Replies

1. 
   Drew_Nyman | Feb 25, 2002 11:37am | #1

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   What do you want the finish to look like? How hard? You might consider "interthane" check with local marine supplier. Always seal both sides of a board.

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   chuck_stevenson | Mar 07, 2002 04:41am | #2

   *Mineral oil to both sides is best. It will probably take 10 to 12 coats . Do not use boards wider than 2 1/2 x the thickness. ie 1 " thick 2 1/2 wide , 1 1/2 thick 3 3/4 wide. Seal the end grain with a good penetrant to avoid checks. Reapply oil on weekly basis as required. The under side can be sprayed with a "Pam" type product if accessible. The biggest problem is a drastic swing of temperature and humidity.

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   Sgian_Dubh | Mar 07, 2002 04:48am | #3

   *Why not Chuck? I break that 2.5 times the thickness rule on just about,...no, belay that,......on every job I do,.......and I've never heard that 'rule of thumb' before. Interesting. Expand please. Typically I'll edge joint 18 mm thick stuff that is anything up to 200 mm or more wide to make up a panel, and it depends on all sorts of factors too. As to the original question, an oil finish is easy to apply and repair, but in a kitchen worktop, repair will be a weekly or monthly chore with this stuff. A film finish will hold up better for a while, but when it breaks, you'll have to deal with a major refinishing job. It might even be best to consider applying no finish at all, particularly as you are dealing with teak, and get into a programme of scrubbing the surface on a regular basis with hot water and disinfectant, which is a well known maintenance routine. But you might consider some kind of epoxy finish; thick and pretty durable, but still subject to scarring and other sundry damage.Solid timber countertops are alright in their way, but they're a pain in the backside regarding maintenance. Plastic laminate, solid surfaces such as Corian and stone generally perform better from a health point of view. Slainte, RJ.

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   chuck_stevenson | Mar 07, 2002 05:26am | #4

   *Its a warp thing. The grain should alternate. Wider boards can cup. Rift cut or Quarter sawn boards are more stable. Our 30 " computer desk top is 5/4 rift sawn red oak and only two boards wide. We used elongated mounting holes so the top can move. We did a frame and panel library using 4/4 dressed ne pine that were 30 " wide using four boards. We let the panels float between the rabbeted stiles and rails. No problem in 15 years. A kitchen counter is cut on, pounded on and kneaded on. Narrow boards are typically used in maple butcher block type counters for stability and flatness. They are usually face glued.

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   Sgian_Dubh | Mar 07, 2002 07:11am | #5

   *Chuck, I see where you're coming from. Alternate the grain orientation of narrow boards to end up with a washboard ripple effect. Is this better than placing wide plain sawn planks all with the bark side up to engender a uniform concave effect on the top surface? What about setting all wide boards with the bark side down to create a convex shrinkage pattern? And what happens if you ignore all the rules and just choose for best looks? Why should any of these choices be better than another for a kitchen work surface?Butcher block is all end grain to the top isn't it? Otherwise it's a normal glue-up, but using boards that aren't long enough to span the length: just a means of using up shorts economically. Or should these short boards be arranged in a specific manner, and if they should, why are they normally arranged so that grain orientation changes two or three times in one length? Now, you must know I'm playing Devil's Advocate here. - trying to suggest that I'm chuckling at this end as I post. I'm just pulling wires. How much plainer can I say it? Slainte, RJ.

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   Shane_Yee | Mar 07, 2002 04:09pm | #6

   *Teak is very stable and not prone to warping. I used a 28in wide 2 1/4 in thick air dried flat sawn teak slab in a bathroom. It was basically a long 16 ft shelf mounted on steel angle iron cantilevered out from the wall. A basin and faucet sit on top of the slab and the Goldspar ( International Paint ) marine varnish has held up well for the last 3 years. You should put on 5 coats thinned about about 30% ( 40% for the first coat ) on a clean surface freshly sanded with no finer than 220 grade sandpaper. Round off all edges to a 1/4 in or more radius especially holes cut for plumbing etc. Apply the coats alternately top and underside for the first 2 coats so that unequal moisture loss is minimized. Dont omit the sanding between coats after the specified time between coats. Goldspar is a one part polyurethane varnish but any similiar marine varnish should do. Watch out that you do not varnish if the temperature falls below the minimum temperature (Its 80deg F here in Singapore). The satin or matt finishes work well indoors and are more forgiving to apply.Good luckShane