Island Countertop - Looking for feedback

[mrrhode04]

I am not sure if you have done this project or not but if I was you I would try and talk your client out of ever using the counter top as a food prep area. I can understand the occasional food get spilt or dropped but if that happens most finishes are OK for that. I always tell people that you should use a cutting board for food prep not counter tops. The biggest reasons for me is because if you use the counter top as a cutting board you would have to condition the counter top every month to keep if from cracking and cleaning a counter top is a lot harder compared to a cutting board. I also prefer a end grain to cut on than a face grain, nicer on the blade edge and doesn't show cut marks as much.

[Pwk5017]

21 minutes ago, mrrhode04 said:

I am not sure if you have done this project or not but if I was you I would try and talk your client out of ever using the counter top as a food prep area. I can understand the occasional food get spilt or dropped but if that happens most finishes are OK for that. I always tell people that you should use a cutting board for food prep not counter tops. The biggest reasons for me is because if you use the counter top as a cutting board you would have to condition the counter top every month to keep if from cracking and cleaning a counter top is a lot harder compared to a cutting board. I also prefer a end grain to cut on than a face grain, nicer on the blade edge and doesn't show cut marks as much.

I believe Waterlox is foodsafe after it 100% cures(60-90 days, i think). Still comes down to: 1) do you believe them? 2) Do you want to make your counter look like a cut up piece of crap just so you dont need to buy a cutting board?

[Shaun Guthrie]

11 hours ago, Andy Wright said:

if you are using reclaimed wood (as shown in the picture), it can be a bit of an art to get reclaimed boards "flat enough" to look right, but not ruin the character of the lumber.

The important thing is to get the edge joints clean for the glue up get the top as close to flat as you can with as little material removed as possible. I personally would do it without biscuits or dominoes, but its six one way and half dozen the other way

I think I need to clarify the picture was just an inspirational picture the client sent.  I'm using 6/4 walnut for this particular project.  I went without biscuits since I have my jointer dialed right in at the moment.  Glue up has been going perfectly.

Thanks

 

10 hours ago, mrrhode04 said:

I am not sure if you have done this project or not but if I was you I would try and talk your client out of ever using the counter top as a food prep area. I can understand the occasional food get spilt or dropped but if that happens most finishes are OK for that. I always tell people that you should use a cutting board for food prep not counter tops. The biggest reasons for me is because if you use the counter top as a cutting board you would have to condition the counter top every month to keep if from cracking and cleaning a counter top is a lot harder compared to a cutting board. I also prefer a end grain to cut on than a face grain, nicer on the blade edge and doesn't show cut marks as much.

I have started it and she won't be cutting on it, will be making her an end grain cutting board with the offcuts i'll get. 

[Andy Wright]

i used General Salad Bowl Finish on our kitchen island. We don't use it as a cutting board, but I did want for the surface to be foodsafe. Its been on there for two years and looks great

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/125375/(H)-SALAD-BOWL-FINISH-QUART.aspx?gclid=Cj0KEQjwwMi7BRDGptbvwOCDj8oBEiQAIALyDL6oq-zrWh4Ei6hP2yzzG5McXn2toz6mI_rotKhjj30aAjdu8P8HAQ

 

[mrrhode04]

10 hours ago, Shaun Guthrie said:

I have started it and she won't be cutting on it, will be making her an end grain cutting board with the offcuts i'll get.

That is a good plan, I like making cutting boards out of walnut. For finishes I use mineral oil and beeswax on all my cutting boards and on an island top I just finished I used polyurethane. I figure this was a decently durable finish that is easy to touch up if something happens to it.

[Shaun Guthrie]

In the interest of sharing, I've finally put on the first coat of General Finishes High Performance Water Based Top Coat.  Here is the 5x7" beast of an island counter top. This has sure been a learning experience. Didn't charge nearly enough.  Live and learn.

Yes the resaw marks are left by customer choice  otherwise I would have planed this whole thing!

 

[Coop]

Beautiful piece Shaun, very well done!

that's one big motha!

[Eric.]

That's a lot of walnut.  Too bad about the saw marks.  Hope she enjoys wiping bread crumbs off that surface.

[Shaun Guthrie]

3 minutes ago, K Cooper said:

Beautiful piece Shaun, very well done!

that's one big motha!

Thanks.  Yeah I've needed help moving it to the temp garage since we are moving.  Will also need help moving it into the clients place!! ha!

 

[wdwerker]

" Didn't charge nearly enough.  Live and learn. "

Those financially painful lessons are the ones you never forget ! I know I have spent way too much time on underbid projects plenty of times.

