I wish that I had taken a "before" picture. The legs were so badly damaged that there was no way of salvaging them and I had to bite the bullet and replace them altogether. The original finish was this awful honey maple color so I re-stained using Minwax English Chestnut. The color is so much warmer and more modern. Overall I did learn a few lessons along the way. (and just ignore the fake food and Thomas. Something creeps in my pictures no matter how many times I clean up)
1. Sanding by hand is hard! However I probably lost about 5lbs. doing it so it's a plus in my book.
2. After removing all of the hardware I should have put everything in separate bags with labels instead of just throwing it in the workbench drawer. It wasn't fun trying to find everything again. Not to mention one of the hinges only fit into one spot. It was just a tad frustrating putting it all back together.
3. Never ever try to apply polyurethane with a foam brush. I swear I read you can do this somewhere. NOT a good idea!
4. Do not freak out after sanding the first coat of poly and find that there are now scratches everywhere on something you have worked so hard to stain. They will be soothed by the 2nd coat of poly.
I actually had a lot of fun doing this and am looking for something else to do now. Although it will have to sit in the garage until spring since it's now too cold here to paint or stain outside. I'm sure my husband won't mind. :)
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