Outdoors Table Top - No guts no glory.

[Bobby Slack]

Howdy fellers. I have an outdoor table top that is a piece of crap and fell appart.

I heard somewhere that quartersawn white oak can do just fine in the outdoors of Southern California ...

There is only one way to find out. I will make a top and check it out. Probably I will use for the joints West Systems epoxy to make sure everything is good and tight. Other than that I will let it rip.

Finish .... oh yes of course, I am the Sick ... Sikkens Gaucho.

Sikkens Natural.

Wish me luck ... we will see how this holds up in a year.

[wdwerker]

Consider putting a slight crown in the top to shed water.

[Nick2cd]

consider taking pictures of the build! i love threads like that!!!!!!

[areynoldsre]

Water - rain - in Southern California?

Sun and wind are the issues in that part of CA. Make sure you finish has good UV protection.

Oak makes a lot of sense to me for Southern CA. If you where up here in NorCal I'd demand redwood.

Let us know you it goes.

[Bobby Slack]

I have an idea for the crown. Once my table top is flat and assembled. I will feed it through a widebelt sander (yes I am a cheater). 36" at a friend's cabinet shop.

I will then create a sled where I will raise one of the ends so the sander will take off more of one side .... then flip the top and do the same on the other side.

Then create a curve effect with an orbital sander.

This will be fun.