Third Stain’s The Charm
This weekend I was driving through Stapleton (because I love dodging kids running through streets – seriously parents, do better) when I drove past a yard sale. Sure, most are generally junk sales, with scratched up copies of Captain and Tennille mixed with busted Power Rangers. This time, however, I found the following:
Hmm…we could use a large solid oak table, but upon further inspection, it looked like it needed some work. A lot of work:
Ah, yard sales. I ask the price, he tells me, I chortle. I give him a counter price, he guffaws. The nice thing about yard sale items is that you can eventually haggle to a price at which both sides feel they’ve screwed the other made a fair deal. Did I mention it also came with 8 solid wood chairs? That’s right, 8! And they all match!
Once the negotiations were over (pretty sure I won. It was early afternoon on the second day, aka desperation time in yard sale speak) and I had loaded the entire ensemble into my Element (yes, it all fit) it was time to get to work.
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- Well, first you need a good sander. This isn’t a task to be done by hand. I know, I tried and gave up after 3 minutes. Luckily, I remembered I had this in the shed.
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- The old stain was removed. I should not have done this indoors. I should have also worn a mask. Ahh, fresh and clean. Oh, a word of advice: use a fine grit to sand down. It’ll be worth it later. Again, I learned this the hard way. I always learn things the hard way.
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- Don’t ask why there are so many stains. Fine – I’ll tell you. It’s because I had to go to the Home Depot THREE different times to get the right stain. First one – too light. Second one – too dark. Third one – just didn’t care anymore. Luckily, it was nice.
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- Hey! Look how shiny this is! I’d give a shout out to Minwax for their fine products, but they didn’t sponsor my blog. Oh, wait, I guess I just did. Dammit. Well, Minwax still makes a good product.
Ah! Three days later, due to the various curings of stains and clear coats (how many coats does one need on a table anyway?), I’m ready to enjoy my table. As it is a fine summer day, the natural choice would be to break out one of my homebrews. I brewed this last winter to be enjoyed this winter, but I decided to crack one open to test it out.
Mmm….lactosy old ale.
What better way to enjoy woodwork than with an oak-aged homebrew? This Mexican style old ale, Viejo Añejo, was infused with oak spirals aged in Añejo tequila. It’s hop profile is similar to that of popular Mexican ales. Not a hop/malt combination you’d expect, but very smooth nonetheless. It’s amazing what a blend of Maris Otter, Torrified Wheat, Crystal Malt, Chocolate Malt, and Lactose will do. Apologies to those of my friends who are lactose-intolerant.
Also, note the kick-ass aluminum cup from Elevation Brewing in Poncha Springs. (More about EB, Poncha Springs, and Salida next time!)
Made by Pinemeadow Green, they’re great for camping. Personalized growlers available online? Sweet.
Hops Spring Eternal 