Joy333 Thanks for finding it! Yes, that is the 1 & wish I had my old set back, but it was gift to DD after she married & it has been around all of his family so hard telling where it is now. Mine was the 1967 version which was very heavy so I imagine it is still going strong in someone's kitchen or back yard. She painted it white but I think it would look great any color. Diggery-so glad you can make use of 1 from your dad! You made my day! Actually my folks have 1 over at their house so I doubt anyone will want it after they are gone so I might end up with it then & that would be great memory of them. Dad was a great gardener, he could graft trees & get 5 kinds of apples,he's stick a rose branch in a bucket of water & soon was planting it.I'm tending his stuff now since he only sees it when we go to dr or looking out the window. Post a pic when you are finished. I think the star on the end is so neat but would be fun to see how others finish them off!! Great that all you need is paint, boards,drill & screws & some pots & finishing touches. Wonderful for those that can't build a box & have it end up square!!LOL Jan

You did a great job! That is a wonderful view! I hope I can buy an old weathered table for one of our pine groves, but I'm looking on craigs list. No rush! We enjoyed a recent visit at a home with similar views, and we heard the story of how they built their home. It helps that he is a framer by trade, but they got tract house plans for really cheap from a builder. They lived in a trailer on the property while it was under construction, and it didn't go up in a day! He hired professionals for all the drywall, weather protection, roofing, plumbing, electrical. It was fun sitting there, enjoying the views and hearing that story! Love your table! Suzi This post was edited by desertdance on Mon, May 13, 13 at 15:53

So the original plans stated cutting the legs at 38 degrees, and hubby did it. When it crossed it should have been x inches tall. NOT! The instructions were bad. Even I could see the slant was off. Then I reminded hubby he got A+ in Geometry. So he came in and re-thank the thing. Did drawings, and it should have been a 60 degree angle to get the height needed for the table top. Why don't they give proper instructions? Anyway, he figured it out and is down there under the deck trying to make it work. I do not think Picnic Table building is a walk in the park!!

Any exterior finish will need periodic refinishing. Fact of life. Marine spar varnishes are probably the longest lasting, but those have a huge variance in longevity. The brands that last the longest cost upwards of $70 a quart. And that table would need at least two quarts initially. An off the shelf spar varnish from a real paint store(to insure fresh product since the stuff on home improvement store shelves can be years out of date) will last a couple years before needing a spot sand and refinish.