Joinery/Finishing Issues: Advice

[yabbyman]

Hi All
I have a perplexing question that I thought best to put out for advice....
I am a DIY newbie. To complete this project I am seriously considering outsourcing to get the best possible professional job. I am not cut out nor have the area or resources to undertake the completion.
I am joining 2 slabs, 3 pieces to make a 50mm x 1800mm x 1200mm of very well seasoned black bean
Roger Ellis of Industrial Timber Finishing in Sydney has strongly suggested that a very perfect gloss urethane finish would not be recommended due movement and other assorted defects/cracks et cetera.
How do you guys think I should finish this joined slab in order to bring out the best?
Any comments greatly appreciated
andrew

[LuckyDuck]

Yabbyman:

I have made several pieces of furniture from blackbean (boy is it beautiful) and found that it is not that stable in service. Even using epoxy resin for gluing up, there is still joint movement which can marr a gloss finish on a table top for example.

No doubt, you will receive some excellent suggestions for solving this problem. I have found that Feast Watson Floor Finish is a viable, easily applied, durable finish which has enough elasticity to move with the timber, and enough gloss (if applied in multiple coats) to keep things pretty. Regards

[yabbyman]

Thanks LuckyDuck
Option number 1. Great. Tell me from your experience, would there be any sense in applying something like EEE ultrashine to buff it back to a glossier finish?
Bit hung up about it
thanks A

[Wardy]

Yabbyman:

I have made several pieces of furniture from blackbean (boy is it beautiful) and found that it is not that stable in service. Even using epoxy resin for gluing up, there is still joint movement which can marr a gloss finish on a table top for example.

No doubt, you will receive some excellent suggestions for solving this problem. I have found that Feast Watson Floor Finish is a viable, easily applied, durable finish which has enough elasticity to move with the timber, and enough gloss (if applied in multiple coats) to keep things pretty. Regards

totally agree lucyduck,excellent product. used it myself on blackbean, more than happy
cheers wardy

[journeyman Mick]

Yabbyman,
I've had excellent wear and looks from Mirotone acid cure lacquer (sprayed on). I applied it to a table that I built from some paper bark (melaleuca leucodendron). The timber was seasoned for some time but is still moving slightly in service, even now, about 5 years after it was finished. From memory it was semi gloss. It's available from Cairns Coatings (Scott St).

Mick

[yabbyman]

Hi Journeyman Mick
thanks for the feedback.
Unfortunately I need to change my public info. I have had to relocate back to Sydney (groan)
Any idea which of these was the go? (see link)

How is it that you recommend this based on the fact that there maybe movement? What are the positives? Sorry to grill, just really interested and dont want to screw this up. Any advice is greatly appreciated
A
http://www.mirotone.com.au/MIROBILD-Clear-Coatings/default.aspx

[journeyman Mick]

Yabbyman,
not sure, but I think it was the first topcoat listed as it could be used without a sanding sealer. Not so much that I recommended it because of the movement issue, just used it on a table that has had some movement and besides the slight bumps etc in the timber itself, the finish has handled it all fine. I basically used it because I had a few litres left over from a job which specified it. Oh, the other advantage I found was that it was less sensitive to cold and/or wet conditions. Standard nitrocellose and pre-catalysed lacquers can develop some really nasty white bloom if sprayed under cold or wet conditions but the acid-cat was much more forgiving.

Mick

[powderpost]

Yabbyman, I built a coffee table from 6" x 2" using three joints in the top. I used araldite, might as well used horse dung. It fell apart and I used the black bean for other projects. The next project (15 years ago) was a 1200mm diameter dining table, and a 500mm lazy susan. I used an AV402 pva adhesive from memory, it had a sulphuric acid derivative added at a rate if 1:24. which was designed especially for greasy timbers, and bean is very definately one of those. Both the table and lazy susan are still in use now. For a finish, I used good old matt estapol, two coats by brush and rubbed scandinavian oil into the tops with 0000 steel wool. We have put hot stainless teapots on both surfaces and it has stood up well. The surface is maintained by light applications of commercial light furniture oils but does not receive special treatment. It has also resisted the odd spill of alcohol. well.
Jim

[LuckyDuck]

Thanks LuckyDuck
Tell me from your experience, would there be any sense in applying something like EEE ultrashine to buff it back to a glossier finish?
thanks A

Absolutely! I always rub back the Feast Watson either with 1000 grit wet n dry sandpaper with a cork block and water, or else with the proper pumice and rottenstone and felt block, followed up with a coat of pure bees wax (or any other wax for that matter).

I also like the shiny, polished look, and I think this can be achieved without using the harder, high gloss finishing products. The Feast Watson Floor Finish is a matt preparation but you would be surprised how warm and shiny it gets with a bit of rubbing back. I use it on all my furniture projects.

I have also used Mirotone finishes and Behlen's "Rock Hard Varnish" on Blackbean with lesser success. The movement in service is just too much and varnishes inevitably crack/flake at the joints. Not that I am against varnish! (love the stuff). Regards.

[yabbyman]

Hey PowderPost, JourneyMan and LuckyDuck,
call me an idiot though being a humble newbie I feel that I should throw humility out the window here before destroying some expensive slabs...
I have yet to join and finish these Black Bean slabs (see attached. just rubbed in a bit of oil to demo figuring) and am wondering about this question:
There are a few cracks/fissures and root/knot holes that require filling prior to any work.
I have got some POT 551 Potting resin from solid solutions. It is an amber transparent resin that should look quite good. Are there any pitfalls (aside from bubbles and such) that I should be aware of before filling and taking into consideration that it looks like I am leaning towards feast watson floor finish as the finish coat. ie; issues with the cutback resin being covered with other finishes?
Any thoughts greatly appreciated

[journeyman Mick]

Yabbyman,
I doubt the oil type finishes will stick to the resin. For that matter some of the otehr finishes may not either.

Mick