Upcycled dining table as island bench

dazza-m

🖼️

The project:

This is a reperpised dining table turned into an island bench this table was 50 years old and made from oak it was in poor condition. i wanted to pass this on as a heirloom to my daughter so she can pass it down to her children. wanted to show her you do not need to go to a store to get what you need.

- Materials:

bondor paint stripper

sand paper

cabbotts clear varnish

mask

paint brush

steel angle iron

shelving rack

saftey glasses

- Tools:

cordlees drill

electric sander

paint stripper tool with blade

spanner for nuts

drill bits

angle grinder

- Step 1:

I used bondall paint stripper with brush and blade as it was fume free water based see link

https://www.bunnings.com.au/bondall-1l-waterbased-paint-varnish-stripper_p0065958

- Step 2:

once the bodall has been applied strip old paint and varnish take your time to get all of old varnish off as it is less sanding time.

- Step 3:

see link for sander used as this is the one i used it was fantastic easy to remove sandpaper.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-280w-1-3-sheet-sander_p6210546

https://www.bunnings.com.au/trojan-75mm-paint-scraper_p0093213

sand all areas with 80 grit sand paper going down to 200 grit for a finer finish.

- Step 4:

next step i used cabots clear coat varnish as this would give me the best finish link below

https://www.bunnings.com.au/cabot-s-1l-satin-clear-benchtop-timber-finish_p1520590

this tin was plenty for project and kept some over for another job. use this product as it is waterbase quick drying and quality don't use inferior if you want it to last.

- Step 5:

Oce every thing is dry remove legs from table so we can add casters for feet. see link below of what i used as i waned hight and long lasting non marking wheels on floor see link and photo.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/move-it-100mm-150kg-red-poly-swivel-castor_p0168698

- Step 6:

make sure you use stainless tseel bolts as this is very important as this is where the weight will be.

always use small pilot holes to start with as you are going into end grain. see link for screw

https://www.bunnings.com.au/zenith-m8-x-75mm-stainless-steel-hex-head-coach-screw_p2310595

- Step 7:

i have added some storage underneath. for this i used angle iron and shelving, see link

https://www.bunnings.com.au/metal-mate-32-x-32-x-1-5mm-1-8m-black-enamel-slotted-angle_p1090846

https://www.bunnings.com.au/rack-it-400kg-wire-shelf-for-530-rack-depth-895-x-500mm_p2760528

i cut these material to size and screwed them in. see picture

- Step 8:

this picture above is finished project i have no carpentry skills and just a novice i always look for wooden projects that i can turn into something else. the cost of this was the pride and joy of giving this to my daughter her face was priceless.

my daughter is in a 2 bedroom house and need somethin versitile, it is used for pep work for meals and also a area to sit at for meals.

JacobZ

Hi @dazza-m,

Thank you for reuploading your project with the additional details.

Restoring a 50-year-old oak dining table and turning it into a practical island bench has preserved the character of the original piece while giving it a completely new purpose. The clear finish shows off the timber beautifully, and the castors and added shelving make it a versatile addition to your daughter’s home.

I am sure she is appreciative of the hard work you put in. You should be very proud of your achievement. I hope it lives on in the family for many years to come.

Jacob