RO Pedestal Table

[JohnnyR]

Getting a good straight/square edge is difficult with a small jointer or hand plane on this long a piece. If you have a long enough strait-edge, a router may be best and you don't need help. Might try Waterlox for a finish.

 

[JimD]

BLO and wax will not completely seal the surface and will require periodic maintenance. You could get a stain. I would not use that as a finish unless the recipients really want it and are prepared to maintain it.

I don't think water based finishes are less durable than oil but they are thinner. They get hard much faster. You may want more coats but the coats go on much quicker too.

I like oil based urethane on oak more than water borne. But it is just an appearance thing. I think the yellow/amber color of the finish enhances the oak appearance.

I would make up a sample for the recipients.

 

[LocoWoodWork]

Getting a good straight/square edge is difficult with a small jointer or hand plane on this long a piece. If you have a long enough strait-edge, a router may be best and you don't need help. Might try Waterlox for a finish.

Thanks, I may end up going with the straight edge/router.

 

[LocoWoodWork]

BLO and wax will not completely seal the surface and will require periodic maintenance. You could get a stain. I would not use that as a finish unless the recipients really want it and are prepared to maintain it.

I don't think water based finishes are less durable than oil but they are thinner. They get hard much faster. You may want more coats but the coats go on much quicker too. I'm only going by what I have read/heard. Don't think it's much less durable.

I like oil based urethane on oak more than water borne. But it is just an appearance thing. I think the yellow/amber color of the finish enhances the oak appearance.

I would make up a sample for the recipients.

Thanks for the the input. All advice is helpful.

I have also considered shellac (wax free) with a protective coat poly coat.

 

[Jeff]

Your table top alone weighs about 207 lb. Add in the two pedestals and it's really a beast. How will you get it to the recipients in Tampa?

Table recipients want a natural wood look for the table. I mentioned that poly is pretty durable

A clear finish without a yellow tinge rules out oil based finishes like BLO, tung oil, and Waterlox (tung oil based). Zinsser ClearCoat shellac is wax free and colorless so that would be a nice finish to begin with to highlight the QSRO grain.

Durability: Water borne poly is also durable and clear. Good for a dining room table in addition to low maintenance for the recipients.

 

[JimD]

I have not personally had a problem but dewaxed shellac is recommended when it will be top coated. I have successfully used normal shellac, however. But if I ever have a problem I will go to the other camp. I am making a dresser now and the inside will be sheallac - it should be done tonight - and the outside will be Resisthane tinted white with Hood finishing's compatible white primer. Resisthane is advertised as a pre-cat lacquer. It is water borne. I use it un tinted too. You can get tints to add to water borne to give them the amber tint of the oil based urethane but I haven't used them. The key benefit of the water borne is drying time. I plan two coats of primer and two of top coat in a day. With my normal need to sand out a sag or two between coats that will keep me busy.

 

[drw]

Steve, finishing is not one of my strengths but it seems that the "finish" is what most folks notice first. Over the years, I have tried various finishes but the most foolproof for me has been Danish Oil followed by multiple coats of polyurethane (first couple of poly coats are gloss followed by two or three of satin). My reasoning for saying this has been the most "foolproof" is that I have never experienced any blotching. Blotching has been a problem with stains even if I initially use a seal coat. The major drawback with Danish Oil is that even with the darker finishes (i.e., dark walnut), it really doesn't darken the wood all that much.

 

[LocoWoodWork]

Your table top alone weighs about 207 lb. Add in the two pedestals and it's really a beast. How will you get it to the recipients in Tampa?

They are picking it up along with two doors I made earlier (see link). It will be loaded in three parts and assembled on site. www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/index.php?threads/barn-doors.67610/

 

[LocoWoodWork]

I have not personally had a problem but dewaxed shellac is recommended when it will be top coated. I have successfully used normal shellac, however. But if I ever have a problem I will go to the other camp. I am making a dresser now and the inside will be sheallac - it should be done tonight - and the outside will be Resisthane tinted white with Hood finishing's compatible white primer. Resisthane is advertised as a pre-cat lacquer. It is water borne. I use it un tinted too. You can get tints to add to water borne to give them the amber tint of the oil based urethane but I haven't used them. The key benefit of the water borne is drying time. I plan two coats of primer and two of top coat in a day. With my normal need to sand out a sag or two between coats that will keep me busy.

