Thread: Redgum Dining Table from Old Posts

G'day Linden, welcome to the Board.

My 2 cents worth :

- 40mm thick redgum boards on 1500 square will probably translate to a LOT of weight. I'm building a 2200x1100 dining table at the moment out of 30mm thick tas oak boards, and the tabletop is just on the threshold of me being able to handle it myself.

- To minimise movement, rip the timber up so that the resultant boards are as close to quartersawn as you can make them. Basically this means that if you look at the end of the timber, the growth rings bisect the face of the timber by an angle of 45 degrees or greater. (That's the best description I can give without pictures, if you're not sure what I'm talking about try googling "quarter sawn explained" or similar).

- 1500mm worth of boards butted edge to edge will be a challenge to clamp up so that they end up flat, so put some thought into how you will do this.....

- Look for a glue that doesn't creep (where the timber pieces move slightly relative to each other, after the glue has dried). I started using TitebondIII because of this, after getting the problem with PVA based "woodworking" glues.

Good luck with your project.


Cheers,


Justin.

Hi Linden and welcome! I like a lad who is willing to go heels and all into a project! The advice so far is extremely sound - your table will be a stunner, especially when it comes time to move house! I am wondering if it would be a funky idea to make it with some blackened steel straps (a la Japanese architecture style) to hold the top together and thereby enable easy disassembly+transport if required. I can suggest/send you some table style pics that I fee lwould reveal the beauty of redgum. ALso, I may be able to refer you to someone who has chairs that would suit - not from Redgum but suitable.

First things first though - get clear on a design (1500 square is becoming incredibly popular nowadays) - then explore how to cut your material down correctly, as mentioned.

When you look at the material can you see the twist, bowing,cupping in it? I imagine you can, being Redgum posts. THis will need to be removed to facilitate getting the pieces you want.

Do you have a leg style in mind yet?

That'll do for question-time for now I guess .... look forward to hearing back - this will be a wonderful table, I am sure.

have fun!!!

Firstly you wont get 40mm boards once you resaw the timber as you have to allow for the kerf then you have to allow for the planing off of the exterior of the posts.

From the 40 you will probably get 30mm boards depending on straight they are. You give us no idea as to whether you have a thicknesser, jointer or bandsaw. All invaluable tools for what youre doing. So tell us if you have those machines.

What I would do is draw up a cutting list first. I always do. I then cut the timber a little longer than I need it to be. Have a few extra if possible for badly warped boards that may occur.

Then start dressing the timber. Again in dimensions larger than the final dimensions.

Then stack the dressed timber with even packers between each board. See what the wood does over a short period of time then finally dress the timber to size. Best results are achieved if you glue up the boards soon after final dressing as they are less likely to repel the glue. See recent issues of Aust Wood Reveiw regarding this phenomenon.

I think biscuits are ok for the top but I would use a stronger joint (mortise and tenon)for the legs and rails or even metal brackets if you like. Redgum is really heavy and I wouldnt trust just the biscuits. Another possibility is long coach screws with plugs.

As far as glue is concerned I like using epoxy (West System) but I dont think it expands the biscuits as much as PVA. But I use the biscuits more to line up the top than for their strength

Good luck with the project. I hope this helped.

After you saw the posts into planks store them for a few weeks.
This will allow the timber to settle down and you may identify warpages and twisting caused by internal stresses or uneven moisture content.
I have salvaged old posts and occaisionally 1 of the new boards can do a corkscrew. If you slap a table top together immediately 1 cranky board can twist the top right out of shape.

Thanks all, I will keep you up to date. All is on hold till weekends.
Linden