$12.50 Coffee Table

So your dog chewed up the furniture.  Big deal!

Talk about keeping stuff out of the landfill...I found this great coffee table at Goodwill.  I had obviously been chewed on a little by a dog, and three of the four bolts holding the table to the base were missing bolts.  The regular price of this table was $25 but it was half-off day so I picked it up for $12.50.

The heavy base was in great condition and other then some teeth marks the oak was a little scratched but in otherwise good condition as well.  With some help from my son and his truck (save more dough by borrowing a friend or family member) we brought it home and dropped it on the back patio.

I pulled out all four bolts and put the base upside down in the yard.  This allowed the wood top to extend out over the base and all the sides and corners were easily accessible for sanding.  With an electric sander I gave it a once over on the whole table and a little extra focus on sanding where the teeth marks were.  There were a few spots with glue or something else dried onto the table, but these sanded right off.  I don't think it was more the 15 minutes of sanding overall. 

I then used Glidden brand house paint in a Satin finish, in a basic black, painted the inside corners and dips in the wood with a brush then quickly rolled on one coat with a lint free paint roller.  I did a final roll from end-to-end without stopping to get rid of "roll over" thickness.  The next day I did the same with a second coat of paint.  (I waited an extra day due to the cooler temperature)  On day three I used a light sandpaper to distress the finish in a few places and then hit those spots with a very light coat of a matte finish spray.  I think the distressing helps to "cover-up" the dog's rustic treatment.

After a week or so, I will hit it with some spray pledge to give it some protection.  If its gets a little worn down the road I have left over paint and can easily touch it up again.

Not bad for less then $13.