Thanks,
Look forward to seeing your dresser.

 

[LocoWoodWork]

Steve, finishing is not one of my strengths but it seems that the "finish" is what most folks notice first. Over the years, I have tried various finishes but the most foolproof for me has been Danish Oil followed by multiple coats of polyurethane (first couple of poly coats are gloss followed by two or three of satin). My reasoning for saying this has been the most "foolproof" is that I have never experienced any blotching. Blotching has been a problem with stains even if I initially use a seal coat. The major drawback with Danish Oil is that even with the darker finishes (i.e., dark walnut), it really doesn't darken the wood all that much.

The more I read, water based poly or clear shellac seems to be the direction I'm leaning. I still have a large lambswool applicator I used to poly a floor which turned out great, considering I'm the one that did it. Maybe since it's such a large table top that's the way to go. Used oil poly on the floor, wonder if water based will dry to fast. Maybe if I get shellac flakes and mix it thin that will work?

How's your table coming along?

 

[drw]

The more I read, water based poly or clear shellac seems to be the direction I'm leaning. I still have a large lambswool applicator I used to poly a floor which turned out great, considering I'm the one that did it. Maybe since it's such a large table top that's the way to go. Used oil poly on the floor, wonder if water based will dry to fast. Maybe if I get shellac flakes and mix it thin that will work?

How's your table coming along?

Thank you for asking....I am making slow progress, hopefully I will be posting some pics soon.

 

[LocoWoodWork]

After procrastinating... finally got to the joining phase. I accomplished this by making a straight pencil line along one edge of each board using an 8' long straight edge. I then ripped to the boards just shy of the lines with a circular saw. (Boy did I envy you fellows with a Festool track saw). Once this was accomplished I then hand planed the edges using a Stanley #8 hand plane. Next step was to true the opposing edges on the table saw. The two outer boards are 19.5" X 9'+ and very difficult to maneuver. In order to run them across the TS I adjusted my planer table to the same height as the TS which enabled me to use the planer rollers as infeeders to the TS. I used a heavy duty homemade roller on the outfeed end. I used two feather boards, one before the TS blade and one on the outfeed end. Both FBs were adjusted to keep boards pressed against the fence. I only cut a kerf width at a time until I snuck up on a full length cut to make opposing edges parallel. This required many passes and the next morning I had soreness in places I didn't even know existed! Next was back to the #8 to square & plane by means of a makeshift "shooting board" (8' work table). I placed the top faces down on 1/4" spacers to ensure the joined edges will be square with the top surface during glue up. Used some paste wax on the work table and plane and began joining. So far I have one side and the center completed and have one more side to go. Here are a few pics of the planing process.

 

[drw]

Steve, the process you described is very innovative, hands-on, labor intensive but effective means of getting the job done. I am in awe that you successfully wrestled with a couple of 19.5" x 9' x 1.5" boards, you must have some woodworking superpowers! The table is going to look great!

 

[LocoWoodWork]

Managed to sneak in my son in laws machine shop today. Machined 3/4 L x 5/16 W slots into the two 4"x1.5" channels that will bolt to the bottom of the tabletop (web up). Connection will be with 1/4"-20 threaded inserts and button head socket head screws. The channel will have two 6x3/8" bolts welded on which will fit down through the top of the pedestal.The top of the pedestals will have dados in which the channel flanges will nest, hiding most of the channel.

Slots will allow for width movement (expansion/contraction) as well as helping keep wide boards straight.

Also tapered and smoothed the ends.

Bolt will be welded in place (after head removed), inserts/screws will affix channel to bottom of table top.

