11-Foot Rekourt Dining Table w/ Extensions

This Rekourt dining table was a slightly more complicated build as it involved planning for removable extensions. I finished the base using a slightly off-white milk paint from Homestead House Paint Company (Canadian) with a distressed finish.

The tabletop was stained using a process of Orange Pekoe Tea solution, followed Steel Wool and White Vinegar solution, stained with Minwax's Dark Walnut stain and finished with an oil-based satin polyurethane from Varathane (Canadian subsidiary of Rust-Oleum).

To achieve the distressed and antiqued look on the base, I first applied stain on the edges of the base and on some middle parts where I knew I would sand down.  I then applied vaseline on certain spots that I had stained which created a beautiful effect of crackling paint. I then painted the entire base using VOC-free milk paint from the Homestead House Paint Company.  I even went over the vaseline spots. As soon as the paint dried, the spots that had vaseline, you could immediately notice that the paint had not adhered to the wood and it started cracking which made these wood pieces appear old and weathered.

For the extensions, I carefully cut out two openings on the first leg braces that touch the bottom of the tabletop.  These were JUST wide enough to allow two 2x4's to slide in and out with a bit of force, but without being too tight.  I made sure I left enough space for when the wood would expand.  The extensions are basically two 2x4's support pieces with a two 10" board planked together for addition breadboards. I used the same width of boards as the breadboards to maintain a consistent look.  I painted the support pieces white to contrast with the tabletop and to match the base.

I really enjoyed this one as it challenged me to modify the plan and come up with my own solutions/designs.
 

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