Review: DIY Shanty 2 Chic Farmhouse table

Finally got my farmhouse table and bench done from Shanty 2 Chic . One more bench coming that will be used in our mudroom and then pulled out in case we have extra company. 

Size:

A few thoughts on the plan. I opted to make mine a bit longer by not cutting the 1x6x8's that are used for the top of the table and benches. This gave me a few extra inches which I wanted for my dining room. This is a very large table so make sure you double check your dining room space. Since I made mine larger we figured we can probably fit 12 people at a minimum at this table, with children you could fit a lot more. 

 
A few suggestions:

I didn't use standard 1x6 for the top of the table since I wanted a nice smooth surface for cleaning. Four young children and food don't mix well with cracks and crevices in a table. Using standard boards will look more rustic but is terrible to clean with kids. I opted to use Menards' Select boards. The price is significantly more(about $8 a board). You can see the price difference by clicking here

Total cost:

Total cost for table and two benches(including all the pocket screws is around $300). This price doesn't include needing to buy a Kreg Pocket Jig. I needed the smaller K3 for my 1x6 and the larger Kreg Jig for the 4x4's and 2x4's

I used 1x3's on the sides of the table instead of 2x4's that are in the plan. I wanted to avoid gaps on the edges since there is a lot of food in this area with kids. Another option would be to find a high quality 2x4 which would give it a more chuncky appearance but that would add a lot more cost to the table. 

You can see the 1x3 on the table edge

This is the side of the table from another angle

For the benches I used 2x4s for the edge rather than the 1x3 like I did on the table. It made the bench very sturdy and it would take a lot for a kid to turn this bench on its side(I've had that happen before with other benches :) 

The picture below is of the bench. You can see the difference of using a 2x4 for the edge.

Final finish for the tops of the table and benches: I stained and used 6 coats of tung oil. Loved the matte finish, very smooth and the grain of the wood still pops through. It's also waterproof. We accidentally tried this out when my kids left a wet cloth on the table over night....no damage :)

Legs: I Chose a distressed look. This takes a few more steps

Step 1: Sand and fill all the holes. I used a combination of caulk and wood filler. Since the 4x4 and 2x4 for the legs are not the best quality wood there is a lot of filling. If you're planning to stain them then you'd have to use some type of filler that can be stained or leave the gaps and have it look a lot more rustic. 

Step 2: Stand with any kind of dark stain. This is the color that will pop through your paint

Step 3: Paint( I used a flat paint since I wanted a more matte finish)

Step 4: After paint dries use sand paper to distress the areas you want the color to pop through.

Step 5: use polyacrylic or wax paste for sealing the wood. This will enable you to clean and wipe off the legs when you need to

Slight distressing on the main beam on the bottom of the table.