Bolts drop through top of pedestal and washer/nut/dado will hold channel/top in place.

I plan to add three smaller channels, one a few inches from each end and one in the center. I saw a guy on youtube, Canadian Woodworks who uses channels but he routes (SP) the actual top and inserts the channel flanges in the top??? Looks to me like that would compromise the strength of the top. I plan to go with all flanges down.

 

[Henry W]

Table recipients want a natural wood look for the table. I mentioned that poly is pretty durable, oil version yellows with time and the water version seems to remain clear although it is less durable. ... Any suggestions, advice, comments?

If you go with water based poly, be certain that it provides the color/clarity you want on unstained wood - sometimes water based poly will be 'clear' but have a weird looking blue cast (DAHIKT!) when viewed from an angle. I have twice had this happen - most noticeable on unstained wood. Once was 20 years ago on unstained RO project (recall that clearly), and once was far more recently, but I can't recall the details (hmmm getting to that age - I do remember what I had for breakfast, because I have the same one every day).

A project like this definitely deserves a test of the finish schedule (something I know I should do, but rarely have done) before committing the final piece.

 

[LocoWoodWork]

If you go with water based poly, be certain that it provides the color/clarity you want on unstained wood - sometimes water based poly will be 'clear' but have a weird looking blue cast (DAHIKT!) when viewed from an angle. I have twice had this happen - most noticeable on unstained wood. Once was 20 years ago on unstained RO project (recall that clearly), and once was far more recently, but I can't recall the details (hmmm getting to that age - I do remember what I had for breakfast, because I have the same one every day).

A project like this definitely deserves a test of the finish schedule (something I know I should do, but rarely have done) before committing the final piece.

Henry,
Thanks for the input... I need all I can get. As far a memory goes, when my wife asks if I remember so and so I reply with "did it happen more than 3 minutes ago? If it did, I don't remember it!".

After much thought, research and instruction, the finish will be Rubio monocoat pure. From the beginning, recipients have wanted a oil or wax finish, natural looking wood. They know oil does not provide the same protection as polys. I know there are many who like the rubio and others that don't. Bottom line is that the only ones that matter are the folks who will have the table. If they are happy I'm happy.

 

[Jeff]

the finish will be Rubio monocoat pure.

Rubio products are interesting, plant based, and they originated in Belgium They have several colored products for the oak?

Oil Plus 2C Colors

View the 55 Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C colors on 6 different species including White Oak, Red Oak, Hickory, Walnut, Pine and Maple.

www.rubiomonocoatusa.com

Rubio Monocoat Products are Green | Special Hardwood

0% VOC and Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold Label Rubio Monocoat Natural Oil Finish is a zero VOC non-toxic formulation. Traditional wood finishes are loaded with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that release harmful gases into the atmosphere and can cause respiratory problems, headaches, and...

www.monocoat.us

 

[LocoWoodWork]

Rubio products are interesting, plant based, and they originated in Belgium They have several colored products for the oak?

Oil Plus 2C Colors

View the 55 Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C colors on 6 different species including White Oak, Red Oak, Hickory, Walnut, Pine and Maple.

www.rubiomonocoatusa.com

Rubio Monocoat Products are Green | Special Hardwood

0% VOC and Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold Label Rubio Monocoat Natural Oil Finish is a zero VOC non-toxic formulation. Traditional wood finishes are loaded with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that release harmful gases into the atmosphere and can cause respiratory problems, headaches, and...

www.monocoat.us

Tons of options, I'm sticking with the pure.

 

[LocoWoodWork]

Got the bolts welded to the channel and the top glued up. Next up, paint channel, sand top, finish bottom of top and pedestals, affix channel to top, flip (with lots of help) and finish top, have table ready for 21 Sep P/U.

 

[LocoWoodWork]

Got the top and pedestals finished. Pedestals with BLO... top with RUBIO Monocoat Pure. I really like the monocoat. Easy, fast and looks better than any other finish I've used. Hope it holds up to time!