Home Improvement Project - Part 3 - The Thread Got Longer. And Longer. And Longer...

Legal crap I have to say: This post contains a link or links which redirect you to Amazon and I might get a small commission if you click or purchase from that link. Of course, I might also become the President of the United States, too. Both are equally likely.

I figured that if I sanded any more of the set with 60 grit sandpaper, I wouldn't have a table left, any more! It was finally time to start filling in some of the holes.

It's pretty cool that you can find advice and product recommendations for just about anything, especially as someone new to outdoor furniture restoration. After searching for what would work best with old wood, I found Bondo's Rotted Wood Restorer and Bondo's Wood Patch, and went to work.

I've never done anything like this before, honestly. I mean, never done something this complex. Back when I had a home of my own, I received an Adirondak chair and an Adirondak rocker as a gift from my ex's aunt, and eventually they needed sanding and staining, just as all wood furniture eventually does. But I've never actually taken everything apart and gone into it with this kind of depth. And I'll be honest: I don't think I needed to fill everything I filled! (D'oh!) I regret not having read a little bit more about what needs patching and what doesn't. C'est la vie!

In any case, so far, I like the Bondo products. For the Rotted Wood Repair, you need to put 4-6 coats of it on the spot you want to repair, and wait two hours before you start using the wood patch. The wood repair stuff comes with a brush already attached to the lid, so you don't have to worry about sacrificing a brush to the Goop Gods, which I think is a pretty nifty feature.

The only complaint I had was that the particular can I got seemed to be hermetically sealed! I mean, that sucker wasn't going to twist off without a fight! It took a good fifteen or twenty minutes with a set of Channellock pliers and a small blood sacrifice to get the lid to move. But at last, it came loose and I could get on with my repairs.

Even though the above picture doesn't show it, the wood filler is a two-part mix. A little tube of activator comes hidden in the lid of the can and their instructions are very precise and clear.

But, dang it! Why the heck is all the print on everything so small these days?! Seriously!

Teensy print aside, I will say that the working time with the wood patch is exactly as promised: short! If you need to do this kind of work with this product, be sure you have your mise en place, as the chefs say.

In other words, have everything you need ready to go and within easy reach. This isn't the product which will wait while you run to the tool box and get a putty knife!

Holes and old damages were filled. I went to town on this thing!

Was it pretty? Well, no. It was my first time doing this with this product, so there was a little bit of a learning curve. But it worked, and that's what counts.

I had some lunch, took a well-deserved nap, and came back out to sand the patches.

And next, I took the 120 grit sandpaper to the top of the table. Just because you can never have enough fun with power tools!

Dad was nice enough to drill things for the bolts and to nail that pesky cross-piece back in place. We had a couple of blots which had bent, so he ran to the hardware store to replace them and get that one extra bolt we needed. After that, I matched up all the legs and supports.

I have to giggle, because he took on the drilling, himself. Because he's the man of the house and that's how it's done around here! Lol!

I'm taking a break from the project for a day or two, just because I am one big bag of aches and pains! But the next step is getting all the legs on, and then start with the deck sealer. 

We are SO close!