So I picked up this large spool to make into something on the spur of the moment. Glad I had some help or I never would have fit it in my van. Several funny moments as it was stuck several times but we got it in. It started out much like this...
So after a few weeks of thinking about what I wanted to do with it (and tripping over it in my garage) it came to me... a perfect fit for an outdoor fire table. Also a little bonus was if I didn't like it when I was done I could burn it. So I finally got started.
First I used an electric sander to clean it up a bit. I only sanded the top surface so it was fairly smooth and so that no nails were sticking up. Then I talked my husband into cutting a hole in the middle so I could put in a fire top bowl eventually.
Next was the best part. Using a small hand torch I burned it all over to give it more light and dark spots all over. It is a really great way to bring out the grain and you can do as much or as little as you would like. A small hand held torch gives you a lot of control.
Next I stained the edges of the table with No Pain Gel Stain in Black as well as the base. I had to wait 3 days for the Stain to totally dry as I wanted to seal it with Gator Hide. No Pain Gel Stain is oil based and Gator Hide is water based so it is recommended to let you stain dry for a minimum of 3 days so you will not have any problems. I loved the overall look after it was just stained and sealed.
I popped in my fire bowl and it was was done! I like it best at night when the fire is going. During the day I thought it still needed something so I added some color by using the base to hold my plant pots.
I added some flower pots around the base for some color during the day.
Hope you enjoyed,
Andrea Hinz