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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Baby Steps



If you read this blog, you already know I am cheap.
If you've read this blog for any length of time,
you probably also know that I am lazy.

So when I find a cheap piece of furniture in need of a miracle, I look first for an easy way to fix it.
In this case, by cheap furniture I mean free.  See yesterday's blog.  


Free washstand or telephone table.  In rough shape but sturdy.
Puts the shabby in chic, that's for sure.
And by in need of a miracle, I mean in really awful condition.
See?  I am not kidding.
Is there any way to handle this without having to do any actual work?


I plan on putting this little guy in my antiques booth and selling him for
hundreds and hundreds of dollars . . . Not.  Maybe tens of dollars.

Howard to the rescue.  No, not my husband Howard, although he rescues me all the time.
This time, it's the Howard Company, which makes wood care products, including this:


Feed-N-Wax.
The Lazy Lady's Best Friend -- a mix of waxes and a bit of orange oil.
Available on Amazon, at Home Depot, and probably at your local hardware store.

Here's what I did while watching the noon news today:  I wiped on the Feed-N-Wax . . . 

. . . a nice generous coat.  Then, I relaxed for about 20 minutes, and followed up with a
good buffing with a clean cotton cloth, to get rid of the oily sheen and bring up the waxy gleam.

There's Dion, sound asleep, behind the table.  I never wax him.  Almost never, anyway.
 It is not perfect, not by a very long shot.  It still is beat up and, ahem, rugged.
But it does look better, and who knows?
Someone may fall in love with this little street kid and want him "as is."

If not, I haul him home again from the antiques booth, and do him up right --
melting his finish and reamalgamating it.  How's that for a 64-cent word?
Or, I paint him.  We'll see.  But my bet is that priced right, he'll sell.

I used Feed-N-Wax on another table in December, wrote about it here.
In 30 minutes, that table went from this, stripped and dull:

to this:

I put it in my booth on a Sunday, late in the day.
It sold the very next day.  Thank you, Feed-N-Wax.  :-)

The only problem is that I really liked this table, and I kind of miss it.  Oh well.
We have to let them grow up and toddle out into the big world, I guess.

Tomorrow -- more on The Mystery Chest from Wednesday's post:
I think we're getting close to consensus on what it is.

No Link Parties today for me -- I can't figure out where to put "ugly furniture badly restored."
Maybe I need to start my own blog party -- Cass

17 comments:

  1. I've never seen this product, but I am writing this down. I have to write everything down because I would probably not think about it any more after I get off this site! I have an old Mission style rocker that was my father's, oak, but most of the icky brown paint has worn away. I can't imagine why anyone painted oak brown, but someone did. At any rate, I think that this might be just the ticket. I might even let it leave the attic now and then.

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  2. That is amazing how well that worked, does not even look like the same table!

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  3. Cass my Friend!
    what a delight you are!!
    I know I can always count on you to deliver me from whatever..
    happens to be holding me hostage at the moment..
    into the bright , cheerful world of humorous antics,
    laughing hysterically ..all the way..
    this post did it for me today..
    I'm still laughing as i visualize you busily waxing away..
    totally absorbed in the noon news..
    with Dion faithfully at your side!!
    you are not cheap..
    frugal maybe..
    and I choose to think of you as a staunch environmentalist..
    rescuer, repurposer, recyler..
    that in itself says you are far from being LAZY..
    even in your idle moments..
    you like me, are busily multitasking!!
    so thanks for the laughter..
    now i can eat my cake in peace..
    well without snorting milk all over the place!!
    much love and warm hugs..
    Loui♥

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  4. Cass maybe you could make some money advertising for Feed N Wax ... you've got me wanting a bottle. Great transformation, and sure worth a try to selling it before you put more time in it!

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  5. Looks great. I love little tables.

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  6. That is surely a miracle product! Home Depot, you say....I'll have to check it out.

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  7. Have you ever tried Howard's Restore A Finish? I put that on first, let it sit for a while, wipe the excess off and when dry, follow up with the Feed N Wax. Fabulous! The Restore A Finish comes in lots of wood colors and is a fantastic product, it's truly amazing how it does indeed 'restore' the finish. The Feed N Wax helps to keep the wood like retain necessary moisture. The good news is it's cheap! Both products go a long way and are under $10.00! I have a house over 100 years old and I use it on all the wood and the results are terrific!

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  8. Ohhh...that little table looks pretty cute. I hae been using that wax since reading about it here in blogland somewhere..probably from YOU-lol I think it will sell because it has great lines. I can't WAIT to hear what that little chest is/was/pretends to be. xo Diana

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  9. This stuff is fantastic! I never heard of it! The table is just beautiful, I don't blame you for wanting to hang on to it!

    XO,
    Jane

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  10. That feed and wax is amazing stuff.

    You are NOT lazy. You are smart.

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  11. Never heard of this product, but will file it away in case I have a need for it.
    The table looks great!

    Melinda

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  12. Thanks so much Cass! I saw your first post....went and ordered a bottle of Feed-N-Wax...and then voila, magic I tell you!! I actually blogged about it here:)http://shinesthyme.blogspot.com/2012/01/too-good-to-be-quiet-about.html Thanks again for the tip!! PS....I think the little table will probably sell just as she is:) Blessings~~Shine

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  13. Wow...that stuff is amazing!!!!! I will have to keep that in mind for my furniture! I would say that the chest is a map chest maybe or for plans for buildings????? I will be anxious to see what it is! :) Sandy

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  14. Thanks for sharing this great product...I am definitely going to try it! Love you little tables...I would buy them!
    Miss Bloomers

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  15. Wow...that stuff is amazing. I've got a couple of tables I need to put this product on!! Thanks for sharing.
    I think we're kindred spirits...sort of. ;) I love old furniture but I don't like to spend alot of money. I like to refurbish them the easy way cuz I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. See? Can you see the kinship?? hehe

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