Hello All,
OK, I just completed my first glue-up of a replacement of an end table top that we have in our living room. I plan on replacing 2 end table tops and one coffee table top. The bases are really sturdy but the tops are made from veneered covered MDF and the tops are fading away. So, this being my first real woodworking project, I am compelled to ask the collective wisdom of this board their opinions on how I should proceed. I am using 1″X6″ maple boards glued up and I plan on sanding the boards after glue-up, round the edges with a 1/2″ radius using a jig saw, and then routering with a roundover bit or possibly a chamfer (I’ll do some test routers on scrap and let the wife decide, as she makes the final decisions on interior decorating in my house). There are a couple of spots where the boards are not flush on the table top so I was planning on using an orbital hand sander with a coarse grit to sand down those non-flush areas and then move to a fine grit for sanding the whole table top. Is this the typical way to go about getting the table top smooth? Would it make more sense to use a hand plane?
Anyway, the order I was going to do post glue-up work was:
1) round off the edges with a 1/2″ radius with a jig saw.
2) router all edges of the table top with a roundover or chamfer bit.
3) sand the top with an orbital sander by using different grades of grit.
4) finish with stain.
One other question I have is this. I have a router table but have yet to use it. The endtable tops are roughly 2′ X 2′ so it may make more sense to use the router table at least for the end tables. The problem is I haven’t used the router table yet but have done some hand-help routering. Does the collective wisdom out there say use the table or free-hand? I’m sure I’ll have to do free-hand for the actual coffee table (roughly 4′ X 2′ in dimension) but the end tables are small enough that it may make more sense to use the router table.
I would love to hear from you guys on the best way to proceed. Also, I made a crosscut sled last week (my wife was a little upset because she thought it was an actual sled for the snow and didn’t see why it was a priority) and it works like a charm. I can see me using it for all crosscuts that fit in the sled. I also feel a hell of a lot safer using it as I have a plexiglas guard over the blade. Just the fact that it gives every cut I make perfectly square is the best part. Thank you Jon Eakes for your videotape on constructing this…
Oh yeah, one other thing. I just have one saw blade which is a 60 tooth and I noticed that cutting maple it labored a bit. It cuts through pine like butter. What is the recommended tooth capacity that I should use for hardwood? Thanks and I look forward to the wisdom and experience of this board..
Regards,
Buzzsaw
Replies
Buzz,
Re your order of construction:
I'd do it:
1
3
2
3
4
You'll need to smooth out the edge left by the jigsaw before you router the edge, assuming that you're using a pilot bearing guided bit.
Have to fly here - best of luck.
Cheers,
eddie
Hi Buzz,
It really depends on how "not flush" your talking about. If it's just a give or take a 32nd" your right on with the RAS working thru your grits, 60-80-150-220. Don't skip grits and you'll be fine. If it's way out, you'll have to use more extreme methods such as a scrub plan or belt sander going against the grain until everything is relatively on the same plane and then using your random orbit sander as described initially.
As far as the steps in the 2nd question, I would switch steps 2 & 3, the reason being that if you rout first you may sand a little of the profile off without realizing it and it will show in the end, in which case you'll have to go back and re-rout the profile again which is repetitious and also allows more opportunities to make another mistake. Always try to keep the total number operations to a minimum to reduce the chance of adding in unknown variables and therefore mistakes.
Finally, I don't use the router table for something as big as a glued up tabletop that has been sanded down as described above. The routertable surface is going to be truly flat where as your glueup may or may not be truly flat. If there is a dip at all along the edge the bit won't remove as much material from that spot and it will have a different profile than the flat edge. In this case a handheld router with it's narrower "table" (the base of the router) will more readily conform to any surface waves. If on the other hand the tabletop has been run thru a panel sander and is truly flat, then your router table would be the way to go. Hope this helps.
Dan019
Dan,
Thanks for the post. So I should buy all 4 grits (60,80,150, and 220)? That is good to know as I was going to go from coarse to fine. Routing after sanding makes more sense and I will do this. We are only talking about 1/32" or so when I say not flush so it sounds like the palm sander should work OK. Thanks so much...Regards,
Buzzsaw
Buzz
Yes, always work your way up thru the grits if it is going to be of furniture grade quality. The reason is each size of grit (low to high) removes the scratches from the previous grit. If you skip, it will be real apparent when you put on the finish. There are lots of articles on this procedure, it's one of the topics that come up on a regular basis. However if this is just shop grade stuff for you and you arn't concerned about the finish because then you could get away withcoarse to medium.
It seems like a lot of extra work (working thru the grits) but when you measure the time spent sanding against the total life of your piece it's really negligiable.
Dan019
Dan,
I couldn't find any 60 grit for my palm sander but do have 100, 150, and 220. Do you think it would be fine to skip the 60 grit and start with 100 then onto 150 and 220. By the way, it is for table tops in my living room so I'm looking for furniture grade. Thanks...
Regards,
Buzzsaw
Sure, you don't have too much to take off. Sometimes it's better to start higher. You'll get the hang of it in no time
Dan
Thanks Dan. I'm looking forward to my 1st table top...Regards,
Buzzsaw
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