slab kitchen counter tops

[smitty12]

Hi guys. I had a dead red oak on my neighbors property for a few years that I finally got around to milling.

I'm planning on making counter tops with it. Built a cabin on my hunting ground so the tops dont need to be perfect.

I milled it 3 inches thick and it took all my 36 inch alaskan had.

I would like to leave the live edge on the inside edge of the tops and 45 the joints where I have to turn corners.

I was thinking rough fit the pieces and belt sand the heck out of it to get it finished. I have a friend with a kiln so I should be able to get it pretty dry. Plus as I said it stood dead for a few years.

Anybody ever do this? Looking for advice, warnings...etc.

I also am looking for references on what to finish them with to withstand everyday kitchen use keeping in mind that I will never live there full time.

I'll get some pics of the wood and stuff.

 

[hazard]

you could take the boards to a local cabinet shop that has a 36" wide belt sander.

I used 7 coats of minwax wipe on poly for my kitchen table 5yrs ago. It has taken a beating from the kids but the general over all fish looks very good to me

Chris

 

[smitty12]

I actually have a 36 inch planer available. but I will really only need to get the sawmarks out so its not a big deal on the sanding. I' m really looking for advice on what to use to seal and how to deal with wood movement.

 

[smitty12]

So here's a picture to sucker you guys into looking at this thread. This is the first thing I've ever built from wood I milled. Its not finished yet but getting close. (shelf is sitting upside down of course)

 

[BIG JAKE]

Nice looking figure on that wood smitty. I've always loved walnut. I helped my grandpa plant black walnut trees back in 1971 up in Minnesota. I haven't seen them for about 4 years. Back in the day Grandpa and I would take storm damage limbs and cut cookies on a 45 deg angle with the old blue homelite and make small snapshot frames of them or rip them and make cribbage boards with cream colored wood strips. It was a nice contrast of the different woods. Anyway your piece triggered the memory-thanks for posting.

 

[valekbrothers]

a couple years back I made a picnic table and benches for a guy out of Red Oak slabs. I used a marine grade varnish because of the outside aplication. I will see if I can find my pics of it for ya...
Anyway for your kitchen counters, I would use a minimum of 4 coats of a good polyurithane...... I have had the best luck with minwax brand.....
One more note.... you are going to want to coat ALL sides of the countertops to eliminate the wood movement....

Good luck, and show pics of the progress..

 

[smitty12]

Nice looking figure on that wood smitty. I've always loved walnut. I helped my grandpa plant black walnut trees back in 1971 up in Minnesota. I haven't seen them for about 4 years. Back in the day Grandpa and I would take storm damage limbs and cut cookies on a 45 deg angle with the old blue homelite and make small snapshot frames of them or rip them and make cribbage boards with cream colored wood strips. It was a nice contrast of the different woods. Anyway your piece triggered the memory-thanks for posting.

My dad and I used to cut with an old homelite too. burned everything we ever cut! Used to shut down for a week when the chain got dull so he could send the saw in to get it sharpened! We werent experts!

 

[smitty12]

heres the slab the shelf came from

 

[excess650]

Its going to take a while for the wood to dry, and 3" thick oak slabs will be HEAVY. I have some 2"x24"-30"x8' slabs of white oak, and they require 2 guys to move. Of the 8 slabs that I cut, only 1 warped so far, but still air drying.

Similar but different, I bought 3" slabs of redwood and they were used for vanity tops(3"x24"x60") in the bathrooms of the new house. The slabs started out 36" wide and the sap wood was all removed. They were stained with Minwax "Red Oak" stain for a pleasing deep, dark red color, and then sealed with Spar Urethane. I'm going to use the non-sapwood trimmings to make tp roll holders, towel racks, and mirror frames to match.

 

[DRB]

Its going to take a while for the wood to dry, and 3" thick oak slabs will be HEAVY. I have some 2"x24"-30"x8' slabs of white oak, and they require 2 guys to move. Of the 8 slabs that I cut, only 1 warped so far, but still air drying.

