I think it looks great. But then I love old stuff.

That paint is coming out quite opaque. Have you considered something like this:
http://www.generalfinishes.com/finishes/water-base-finishes/waterbase_finishes.htm#GF%20Milk%20Paints

The color sheet does not do it justice. It gives color but lets the wood peek through a bit.

You're doing good and I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product.

I was reading on some other threads to learn about milk paint and one poster mentioned Farrow and Balls dead flat oil. It supposedly had some of the benefits/looks of milk paint but easier application and better durability. This thing is made out of so many different kinds of wood that I don't know that allowing the wood to come through will achieve a nice finished look. I don't know... I have to play around with it and your input on that is very helpful. I'm going to order another sample or two of the paint and if I'm not happy I'll then try the milk paint. I don't want to ruin the piece with the wrong finish but I'm not doing a period kitchen either so I guess I'm headed toward an eclectic look!

Just as I was going to order some more sample pot colors from Farrow and Ball I realized that the samples come in the estate emulsion finish and not the dead flat oil finish. NO wonder it seemed thicker then I expected. I'll have to call them tomorrow!

How cool is that? What a neat piece.

What if instead of painting the bins, you wrapped them in copper or zinc sheeting (I'm not sure where you get zinc, but copper is readily available.

I do like eclectic and old things, but those might be a hair rustic for me.

Wow I can't believe how your diamond in the rough is coming around look forward to more progess pictures. Good luck!

You can get zinc sheets from RotoMetals. Link below.

If you're interested in replacing the zinc, I wouldn't get in any hurry to do it. Metals prices are way down but I haven't seen that reflected at the retail level yet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rotometals Zinc Sheets

OH thanks ci lantro. Do you know if I could just cover the existing zinc with a new sheet? My DH didn't think so but I don't really see why not. "cept... I'm an eternal optimist and he's Mr. Practicality. I still have more work to do on it but I've worked real hard on it thus far. Do you think the zinc bottoms look too rough?

This is going to be so cool when you get it done! I can't wait to see it finished and then later, to see it in your finsihed kitchen. I hope you're having fun working on it!

hmmm--tough questions.

When I first started refinishing stuff, I thought it had to be pristine. Every nail hole had to be filled, every speck of paint gotten out of every groove....

But, with the last couple/ three pieces I've done, I've been worried about getting them too clean! (Had to do with the remnants of aqua colored paint on antique pine beadboard. And too much aqua came off to suit me!)

Just so you know where I'm coming from.

So, I don't mind the dings & flaws and love that crooked row of nails because, IMO, that's a good part of the charm of the piece.

But if it's too rustic for your taste then the easiest way to go about it will be removing the metal & all those nails & replacing. (It would be next to impossible to get new nails in around all the existing nails & you don't want a bunch of boo-boo holes in new metal when a new nail won't go in cause it hit an old nail.)

And, depending on how I planned to use the piece, the condition of metal inside of the bins would be what ultimately decided me on whether to save the old metal or replace it. (With another possibility being to consider using the metal off the top to replace the metal on the drawers.)

Anyway, it's a really cool old piece. Nice find there!

Oh no... pristine look in no way motivates me. I don't thin k the close to completed drawer looks half bad the way it is and I know I can get it better then that. DH is going to even out some of the bumpiness in the drawers. It's so much fun finding pieces you can repurpose. I always keep an eye out for soemtihg even if I don't use it now. I just won an Italian cherry vainty for the house we'll redo. It's SOOOOO pretty and unique and I got it for a steal. I started another treahd in bathrooms on it

OH... I just saw the comment about reusing the zinc top. It's in the worse shape of everything whivh makes changing it to marble easier and easier.

I would keep the drawers original zinc. I think it looks great. You dont want to destroy the patina and the zinc drawers add authenticity to the piece. You don't want it to look like a reproduction. In any case I would wait until the rest is finished before you decide how you like the zinc as is. JMHO.

