Summer and Fall are great times to do home and yard projects. Last month I took on a furniture refinishing project.
This past 4th of July, our home was select to have a BBQ with extended family. Our back porch had gotten so neglected, and the furniture was quite weathered. Frankly, it was a disaster. I was embarrassed to have anyone over, but there was no time to do much about it.
I tidied up a bit and threw tablecloths on the shabby looking tables. However, one of the picnic table's wood had gotten so warped and separated from the weather that whenever people would put down their cups, they would tip over. The tablecloth couldn't hide that problem. I resolved I would improve the back porch before we had anyone else over and decided this was the year to get it done.
I posted before and after pictures on my Instagram (@joyinjourneytoday) and got several messages asking about the process. So here it goes.
The first thing I did was to borrow my son's planer and plane down the wood where it was warped. I tried to get it as level as I could. Then I used my electric sander and sanded the whole table top.
It still left a gap, so I used Bondo and filled in the gap along the table top. There were also some places where the
boards had separated on the benches that I filled with Bondo as well.
When the Bondo dried, I sanded the table down again. It wasn't perfect, but it was way better, and good enough that someone wouldn't tip over their cup by setting it down.
Next I washed down the table and benches to get all the grime and sawdust off to prepare them to paint.
I primed the table and benches with a tinted Sherwin Williams stain blocker primer. Once dry, I painted two coats of Sherwin Williams outdoor Weather Shield paint, Pitch Cobalt color. The next day, I painted a protective polyurethane finish.
I used a slightly different process for the other picnic table. For the painted parts of the chairs and table (the table legs, chair legs and backs), I used the same process of washing, sanding, priming, painting, and finishing). 
For the table top and chair seats, I planned to stain the wood instead of painting. I washed the table and chairs down. When dry, I used the electric sander to sand down the wood.
I used Minwax gel stain, cherry color. I used a brush for stain and a foam roller to brush stain onto the table top, then used a rag to wipe off the excess. I did the same thing on the chair seats. When the stain had dried, I repeated this process for a second coat. I waited a day to do the protective coat of polyurethane.
I picked up these chairs at a yard sale. They were very weathered, but were only $10 each. 
I washed down the chairs. When dry, I sanded the wood and washed the chairs down again.
I used the same Minwax gel stain that I used on the table. I put on two coats allowing the chairs to dry in-between. When dry, I finished off with a coat of polyurethane.
I purchased this dresser off a local local classified ad. I use it as a buffet on the back porch to put food on when
we have backyard BBQs. I the drawers, I keep BBQ tools, gardening tools, faucet covers and safety glasses, gardening gloves, outdoor tablecloths, etc.
The dresser wasn't in bad shape, but it was a bit worn and a different color stain. I sanded it with an electric sander, but not down to bare wood. I sanded off the finish and a bit of the color. I then brushed on the same Minwax gel stain, cherry color to match the table and chairs. When dry I brushed on a protective coat of polyurethane.
