The Start of My Biggest Project Ever: Friday Update
A few weeks ago I had a former coworker reach out and ask if I could make a dining room table. We discussed, and this week we went to pick out the wood. Usually I will design the piece, discuss wood options, and pick out the boards on my own, but this time my clients came with.
This was a special case because the table is a live edge walnut slab. Live edge wood, and particularly walnut, has a lot of personality. Every board is different and a reflection of the conditions of the tree. In this case, we have a locally grown, Oregon City tree. This slab has some very unique and interesting details I can’t wait to bring out in the finishing process.
Speaking of process, I have worked with live edge wood before, but this time it’s different. This piece is a cross section of a massive tree. At 10 feet long, 40 - 53 inches wide, and 3 inches thick this board weighs a whopping 370 pounds.
If I was driving behind that on the road I would keep my distance.
It’s beautiful, and back breaking. Once I cut it down a bit it will be more manageable to move around on my own.
The Lazy Susan
And who could forget the Lazy Susan. It is nearly done. This week I had to head out to the clients home to do a color match with samples to their existing table paint.
As luck would have it I found the perfect match. The next feat was finding the right product.
This isn’t a normal painting process. It’s semi-distressed, which requires a 4 phase finish.
Apply a sealer to the wood (done last week)
Paint the wood
Scrape the paint to reveal streaks of wood under the paint
Apply a final sealer coat over the top to prevent the damaged paint from peeling
The last portion of that last step may sound scary, but it is okay. Damaged paint in this case is intentionally damaged. Unfortunately, whether intentional or not, the paint will have a tendency to peel as the structure is compromised. A final coat over the top will provide a barrier of protection to hold the paint down and keep it in place.
Distressed paint completed with a card scraper. It’ll take some effort but I am up for the challenge to match the client’s existing table, plus I get to learn and put a new tool in my belt.
The problem is, the paint has to accept the topcoat, in my case water based polyurethane. If the poly won’t stick then I’ll have a mess. If the poly sticks, but the paint isn’t cured, it will trap moisture and bubble up the poly.
What does this all mean? It means I need to be careful. I have to select the right products and allow for extra time to let the paint cure.
No big deal, but unfortunately for me in my tiny shop, I don’t have the space to let this sit in the background for weeks as the paint slowly releases its moisture and hardens. But I’ll figure something out, I always do.
Other Updates
With that, this week’s project updates are done, but I can’t let you go without a couple of personal updates.
On Monday, while I was out in Milwaukie getting lumber, I stopped by Nick Sawyer’s shop. You may not recognize the name, but Nick is one of the most talented woodworkers I have ever met. He has a YouTube channel chalk full of his amazing builds.
Additionally, on 5/21 my son turned 3. He had an Incredible birthday full of family and fun.