My initial inlclination is to try and restore the zinc. That's pretty much what prompted teh post. I just wanted make sure it didn't look awful.

Elyse, I think the zinc on the drawer you finished looks really nice. I don't think you need to paint it or replace it. Have you looked at Farrow and Ball French Gray? It's more of a green-gray, much duller than the color you posted. I could definitely see it looking good on this piece. You may also want to look for the marble before you pick the color. Since you don't need a whole slab, you may find a salvaged, already patina'd one that'll fit. How nice would that be?

I have a line on a 5' piece of Calcutta White (?) from my son's friend who has a piece over from a job. If I can't successfully pair it with a BB picece to complete the table top; I'll use it in the bathroom.

I love the drawer ! You have done an amazing job! I like the different woods and really wouldn't paint it ....try the wax...I really think it would look so good. But I like really eclectic/rustic you know...c

Hi Caroline...
I tried a hand rubbed tung oil finish on a few of the drawer fronts and i just didn't send me. So I think I'm comfortable with my decision to paint. If this flat oil paint doesn't work work out I'm going to try some samples of milk paint. I like that I can mix them to my own custom color.

The zinc bins looks great. If you can get the rest of the bins looking that good, I'd stick with the zinc. Your baking center is going to look fabulous when you're done.

Great job! The zinc looks good. I wouldn't paint that part. You could try a brass brush soaked in stripper to get more out of the nail holes if you want. I can't wait to see more as you go!

Agree with Caroline; I wouldn't paint it, either.

Really? Really guys? You think the wood looks nice enough not to paint? OK... well I tried a tung oil finish from HD on the three top drawers and it made it orangey. I don't want to go with orangey yellow toned wood. So what kind of paste do you recommend? The back of the unit appears to be pine and did not sand down anywhere near as light as the front. I know the back won't be seen but I'm a little fussy on the pieces I work on. Do you think some kind of light stain first to even out the color? Help me!! Keep in mind my kitchen/home will have a transitional/contemporay/eclectic feel.

Yes you can rub in a bit of stain. Don't use the tung oil. A hand rubbed paste wax finish is better. Gives a genuine glow to the wood. See below...you won't be sorry ! c

Here is a link that might be useful: here you go...wax info for antiques

Keep the opinions coming... paint a french gray/blue (darker and grayer then on the drawer I tried a sample on) or stain? Then... stain color? I tried a tung oil finish on the three top drawers which I have to take off again. I still feel the wood may be too uneven color to just rub a finish on. Specific finish recommendations? I have this posted over on woodworking too but there is more traffic here.
Thanks! Gotta go shop!!

"tung oil from HD" That is not true tung oil. That's why you had issues.

You might want to contact the people at Land Ark. We've been working with them for our floor and they are great folks. They use tints mixed right in with their finish. So you get color but it's not overwhelming.

Here is a link that might be useful: Land Ark info

pb... I like the Mission Brown... but I also like the look of a milk paint with a glaze over it. What do you guys think would go better for this piece in a somewhat contemporary kitchen? My drawers/doors will be a wide rail/stile shaker style... quartzite maybe for countertops... stainless appliances... maybe that's not contemporary after all? Call it whatever... I want a more grayish light brown if I do stain and not paint. I'm definitely going with a marble top on this piece. Want a piece with lots of veining.

FWIW - my sister has a similar cabinet (hers has top cabinets similar to a hoosier) & she calls it a "possum belly" cabinet. Seems like that's the term used by country antique dealers & auctioneers in the Mid Atlantic.

I'd use milk paint (which is closer to being an uneven stain than a paint) on the wood, clean the zinc as well as can be expected, & enjoy it. It's a prize! JMO, but I think a clear stain will make it too pristine/refinished looking & then the zinc will look shabby.

Oh, tough decision. The milk paint with glaze is a beautiful look. With a marble top it (to me) would say country/antique/classic. I think the stain would be more "neutral" of a look in terms of style. I also prefer the look of stained wood with marble (I like the contrast).

