Live and Learn

Remember this little table? I bought it for twenty bucks on craigslist a couple of weeks ago intending to use it as a laptop desk in the living room. It's actually a child's art desk with a lift up top, pretty sturdy though made of MDF and painted in a stark white. I decided to paint it a satin black. After pouring over google searches on the best method of spray painting, I gathered my supplies and told Mr. Maricucu, "I'll only take about an hour, right in time for the baby to wake up from her nap." You can guess where this is going. Have I mentioned I've never painted? Anything? At least anything that didn't include paper and poster paints.




Before priming I gave the table a nice sanding to rough up the glossy finish. I decided to use a primer since the last thing I wanted was to spend time painting only to have it chip off. I primed the top, flipped it over then began to prime the bottom. Then I ran out of primer. So off to Lowe's on a primer run and I picked up an extra can of spray paint to avoid having to make another trip. My mother, who doesn't go around the corner without lipstick and earings would have been appalled. Me and my paint splattered garden clogs, an unkempt ponytail and my large sunglasses in the hopes that no one would recognize me.

I returned home, commenced to priming again. All I'm going to say is that apparently I'm a wimp. I bought a spray paint can gun that attaches to the top to avoid hand fatigue. Oh my goodness even with the attachment I still can't make a fist as I type. I noticed that my primer felt a little rough and textured so on my trip to Lowe's I picked up some 400 grit sandpaper to smooth the paint between coats. I sanded the legs before painting them black. Aside from my wimpy wrists, the paint was going on pretty smooth albeit taking forever to cover the white primer with black paint. I used all my black paint on the legs and had to beg Mr. Maricucu to make another paint run.




When Mr. Maricucu returned, I finished painting the underside and flipped the table over to paint the top. I've mentioned before that I walk a thin line between OCD and ADD. These types of projects can tip the scales to either side. Today my ADD can was weighing just a bit more so I forgot to sand the top. I painted, painted and painted some more. The texture felt more rough on top and I figured it could just use some more paint. So I painted some more. About four hours into this endeavor I reached the point all DIYers hit in their first projects where you figure you're in so deep you have to finish no matter what.

I ignored the sandpaper texture of the top and then started with the clear coat, hoping to finish today and let the paint cure for several days. Big mistake. The clear coat accentuated every little pebbly bump and by that point I was in "get this done, I don't care how" mode. Not a good combination. Which is why these pictures look like there are uneven, uncovered spots on the table. Really it's the rough areas and the clear coat.




I came in, rested, ate dinner and then began to turn things over in my head. The OCD can went karplunk! to the ground and I grabbed the 400 grit sandpaper to sand down all the rough spots. My table now sits in the garage, smooth as a baby's bottom but needing another coat of black and then the clear coat. Once I was done, Mr. Maricucu in all his right brained glory asked me, "so how much money did you spend on painting this thing?" I told him not to even ask.

Okay so 'fess up and help me feel better. What was the last DIY project that went wrong for you? Craft, food or household related, it's all fair game.