor to bring this room to life but we'll save that for another blog. So there you have it, my first real project. I can't imagine being more proud of another build. I hope you all enjoy!