Not sure which category this should go in but I am looking for some guidance on making a redwood slab coffee table. I’ve purchased a large slab (pictured) of original growth redwood from the Northern California Coast. I’m very excited about making this into our dream coffee table but have never done anything like this. I’m leaning towards sanding the piece all the way down to 120 or 150 sandpaper and then using tung oil instead of urethane/lacquer/varnish. There won’t be a lot of liquid spilled on the table. I’m interested in protecting the wood and bringing out the color and grain. Would you use tung oil or something else? Also, planning for a more contemporary look so I’ll be going with metal legs. I’ve found several places online that sell legs like this. Is there any problem with screwing the legs right into the table or should they be mounted differently. Thanks for the help.
Replies
nice slab
Your slab is a nice shape for a coffee table. Redwood can be lovely wood, but remember that it is relatively soft and porous. My opinion is that it looks best with a film finish (varnish, poly, etc.) and when sanded to a much finer grit. (Don't forget to finish both faces and the edges, too, to minimize moisture absorption. I'd use a gloss finish, building up a sufficient number of coats, and then cut the sheen of the final coat by (gentle) hand rubbing with Rottenstone powder and oil.
When attaching the legs, you'll want to allow for expansion/contraction, so screw holes in the metal legs may need to be elongated for that purpose. Or, use an auxiliary mounting plate that will allow movement in relation to the legs.
Ralph,
Thanks for the feedback. This is exactly the kind of input I've been looking for. I've used redwood before and think very highly of it but I'm talking about decks and fences. This is completely new to me. If I were to go the poly route, are there certain brands or products that you prefer? Also I'm planning on using a random orbit sander will that be OK or would I be better off with something else?
Again, thanks for the info.
finishes
First, I am NOT a finishing expert, so please take my opinion within that context. If you post your question in the finishing section, you're likely to get better information, particularly about specific brand recommendations. I started using Minwax brush-on oil-based poly several decades ago, and have just sort of stuck with it, since it seemed to work OK. I prefer clear gloss because it has no particulate matter mixed in, which would tend to mask the beauty of the grain/figure of the wood. But, I don't like the sheen on the final coat, so I cut that with the Rottenstone rub-out.
As to sanders, I have an old PC finish sander (half sheet, high RPM) that just won't die. It is fairly aggressive, however, particularly with the coarser grits (e.g. 100, 150). So, I've gotten into the habit of sanding down as far as 600 grit on many things. I recently bought a Festool ETS 125 EQ ROS, which is much less aggressive, and has good dust collection with the Festool vacuum. What effect this will have on my sanding habits is still to be determined, but I no longer have to wear a dust mask. ;-) One thing to remember, though, is that the little round ROS pads won't get into corners, so sanding in advance of assembly may be required.
Great feedback again. My father in law has a festool system and even though I'm not knowledgable about these things I find his sander drool-worthy. Congrats.
I'll try posting in the finishing section to see if there are more thoughts. Thanks again for taking the time to post.
It's going to be difficult to get a very flat and straight surface with a small footprint device such as a random orbit sander. The shinier the finish, the more noticeable any dips and bumps will be. You could pay a shop with a wide belt sander to surface both sides, but I'm not sure a wide belt will leave a truly flat and straight surface - it may want to simply make the two faces parallel.
Be bold
I was going to say all the OP needs is a couple of hand planes and a little time. You know. My same old shtick. But sounds like probably not big into this wood working hobby thing and just wants to do this one big project and get back onto the golf course or like that.
So.
I am changing my tack. I say again BE BOLD. Rent one of these, put the plank on the floor and gitter done ! Ye Haw !
( : )
Not Quite
I only golf about once a year, I'm pretty terrible. The idea of hand planing intrigues me but I don't think I have the necessary skills to pull it off. I think you may have misjudged me a bit. I'm interested in woodworking but haven't, to this point in my life, had the ability or time to do it (14 years active duty army so far). I come from a long line of wood/metal workers however the skillset sort of petered out with my father, who chose to become an engineer and abandoned the historical family trade (gunsmiths), a very wise choice on his part. I'd love for this project to be the first of many similar projects for me. I'm excited about it. I suppose even someone as well versed in the subject as yourself had to start somewhere. This is my start. I've appreciated all of the great advice I've gotten so far but I think your advice was a bit tongue in cheek so I'm going to pass on the floor sander. Thanks for taking the time to reply, even if it was in jest.
Not sure if you saw it. No big deal. Just an example
For example this was all hand planes, not thickness planer or belt sander. Takes time. Is a similar size to your table.
George Nakashima was famous for his work with slabs and live edge pieces, he was the man. I would do some research starting there. It's been so long since reading his books I can't remember which would be best to start with. My books are still packed in books so I can't even get to them at the moment.
Just do a google using his name with what your looking for, I'm sure you'll find something
Taigert
Bravo ! Well said !
>Floor sander <
Jest for sure but I has waiting in the wings to see how it worked out. Could work with a modicum of caution.
How I started out . . . I'm still starting out. I spent about eight years doing what I call playing scales. Doing a project or even a throwaway just to perfect the skill. Tons of repetition, tons of hours, several tools I no longer use because I went down, for me, a blind alley. So. In the end, or the beginning (to date let's say), lots of satisfying notes I have finally achieved, not a lot of music but some sweet melodies.
For me it is like zen meditation; lots of time invested, not much to show, materially, for it but I would not have missed a moment of it. The doing was the point of it not the end point. If one starts out being as lousy at wood working as I WAS maybe they can appreciate my point. When someone asks to see what I have made with my woodworking and I just show them a smile from ear to ear they think I am some kind of an idiot. Could be, could be. A happy idiot.
Red wood is soft and fairly easy to work; I say give it heck. You can't hurt this slab with hand planes and by the time you are done you WILL have hand plane skills (and some sharpening ability ) that will go a long way toward any other woodworking you do.
I am a fellow metal worker by the way.
Oh well, something for you to look at
. . . not much going on around here. Not like years past. Here is an example of playing scales. I wanted saw horses. I have the two by four variety. I could list a bunch of reasons why I don't like them but I won't. These are patterned after James Krenov saw horses. If he saw how much time I put into them even he would probably give me a dope slap.
This is what I got out of working with them:
experiment with the upper limits of strength of wood. These are bubinga. One of the strongest of all the wood species. Could such spindly (compact ) structures hold up to eight quarter planks of seriously dense hardwood eight feet long and a foot wide ( about the largest thing I would ever work ) ? Viola. They can.
these are quite full of figure ( that usually means a bit unstable/ changes with relative humidity ) could I make them come out stable AND SQUARE over time. Yes ! All four have done well for me for years now.
experimented with wedged tenon joint and variations on the final aesthetic treatment.
each horse has a different, classic, wood finish.
Used a pressed in brass pin to hold the top rail on to each upright. An easily removable nail if you will. each horse has a different end treatment to the "nail"; flat, domed, polished , flat finish etc.
All of the components were resawed by hand from thick eight quarter stock, thicknessed by hand, mortised and tennoned by hand. I cheated with a drill press for the "nails" but now know how to do even that accurately by hand from building a later project. Another tool.
And what do I have to show for it. Just saw horses. And a few satisfying, well played, notes out of a whole bunch of lesser notes.
Strong like bull!
You 'strong like bull' too, Roc.
I like your approach to woodworking. I, too, enjoy the satisfaction of the challenge as much as the completion of the project. That is why I rebuild (make another copy) of so many of my items. I want to see if I can make it better. The challenge is in the process; the reward is the time spent in the shop.
Frosty
You could have said something different but didn't
I appreciate that. You could have said:
" yah, mostly bull"
: )
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