Similar but different, I bought 3" slabs of redwood and they were used for vanity tops(3"x24"x60") in the bathrooms of the new house. The slabs started out 36" wide and the sap wood was all removed. They were stained with Minwax "Red Oak" stain for a pleasing deep, dark red color, and then sealed with Spar Urethane. I'm going to use the non-sapwood trimmings to make tp roll holders, towel racks, and mirror frames to match.

Do you have any pics of the vanity tops? Sounds interesting.

 

[excess650]

Do you have any pics of the vanity tops? Sounds interesting.

I thought that my wife had more current pictures, but these are the ones that I found.

obviously unfinished, but you can see the natural pink color

stained and urethaned, but not a good picture

Both bathrooms have showers and whirlpool tubs. The 1st floor has the 2 person corner whirlpoo, and the 2nd floor has a "bubble tub" in the 8' dormer.

 

[SilverBox]

I thought that my wife had more current pictures, but these are the ones that I found.

obviously unfinished, but you can see the natural pink color

stained and urethaned, but not a good picture

Both bathrooms have showers and whirlpool tubs. The 1st floor has the 2 person corner whirlpoo, and the 2nd floor has a "bubble tub" in the 8' dormer.

Looks good, I wish my fiance liked knotty pine better, but she prefers sheet rock Every room has to be a different color

 

[excess650]

Looks good, I wish my fiance liked knotty pine better, but she prefers sheet rock Every room has to be a different color

She sure wouldn't like our new house. There is NO sheetrock anywhere. The only paint is on the exterior doors. The only tile is on the tub surrounds. The exterior walls are 6"x12" T&G logs. The interior partition walls and other paneling is T&G. The floors are "character grade" hickory. The cabinets were all built "onsite". I may paint the basement concrete walls just to brighten it up.

These pictures were taken some time ago during construction, and the house is supposed to be finished in the next week or so.

 

[BobL]

Stop posting those pics, I'm getting goosebumps with all that timber. . . . .
Nah - gorgeous mate, just gorgeous!

 

[excess650]

Stop posting those pics, I'm getting goosebumps with all that timber. . . . .
Nah - gorgeous mate, just gorgeous!

a few more teasers just for you, BobL

from the livingroom

while not easily seeen in this photo, the stair treads are solid timbers

in the loft

 

[DRB]

Nice work excess

We own an acreage up here that we are planning to build a house on next year. It will be a similar style to yours green tin roof, wood siding and built in amongst the trees.

Thanks for posting pics. I like to see pics other than in plan books.

I love how you built the loft with exposed floor joists and the wood railing.

Are you the owner builder or did you get a general contractor?

 

[excess650]

Nice work excess

We own an acreage up here that we are planning to build a house on next year. It will be a similar style to yours green tin roof, wood siding and built in amongst the trees.

Thanks for posting pics. I like to see pics other than in plan books.

I love how you built the loft with exposed floor joists and the wood railing.

Are you the owner builder or did you get a general contractor?

After looking at houses built by several builders, I chose this guy because of details. We discussed things, and my wife and I looked at more plans than I would have guessed existed. In the end, I drew a floor plan that suited us, and he built it. The house is 32'x40' but only 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. It sits on a full, walkout basement. The dormers are 8' rather than the smaller "decorative" dormers so often seen. The 8' wide covered porch surrounds the 1st floor with a 16'x16' section in the front of the house to have a table and grill. The chimney has a flue in the basement for a woodstove, and another in the livingroom 1st floor for a propane stove. The roof is steel with 10/12 pitch. I think the loft ends up being 14'x20' because of the roof pitch.

 

[irishcountry]

sweet pad!! Looks good for relaxing nice veiws too!!

 

[stipes]

Nice!!!!

What I would like to do is rip all the dry wall out and go all wood... Beautiful pics!!!!!!!!

 

[bowtechmadman]

Beautiful home!