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Beneath My Heart

DIY Zinc Top Kitchen Table

DIY projects· furniture makeovers

24 Oct

Happy KnocktoberFest!

Knocktoberfest Button

Have you been hopping all around blogland this week checking out all the great Knock Off projects from many talented and creative bloggers?

They are amazing, and I can’t wait to make a few of those projects myself.  I LOVE getting the look of designer items for a lot less cash!

That’s why I jumped at the chance to participate in this year’s KnocktoberFest hosted my Lindsay at Makely School for Girls.

And I knew exactly which item I was going to Knock Off.

This little beauty…

Messina Dining Table

Messina Dining Table

$799.00

I’ve been wanting to do a makeover on my kitchen table for a couple years now because my boys had destroyed the top of it.

I would love to purchase this Ballard’s table but I didn’t have the over $800 to purchase it.

So with some creativity and some help from my husband, I created my own zinc top table!

Why buy it when you can make it, right?!!

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

{I used this post from VanHook & Co. as my inspiration for this project.}

Here is what my table originally looked like…

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

Y’all, that picture makes me cringe because it was when we first started our kitchen makeover when we moved in over two years ago!  This is the only picture I could find of the table with black legs.

I used Annie Sloan white chalk paint to paint the legs of the table first.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

Then I sanded the legs with a sanding sponge and sealed them with Annie Sloan clear wax.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

Have four boys that are continuing to grow everyday, I wanted to make our table as big as I could.  So I asked my husband to help me lengthen it.  DIY Aged Zinc Table TopWe pulled the table out farther than it normally extends and supported it with 2×4’s.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

We also attached some 2×4’s in the middle of the table where the gap now was.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

We always apply PL Construction Adhesive to every board before we screw it to the table to make it extra strong.

This is what our table now looked like…

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

Next, we spread PL Construction Adhesive {available at Lowe’s} to the entire top of the table.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

Then Cy screwed a large sheet of MDF board to the top of the table.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

Our table measured almost 4 ft x 8ft, but you would cut the board to whatever size you want your table to be.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

To the edges of the table, we glued and screwed 2×2 boards.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

Then we spread more PL adhesive to the top of the MDF board.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

We bought our piece of galvanized sheet metal from Harbor Steel in Lexington, Kentucky, and a 4 ft x 10 ft piece cost about $50.

Now here is where things got a little tricky.  We needed our galvanized steel to cover the edges of the table, so we took it to a friend of ours who owns a steel company, and he has a huge machine that does it perfectly.  And get this….he did it for us for FREE!  Woohoo.

Check out your local steel shops to see if you can find someone to do it for you for a small fee.  It should cost less than $100 to do.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

If you want to see a tutorial of how to bend the sides of the steel yourself, click HERE.

Next, we sprayed the table top with Muriatic Acid to give the zinc an aged look.

CAUTION:  Muriatic Acid is VERY DANGEROUS!!  Be sure to wear gloves and preferably use it outside.  It was raining the night we did this, so we had to do it inside, but we had all the doors and windows open.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

You can also brush the acid on, but I wanted the look we got from spraying it on.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

We left the acid on the table for about an hour, and then we neutralized it with baking soda and wiped it off.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

I was already thrilled with the results.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

Then we needed to solder the edges of the table.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

We used a gas torch and some flux, but we should have used a paste as well.  There is a better tutorial of this process at VanHook & Co.  Click HERE to view it.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

{Side note:  I am going to buy some paste and re-do the edges later.}  Smile

After the corners are soldered, file them smooth.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

Last step is to seal the table with wax.  We used Butcher’s Wax.

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

And now we have a beautiful, LARGE table to enjoy in our kitchen!

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

I am so very happy with how it turned out, and you will be seeing this table in a lot of furniture posts from now on! Smile

Won’t it look beautiful at Christmas?!

DIY Aged Zinc Table Top

If you were stopping by from Not Just a Housewife, THANK YOU for visiting me!

Next stop on the KnocktoberFest tour is my buddy Brooke, from All Things Thrifty!

