Sur La Table

I finally did it!  We bought this used table and I always had the intention to refinish the top because it had some water damage and other dings.  Now seemed like a good time because the kitchen remodel is almost complete and I have had it with cleaning out the grooves.  I love the look of this table, but cleaning it drove me bonkers.  The grooves collected everything-crumbs, glitter, play-do, food - you name it. It seemed like no matter what I did the table looked perpetually dirty.  So this is what I did.

Before - The grooves look clean because I took this picture after I cleaned the table and grooves with TSP- super strong household cleaner- used to clean surfaces before painting/staining.

Filled the grooves (1/8th inch deep) with Elmer's Wood Fill- Black. It is paintable, stainable, sandable. Pure Awesomeness!

Sanded down one side down to the wood.  

I sanded in the front yard- I hate cleaning sawdust out of our indoor work spaces- neighbors probably think I'm nuts.  I should start wearing red plaid while I work.

Stained it, put on Polyurethane and it looks awesome!  

 The table looks a little rustic because I made some mistakes in the staining, sanding department, but it all worked out in the end.  Through this project I realized that our table actually had wood veneer top, which I discovered when I sanded too much in some spots- thus creating a rustic look.  Oh well, live and learn.  I'm looking forward to cleaning this smooth, smooth surface!