One of the benefits of spending so much time in Wine Country lately is that there’s all kinds of old wine-making paraphernalia lying around.  Recently we found a barrel that had collapsed under its own weight, so we took one of the staves to make a candle holder out of it!  Crafty, right?  We’ve seen them around gift shops for $50+, but all-in, I only spent about $20.

• 2″ Hole saw – $7
• Sandpaper applicator – $2.50
• Polycrylic finish – $8.50 (I could’ve saved $3 by going with the oil-based polyurethane, but this water-based version sounded more earth-friendly)
• 2″ Paintbrush – $1
• Feeling like a man for 2 nights working with power tools – priceless

Oh yeah, 6-pack of IPA – $7.  And this one’s got a bite!

This is the before photo.  It looks cool like this, but kind of dirty, and if it’s going to be in our house, it needs a face lift.

The sandpaper applicator I got was cool because it was easy to handle, and it had to two different levels of coarseness.  The medium grit (100) was good for cleaning the surface, while the fine grit (220) was good for light sanding between coats of finish.

I spaced out the location for my 5 holes – including the original bung hole (that’s seriously what it’s called) – and then drilled pilot holes to help center my hole saw.  The hole saw is an attachment for power drills that attaches to the chuck.  It has a drill bit, which fits conveniently into my pilot holes to ensure that I’m centered, and fine teeth around the edge that cut as they spin.

Ever heard the expression, “solid as an oak?”  I have a whole new appreciation for this hardwood.  It’s HARD.  My little 12volt drill could hardly spin the saw fast enough to make a scratch, and I must’ve burned through about 4 battery charges.  But I persevered, and eventually the holes started falling out.  BTW – this project could be licked in one night with a corded drill.

Ahhhh, 5 beautiful holes.  I guess you can call this the after shot.

All that was left was to apply a light coat of clear (“satin”) polycrylic to protect it from…I don’t know what.  This thing has been lying outside in a heap for probably the last 10+ years so I’m not sure what storm it’s going to face in our living room that it hasn’t already weathered.  At any rate, I felt compelled to do it, so I did it, and now it’s done.  One tip: sawdust is your worst enemy in finishing a wood project, so wipe it down with a damp cloth, and then a dry one before applying your finish.

And here she is, gracing our coffee table after a twinkle of TLC, and beaming with pride.

Cheers!