AI6YR BenHmm, catch and release the new refurbished coffee table or replace the old one. đ¤
Decision made. Cut a new top for the old coffee table. It's veneer over particleboard, so next step is buying veneer edging to cover over tbe particle board. Apparently you just iron it on and trim edges (have not tried it before). Then will sand this and Marine Spar Varnish the whole thing. #furniture
Not perfect, but it worked. Smelled like toasting coffee the whole time, lol (heat gun from my coffee toaster). I bought edging which was too thin, so I put two pieces edge to edge, adding another seam for moiature intrusion or heat/moisture warping. Anyway. Will still spar varnish the heck out of this after to hopefully waterproof it. #furniture
Light coat of whatever random stain I have here. Not dark enough, but it reduces the mismatch. Needs 8 hours before spar varnish, will do that tomorrow when it is warm. Hopefully won't gather too much dust.... a little bit of wind out here and way too much dust on the patio for this. Top is not yet secured, will do that before the spar varnishing. Should have done it before the stain... anyway. #furniture
Spar varnish instructions says to do 6 coats (!), with 24 hour dry time on each coat.
Spar varnish, layer one. Top was affixed with screws earlier. Five more layers recommended, lol. I will see if my attention span lasts that long. The top is part of a free dining table, cut down to size (actually, the leaf). Note that most "solid wood" tables are actually particleboard topped with veneer. #furniture
For whom the Taco Bell tolls@ai6yr I picked up a used dining table that is actually made of solid oak. Itâs not even very big but even with the legs off it is impossible to move around. And here I was thinking even particle board was heavy sheesh
Paul_IPv6@paul_ipv6 I actually don't know what "spar" refers to. Part of a boat?
yup. part of the rigging on a boat or the structure of a wing in an aircraft.
i'm assuming for spar finish that wants 6 coats, it's for a salt water going boat.
@paul_ipv6 Well, if I can make my back patio coffee table (the one made out of particle board) seaworthy, that would be a worthy goal!
`Da Elf@paul_ipv6 @ai6yr That was my first thought as well.
Jeffrey Rogers đ´ó §ó ˘ó ˇó Źó łó ż@ai6yr @paul_ipv6 The spars refer to wooden masts and booms. These days most are aluminium but are still called spars.
Cat West@ai6yr @paul_ipv6 Spar was part of the sails supports. Pretty sure it refers to the spinnaker â or it has to do with the bottom of the sailâ the part that bonks you on the head when itâs moved without warning. Iâm too lazy to google.
@paul_ipv6 @ai6yr that was how I was going to describe it. But my friends who took me sailing and whose boat I helped tweak up a bit, loooong ago, where âdonât call them ropes, they are âlines!â Stuck with me a bit. Only a tiny bit, mind you!
@stevewfolds@Catawu @ai6yr @paul_ipv6
Spars are what sails attach to: masts, booms, gaffs, yards. They used to be wood, hence the varnish to protect them was âspar varnishâ.
Spars are what sails attach to: masts, booms, gaffs, yards. They used to be wood, hence the varnish to protect them was âspar varnishâ.
rand âľď¸đĽžđ´ââď¸đ§ââď¸ âđ@stevewfolds @Catawu @ai6yr @paul_ipv6 Spar varnish is softer than plain varnish. This is so it can flex along with the wood beneath it and not crack. Spars can and do flex a lot!
Also the reason for the multiple coats, is to build up a durable finish, to protect from all the things you are applying the varnish for in the first place.
Once your varnishing is complete, cover it well, so that it doesnât degrade prematurely, causing you to strip it all off and start from scratch!
Also if your boat has enough wood, once you are done, youâve just begun, as youâll be starting again.
The circular life of maintaining shiny wood outside.
@rand @stevewfolds @Catawu @paul_ipv6 Well, I am sure this patio table isn't going to be flexing much... but, if I ever decide to sail the seven seas on a patio table, this one will be ready!!!
(on coat number 3). #sparvarnish
@ai6yr @rand @stevewfolds @Catawu
here in the mountains, any patio table below a certain weight and with an umbrella cover is pretty much guaranteed to be sailing around the neighborhood when the afternoon winds kick up. :)
@paul_ipv6 @rand @stevewfolds @Catawu And with that...like Cartman... I can't help it.
Styx - Come Sail Away
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5MAg_yWsq8&list=RDe5MAg_yWsq8&start_radio=1
Styx - Come Sail Away
@paul_ipv6 @rand @stevewfolds @Catawu South Park version đ¤Ş
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb3XWTWtRxc&list=RDGb3XWTWtRxc&start_radio=1
South Park - Eric Cartman - Come Sail Away
@rand @paul_ipv6 @stevewfolds @Catawu I believe this has already been tested!
The Worldâs First Wooden Satellite: Ancient Japanese Craftsmanship Journeys into Space
"...Through vacuum resistance and other tests, it was determined that honoki, the Japanese magnolia, was the optimal wood for this purpose. Honoki is lightweight, with minimal shrinkage, and has long been employed for crafting the scabbards or sheaths of Japanese swords. In the vacuum of space, there is no moisture to degrade wood. However, during the mere 90 minutes it takes for a satellite to orbit Earth, the alternation between âdaytimeâ sunlight exposure and ânighttimeâ in the planetâs shadow subjects the craft to extreme temperature swings ranging from -100°C to +100°C. For this reason, using nails or screws poses the risk of cracking due to the difference in thermal expansion rates between wood and metal.
