Toliver the Trolley Table

I loved this white trolley table time I saw him across the crowded aisle of Community Thrift in Summerville. (See Fall Crawl here.)   My niece Leia with her super human eagle eyes saw him hiding behind one of those huge TV armoires.  She was being so polite trying to reach him.  Finally I yelled, "Just push those children out of the way and grab that table!"

Leia, being of the same gene pool, yelled right back, "I have the table.  Just cool it!"

Now this being an official place, you can't just run with your purchase and stick it up close to the checkout.  Leia rolled him up there as I made a quick circuit of the store to pick up some train cases.  She was gone for a long time.  I could not find her or, more importantly, my trolley table.  Where, oh where, could they be?

Well, they made out a slip of paper with her name and  the table's price. They wrote on the table with a black Sharpie  "SOLD - NOT PAID"(oxymoronic?).  They then rolled the table all the way to the back to keep it safe.  Leia kept explaining I was coming to the checkout as fast I as could trample all the small children in the way.  (There had to be at least fifty children in that store - not one wanted to be there! Most were lying on the floor crying.)  

I took the two train cases and the official slip of paper to the cashier who took my money, entered the slip number in a book, wrote paid on the ticket, called to the back for assistance, and asked me to wait.  I said I would just go get the table and leave.  I did not need help.  The cashier said I was not allowed to take furniture out of the store without assistance.  

Leia and I waited for twenty minutes (neither of us are very good at waiting so there was many snide remarks made about the situation.)  Finally here comes a nice young man carrying, yes, I said carrying, a rolling trolley table.  I had to ask him why didn't he just roll it and he answered, "I didn't think about it."

 Back to the fun part - making him attractive.  I chose a very beautiful shade of taupe.  I liked him white, but taupe was his color.  There was white paint all over the wheels.  When I began painting I discover why.  You could not reach the inside of the legs between the spokes.  Now the wheels were tightly mounted and perfectly balanced and I knew I would not be able to take them off and achieve this state again.

So I painted the wheels.

 Toliver sits on the paint bin in his new coat (two actually) of taupe.

You can see Stuff & Nonsense sitting out in the front yard in the background on the left. (See S & N here.) Molly sits watching from afar - she's that black dot on the right.

It was major project day - everyone was out in the driveway and yard waiting for something to be done to them.

Don't you wish you lived next to me!

 I liked the effect of the painted wheels.  I sanded a little off the metal so it could show through.

I left the front casters in their original rusty, but working, shape.

 Now I had to use a French label on him.  I imagined Toliver (around here that name is spelled Taliferro, but I don't know why!)  rolling through the streets of a small French village with pastries piled in baskets on his top.  

I traveled over to Karen, The Graphics Fairy, to find the perfect label and printed it out - one large image per page.

I used reverse transfer Mod Podge. 

This is the next morning after it had dried.  I am wetting the back to roll the paper backing off the ink image.

 As you can see this is not a pretty picture.  You gently roll with your fingers to release the paper from the image.

You get all these bits of paper.  I keep paper towels handy to catch them.

You may have to wet this several times.

Do NOT scrub - the ink will come off, too!

All finished.  A little of the paper is still there, but I will sand over this with a fine grit to smooth it out.

I don't like to feel any of the paper on the table.

I got a little antsy in the upper right corner and pulled off some letters, but I am distressing it anyway.

If it disturbs you, just sand it off and start again.

  Toliver is now ready for his distressing.  I am using 150 grit sandpaper on a hand sander.  Electric sanding is the way to go - no sanding sponges today!

 

 I let Toliver keep his...

 casters.  I am usually very cruel and remove them because I have a whole collection of them sitting around in clay pots.

However, Toliver would have been a crippled trolley table without his front casters.

 Another view of the wheels that got him home.  I love wheels on furniture even if I do steal them.

Sometimes I do actually buy casters on put them on pieces.  I never use my old ones.  They are too special.

 I did not heavily distressed Toliver.  Just added some areas of wear to his sides and legs.

I like how the white and the wood comes through.

I finished him off with two coats of Minwax finishing paste.  I really polished some luster to this piece,

 Toliver sits patiently basking in the sun.

Soon it will his turn to travel to the booth.

I have a basket of rolls of antique lace that will fit perfectly on his bottom shelf.  It will have to do - I know it should be pastries, but that would just be messy!

I almost took him back into the house instead of loading him into the car.  I had gotten rather attached to Toliver and Stuff & Nonsense and saw endless storage possibilities with these two.  Just imagine rolling Toliver around the living room with small projects, and baskets, and bins, and stamps, and ...

Chucks said, "NO, NO, NO!"  

Chucks said I have enough "storage" pieces.  I just need to use them!  Oh, well, I lost this battle, but the war still rages.

See y'all!




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