Thread: Island Bench Timber

use corian if you got three boys and they put a scratch in timber top its strip it back sand it re polish it and if you cant to it your self $$$$$ will go

the good thing with corian is that if you cratch it it can be sanded out very easyly even by a novice and and it will look as good as new and it doesnt stain as easy heap beter

Jarrah or Redgum would fit the bill

I looked at granite for the top of my island bench and nearly fell over at the cost. I went to the timber mill and decided to use my locally sourced timber, yellow stringybark. It is not dark in colour, but would take some colour in the finishing stages. I then put about seven layers of water based floor seal on it. In the six months I have been using it it has worn very well, and it gets a hammering at my house.
Cheers Gilbo.

Trying to attach a photo of Yellow Stringybark bench top.
Cheers Gilbo.

Welcome to the forum! You have a range of timbers that would work for you and your little terrors to exact their own unique form of torture upon ... you mention a country style with off-white doors - if you want to achieve real "country warmth" then scrubbed pine is the appearance that achieves this over darker timbers. This can be done using Douglas Fir (Oregon to Aussies) - ideally quarter-sawn and old growth.... quite easy to locate in Victoria and believe it should be readily available in northern NSW, which is where I "think" you are. I got the stuff I used for a kitchen in Melbourne, from a demolition yard and it came up very nicely - after more than 12 years in use, it is still fully serviceable though is showing a little wear here and there, but that's country for you! The owners will be refinishing it using the method I recommend and it should go well for another 12 years. Finishing is done using dark oak stain from Cabot's and then a flooring grade polyurethane brushed on and burnished in with a 'sock' - this is a tightly wadded piece of cotton, like T shirt material. I pre-heat the polyurethane by standing it in recently boiled water for 10 minutes or so to help it flow. I think next time I will also thin it very slightly to aid flow. As you rub it into the timber, it seems to burnish it slightly (BTW I only ever use satin finish clear - no gloss for 'country') which gives it that older appearance ... and of course, no brush marks. Once all that is dry....two coats....I use 'antique' or 'black' wax and this gets into all the nicks and scrapes, making the overall appearance of age that I aim to achieve. I have several (hundreds of) images so will post some of country kitchens.

have fun

Originally Posted by seriph1

I have several (hundreds of) images so will post some of country kitchens.

That would interest me, as does your finishing process.
I'll be making my own tops some time soon and I want to do it as cheaply as possible. I've been thinking about floor boards, or possibly just 4x1 1/2s ripped down the guts to make square sections, then laminated together with glue and screws.
I built one in the granny flat here about ten years ago now. I just used 4x2 laser cut pine framing timber, pocket screwed together from underneath. After a couple of years, it developed a cup in one end, (I should have sealed the bottom) so I planed, belt sanded, and refinished it with stain and poly. It hasn't warped since, and It still looks pretty good today if you like 'country'.
A harder timber would probably take the knocks better, but the pine looks alright with a bit of stain.
By ripping a length in half, flipping one half over and screwing it to the first, sealing the underside, and gluing and screwing pieces of hardwood across the bottom @ say 600 crs, I think it would stop any warping.
The best part is that it would cost bugger all. In timber, for 600 wide benchtop, it would cost around $20 l/m + glue, screws and finishing. A little bit more if I want to cut out all the knots in the process. Of course I'd go to the yard and select the best pieces.

bubinga...... only if you have deep pockets though.....the king of red timbers, also a bit less epensivve is blood wood

Originally Posted by seriph1

Welcome to the forum! You have a range of timbers that would work for you and your little terrors to exact their own unique form of torture upon ... you mention a country style with off-white doors - if you want to achieve real "country warmth" then scrubbed pine is the appearance that achieves this over darker timbers. This can be done using Douglas Fir (Oregon to Aussies) - . . . . . . .

We have an Oregon kitchen bench tops and wall shelf above it and although they looked really good when they were first installed I would not recommend Oregon as a bench top unless you are a very light user of your kitchen. The finish I used was 3 coats of 2 pack floor poly. The tops were installed 12 years ago and with a teenage son and at least 6 nights a week use of the kitcken I had to recoat after 3 years. Drop anything sharp or heavy from more than a few inches and the surface is dented and the poly is penentrated. They dents we knew would happen and form part of the charm but what we did not realise would be that water would get into the cracks and turn the timber black around the cracks. I resanded/finished again 4 years later. With teenage son now out of home we though it would wear better byt 5 years on it really needs it again but we're thinking of changing the surface completely. The wall shelf above still looks good after the original finish.

Thanks all for your replys.

We love the look of jarrah finished off with numerous coats of danish oil. i think it may help with rejuvinating every year etc. to ward off those 3 boys and damage.

I have also been told to try and find recycled jarrah to enhance the stability of the wood, less likely to twist and warp etc (is this true)??

Also what width is recommended for a 1200 wide bench, 100 150 200mm boards, what is the stongest to aleviate twisting splitting and cupping etc.

i live in NW NSW in a dryish climate with temp range from -9 to 15 winter and 9 - 40 Summer so in one day you can have a 20 deg temp change! Also very stormy which adds moisture very quickly to the air.

Now that I have received another post to this thread I can post some pics (lost the thread, literally) - apologies.

My concern with Jarrah would only be fading. I made a great little Victorian Style hall table when living in Perth and it was fine except where a sliver of sunlight came through the curtains - within a month the top had blanched to a generally green colour right where the sun hit it.

BTW we are using old bowling alleys for the benches in our kitchen at home - they are made from American Rock maple and I figure if they can withstand that kind of abuse, then they should make excellent benchtops. Cheap too, but need a lot of planing to get rid of the finish.

pics of some country kitchens with lighter coloured benchtops - will follow shortly with alternatives

and here are some kitchen images with darker timber or stone benches

Thanks for that. Some of those tops look really good