Accordingly, the project adopted the traditional Japanese woodworking technique known as tomegata kakushi arikumi-tsugiâinterlocking dovetail joints that rely on precisely fitted wooden pieces to maintain structural integrity without fasteners. ..."
https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2026/04/worlds_first_wooden_satellite.html
BR549
FreddyB Aviation Photography@ai6yr Honestly I would go with Âź inch or so hardwood than veneer if you can get it close as it will provide better edge protection for that particle board
Ash-Miw-Re
mitten@ai6yr I did this with a shelf. You'll be needing some kind of an edge trimmer thingie: you iron on the veneer, and then run a trimmer along the edge to even it up. This is what I used, but there are other methods, I think. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9TX59CG?th=1
Amazon.com: NECAMOCU Edge Banding Trimmer - Upgraded Mini Edge Band Trimmer & Cutter, Stainless Steel Blade Veneer Edge Trimmer for Woodworking, Durable Edgebanding Trimming Tool for Wood, Veneer, PVC, ABS : Tools & Home Improvement
Amazon.com: NECAMOCU Edge Banding Trimmer - Upgraded Mini Edge Band Trimmer & Cutter, Stainless Steel Blade Veneer Edge Trimmer for Woodworking, Durable Edgebanding Trimming Tool for Wood, Veneer, PVC, ABS : Tools & Home Improvement
Greg Whitehead@ai6yr Just gonna drop this here LOL
https://www.festool.com/products/edge-banders/edge-banders/577836---ka-65-plus
Shirley Eugest@ai6yr
I've used edge veneers. They are very useful for refurbishing old desks, kitchen counters, hiding edges on furniture.
Available in various woods or melamine.
The preglued strips use a heat activated EVA adhesive. expect to use clamps, string or bungee cords to keep the strip from shifting, twisting, curling while you iron. Preglued is easier.
If you already cut the replacement top, so be it. Veneer faced plywood is sturdier than particle board. Resists moisture better.
Use a rag as a pressing cloth between your iron and the piece to protect the iron from getting scratches.
These edgings are easy to find in 13/16" or 2" widths. I get mine at my nearby Rockler store. If you can't find the correct width, buy the wider one and use an edgecutter, a knife blade or sander on the lower edge to trim it.
1/2
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/sauers-pre-glued-edge-banding-roll
Cut the edge to length using tin snips.
There are special veneer trimming tools that trim to a lovely 45° angle, but my jobs were small so I just used a box cutter.
There are special heat tool for this, but a home iron works.
Heat set adhesive may delaminate itself in hot sun.
Wood glue also works, but doesn't adhere well to porous particle board.
2/2
M.S. Bellows, Jr.@ai6yr For outdoors? Refurbished. For indoors? Definitely restore the darker one. It's gorgeous.
me_valentijn@ai6yr
I think the old one might be ready for a new life as scrap đ
I think the old one might be ready for a new life as scrap đ
sollat@ai6yr If the old is no longer refurbishable, replace. You can always sell the new one later if you find a better one.
W6KME@ai6yr Hit the old one with a power washer, dry in the sun for a week, plane the top flat and oil it. New table.
@msbellows @W6KME The old one is pretty warped. But, thinking I'll flip the top over on that one and see how it is. It is a nicer table than the new one (free one). i can catch and release the new one, if so. Or it becomes a plant bench at my son's house, lol.
@ai6yr @msbellows @W6KME
Looks like a thin plywood, so (re-)warping seems pretty inevitable. The rest of the frame looks more durable, so maybe it'd do fine with just a new surface?
Looks like a thin plywood, so (re-)warping seems pretty inevitable. The rest of the frame looks more durable, so maybe it'd do fine with just a new surface?
@me_valentijn @msbellows @W6KME it's veneer over plywood, thus the warping. It's an indoor table lol. Salvaged off a curb pre-pandemic, oiled every year, but couldn't deal with the 2 weeks of rain last year
@ai6yr @me_valentijn @msbellows I've done plenty of veneer repair, and it's time consuming, fiddly, and often doesn't turn out well. For an outside thing like this, you could get away with forcing Titebond III in with a syringe and clamping the hell out of it. Takes a lot of clamping force, as well as lots of clamps and cauls. Might not be worth the effort.
@W6KME @ai6yr @me_valentijn @msbellows
+1
i've hated what veneer repair i've tried. super finicky and never really quite invisible.
Joyce
Reginald@ai6yr Both tables are lovely, thanks for sharing. The one in the foreground reminds me of Rietveldâs crate furniture, in a very pleasing way: Not âfollowing in Rietveldâs footsteps,â but rather, âseeking what he sought.â
https://rietveldoriginals.com/en-en/collections/crate-series
Sarah E Bourne@ai6yr looks good