Marc:The Wood Whisperer is sponsored by
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The gold standard since 1921,
and by Clear Vue Cyclones.
Clear the air and breathe easy.
(lively music)
Now let's make the tabletop and bench tops.
I lay out my stock on the assembly table
to strategize my cuts.
Although I love to keep these boards at full width,
I decided to cut them down into narrower boards.
Here's why.
Now even though this is considered
a fairly rustic projects
and a few dings and scratches
and knots here and there are no big deal,
you still want to pay attention to the grain,
and you need to understand what's going on with the boards
to prevent problems from happening in the future.
Let me show you what's becoming a bit of an issue
on these wider panels.
Basically the top of table and the seat tops.
If you look at the end grain
it really tells the story.
In the center here we have what's known as the pith.
Any time you include the pith in a project
it's just asking for problems
because this is where a lot of the cracking
and the movement will originate from.
If you can avoid that it's always a good thing.
If you look at the top of this board
you could see I'm already experiencing cracks.
Right there along the line of the pith.
This is something that you really do want to remove.
As you could see, below I've actually got a board
that's been split down the middle
and really we're not gonna sacrifice that much.
We're only gonna take maybe the middle inches
or 3/4 of an inch to remove the pith,
and then what we wind up with
is two much more stable boards.
It's a little bit more in terms of gluing this up
because now we have two boards instead of one
but I think it's worth it for the stability.
The boards are cut to rough length at the miter saw
and then ripped at the band saw to remove the pith.
The resulting boards are jointed and planed to size.
Ooh, pretty.
The boards are then ripped to width at the table saw.
While large and heavy,
this table top is really nothing more than giant panel.
(lighthearted guitar music)
Spread the glue quickly
and get those clamps in place.
(lighthearted guitar music)
Be sure to scrape away the glue after it skins over
but before it becomes hard.
Now it's the same deal for the bench tops.
Once the glue is completely dry
I used my jack plane to clean up the top.
The glue up is already flat
but the jack plane helps to level the surface
and removes any irregularities.
Plus it's a great workout.
The surface is then sanded thoroughly.
Using a large square,
I setup my track saw guide
and cut off one end of the table top.
I repeat the process on the other side
cutting the top to its final length.
Don't have a track saw?
Try making your own track
using sheet goods and a regular circular saw.
The breadboards on these table are optional
but I think they make for a handsome addition
while also helping to keep our table flat over time.
There are lots of methods for making breadboard ends
but here's one using the Domino XL.
I cut six mortises into the ends of the table.
In the breadboard ends I cut the two center mortises
on the tight setting.
Using the loose setting I cut all the outer mortises.
This extra slot is gonna allow our table
to safely expand and contract over time.
With the tenons glued into the table side,
I slide the breadboard end into place.
Notice that I'm only applying glue
to the center tenons.
The outside tenons must be allowed to move freely
from side to side.
With the end clamped in place
I drill through the breadboard end into the tenon
being careful not to go all the way through the board.
I then drive a wooden dowel into the hole
and through the tenon.
The last half inch of the dowel
receives glue to lock it into the breadboard.
The dowels are driven into the outside tenons only
not the glued up tenons.
Using a flush trim saw
I trim the dowels cleanly.
Cutting the bench tops to size is much easier
using the sliding compound miter saw.
The top is too wide to do it in one cut
so I just flip it and get as close as I can
with the second cut.
Sanding will take care of any unevenness.
Each corner of the tops needs to be rounded over
not just for looks but for comfort
and the sake of a little toddler's head.
I usually use whatever I have laying around
to create the shape.
A coarse rasp makes quick work of the round over.
The tops are now rounded over
to match the rest of the pieces
and everything is sanded to 220 grit.
To protect the bottom of the legs
where moisture is most likely to penetrate,
I'm using a product called Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer.
This two-part mixture will soak into the end grain
and make it pretty much impervious to moisture.
Once mixed I paint it unto the bottom of the legs.
Blue tape helps to hold potential drips under control.
I apply numerous coats
over the course of a few minutes.
While not in the central step
this is something that I like to do
with all of my outdoor pieces.
The primary finish I'm using for the table and benches
is Watco Teak Oil.
It's essentially an oil/varnish blend
formulated for outdoor use.
It's a fairly light duty finish
that offers some protection
but yields a more natural-looking end product.
I'm not a big fan of thick film finishes
for outdoor projects.
The product is applied generously to the wood surface
giving it 10 to 15 minutes to absorb.
This seater drinks up the first coat in no time.
The excess is wiped off with an old sock
and yes, you have to use an old sock.
The next day, I apply a second coat in the same fashion.
Now with the table upside down,
I center the base on the top
and prepare to attach our screw blocks.
The blocks on the side are installed
with plenty of room on either side.
I pre-drill and then drive the screw.
Side to side movement in the slot
isn't as much of an issue on the long sides of the table
but front to back movement is.
I pull the block out by about a quarter inch
and allow for expansion and contraction.
Incidentally, I do have
some stainless steel screws on order.
These are just temporary place holders
that actually aren't intended for outdoor use
but I'll replace them later.
(lighthearted guitar music)
After two good coats of that teak oil,
this table is ready to go outside.
Here's the thing.
Teak oil is not a maintenance-free finish.
In about a year, maybe two if I'm lucky
I probably will have to apply another coat.
The thing with this oil
is it absorbs deep into the fibers
and it's not really providing a film
like a full strength varnish would.
This is really just an oil/varnish blend
but it's very dilute
so it does provide some protection
but not as much as a film.
The good thing about this though
is it's very easy to re-apply.
That little bit of maintenance that I have to do
every one or two years is really no big deal.
I just give it a light sanding
and I come back and re-apply another coat of oil
and it's gonna look great.
Whereas if I have a film finish that fails on me
that film finish needs to be scraped, sanded
or stripped off
and then you got to start over again.
For me this is a good compromise solution.
All right.
Now I hope you build one of these tables for yourself.
If you do, you should send me some pictures,
I'd love to put them on the website
and we do of course have plans for you
to download a sketch up plan
and even a cut list
where you could get all the sizes
for the various parts for this project.
I hope you build along.
Thanks for watching
and best of luck with your wood working.
(lighthearted music)
Woman in red:I guess this will do.
(lively banjo music)
This is the reason why I need this table.
Please make a table.
God!
What do you want me to say?
Make me a table.
Build me a table (bleep).
(laughing)
There's a big crack right here.
(lively banjo music)
Marc:It's rustic!
(laughing)