Either would work for that piece.

I think the drawer looks great and I would leave the original zinc. I am another Land Ark user and they will work with you. There products are food safe. If you do want it stained and want to make the woods look a little more even they have a natural dye they mix to your spec. I should mention I put the land ark on our soapstone 7 months ago and haven't needed to re oil since. I put in our MB counter 9 months ago and it looks great.

Well... I'm probably a little bit more rock n' roll then I am a little bit country so check out Land Ark I will! (only those old like me will remember the country/rock n' roll thing!)

Are you saying I'm old?

Sure, I've got some gray hair (seems like more every day) and wrinkles but I still don't think I'm old...

:P

BTW, we've been doing a ton of experimenting with Land Ark finishes and the TransTint dyes they use. I'll probably be posting pics in a day or two.

I find your adventure with the baker's table very interesting. Particularly since I have one in my kitchen which is smaller with only two bins and one very small drawer. It is in rough shape with one bin not opening at all and the drawer barely opening. It has a bluish paint over much of the wood and the top is also wood but warped and very discolored. It was in my grandma's kitchen over 60 years ago and then spent the next 20 or so years in my dad's garage. I don't know if it had any other kind of top. I will let a professional re-do mine since I have no talent at that sort of thing but have been doing research about authentic tops. It never occurred to me that the bins might be zinc. I was leaning toward a marble top too since that seemed more authentic but all the pictures I have been able to find have wooden tops. Has anyone else seen tables with other kinds of tops? At this point, have no idea what the wood might be.

remodelfla, Could you tell me which blue that is that you have painted the above in? It looks like a gorgeous color. Is it F&B Borrowed Light? Thank you.

I second the F&B Frency grey suggestion but I'd also suggest Pavilion Grey (a new colour this year) with the one caveat that the second may not be distinct enough from the zinc to look good, but I'm not sure. I wouldn't paint the zinc bits either.

I've been sanding away recently and the drawer fronts are starting to look really good. I'm again leaning toward almost a natural finish with maybe a very slight light brown stain added. I'm checking out Land Ark as suggested.

The paint is Parma Gray. I also got a sample of Borrowed Light. I didnt' try it because it just seemed too white. Also, as I mentioned, the sample pots don't come in the dead flat oil finish which is what I wanted to try. I messed up and didn't realize that when I ordered them.

meinrcsd... zinc tops are what were typical on these tables. My table has the original old zinc on top of a wood base. I don't know what kind of wood the base is but nothing special. It was meant to be just a sub base. You can buy zinc in rolls. See the link that ci lantro provided.

It's all personal taste, of course, but I like natural finishes to show off interesting or beautifully-grained wood. I think this cabinet was built as a workhorse, a functional piece, not as an heirloom piece of furniture. The wood doesn't seem to have been chosen for appearance. From the pictures, it seems a little hodgepodge, and a natural finish might highlight this. What kind of finish will your kitchen cabinets have?

To my eye, it would look beautiful painted and topped with marble. Don't paint the zinc bins, though, they look cool the way they are (stripped.) Are you going to reuse the bin pulls? I love them! It's a great cabinet!! I can't wait to see it when it's done.

I acquired a possum belly bakers table today. I’m so freaking excited! Until about 20 minutes ago, I didn’t even know what I had been given. I just started refinishing tables and such as a way to pass time during the pandemic. My frIend sent me a pictrue and said she thought of me and I could have it. So here I am. Thank you so much for your photos. I look forward to watching yours as I work on mine. I too am thinking of a granite or marble top as the one on mine is beyond saving. My thoughts are to mix new with old. Modern and vintage. I’m thinking to use it poolside as a beverage table. By poolside, I mean under a covered and weather protected patio or in a pool house.

Sooooo.....I just noticed all the previous comments are from 12 years ago. Ha ha.....I’m a bit late to the show.