Yep, I know that it has been a while since I did part 1 of this series – but, like a Magpie more shiny things have caught my attention. Not that building the dining table wasn’t interesting – it still remains one of my favourite personal projects!
So, to recap the last part – I had:
- Cut the material to make a 1.2m (L) x 87 cm (W) x 36mm (D) table which consisted of a main middle section and two left and right extenders.
- Laminated the pieces together using wood glue.
- Glued all the sections together to form the the complete table top.
I had reached the point where I was ready to sand and seal the wood with an Oil.
Before I get into sanding – I’d like to just cover off the power of wood glue and address how strong is laminating and joining wood with it.
“A good wood glue when applied correctly, secured under pressure for the right amount of curing time will be stronger than the original wood it is securing.
So let’s break down what I mean by that:
- Correct application: There really isn’t such a thing as too much wood glue. Obviously the more you use – the more “squeeze out” you’re going to get (e.g the mount of glue that oozes out from the edges of the two or more joined pieces).The important thing to remember that when you are applying wood glue – apply it to both surfaces that you intend to join and spread it evenly.In this article I used foam brushes – however now that I am several months down the line I have found using a plastic business card / old (expired) bank card is absolutely ideal!Where you get squeeze out when joining the pieces you have a few choices – you can either clean it off with a damp cloth (I personally have had limited success with this) or you can wait for the glue to partially set (usually takes about 40 minutes) and then use a sharp chisel to gently remove the partially set glue.
- Secured under pressure: Clamps are your best friend. You cannot have too many clamps! When you have joined your pieces you need to ensure that you have gotten as much of the top surface area compressed down to the glued sides and perfectly flat and bonded together.Bear in mind that if you have used a lot of glue, joined pieces have a tendency to slip and slide.You have a number of options here:
– Accept the slipping and account for it in your overall measurements. You can then trim the sizes down with a saw after to square everything up.- Build a frame which you set your material into which prevents slipping as it is clamped (this is what I did for the dining table).
– You can use edge clamps which will square the materials up on the edges during the bonding process which you can then add top clamps to compress them down.
– What you absolutely cannot allow to happen is allow the pieces to rotate when laid on top of one another as that is a real pig to square up afterwards so you need to get them as close to parallel as you can. - Right amount of curing time: I have found that there are a number of stages and environmental factors to wood glue related to curing time.
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- Stage 1 – Manoeuvrability of the material post glue application and joining. I have found that in temperatures of around 22 degrees (c) – you can fine tune the join (or lamination) for about 5 – 8 minutes, after that it’s not moving – so work quickly(ish).
- Stage 2 – The glue has cured enough for you to continue to work on the wider material – but NOT READY to be unclamped – this is normally about 2 – 4 hours after the initial glue up (at around an environmental temp 22 degrees (c)).
- Stage 3 – The glue has fully cured, this is when the bond is at its strongest and not going anywhere. If you need to separate pieces, it isn’t happening without serious damage and you might as well start again. This is normally around 24 hours later and the point when you can release the clamps.
Sanding
Sanding wood is a paradox.
It is both once of the most boring, repetitive things in the world – but – at the same time it is also one of the most satisfying and relaxing things to do. It is the Schroedinger Cat activity of Woodworking.
Whereas I hate the monotonous nature of sanding with the grain at a starting grit and then performing the same task over and over until you reach your target finish – the process itself ends up in a remarkable reward that makes it all worthwhile.
Starting with a raw material and see it progress to something that is smooth and ready for a final finish is so satisfying!
Anyhow, I thought that I would start with a little information on Sandpaper grits. I remember when I started out I had no clue what the different numbers meant – or – which was rougher to smoother. I just knew that there were different kinds!
The table below is a general guide to best practices when sanding wood. It is important to note that the advice can change between different types of wood and what the ultimate finish is going to be (e.g. Oil, Wax, Stain or Varnish).
When I applied the sanding finish to the dining table I used:
My approach was to work the Oak sanding with the grain using 80, 120, 180 and 240 grits.
This is the finished raw table top after the whole sanding process had been completed.
It is also worth noting here that I also ran in a Chamfer along the edges of the table with my DeWalt DCW604NT 18v XR Cordless trim router BEFORE I did the sanding (this is because if you sand and then trim route you will get imperfections that you will have to sand again).
I finished the Chamfered edged by hand using the relevant grit paper sheet.
Now you might be thinking – what the hell!? – you have just gone against your own sanding guide – and you would be absolutely correct!
You see, as I said the table is a general guide it differs slightly depending on the species of material and what finish you are going to apply. I have found on Oak taking it to 240g and applying Osmo Oil ends up in a beautiful finish – but – there is a technique to the Oiling that you need to follow!
Osmo Oiling
I know, I built that up right?
It’s actually really straight forward – but before I get into how to apply Osmo – let me explain why it is the liquid of the gods for Oak!
- Clear (Matt)
- Clear (Satin)
- Natural (Matt)
- Acacia (Matt)
- White (Satin)
- Terra (Satin)
- Graphite (Satin)
As finishes – my own personal choice for Oak is Clear Satin as whilst it is clear it really brings out the wood grain with a very subtle darkening of the timber where it is susceptible to such colour variation and an intense lightening of brighter timber – which look amazing when you are using Oak furniture board which is made up of varying colours and shades of Oak. It is also really easy to work with.
Osmo Application
You have a number of application tool options when applying Osmo. You can use a brush, microfibre roller or lint free cloths.
My personal preference is Lint Free cloths – they make the process really simple and are quite cheap which is important as despite guidance on how you can clean applicators after using Osmo Oil I haven’t as of yet made it work!
Applying Osmo to Oak furniture boards is very straight forward you will need to apply three coats allowing for a minimum of 8 hours between each – however I recommend leaving 24 hours between coats.
If you are applying the oil to every surface of the material – you will need to leave at least 20 minutes before turning over a coated area to apply to a non coated area.
When applying the oil you will need two lint free cloths – the first you use to distribute the oil over the surface the second you use to remove the excess and thin the coat out as you don’t need a lot of Osmo to get a stunning result – in fact, it should be really thin as too much will result in sticky raised areas on your material.
- Before using Osmo – shake the living hell out of the can! This mixes the pigments and waxes together so you get the best product for your end finish – this is NOT an optional step.
- Pour some Osmo out onto the surface and then using the distribution cloth work it into the wood with the grain. Don’t let the oil pool or sit for too long as this will impact the finish.
- When you have finished, let the oil sit for about 5 minutes and then using your excess cloth, again with the grain in sweeping movements remove any excess areas.
- This will leave a lovely, thin, smooth finish.
- After a minium of eight hours (best left for 24) you can apply the second coat using the same process and then when ready a third.
I know the above process sound time consuming – and in truth it is – but well worth it for the results as you can see below:
In the next part I will cover attaching the legs to the table and planning the seating benches.
