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  1. #1
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    Default How can I avoid splinters on table top

    Howdy,
    Long time reader first time poster.
    I'm new to woodworking and are making my second coffee table. It's going to be 3 large recycled stringy-bark wharf beams. I have dressed them and sanded them back, I'm happy with how they are looking but are concerned about people getting splinters if the run their hands across the surface.
    The plan was to finish it with Tang oil and some Gilly Stephenson's timber polish (bees wax). Is there anything I can do to stop splinters happening, the sanding has stopped most of them but I think there could still be a few.
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  3. #2
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    Hi Twist and welcome to the forumses,

    What was the final grit sandpaper you used for sanding the boards? Also, the picture shows a gouge in the timber, areyou intending to fill those or leave them as is? You might want to consider filling holes and troughs like that with Epoxy resin and sand back smooth afterwards.

    Regards,

    Rob

  4. #3
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    Hey Rob

    240 grit on top and 180 on the sides, but it is very hard wood since it is so old (150 years) so it probably isn't completely smoothed out, it seems to burn through the sand paper discs on my sander rather quickly. I wasn't planning on using epoxy resin I'm hoping to keep it looking natural as possible.

    What I'm ideally looking for is a finish that is going to seal it and keep the splinters down but not look like a solid coating if that makes sense.

    Cheers

  5. #4
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    Epoxy resin filling of all the gaps and holes is a sure fire way but it will also completely destroy the texture which I assume you want to keep.
    Unfortunately oil or wax won't seal any possible splinters back down against the wood.
    To do this you will have to use some sort of a wood sealer like a polyurethane or similar.
    Several coats of this will light sanding in between will achieve this..
    Then if you wish you can then sand all the easily accessible sealer off and apply a wax or oil finish over the top.
    I'd be wary of a way finish as will get into all the cracks and look awful and will be a PITA to clear.
    If you insist on was then apply a light coat and then use a hot air gun or hair dryer on its lowest setting low to melt the wax into the cracks.

  6. #5
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    Good point about the wax going into the cracks, didn't think about that.

    Sounds like a polyurethane is the go, just worried I'll lose some of the texture, natural feel. But I guess that is better than splinters.

    Didn't know you could sand polyurethane then add an oil on top, I'll give it ago.

    Any polyurethane in particular?

    Thanks!

  7. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Twist View Post
    Good point about the wax going into the cracks, didn't think about that.

    Sounds like a polyurethane is the go, just worried I'll lose some of the texture, natural feel. But I guess that is better than splinters.

    Didn't know you could sand polyurethane then add an oil on top, I'll give it ago.

    Any polyurethane in particular?

    Thanks!
    Feast and Watson, or Cabot's, low sheen would be fine.

    If you don't flood the surface you won't lose the texture

    You can thin it a little so that it flows nicely into all the cracks.

  8. #7
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    It's working. Two do go and some flat iron bar legs to finish it off.

    Progress.jpg

  9. #8
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    Very happy with how this turned out. Thanks for the advice.

    FullTable.jpgTopSide.jpg

  10. #9
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    Looks great! Where did you get the legs?

    Jane

  11. #10
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    Had them made locally at a steel fabrication place: K & K Steel Pty. Ltd. | K & K Steel specialises in cut to size steel, stainless steel, aluminium, light fabrication, and welding and are leaders in the area for steel.

    Guess I'm lucky they are not far away, not sure if many places do this sort of thing. I originally looked on Etsy which wasn't too bad but didn't like the idea of shipping or lack of quality control.

  12. #11
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    Great job mate. Finished really well. How did you go with the splinters? What did you end up doing to solve that?

  13. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by PJM16 View Post
    Great job mate. Finished really well. How did you go with the splinters? What did you end up doing to solve that?
    4 coats of thinned down polyurethane. Then a coat of tung oil. I do wonder if I could've done the tung oil first so it soaked into the wood more. Either way I'm happy with the results.

    If you slide your hand over it there a no pointy bits, I think if someone gave it a good stroking they may get a splinter but the only person doing this would be a woodophile who would be use to the odd splinter anyway.

  14. #13
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    That looks spiffy mate, Id happily rest my butt on that
    I would love to grow my own food, but I can not find bacon seeds

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