 

You can check out all of the KnocktoberFest participants by clicking on the links below:

Please check out the other lovely projects:

Monday, October 21
1.  Lindsay – Makely School for Girls
2.  Beth – Home Stories A to Z
3.  Gina – Shabby Creek Cottage
4.  Beckie – Infarrantly Creative
5.  Emily – Decorchick!
6.  Wendy – The Shabby Nest
Tuesday, October 22
1.  Donna – Funky Junk Interiors
2.  Jess and Monica – East Coast Creative
3.  Jackie – Teal and Lime
4.  Jen – Tatertots and Jello
5.  Carmel – Our Fifth House
Wednesday, October 23
1.  Chris – Just a Girl
2.  Lindsay – The White Buffalo Styling Company
3.  Melissa – The Inspired Room
4.  Ana – Ana White
5.  Marianne – Songbird
6.  Karianne – Thistlewood Farms
Thursday, October 24
1.  Roeshel – DIY Showoff
2.  Sandra – Sawdust Girl
3.  Jamie – C.R.A.F.T.
4.  Cassity – Remodelaholic
5.  Melissa – 320 Sycamore
6.  Mandi – Vintage Revivals
Friday, October 25
1.  Ashley – The Handmade Home
2.  Stacy – Not JUST a Housewife
3.  Traci – Beneath My Heart
4.  Brooke – All Things Thrifty
5.  Laura – Finding Home
6.  Sarah – Sarah M Dorsey Designs

 

Have a blessed day!

 

P.S.  We still have a gap in the side of our table where we lengthened it that I need to fill in with wood, but I ran out of time this week.  I will update this post as soon as I get that part finished.   Smile

 

Linking this project to Home Stories A to Z’s Tutorials and Tips Linky Party!

and Thrifty Decor Chick’s Before and After Party!

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52 Comments

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Comments

  1. katie says

    October 25, 2013 at 7:36 am

    Wow gorgeous job on the table!

    Reply
  2. Lindsay @ Makely says

    October 25, 2013 at 7:46 am

    This is beautiful, Traci! I am really impressed! You and Cy have some skills, girl! XOXOXO

    Reply
  3. Jenny@EvolutionofStyle says

    October 25, 2013 at 7:49 am

    I. Love. This! I have been crushing on that table (and the zinc desk) for awhile now! Yours is beautiful! Well done!

    Reply
  4. Gina says

    October 25, 2013 at 8:00 am

    Love this! Great job.

    Reply
  5. Amy* says

    October 25, 2013 at 8:09 am

    My mother and I are currently ogling this fabulous table transformation Traci. She’s writing a Home Depot List for my father as we speak :). Seriously this is the coolest Dining table transformation I’ve seen yet! Thanks for sharing all the tips and tricks.

    Amy*

    Reply
  6. Laura says

    October 25, 2013 at 8:30 am

    Oh Swoon! I love it! I also love the art behind the table. That’s my favorite song. Did you make that too?

    Reply
  7. Dear Lillie says

    October 25, 2013 at 9:00 am

    LOVE LOVE LOVE the table! You did an amazing job. And love that light fixture. Looks beautiful!

    Reply
  8. Amanda G. says

    October 25, 2013 at 9:52 am

    I’ve been coveting that table for AGES and have the VanHook & Co tute bookmarked! I’ve just been too timid to jump in and TRY to do it! I’m on it now! Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  9. Brittany Sweat says

    October 25, 2013 at 11:00 am

    Love love!!! Forgive me if I missed it but where did you get this light?

    Reply
  10. Old Farm Brecon says

    October 25, 2013 at 11:41 am

    You did a great job with this, if I had the time I would probably just copy all your ideas. Thanks for sharing your hard work with us.

    Reply
  11. Cheryl says

    October 25, 2013 at 12:06 pm

    Great job on the table and I love that light fixture as well. Would you share the source?

    Reply
  12. Sarah @ Thrifty Decor Chick says

    October 25, 2013 at 12:15 pm

    Just gorgeous my friend!!

