Barrel Table Re-Do

This is our new barrel-turned-side table for our back patio. We dug this barrel out of the old barn on my family's property on the Island. No telling how long it had been in there. It was super-weathered, and covered in who knows what, but I knew instantly that it had to come home with us. My Godmother and I rolled it out of the barn and I almost had a heart attach when a HUGE black skink ran out from inside of it. We left it out in her yard for a few weeks (you know, to be sure all the critters living in it were gone!) Then we loaded it up in the back of the Hubster's truck and brought it back to Texas with us.

I know my Boo is smiling down on me when he sees this barrel in it's new life. My grandpa was born in 1917, and lived through the depression. He never, EVER threw anything out. It embarrassed me as a child to see him pick up things off the side of the road or watch him keep something that looked like trash because "you never know when you might need it". Today, 27 years later, I am  110% Major when it comes to old things people no longer see beauty in, and bringing new life to old things. I am not ashamed to pick anything off the side of the road, or get anything from Craigslist for little to no money. (Boo would be thrilled if craigslist would have existed in his day...)

So anyway, here is the breakdown of our new table.

Here is the barrel before, don't mind all the other junk in our garage...It will soon be made into treasures as well :)

I took the bands off the barrel and spray painted each one black. You can see from the "before" picture that they were very rusty. I put them on the wood in the picture above to dry so no grass or dirt would get on them.

Side note here- I wasn't really thinking when I was taking them off that they held the barrel together- I know, I know, duh! So when I took the second-to-last band off, it literally fell apart in my hands. The Hubster was working on wiring the patio for electricity and he had to stop what he was doing and help me...sometimes you just need their help.... :) So if you take on a project like this where you have the top and bottom removed from the barrel, remember the bands hold it together... Ok, so now back to the "how-to!"

Here is the rustoleum paint that I used. And a side note: getting a spray paint trigger from the Hubster pretty much made my day, seriously!

I used Old English furniture polish and an old rag to go over the entire barrel with one pretty liberal coat.

Then I started to put the metal bands back on, one at a time. I used a screw driver and hammer to make sure each one was tightly on the barrel and sort of back where they belonged.

The Hubster picked up this pine wood top from Lowes for me. It is 24" across, which is perfect because the barrel is about 18" across. It was the perfect size to give a good "table-top" to the barrel.

I used the same Old English that I used on the barrel and gave the table top (top, bottom and sides) a good once over with the polish. (Stain would have worked just fine too, but I had more of the Old English on hand, so I just used that).

Then, the Hubster cut a 2x4 to fit inside the top of the barrel. This became the base to which we attached the top.

Hubster used a hammer to get the 2x4 in the right place on the top of the barrel.

Then, he made sure it was level.

Next, he used his drill to pre-drill two holes on each side of the barrel (so, four total) and used screws to secure the 2x4 to the barrel.

Once the 2x4 was secure, he used liquid nail and put a liberal amount on the 2x4 to be sure the table top was good and secured on there.

Before we pressed it down to totally secure the top, we measured around the edges to be sure it was evenly spaced on the barrel.

Then Hubster pressed it down firmly and we let it dry for a day or two before moving it.

Here she is, all finished up! Waiting to be dry until we moved her!

Finished product in it's new home.

We are currently using it as a table next to our swing, but that may change.

I love the detail of this old barrel, the hole, the patina the wood has taken and the bands...

Another pic of the great detail...

Materials used:
Old rusted and nasty barrel: free (thanks Boo!)
Rustoleum spray paint in black: $5.97
Old English polish: Free (already had)
Pine top for table: $20.00
Total: $25.97