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  1. #1
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    Default Blackwood Table for my Son

    I suggested to my son that I would make a table for a wedding present (last August). They moved into a new apartment just prior to Xmas, and think they'll be there for some time so a table to suit the space there is the go.

    Last weekend was the open day at Sturt WW school, and as usual Allwood Timber was there with plenty to choose from. Three nice boards of 300x38mm Blackwood found their way back in fletty's vehicle.

    After showing my son some different design ideas, it was agreed that some really nice timber for the top, with a more industrial/chunky base would work well in the said space.

    fletty very kindly said "Why don't you make the top here so I can help you manipulate it while I get on with the doll's house?"
    Cracker!

    On Wednesday we machined the boards, trimmed to rough length, Dominoed, glued up by lunchtime.



    Later in the afternoon I started sanding up to 800 grit.




    For some people, finishing is a necessary evil, but I really enjoy the process especially on a really nice piece of timber. Watching the timber reveal the prize is very rewarding, and the fun really begins at 500 grit. The middle board starting showing some fiddleback - not the tight stuff, but a broader underlying chatoyance that was moving around with head movement.

    Time for a check with some turps.



    The ends were trimmed to final size (1500mm) and that was the end of the first day.


    Progress pics courtesy of fletty
    Regards, FenceFurniture

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  3. #2
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    Nice bit of wood there Brett.
    I am one of those who regard finishing as the necessary last step and seldom go past 400g and Danish oil. May have to step things up for the better bits of wood. Anyhow looks like it will be an eye catcher of a table.
    Regards
    John

  4. #3
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    Thanks John.

    Some table saw marks in the edges had to be planed out.




    A couple of years ago I got 500mls of a water based grain filler called Aqua-Coat from the US. Sat in the drawer until this week. Simply rub it in (like paste wax) and sand it off 30 minutes later. The result is a very very smooth surface, and the filler can't be seen at all. No pic of that process but it doesn't look any different to a pic of me rubbing in the first coat of Livos Countertop oil, which I then hard burnished with 800 then 1200 grit.



    Don't you love it when your so-called mates wait until you have a dopey expression? Very fortunately fletty missed me when I chew my tongue....


    "Waddya want fletty?"



    So that process was sand bare timber to 800, Aqua Coat sanded off with 800, Oiled and sanded 800, 1200. Second coat of oil sanded 2000, 4000.

    I think he just took this to show off his collection of signs.





    Progress pics & dopey pics courtesy of fletty
    Regards, FenceFurniture

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  5. #4
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    So at the end of 4000 grit the finish is still very satin in gloss level, but talk about smooth! The minor fiddleback started to pop out all over the place too which was really pleasing.




    You can see the change in the colour of the eye at the end of the middle board, just by changing viewing direction:





    "It's smoother than my as-yet unborn grandchild's bum."





    Progress pics & hitherto not seen as badly bald spot pics courtesy of fletty
    Regards, FenceFurniture

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  6. #5
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    We did a bit of fiddling around on some offcuts with putting some WOP over oil (it was theoretically too soon, but it's just to see what it might look like). I've never used WOP but fletty is a big fan.

    The Satin of the two coats of oil is very appealing but my concern is that a little down the track young children will give it a real trial. I can always add the WOP in-situ at any old time if we think it needs extra protection and a slightly higher gloss level. The WOP does pop the grain even more with a little more depth.....
    Regards, FenceFurniture

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    It's always good fun working with mates. On Wednesday fletty was pretty full on helping with the heaving around of boards through his machines for most of the day. On Thursday he was back onto his Doll's House in the shed and coming out occasionally to help flip the table etc where I was working on the veranda.

    And take some pics of my bald spot.
    Regards, FenceFurniture

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  8. #7
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    I was considering a 5mm roundover for the edges, but a router can stuff a piece of wood in a moment, so I avoid them where I can. One of the long edges had some brittle parts that were desperate to split off, and a router would have chomped them out. In the end I just relieved the edges with the plane to a 45° face that was about 2mm across, and then sanded to shape with 500 grit. The four vertical edges were done with an oblique toothed float (which I really enjoy using). Pretty much a 3mm roundover that takes slightly longer without the noise but more satisfaction.
    Regards, FenceFurniture

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    Looking really good mate. How did you find the kunos oil?

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    The top has come up a treat. Looking forward to the leg/base build.

  11. #10
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    Cheers Andy.

    Yeah I like it. It was Countertop rather than Kunos. I think it could do with some diluting (what was the name again?) because with hard burnishing it was a little bit viscous even at the start, and it seems to polymerise maybe a little too quickly - it very quickly gets to a point where the sander starts to catch and leave skid marks, like a skid of polymerised oil, which then has to be clothed off. No big deal really, but a little thinning could work well I think.

    We actually used Aussie Oil when we did the WOP test on the offcuts, and it is also a foodsafe oil which is designed for friction polishing on lathes, so I thought it should be ok for hard burnishing. It worked well and didn't get to the skid mark stage.

    The point is that Aussie Oil is $21 per 250ml from Trend Timbers, and Countertop Oil is normally $35 (reduced to $30 at Sturt) for 250ml, so AO is 60% of the price. More experimenting required to compare them side by side on the same board. Countertop oil is good for 50° heat being applied to it - don't know about Aussie. Need to get the MSDS sheet too.
    Regards, FenceFurniture

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    Looks great, Brett!

    What kind of plans do you have for the undercarriage/legs?

  13. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alkahestic View Post
    The top has come up a treat. Looking forward to the leg/base build.
    Cheers mate.

    Well the legs/base will be something a bit different altogether. No timber except for some tiny little features.

    It will be quite similar to this Pinterest entry. We presented him with a few options, and that one hit the spot. Yesterday fletty and I called in to a steel fabricator in Narellan to discuss it with them. They can supply the steel tube (38mm ID, 42mm OD), clamps/joiners and also weld some flanges to the top of the legs so I can screw the flanges to the timber top. Once that is fabricated, there is a powder coater just around the corner from them where it will get shot blasted and matt-black PC (depending on cost but I think it should be fine). Maybe a charcoal colour.

    I really like that black tube idea on several fronts:

    • It really celebrates the timber on top
    • I don't reckon timber legs get looked at much anyway
    • Timber base is time consuming, and the timber wouldn't be all that cheap unless Radiata with a milk-paint finish
    • Easy to change it out if it becomes tired looking (unlikely)
    • If necessary the table can be fairly easily collapsed for storage
    • Other themed furniture is easy to match, such as a Hall Table (for which I purchased an extra 1.6m length of the same timber )
    • Choice of colours within reason to suit different timbers
    Regards, FenceFurniture

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    Geez Brett, I knew you couldn't be working at your own shed, you'd have to clean it up
    Pat
    Work is a necessary evil to be avoided. Mark Twain

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    The timber prices out to ~$4500 per cube which I think is pretty good for boards of this size and quality, with one face dressed.

    All 300x38mm, and 1.6, 1.6, 1.8, 2.1m long boards for $370 (marked price less 7.5%). The remaining board is the prettiest of them all - very stripey and bold. Actually would have been out of place in amongst two of the boards that I used, but will go nicely as a hall table.
    Regards, FenceFurniture

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  16. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pat View Post
    Geez Brett, I knew you couldn't be working at your own shed, you'd have to clean it up
    You have no idea how much fun it is to mess up someone else's shed and then jump in the car!

    Actually, that may not be correct....
    Regards, FenceFurniture

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