[Shaun Guthrie]

1 minute ago, Eric. said:

That's a lot of walnut.  Too bad about the saw marks.  Hope she enjoys wiping bread crumbs off that surface.

Yup, she was adamant they were there.  I advised as best I can however in the end it was I either decline or do as the client wants.  I'll be putting 4 coats of finish on so it won't be that bad in the end.

2 minutes ago, wdwerker said:

" Didn't charge nearly enough.  Live and learn. "

Those financially painful lessons are the ones you never forget ! I know I have spent way too much time on underbid projects plenty of times.

I think it's a good lesson for sure as I work my way through this.  I did enjoy making it however which was a bit part of it.

 

[Eric.]

Don't blame you one bit...you gotta pay the bills.  I just find it mind-boggling how people will sacrifice practicality for trendiness (and aesthetics IMHO).  A few years from now when rustic is gasping its last breath and dying the slow painful death it deserves...she'll feel the regret that she deserves for making such poor choices.  Then she'll call you and you can charge her an arm and a leg to sand it down smooth.

[Pwk5017]

Is it the lighting or are some of those boards mostly sapwood? They look really light in comparison to the other walnut in the background. 

 

Kudos for attempting and completing the project. Honestly, I dont know if I would have taken on that commission. Five feet wide in my shop would be an absolute disaster to move around. Well, maybe for $2,500+ I would have. How did you end up constructing it? How many subsections did you glue up and plane prior to the final glue up?

[Shaun Guthrie]

On ‎7‎/‎31‎/‎2016 at 7:57 PM, Eric. said:

Don't blame you one bit...you gotta pay the bills.  I just find it mind-boggling how people will sacrifice practicality for trendiness (and aesthetics IMHO).  A few years from now when rustic is gasping its last breath and dying the slow painful death it deserves...she'll feel the regret that she deserves for making such poor choices.  Then she'll call you and you can charge her an arm and a leg to sand it down smooth.

Exactly! so maybe this is a good thing!!

And I'll charge better next time! lol

 

14 hours ago, Pwk5017 said:

Is it the lighting or are some of those boards mostly sapwood? They look really light in comparison to the other walnut in the background. 

 

Kudos for attempting and completing the project. Honestly, I dont know if I would have taken on that commission. Five feet wide in my shop would be an absolute disaster to move around. Well, maybe for $2,500+ I would have. How did you end up constructing it? How many subsections did you glue up and plane prior to the final glue up?

Some lighting, some sapwood. I've got one more coat of finish tomorrow to put on. Once dry i'll take a straight on picture.  The lighting is only so good... at the inlaws in a "temporary" workshop since we are in-between houses. 

When I was putting it together I have a double car garage so I have a bit of room to move around. The new place should have bigger shop space as well (fingers crosses). I jointed all the edges so the glue ups were perfect.  As mentioned before the client wanted the resaw look so no planning at all was done on the boards.  It ended up being 8 planks so glued up two seconds of 4 each.  One night I glued up 1 and 2, then the next day 3, then the next day 4.  Then the same for the other 4 slabs.  Did this for easy of manipulating the boards to move around in the shop.  Then I mated the two larger slabs together. 

I have to say was a very challenging project but a great learning experience.

I may not have gone about it the right way but in the end what I have put together is what the client is expecting.  Next time I'll be charging a hell of a lot more

[Shaun Guthrie]

Some of you wanted to see the final product.  While it's not installed here is the 4 coats done of General Finishes High Performance Top Coat.  Again all the "roughness" was at the decision of the client.  I would have much rather planed all the boards...

 

[wdwerker]

What is the groove in the top for ? Otherwise it looks pretty good.

[Shaun Guthrie]

22 minutes ago, wdwerker said:

What is the groove in the top for ? Otherwise it looks pretty good.

Was in the wood and asked to be left by the client. Weird I know... lol

 

[wtnhighlander]

I think your client is going a bit to far with 'rustic'. Practicality has to come into play, at some point. Nice work on your part, though.

[Shaun Guthrie]

On ‎8‎/‎3‎/‎2016 at 4:56 AM, wtnhighlander said:

I think your client is going a bit to far with 'rustic'. Practicality has to come into play, at some point. Nice work on your part, though.

Yup, but like I said at the beginning I could have just said no.  Through it all it was a great experience not only on the building part but on dealing with clients and pricing.  Thanks everyone for the feedback, thoughts and suggestions.  Great community here!