I seriously don't like this DIY project!

This is the project I have been dreading!  For a year now, I've been putting this off simply because I HATE stripping paint.  Some bloggers talk about stripping paint like it's the best thing in the world. No, not a bit. I've done it a few times and each time I tell myself, "I'm never going to do this again."
But here's my problem.  I have a solid wood table that I actually like. I painted it about a year ago and did it ALL wrong!

About a month after I first finished my table, I realized my major mistake. I used the wrong kind of paint.  ARRHGG!

So, finally, I'm fixing my awful, annoying mistake! Here's what the table originally looked like.

But for the last year (and a half?) it was looking bad. Really bad.  In fact, I kept a table cloth on it all the time because it looked so bad.


Here's what I'm talking about, and the paint brush strokes didn't help either.

So I finally decided to get this project done before the snow comes.  I've procrastinated long enough.  It's time. Plunge!

This is what I used.

 I've used a few different strippers and Citristrip I think works great.  My problem is that I never put enough of the gel on the table.  The picture below is an example of NOT ENOUGH stripping gel.


The paint should wrinkle all over, not just a little bit like below.


So, after my first failed attempt and hours of scraping, I had to reapply the gel LIBERALLY.

After two days of scraping and sanding paint, this is what the table looked like. I actually found my paint scraper tool in my purse this last weekend. Have no idea how it ended up there, but I was dreaming paint removal night after night.
I used steel wool to get in the grooves of the legs and 100 grit sand paper on the surface.  This is the part I don't like.  It takes days, and, yes, I thought about just buying a new one.


But once I got to this point, I knew I was close to the end.

I'm going back to a white color for this table so I'm starting the project with a good stain blocking primer.  The spray primer is for the legs of the table. I brushed on primer for the rest.


I don't worry about what the primer looks like.  It's splotchy and ugly, but that's the nature of primer.  Here's what the table looked like after the first coat.

Then I took  220 grit sand paper and sanded the table, trying to get raised brush strokes to sand down.


Finally, the second coat was applied.



And I spray primered the legs.  She's coming along, but the weather suddenly changed on me, and I had to stop.  I checked that weather report twice, too!

I'll finish my next step this weekend.  This is where I really messed up last time! It will take a few days to cure and protect, but she'll be ready for a family meal soon!

Blessings,
Lisa

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