    Reply
  13. Jackie says

    October 25, 2013 at 2:25 pm

    This is so amazing. What an incredible way to give your table new life!

    Reply
  14. Tracie Abbott Langley says

    October 25, 2013 at 5:47 pm

    Hi Traci! I have been coveting that Ballard table for over 2 years. I love your knock off.

    I live in Lexington too. Can you tell me which Steel company you used? My husband used to own Southeast Steel in Lexington before he died, so I know Harry Gordon Steel. Were they the ones who cut it for you? Thanks, I appreciate it. I would love to do this too. Great job!

    Reply
    • traci says

      October 26, 2013 at 7:52 am

      We got our steel from Harbor Steel in Lexington. The friend that bended the metal for us is in Nicholasville.

      Reply
      • Tracie Abbott Langley says

        October 30, 2013 at 12:50 pm

        Thanks so much for the info!

        Reply
  15. Ruth says

    October 25, 2013 at 6:31 pm

    This is fabulous!!! You are so blessed to have a husband that can do most anything. By the way, how is Champ?? Please let us know.

    Reply
  16. Roeshel says

    October 25, 2013 at 8:29 pm

    It’s gorgeous! Interesting read too! I love that you also lengthened it. Beautiful work! :)

    Reply
  17. Bethany says

    October 25, 2013 at 8:37 pm

    This is breathtaking! Great job!

    Reply
  18. Nancy says

    October 25, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    Love it….already thinking about trying it on our worn out table..Thanks….love your chandelier by the way!

    Reply
  19. Shirley says

    October 25, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    Beautiful!

    Reply
  20. Jessica says

    October 25, 2013 at 10:59 pm

    Beautiful job! Just wondering where your beautiful chandelier is from?

    Reply
    • traci says

      October 26, 2013 at 7:51 am

      Thank you! Ballard’s Design!

      Reply
  21. Janette @ The 2 Seasons says

    October 26, 2013 at 8:05 am

    I saw the table at the Ballard outlet in Cincy yesterday for $399. Their design is bad because tall people like my husband ( former pro basketball player so he’s tall) can’t get their legs under it. This is my dream table. Thanks for the instructions. My hairdressers husband is a sheet metal guy. I’m sure he can do the top for me. Wil find a table on Craig’s List.

    Reply
    • traci says

      October 26, 2013 at 8:07 am

      I didn’t know that about the Ballard’s table.
      I like the way we made this table because you can find any table you want and do the same thing. I hope you find a table perfect for you and your tall hubby! :)

      Reply
  22. Carol says

    October 26, 2013 at 9:53 am

    Hi Traci.

    I LOVE the table. I have a piece that I would like to turn into a kitchen island. Is the galvanized steel food safe? I would want to use it for rolling out dough and such.

    Carol

    Reply
  23. funky junk interiors says

    October 26, 2013 at 12:29 pm

    So fabulous, Traci! What a cool trick on lengthening that table! You’ll love the metal so much, you can’t hurt it if you try! My metal kitchen island top will last forever!

    Reply
  24. Michelle at Faith, Trust, & Pixie Dust says

    October 26, 2013 at 10:56 pm

    Hi Traci, What a wonderful project. LOVE it! And I love how fearless you are to try new things.

    Warmly,
    Michelle

    Reply
  25. April says

    October 27, 2013 at 1:11 am

    LOVE THIS! wow! Will you share your “wonderful world” artwork source? I really love it!

    Reply
  26. Elizabeth@ Blue Clear Sky says

    October 27, 2013 at 2:49 pm

    The table looks awesome and the bigger size will come in handy with all those guys.

    Reply
  27. Anu says

    October 28, 2013 at 9:17 pm

    The table looks amazing! You did such a great job!

    Reply
  28. Heidi @ Decor & More says

    October 29, 2013 at 6:40 am

    I’ve had my eye on that exact table, Traci — love your knock-off! I see hours of enjoyment around that table coming your way. :)
    xo heidi

    Reply
  29. Pamela says

    October 29, 2013 at 7:14 pm

    It turned out wonderful!

