Thread: Building a recycled pine tabletop- need some advice

My personal opinion, I would do it individually. I am also thinking that it might be better to the eye it these were not uniform.

As for the oil I am not sure. I also wait to see what others think.

My preference would be to plug bolt holes individually, for the oil try some acetone, pour on the oil then wipe with a rag, the oil will continue to move to the surface with each acetone application, you may need to do this over some time (months) to remove it all and then you may never get it all, whether you can get enough out that it then doesn't interfere with the finish you put on



Pete

I would not worry too much about the oil stain. Such things can hark back to the original use of the material and often add to the overall character of the piece. I would also agree that the plugs should be of different shapes and or sizes, maybe a pattern can be devised.

What are you planning on finishing the piece with?

Cheers

What about covering the holes with butterfly keys?

http://riiskadesign.com/wp-content/u...y-detail-2.jpg

About 20 years ago I renovated an old wardrobe that had been sitting
in a garage for years. Several parts were oil stained and while some was
removed in the sanding process quit e lot was left.

I decided it was all part of the history of the piece and simply used a DO
finish. Worked well.

I was hoping to finish it with a combination of sealer and Danish Oil. If it was oil only, I wouldn't too worried about oil stains! Not sure how the sealer would go though. I will try the acetone first- as the stain might not be all the way through (the original varnish took a thicknesser to remove it was so.. thick).
I was also thinking a light stain to try to even up the boards a bit.

I like the idea of separate plugs- I might try for more size variance in the patches to make it more random.

BTW a little more history- apparently my grandfather (who was a builder) bought the bench second-hand about 50 years ago. HE bought it from a cabinet maker's workshop in Sydney- so bench is a fair bit older. Had a great old Record vise that I have since cleaned up and put to use in a new bench.

As apprentices, all our benches were Kauri, a timber I still prefer for benches to this day. Interesting you say it was varnished as the usual finish of choice was linseed oil. A neat way of patching the holes is to cut the patches to a diamond shape. This helps to eliminate the butted end grain look and the starkness of mismatched grain. The longer and narrower the diamond the better it looks.

Originally Posted by rustynail

A neat way of patching the holes is to cut the patches to a diamond shape.

rustynail-I assume you would use matching timber?(instead of contrasting wood). I do like the idea of minimising any end grain join by using a diamond shape. BTW You're probably right, it may indeed have been linseed oil- I assumed it was some sort of lacquer.

wongo- thanks for the butterfly key pic. I've only seen this on split wood, but no reason it wouldn't work to cover a hole? BTW how thick are the patches usually made? I was thinking at least 6mm for strength? the holes are about 12mm diameter.

6mm sounds good to me.

Originally Posted by touchdry101

rustynail-I assume you would use matching timber?(instead of contrasting wood). I do like the idea of minimising any end grain join by using a diamond shape. BTW You're probably right, it may indeed have been linseed oil- I assumed it was some sort of lacquer.

Yes, matching timber as the purpose of the exercise is to minimise the visual impact of the patch.
It's unlikely a linseed finish would have built up to require drastic measures for removal. Possibly the old chap may have used the bench when varnishing.

Thanks for the input- I'll post update pics once it's done.

Well I finally finished this project.
I followed the advice in this thread and added diamond patches to cover the vice holes- they are pretty well hidden so I'm happy! I also added 3 bowtie keys to end cracks- a nice little oddity (exactly the sort I like).
I cheated with the base- I salvaged it from another smaller table I came across. The new side aprons are actually strips from the other table top (the one advantage of all that sausage factory furniture is that it's all standard thicknesses/widths- makes it easy to re-purpose it!), which lengthened the base to accomodate the new top. It now seats 8 comfortably, 10 in a pinch.
Finally, after a %$#-load of epoxy mixed with graphite to fill the holes, I biscuit-joined the top and coated it with Minwax (Satin tinted with Teak) to even out the boards a bit and darken the look.
Overall I'm happy with the final look. I wasn't after perfection, but something that would be at home in a busy kitchen. And I'm stoked that my grandfathers' workbench can live on a bit longer!

That is a job well done. Beautiful work.

Yes, it has come up well.




Pete