Hi everyone!
I’m new to woodworking and my first project is to finish a rough cut slab of maple for a coffee table. I’ve let it sit in my house for about two months now (my project was delayed) and I’m starting to gather materials to work on it.
For a finished product, I’d like a rich, medium color that is NOT glossy or too shiny.
If anyone is willing to look over what I understand to be the proper steps for this project, I’d really appreciate any validation, input or otherwise:
- Sand sand sand using finer and finer sandpaper as I go, ending with 220
- Fill in knot holes with epoxy (any recommendations on brands/types?)
- Make 2 butterfly spline for 2 cracks, to prevent further damage (any recommendations on wood type for this?)
- Sand again for good luck, to be sure epoxy/butterflies/etc. aren’t poking out
- Sain? Seal? (again, any color/product recommendations?)
Is that all? (Famous last words.)
Should I also complete the process on the under-side of the slab?
Thanks in advance for any insight.
Replies
You can sand and sand, but personally I would pull out a couple of hand planes and get the task acvcomplished up to the point you shift to 220 grit in half the time or less.
Walnut butterflys would look good on maple.
You need not make the underside as smooth, but you will want to finish it similar to the top to slow the prospect of warping.
I would atain (or dye) the wood BEFORE you fill knot holes--otherwise you can run into much more effort to get off any stray epoxy that would resist the dye or stain. Remember that stain has a tendanvy to blotch on maple, particularly if the stain is a standard commerical stain with both a bit of dye and stain. Be sure to test on scrap (or on the underside) before attempting to color the top. W.D Lockwood water soluble dyes come is a massive variety of colors. For pigmented stain, I would mix my own with artist oil paint, a dollop each of BLO and Varnish, thinned to a good working consistence with mineral spirits or turpentine.
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