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Started By
Message
Calling wood experts! (Cypress table advice, UPDATE 1/31)
Posted on 1/28/16 at 12:03 pm
Posted on 1/28/16 at 12:03 pm
Hey OBers! I posted on here recently about wanting to get into woodworking and asked suggestions on things I should purchase. I went out and bought all sorts of stuff and finally got the ball rolling!
My dad let me know yesterday that an old house in town was torn down and there was some old cypress and pine in a huge pile by the road that was meant to get thrown away. I rode by and picked through and got a couple of nice 4x4 cypress beams, a few 2x4's and some 1x12 planks that were rotted but still salvageable for small projects.. I cut one of the beams down to 31" pieces and plan to make a farmhouse table. I'm trying to decide what sort of boards I should be on the lookout for to make the tabletop. Should I opt for 1" or 2" thickness? I've found some people on Craigslist who sell old cypress boards, but this stuff is expensive so I wanted to get some input on it before I pulled the trigger on something.
Thanks in advance and also thanks to everyone who gave me advice in my prior threads. Really glad I decided to invest in this hobby.
My dad let me know yesterday that an old house in town was torn down and there was some old cypress and pine in a huge pile by the road that was meant to get thrown away. I rode by and picked through and got a couple of nice 4x4 cypress beams, a few 2x4's and some 1x12 planks that were rotted but still salvageable for small projects.. I cut one of the beams down to 31" pieces and plan to make a farmhouse table. I'm trying to decide what sort of boards I should be on the lookout for to make the tabletop. Should I opt for 1" or 2" thickness? I've found some people on Craigslist who sell old cypress boards, but this stuff is expensive so I wanted to get some input on it before I pulled the trigger on something.
Thanks in advance and also thanks to everyone who gave me advice in my prior threads. Really glad I decided to invest in this hobby.
This post was edited on 1/31/16 at 4:40 pm
4
Posted on 1/28/16 at 12:14 pm to dualed
i use regular 2by (1 1/2") lumber for my table tops and they are heavy as hell. I would think somewhere around 1" actual thickness would be perfect.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 12:20 pm to SportTiger1
Thickness is all personal preference. 1" is the thinnest I would go especially with cypress(because of its softness.) When you laminate the boards together, make sure you don't go wider than about 8", this will reduce the amount of cupping the table will do. Good luck and psot pics when your done.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 12:33 pm to SportTiger1
I feel like 2" would be look cooler for what I envision in my mind, but just the 4 legs I have already cut are heavy as heck so I think 1" is more practical. Appreciate it.
And 8" is the width I had in mind, but not due to cupping, just in general. Hadn't thought of cupping. When you say laminate are you just talking about edge glueing? I've just started the hobby so my means of joinery at the moment involve glue and pocket holes with my kreg jig.
Would you guys suggest a specific joinery technique when working with cypress boards?
And 8" is the width I had in mind, but not due to cupping, just in general. Hadn't thought of cupping. When you say laminate are you just talking about edge glueing? I've just started the hobby so my means of joinery at the moment involve glue and pocket holes with my kreg jig.
Would you guys suggest a specific joinery technique when working with cypress boards?
Posted on 1/28/16 at 2:00 pm to dualed
I've only made one farm table and I used 2x10s. I edge glued them but I also used biscuits just to aid with alignment, and I also used pocket screws just for the hell of it. Also, look into using table top fasteners rather than pocket screws to attach the top to the aprons.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 2:11 pm to Chuckd
quote:
used biscuits just to aid with alignment
Highly suggested. Go to harbor freight and get your a $50 joiner and biscuits. Its worth it just to keep everything level. Pocket holes pull everything together tightly, but the boards can still move up and down fairly easily.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 2:35 pm to Chuckd
I would stick anywhere around 1-1/2 inches.
I work at a lumber supply business, and we sell 8/4 material planed to 1-13/16 and it looks thick. I think if I were doing a farmhouse table, which I will probably be doing in the future once I have somewhere to put one, I'd plane down to 1-1/2. 1-3/4 is too thick for my tastes.
I work at a lumber supply business, and we sell 8/4 material planed to 1-13/16 and it looks thick. I think if I were doing a farmhouse table, which I will probably be doing in the future once I have somewhere to put one, I'd plane down to 1-1/2. 1-3/4 is too thick for my tastes.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 5:26 pm to dualed
Should come out better than my crap table.
Posted on 1/29/16 at 7:30 am to dualed
Are you going to make your table with breadboard ends?
Posted on 1/31/16 at 4:50 pm to dualed
So here are a couple pics of the beams I intend on using for the bottom of my farmhouse table (the 2 on the bottom to the right, each are 2 3/4" x 4")
I wiped a wet rag on them in the second pic just to get an idea of what they'd look like with a finish. I plan on using just tung oil on them because I'd like to keep the natural color. I almost want to just leave them as is without any finish but wasn't sure if that's something people normally do. Anyone ever just leave old cypress as is and without finish?
I'm in love with this wood by the way. At least 100 years old and it was all riddled with old square head nails.
Oh and I should mention that I want the base to look something like in the picture below.
I wiped a wet rag on them in the second pic just to get an idea of what they'd look like with a finish. I plan on using just tung oil on them because I'd like to keep the natural color. I almost want to just leave them as is without any finish but wasn't sure if that's something people normally do. Anyone ever just leave old cypress as is and without finish?
I'm in love with this wood by the way. At least 100 years old and it was all riddled with old square head nails.
Oh and I should mention that I want the base to look something like in the picture below.
This post was edited on 1/31/16 at 4:53 pm
Posted on 1/31/16 at 5:21 pm to dualed
That's some gorgeous pieces. You have more than that right?
Posted on 1/31/16 at 5:22 pm to dualed
Well done
Posted on 1/31/16 at 6:37 pm to SportTiger1
Well... 
. The 2 in particular that are on the bottom and to the right in that pic are both the same dimensions and one is 9.5' and the other is 6' (each 2 3/4" by 4" like i mentioned beforeL. The piece to the left on the bottom you can probably tell is a little thinner and is right at 2" x 4" and its 9' and I have 2 more 2" x 4" at 9' as well.
I already have the legs cut so I figure I only need these pieces to link everything together on the bottom like the pic shows of that sample that I'm going for. I don't have any boards yet for the table top but have a lead on a place that sells 1x12 rough cut cypress somewhere nearby. I guess I could use some of the remaining 2x4 for the apron but I'll have to make do with what I have I guess.
. The 2 in particular that are on the bottom and to the right in that pic are both the same dimensions and one is 9.5' and the other is 6' (each 2 3/4" by 4" like i mentioned beforeL. The piece to the left on the bottom you can probably tell is a little thinner and is right at 2" x 4" and its 9' and I have 2 more 2" x 4" at 9' as well. I already have the legs cut so I figure I only need these pieces to link everything together on the bottom like the pic shows of that sample that I'm going for. I don't have any boards yet for the table top but have a lead on a place that sells 1x12 rough cut cypress somewhere nearby. I guess I could use some of the remaining 2x4 for the apron but I'll have to make do with what I have I guess.
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