Thread: bar top

I've used cork tiles for bar tops and bench tops with good results. Just use a timber frame to contain the tiles and finish with the normal cork tile floor finish.
My bar is over 30 years old and has had the surface refinished twice so it is very serviciable.
Just an alternative.
Mal

A 50mm slab will take about 2 years to dry from being cut. You will need a space to lay it flat to dry out of the weather. Do a search of the site on drying timber as it has been covered many times As for what will make a good bar top depends on what wood you like the look of and can afford. Most woods will do. Life will be easier if you can get a seasoned slab to begin with. I would still check out the mill as they may have some bits put aside that are dry. Ebay and trading post sometimes have timber for sale too.
Regards
John

Notenoughtoys, many people start by asking what colour they want, even just light or dark? The only other thing to consider is hardness, which is why a lot of bartops are from ironbark, bluegum, red mahogany etc. If you buy fully seasoned timber the risks of cupping/splitting/moving are low (unless your climate is different from where the timber was seasoned). Last, decide on a thickness (50mm readily available seasoned, 75mm less so, 100mm rare). A sawmill is unlikely to sell you anything seasoned, so you better be patient .

most slabs cut 50mm thick will be dry in 10 - 12 mounths.

what color and thickness are you after and we can tell you what timbers are sutable otherwise the list us just to long.

what a lot of people get rong is.
this 1 year per inch thing ist realy right. its 1" all round not for each inch. so a peice 2" will be dry in 12 months a 1" thick will be dry in 6 mounths (less)the thicker it is the loger is needed per inch.

Air seasoning has lots of factors which determine the time taken to season from fresh sawn green, to 15% or so moisture content, the average for a properly stacked pack outside with proper ventilation is 25mm in thickness per year, ie 200mm X 25mm board = 1year, 200mm X 50mm = 2 years
Mills will stack timber untill the free moisture in the cells is lost, (which is about 6 months for 25mm boards & 30% moisture content) then kiln dry it for a week for it to be fully seasoned, some mills stack timber in huge covered structures with controlled ventilation to speed the air drying process, so you can reduce air seasoning times but then comes the defects from drying to quickly
regards inter

I agree with inter. There is no way I would use a 50mm slab for a bar if it had only been air dried for 12 months. It would curl up and look at you as you walked away.

In addition to the other points mentioned it is important to note susceptability to lyctus borers if you plan to have a natural edge slab retaining sap.

cheers
Steve

Is the sapwood always vulnerable to lyctus borers (in susceptible species), or is it safe once dry?

thanks for the info so far guys. I'm a bit more educated but still not sure what to do.

I had hoped to leave the edge raw, hopefully with some bark on it similar to the pic included. In fact this is a pic of the one I had seen and hoped to reproduce. Now I'm worried about the borers mentioned.

Can someone suggest where I could purchase such a slab around 2200 X (600 to 750) wide X 50mm thick (depending on cost, I'd like to go 750 wide but can go down to 600 wide??). Species of timber I'm not sure, it will depend on what is available?

Tx very much
Bob K

Originally Posted by notenoughtoys

I had hoped to leave the edge raw, hopefully with some bark on it similar to the pic included.

Personally I reckon leaving bark on is asking for trouble. Firstly its prickly, this means it grabs clothing and scratches, and can drop off after you finish the piece meaning more work later. If you want a natural edge the best thing to do is to get the bark off and leave the natural sapwood edge. I use a wire brush on an angle grinder and it comes up OK.

Originally Posted by timbertalk

Is the sapwood always vulnerable to lyctus borers (in susceptible species), or is it safe once dry?

Borers will still attack susceptible species when dry. eg Sydney blue gum. You can immunize it, coat it with borax or do as I do and remove 95% of it leaving a very thin layer following the natural edge.

cheers
Steve

Originally Posted by Stopper

Borers will still attack susceptible species when dry. eg Sydney blue gum. You can immunize it, coat it with borax or do as I do and remove 95% of it leaving a very thin layer following the natural edge.

cheers
Steve

Tx Steve,

re borers,
is the timber still vulnerable inside and sealed? and if I understand you correctly, it's the sapwood that's the problem???
After Bob's advice I was intending to remove the bark, but leave the sapwood/natural edge.

Tx
Bob K

Originally Posted by notenoughtoys

Tx Steve,

re borers,
is the timber still vulnerable inside and sealed? and if I understand you correctly, it's the sapwood that's the problem???
After Bob's advice I was intending to remove the bark, but leave the sapwood/natural edge.

Tx
Bob K

Unfortunately yes. The timber is still vulnerable inside and sealed. Attack can happen the following season or years later. The borers eat the starch which is predominately in the sapwood. However, in some species the whole slab can be susceptible to attack. I agree with Bob about the bark. It should be removed.
Once you have found a slab check if it is susceptible to attack and take appropriate action to prevent it. If it is not susceptible, and there are many that are not, you're laughing.

cheers
Steve

Hi all,

to keep it simple, whatever the species you choose, please go for dry logs, older the better, bandsawn or circular doesn't matter, remove all bark, sand natural edges lightly with random orbital to take off the nasty bits, worried about borers? Soak with Kero, let dry for a bit then seal all surfaces with plenty of Mirotone or whatever. Fix your top with clips of timber or steel so that nature can move the slab through the seasons uninhibited so as to avoid stress cracks and there's you answer.