About Me

My photo
Cedar, Leelanau County, Michigan (near Traverse City), United States
I am a 76 year old (born 7/4/1937) retired Public Radio Engineer from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Happily married to the love of my life, Teddy (nee Teddy Schlueter). Teddy is a retired Medical Records Clerk from Theda Clark Hospital in Neenah, Wisconsin. Two children, Michael and Lon. Lon passed away in 1994. Michael is married to his wonderful wife, Toni and lives in Appleton, Wisconsin. For photos click on link below or visit our photo site http://www.flickr.com/photos/igboo NOTE: Click on photos for full-size images.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

TEDCO Refinishing



Teddy has really gotten into the furniture refinishing business big time. She has been haunting all of the thrift stores down here looking for quality furniture that just needs some TLC and this is what she has come up with. If this keeps up we are going to have to get another trailer to pull behind our Cardinal. Seriously though she has come up with some real bargains and has learned a lot in the brief time that she has been refinishing them.
They will go perfectly in the farmhouse when we get back.
Meanwhile back at the farm our contractor has informed us that he is finished with the drywalling. We are excited to see it.
It all started when she found this 48" round oak table at a thrift shop in Pahrump. (see previous blog entry on Thursday, November 18, 2010)




On Dec. 1 we left Pahrump and relocated here in Lake Havasu City. Shortly after arriving she continued refinishing the 48" table. Here, after staining she applies the first of three coats of poly.
After the final coat of polyurethane varnish was dry we wrapped it securely in bubble wrap for it's trip back to "The Farm" in Michigan.
We will use it for our dining room table.

Teddy had enjoyed her refinishing project so much that after a couple of weeks she began searching the thrift shops here for well built furniture items that were also in need of some TLC.

She bought this solid Maple Captains Chair for $5.00 and was soon hard at work This is the result after stripping, sanding, staining and varnishing with 3 coats of poly. It will go into a corner of the dining room back at "The Farm".
I thought that she was done but once the fever had struck
there was no stopping it.

She got this small 24" round table for $15.00 at another thrift store. It is made of solid Oak but someone had finished it with a mahogany almost black stain so dark that you could barely see the grain. Stripping it revealed this beautiful oak grain that was a shame to hide.
Here it is after 3 coats of poly and hand rubbing.
By now Teddy was becoming somewhat of a celebrity here in the park and folks were stopping by to see what she was working on now.

Soon after finishing the 24" table she came
back with this console table which she
picked up for $30.00. It is 16" wide by
49" long and will go nicely against one
of the walls in the dining room.
(that's the pedestal for the 48" table and a wine rack sitting under it in the back of our trailer where it will ride during the trip back)
And now she's working on this solid maple end table which she picked up for $15.00 Here it is after stripping, sanding and applying the first coat of poly.

She plans to use it as a night table in the bedroom.
Teddy has learned a lot since she started, picking up hints from
woodworkers here in the park and by trial and error.
I must say that I am quite proud of her.

Even so she has to stop or we will have to make two trips
to get all of this back to Michigan.  

2 comments:

pidge said...

Great work. Some of those pieces look like Tell City Chair pieces. That is where we are from and the company is now closed, which made the pieces double in value.

Anonymous said...

Greetings from Southern California :-)

I added myself to follow your blog. You are more than welcome to visit mine and become a follower if you want to.

God Bless You, ~Ron