blackbutt table top help

[timbertom]

hey there!

im am amateur woodworker in need of a little help (I've used this forum before and found it very useful!! thanks to you guys)

as the title suggests, i making a tabletop form blackbutt that will be fixed onto a 1950's steel hairpin table frame.

today i laminated/edge glued the five planks (190mm x 30mm) and they are currently sitting in the clamps and will be over night. the few questions i have are:

A) how do i smooth out the ridges at the joins? some parts are flush but there are a few others where one board is higher/lower than the one is glued to. ?? (keep in mind i don't have nor feel comfortable using a planer)
b) should i used a sanding sealer? if so, which type and whats the process? and c) what do people recommend for a final finish? i've been using dewaxed hard shellac and wax for my last couple of projects. for this project I'm leaning towards a satin polyurethane finish although have some reservations.

if you have any thoughts/advice or suggestions that would be great!

cheers, tom.

[Claw Hama]

Hi Tom
A, a belt sander is pretty good for this, I have used mine a lot for stage.
B, I don't usually use a sanding sealer with Blackbutt, it mostly has a fairly close grain and finishes nicely.
C, Shellac is a nice finish on furniture but its not a hard waring carefree finish for a dining table so I mostly go either Danish Oil or Satin Poly. Many on the forum have heard my favourite poly finish before, about 4-5 coats of poly with sand between each, the last coat gets cut back with 400 wet and dry (like a car) but using a mix of 50/50 turps and linseed oil as a lubricant or ust turps or a light furniture oil. The last stage is some 000 or 0000 steel wool and the oil mix. Looks and feels fantastic and tuff as nails. I usually use Cabots Floor finish (oil base) toughest on the market I think.
Have fun

[timbertom]

thanks for the response claw!

unfortunately i don't have a belt sander (an excuse to make a purchase maybe?!) but i do have and use a mouse sander which seems to do ok on other projects.

in regards to apply the satin poly, would you recommend brushing of rubbing on? any advice for either or anything i should be aware of?

cheers, tom.

[Claw Hama]

I always brush finish, its pretty bullet proof because at the end you rub it all down with the wet and dry which takes of any dust bumps and sins.Don't worry too much ust do it. Worst comes to worst you sand it off and give it another coat.

[steck]

A) how do i smooth out the ridges at the joins? some parts are flush but there are a few others where one board is higher/lower than the one is glued to. ?? (keep in mind i don't have nor feel comfortable using a planer)

I have had success using a scraper to even the ridge where the two planks are joined.

b) should i used a sanding sealer? if so, which type and whats the process? and c) what do people recommend for a final finish? i've been using dewaxed hard shellac and wax for my last couple of projects. for this project I'm leaning towards a satin polyurethane finish although have some reservations.

I like polyurethane for surfaces that need to be hard wearing. I have found it easier to get a really good finish with Wipe On Poly finishes. They seem to pick up less dust as they dry. A few coats and then a fine Wet and Dry sand and finish off with a wax ( I use Ubeaut Traditional Wax).

[baltic]

Hi Tom

C, Shellac is a nice finish on furniture but its not a hard waring carefree finish for a dining table so I mostly go either Danish Oil or Satin Poly. Many on the forum have heard my favourite poly finish before, about 4-5 coats of poly with sand between each, the last coat gets cut back with 400 wet and dry (like a car) but using a mix of 50/50 turps and linseed oil as a lubricant or ust turps or a light furniture oil. The last stage is some 000 or 0000 steel wool and the oil mix. Looks and feels fantastic and tuff as nails. I usually use Cabots Floor finish (oil base) toughest on the market I think.
Have fun

Hi Claw Hama, very interested in your finishing technique using the 50/50 turps linseed oil, I have nearly finished a dinning room table using (I think, Sydney bush birch???) (I have had the timber for the past 7 years) and the table top deserves a really good finish, I have used satin poly and ubeaut wax, but find it hard work polishing off, can you elaberate more with the steel wool technique?
Regards,
Gary

[timbertom]

hi all - just wanted to say thanks for all for help. I've attached some pics of the finished project as i know you guys love checking out (as i do) finish work!




https://www.woodworkforums.com/member...-img-0962.jpeg

[Scally]

Fantastic job.

The finish looks great.

You must be very persistent or have a turbo charged mouse sander.
Blackbutt is pretty hard timber. I would have borrowed a belt sander to get the top flat. Then finished with your mouse sander.

[timbertom]

I actually went out and purchased a belt sander in the end as I knew I would get way too frustrated with the might mouse! And it worked really great!

[Scally]

Smart move.
Love it!

[Claw Hama]

Nice job TT, well done. You'll get plenty of use out of you're belt sander anyway, they're a handy tool. That is a sweet little table.

Baltic, make sure you have enough coats of poly on so you can cut it back and not get back to the wood, I usually do a min of 4. Then use wet and dry (I use 400 or 600 mostly) with the oil mix or just turps or a light furniture oil. This is just a lubricant. Once you have cut it back untill all your brush strokes etc have gone you're done. If you want you can then polish it up with some 0000 steel wool with or without the oil. Or without the oil first up and then with the oil to finish off. Use long straight movements from one end to the other to give a uniform finish. You can always PM me with any questions.

[baltic]

Thanks Claw Hama, I have now finished the table and going to bring it up to the house to apply the poly, it is freezing down here, (Ballarat district) and having real trouble applying the second coat, wants to "orange peal" ,
Timbertom, love your table, and you have given me a great idea for using one of my "vintage" tables, a new top being started real soon!!

[Claw Hama]

I use Terebine in my finish this time of the year to speed things up a bit. Feast Watson make it although the other day I couldn't get FW and got some Haymes which was heaps better. I put about 20ml into 2lts of Cabots floor finish and it was drying like it was a hot summers day(6hrs). (the first coat took 24hrs and still peelled a little)

[Christos]

Well done on the table top. And will confirm that we do like photos of finished work, as well as work in progress.