Thread: Crows Ash Kitchen Benchtop

Originally Posted by Pittwater Pete

Thanks for your response JD,

I agree that the client needs to understand the risks of movement involved with this sort of benchtop. I have discussed it with the Architect. He's a real woodie so understands the risks well.

The acetone clean and scuff up that you outline is good advice. I've used this processes in the past and it really does help. I will probably domino each joint so that there is no vertical movement at least.

I'll start posting some pictures once I get started.

Regards

Pete.

Hope it all works out for you mate.

another thought I just had now (you may already have in mind. I don't know), is…..grain alignment.

If possible, I'd use the 1/4 sawn sticks like the one that has the plane on it for the wider panels (even though its no where near as pretty)
..but guessing timber options are limited….so I'd then at least ensure the grain lines flow as nicely as possible in every glue up. ie. when you sit the sticks together, as they'll sit in the glue up, looking at the end grain, try and get the growth ring lines to connect. This will make the grain flow better across the join, but most importantly will aid stability. Because if the join is subjected to say, excess heat etc,,,and starts to move then they will move with one another, to help keep the glue line together, rather than the opposite, where one side of the glue line is forced out.

uno, just that idea behind alternating grain in table top glue ups.

I worked out a trick to get grain alignment when gluing 3 pieces. Might help. It also helps to keep similar colour as all the timber comes from a single stick.

Da trick -> …eg. to get the width for a seat glue up say 450mm wide, I may need 3 pieces 150mm wide glued together. Thats 2 glue lines. I dock a single stick into 3 equal pieces. after cutting the stick into 3, I layout as it was originally in one stick form on the table…..I don't move the middle piece…but the other two pieces are rotated onto the middle piece like a hinge, one going left, one going right such that all 3 pieces are sitting as they would in the glue up (about 450 wide). Then lastly I flip the left piece end for end laying back down. Same for the right. end for end. Middle piece doesnt move.

Anyway, after all that moving when you look down the end grain you'll notice the grain lines flowing quite well across the 2 future glue lines….so the colour is similar….better flow across the glue lines (to the point the glue line can disappear)…..and more stability for the glue lines.

I get best results for glue lines with a long hand plane over a jointer every time, because you can spring them….. especially prefer a hand plane if I don't need perfect 90 degree planing for a glue up that will need to be retrued anyway (chair seats).….But only IF the timbers agreeable, and not much is. (sniff)

Just an opinion. Not responsible for any f****ps you may have(no doubt less than me) or for possibly telling you how to suck eggs. 2cents worth.

I don't know if its useful for you in whatever your designing but it steam bends well. the straight grain unchecked stuff.

Also, the offcuts I think make great kitchen tools, like rolling pins etc. Its very water resistant. I like to have days where I clear it all and put it into things like that.

Its very water resistant. I remember being shown a piece by a farmer that had been under the ground as a fence post for years but was still fine after being cleaned up.

I understand its a pisstake, but kinda hoping you could offer something to help me. What experiences have you had with crows ash ? Any ideas ?

In an earlier post you mention your 5 1/4 plane; I'm pretty sure it's a frankenplane (one made up of bits of others) as the lever cap is from a transitional plane. Any chance you could start another thread about it with some stripped down photos?

I'm just curious, that's all!

Loving the WIP; I've just purchased a stack of red Gum to build my own benchtop so your posts are very informative.

image.jpgimage.jpgTime to get the Crows Ash Benchtop made, so I started cutting the timber to rough lengths this afternoon. I needed to sort the timber carefully as I have only enough to do the job without much waste. I'm trying hard to arrange the grain and control the placement of any imperfections due to it being a recycled timber. I've already cut through a screw that was missed. Luckily it was a brass screw and didn't do any damage to the tungsten tipped saw blade.
image.jpgHere is a plan view of the benchtop showing all the boards that make up the benchtop and the internal corner details.
image.jpgHere is a section view. As mentioned earlier, the benchtop is to be epoxy glued to a plywood substrate. I'd do it solid but there is simply not enough Crows Ash to do this.
image.jpgI've had a router cutter reground to the desired edge profile.
image.jpgThis is a standard 20mm radius cutter that will be used to profile the 80mm coved splashback/upturn.

That's it for today, more fun tomorrow.

Regards.

Pete.

There's a lot of quarter sawn (or near to) timber in there Pete. Should like noice on the bench.

CA is good to work eh? Very well behaved, I've found (very limited exposure unfortunately).

Hi FF

This is the first time I've used it. Yep very stable. Not much movement whilst sawing. The dust is annoying so masks are important. Most of it is "qtr sawn" ish but there are a few pieces that are back sawn and have some interesting figure and theres also a bit of fiddleback in some beams. I'll post some better pics tomorrow night after I've resawn and thicknessed it all.

Pete.

I've missed your posts. Nice to see this one coming along

Why the partial mitres in the corner and not just let one bench run thru?

Reshaping the router bit. Did you do that your self or have it done?


Dave

The Turning Cowboy

Thanks Dave

The details of the bench, including the partial mitres and the corner infill details (I'll post a better pic tomorrow as you can't see it on the drawing to well) on the internal corners are all the architects ideas. I just do as I'm told.

I had my saw doctor do the router cutter profiling as I don't have a suitable grinder for the tungsten carbide.

Youll probably get a chance to see the benchtop in the flesh.

Pete.

image.jpgimage.jpgGot the plywood substrate cut to shape today. Drilled the holes and slots for the benchtop connectors that will be necessary to pull the psydo mitre joint together once we get the benchtop to site for installation.
image.jpgThen did the first glue up with Techniglue Hydro Epoxy. All 23mm thick joins were biscuit joined and 41mm thick joins were dominoed. Straight timbers were clamped to ensure a straight benchtop.
image.jpgimage.jpgA few clamps here and there where needed and that's it for today.

Pete.

Looking fine Pete. Maybe i should talk to you about some windows for our house.

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

More gluing and fitting of coved splashbacks today. Pretty self explanatory.

You have a couple more clamps than me

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

You'll need to lift your game then

Is this a nice piece?

How's the dust going with all this milling Pete?

The little snippets of timber detail that I can see look very nice indeed, as does the whole job.