Novice with red gum slab, advice?

[munit]

Hi all,

I've got a redgum slab that I plan on making into a table top...

I've never done anything like this before, so looking for the best/easiest approach, please don't use any long words ;-)

It needs some filling, I've been advised to use a black resin, any suggestions of brand, where to get it from etc? I'm in Melbourne BTW.

I was also advised to not sand any finer than 150, does that sound about right?

Finally, should I oil then clearcoat, or something else?

Thanks for any advice.

Moray

[elanjacobs]

The black resin I always used was Techniglue R60 with the fast hardener mixed with Solid Solutions black pigment paste (you can find them on google). Large voids should be filled in multiple stages and you will probably have to go over it a second time after sanding to fill the small bubbles.

I think 150 is too coarse; 180 is the minimum for finish sanding, 240 will give you a really nice finish and anything past 400 is a waste of time IMO (I know plenty of people will disagree with me on that last one).

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I've found that for your average resin lines & grub holes in redgum, 24hr Araldite mixed with coffee grounds works perfectly well and looks more natural than just a tinted epoxy. As mentioned above, larger voids need a different approach.

I also agree that 150grit is too coarse, generally going up to around 320-400 on flatwork. I find I have the best results by using the same grit as the final 'power' sand on a sanding block and sanding along the grain to remove any cross-grain scratches. This shouldn't take long; 5 mins on an average dining table is overdoing it. ;)

Also, be aware that redgum will darken up considerably when you oil it... I recommend that you try a few different test pieces before committing. Personally I like the darker look and will often simply use multiple coats of a good Danish or Tung oil but you may find that you prefer the look of just a clear coat.

[munit]

The black resin I always used was Techniglue R60 with the fast hardener mixed with Solid Solutions black pigment paste (you can find them on google). Large voids should be filled in multiple stages and you will probably have to go over it a second time after sanding to fill the small bubbles.

I think 150 is too coarse; 180 is the minimum for finish sanding, 240 will give you a really nice finish and anything past 400 is a waste of time IMO (I know plenty of people will disagree with me on that last one).

I'm ordering the techniglue and pigment now, thanks a lot!

[elanjacobs]

Go easy on the pigment, a little goes a long way.

EDIT: Also, when you're sanding the resin, use a very coarse grit (60 or 80) and slow your sander down to get the bulk of it off. Once it's roughly level with the rest of the timber you can go back to sanding as normal.