This was our first project to build. It was a great experience and a fun project to do as a family. We chose to make the tabletop out of red oak so that it could take a beating but the base is pine utility boards just as suggested in the plans. My husband has woodworking skills from school days and I have a fair amount of finishing skills. We had some pitfalls getting familiar with the Kreg jig but now that we are our second project was a breeze! We already made 1 of 2 modified bitty benches to go with the table.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$50
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax Dark Walnut, Minwax Wipe On Polyurethane-Gloss; Behr Home Premium (Leftover housepaint), Minwax Wipe On Polyurethane. I have used 2 in 1 stain and polyurethanes before for finishing and I've also used spray on polurethanes, the wipe on stain and polyurethanes were my favorite combinations thus far! I did countless coats of stain on the tabletop with 120 grit sanding and/or 00 steel wool in between. There are also quite a few coats of poly on the tabletop since it's a work surface. The base has 2 coats of paint brushed on with a brush and then knocked down with a foam mini roller. I sanded with 120 grit sandpaper in between coats and then roughed it up a bit after the paint was ready before applying poly. I only felt it needed one coat of poly on the base.
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project