Thread: Red Gum bar top

Welcome to the forums! A pic would be awesome when you get a chance.

Are you really looking to hand plane a slab that large? That's stamina!

Shellac finish would do fine. You might also want to consider "wipe on poly". There's a version out there which isn't shiny (I think) if you prefer the non reflective type finish.

What are you thinking of for the base?

Cheers,
Af.

Hard shellac has reasonable moisture resistance but can be effected by spirits on a bar top... poly is a better option in this respect.
Make sure the slabs are dry and stable and only afix them in the center or on one side so they can move with seasonal changes.(redgum moves alot)

My choice for this would be Organoil hard burnishing oil.. But please remember to treat the underside exactly the same as the topside. I have used dewaxed shellac and to be honest I have spilled wine and (shame on me) the best Scotch you can get, and the surface remains great. So I believe there is little between the finishes. A bar top with a spill will be wiped fairly quickly
I am not sure as to wood oxidisation. Redgum darkens fairly quickly and Oil does not help. What other finishes do I have no experience. This I believe is the more appropriate question you should ask, and sorry I do not know.

Thanks for the input guys. I have attached a pic of two slabs, I'm currently working on the one on the right, it will be the bar top. I bought an electric plane yesterday Worked a treat. I also borrowed a mates belt sander and have started sanding first at 40, then 80. I have done the bottom side also, didn't make much sense to seal one side and not the other.
Pretty much decided on shellac, I brew my own beer so spirits won't get spilt on this bar, unless my mate is the culprit.
What frame would you build? leaning towards a rectangle box support (x 4) braced together. Probably have a corrugated iron front, the smalll sort, with at least two shelves behind.

Cheers

Nice slabs there mate.

Are you going to cut the ends to make the slab shorter? Those few cracks might want to split further along the slab. You could consider some nice butterfly keys to help keep stop them from spreading.



Looking forward to seeing more of your progress.

Cheers,
Af.

Those slabs look pretty "hungry" and would respond well to an oil finish. Polly is probably the best finish where spirits are concerned but it does nothing for the timber and those cracks will give trouble. A good quality tung oil floor finish like Peerless with a burnished overpolish if you want a shine will give a resiliant surface and be able to be repolished when needed (probably annually.)

I was going to try and not cut the ends off if possible, planed the ends of squareish last night and it looks O.K. A few of those cracks on the wider end are larger than I first thought. Could I fill with resin, and brace the underside? Butterfly stuff looks beyond my expertise. The moisture was 18% when I picked them up, is that high or low? Burnished overpolish, colour?

Many questions I know, thanks in advance
Cheers

Originally Posted by rotten

The moisture was 18% when I picked them up, is that high or low?

If that is correct then that is way too high to do anything with - it needs to be around 12%. Red Gum is notorious for high levels of movement - combined with the 18% I'd be really worried until that comes down.

I would put them in the room that you are planning to put them in for another year and then work on them after that. Even if the 18% is not correct I would still put them in that room for a few months.

Rotten, you might get something out of this thread. Another bloke who made a bar top this year. Different timber, but he would have grappled with similar things that you are grappling with now (and things you will inevitably grapple with down the track):

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f187/r...ar-bar-131089/

18% moisture content is still a bit high. Ideally you like it down around 12%. Yes, those cracks will continue to open as the timber dries, but the worst should now be over. Its very hard to fully air dry hardwoods, particularly thicker material. Usually it forms a dry envelope on the outside which hinders the heart drying. Its not unusual to find posts 100x100 still wet on the inside years after cutting. If you design your bench top so that it is "free floating" it can continue to dry at its leisure. Should you choose to adopt this method, an oil finish would be the best option as PU wouldnt like the ongoing drying process.

Originally Posted by scottbr

Rotten, you might get something out of this thread. Another bloke who made a bar top this year. Different timber, but he would have grappled with similar things that you are grappling with now (and things you will inevitably grapple with down the track):

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f187/r...ar-bar-131089/

Thanks mate, I did read that thread before I started this one. He made a great bar, probably a bit more work and fussing then I'm prepared to do

If you design your bench top so that it is "free floating" it can continue to dry at its leisure. Should you choose to adopt this method, an oil finish would be the best option as PU wouldnt like the ongoing drying process.

I will go for the free floating idea rustynail, maybe fix it in the centre only so it can move still. Worst case scenario is I re-do it every few years.