    Reply
  30. Kate@HeirandSpace says

    October 31, 2013 at 9:55 am

    OMG- This table makes my knees weak! How absolutely phenomenal! Beautiful work!

    Reply
  31. Kathy says

    November 7, 2013 at 7:42 pm

    Fabulous transformation! I love it.

    Reply
  32. Jessica says

    June 22, 2014 at 10:21 pm

    Love the table!! My husband is working on the table as we speak!! When you said you used the Butcher’s Wax, did you use the bowling alley wax they have?

    Reply
  33. Cajun says

    August 29, 2014 at 9:35 am

    Clearly, I’m a little late to the party. But that doesn’t mean I don’t L-O-V-E this! I’m wondering if I could paint something to look like this on my countertops. It looks beautiful!

    Reply
  34. leslie says

    October 14, 2014 at 9:28 am

    wow! just found your blog through pinterest… I can already tell I’m going to be spending a lot of time here this rainy day browsing past posts… :)

    Reply
  35. Kelly says

    May 11, 2015 at 11:28 am

    your table looks great! When you had your friend make the bends in the table did he make two 90degree bends (one for the top and another to wrap around the apron?). If so, how did you ‘unbend’ it to put it on the table? I talked to someone in a sheet metal shop who will make the bends for me, but then I’m wondering how to get it around my table top. Does that make sense? Thx!!

    Reply
  36. Molly Kerr says

    June 26, 2015 at 8:59 am

    Again something amazing that your hands create!

    Reply
  37. Carey says

    June 28, 2015 at 1:40 pm

    Just curious to how the zinc is holding up? How often do you have to reapply the wax? I have 2 messy boys and need to be able to scrub the table clean.

    Reply
  38. Kate says

    September 17, 2015 at 8:23 am

    wow, I’ve only just seen this. Such a fantastic transformation – I love the final finish of the table. I’d really like to try something like this myself :)

    Reply
    • traci says

      September 28, 2015 at 12:42 am

      Thank you, Kate!

      Reply
  39. Jamie says

    February 10, 2016 at 9:48 pm

    Your ‘how to’ in this table is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing!! Quick question, how heavy is your table with the steel in it?

    Reply
    • traci says

      February 12, 2016 at 8:44 pm

      It’s pretty heavy. It takes two of us to move it. :)

      Reply
  40. meghan says

    September 8, 2016 at 5:52 pm

    Hi love this! I so want a steel top table, my family is very hard on wood tops :/ Between art projects and water rings are table has taken a beating, How is clean up on these? Any issue so far? Thanks!

    Reply
    • traci says

      September 15, 2016 at 9:45 pm

      Super easy to clean up! I love it. :) Anything acidic, like ketchup, leaves a mark if you don’t clean it up quickly, but that doesn’t bother me. I like the look of the stains and all. Gives it character and charm. :)

      Reply
  41. Annette says

    September 21, 2016 at 11:05 pm

    I had cold rolled steel put on a table top. Do u know if the Muratic acid will work on it? Thanks!

    Reply
  42. Charlie says

    April 19, 2017 at 10:04 pm

    Wow, what a beautiful table!! We are looking to purchase a table with a zinc top, and I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about how yours has held up to your children?! Does it scratch easily? We have three little ones, and I’m trying to decide between a metal top and wood! Thank you!

    Reply
    • traci says

      April 20, 2017 at 8:23 pm

      Hi Charlie! I love our zinc table. It does not scratch at all, it only shows stains if you get something acidic on it and it sits for a while, like ketchup, etc. But that doesn’t bother me, because I just think it gives the table a nice patina. :)
      I have four boys and our table has survived…that’s saying a lot! haha!

      Reply
  43. Rachael says

    July 11, 2017 at 10:06 pm

    Just stumbled upon this! Love it! Wondering where you got your light hanging above the table?

    Reply
    • traci says

      July 12, 2017 at 12:33 pm

      That is from Ballards Designs.

      Reply

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