Expert: Eileen Cronk - 2/4/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi! I have some barnwood and want to make a tabletop out of it. How is this usually done? We planed one of the boards and it looks great, but more like new pine. I'm going to play with stains, would really rather it be brown and have a great old patina. Could I just sand the heck out of it instead of planing?? What do I need to stain with? Rub on kind? Thanks for you help!

ANSWER: Hi Peggy
Nice to hear from you.
Not sure if you are asking how to make a table top or just how to get the boards ready, but I've made a few in my day so I'll tell you both LOL.
The first thing I would do is get the boards in to climatise for a while if they have been exposed to the weather at all, but perhaps you have had them for some time in a protected building.
Peggy as you are finding out, once old lumber is put through a planer, it becomes like new, although old pine barnboards will often be a lovely golden color after planing.(you do not mention the kind of wood)
You do not mention how thick the barnwood is either, but I will assume its inch barnboards.
I guess you could just sand the heck out of them LOL, but what a job.
But if you are up for it, it will save a lot of the aged look for sure, but I do feel you need fairly smooth boards for a table top unless its totally rustic.
So once the boards are prepared on the surface, they will need to be sized. If you measure most of these old boards you will find they are not the same width. I often see up to an inch difference from one end to the other. Thats why they need to be sized.
You need a bench saw for this....bet you have one if you have a planner.
Once sized, the boards need to be edged as I call it.
Edging a board assures that the edges we want to glue together to make our table top will fit together properly.
You need a jointer for this.
Peggy I once worked with a craftsman who had a jointer but never used it.
He could run a board through a bench saw so well that the boards fit perfectly. Unfortunately most of us can't do that.
I know it depends a lot on how good your blade is, but its also how the wood is fed through the blade.
Once the above is done, you are ready to put the table top together.
In the case of these old boards, there will be only one side good enough for the up side so I won't go into explanations about staggering them.
First you determine how long the table will be and overcut your boards. By that I mean if your finished table will be 40 inches, cut your boards to 44 inches long. They will be trimmed later.
I don't imagine you can get the width you want without some trimming on the sides, but you may. If so thats great. No need to cut the sides if you don't have to.
Next lay your boards out to get a pleasing look. Switch them around till you get the grains, knots etc in such a way that pleases you.
To join the boards, you need a biscuit joiner. This is something you may not have, but I know any local wood shop will cut the biscuit holes for you and supply you with the biscuits. This is easy.
Then you glue and clamp the boards together.
Peggy this in my opinion is the only way to join table top boards together. Gluing the edges and clamping just don't cut it.
After the drying time, you cut the top to the desired size.
Just make sure the biscuits are cut in from the edges of the boards at least 3 inches to avoid cutting through one when you trim.
Won't hurt the saw any but it marrs an otherwise perfect job.
I assume you have the legs already.
Never attempt to nail or screw the table top to the legs from the table surface. This happens underneath.
The table must have a skirt, the screws go through the skirt then into the table top.
Hopefully there are screw holes already drilled into the skirt, but if not, do not overkill with too many screws.
And make sure the screw holes in the skirt are not drilled too small. The skirt holes must just barely hold the screws.
If they are too tight, the table top could crack as it cannot expand and contract with the humidity.
Needless to say I have never had a table top crack using this method.
And Peggy do play with the stains as you say.
I am sending a link to a site that may be helpful to you in the finishing process.
I know the look you want, and its shown here and you may not need to stain.
http://www.briwax-trg.com/aging%20pine.htm
And of course get back to me if this is not clear or I've missed something. I do tend to ramble.
Kindest Regards
Eileen











---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks so much for all the valuable information!! I would not have known to use the biscuits. We have made a few things from old wood, but not a table. I have 2 old post off of a house that I will use for legs. I will try sanding and see what look that produces, then if that doesn't work, will use the planed side. It is yellow pine from an old corn crib. Still has a few square head nails. I assume I need to just leave the holes and not try to putty them? These boards are around 12" wide or more. Will send a picture of the table when finished!

Answer
Hi Again Peggy
This sounds like a great project.
I have seen these tables made without filling the holes and with.
Its just your preferance, but try the filler in some off cuts to see if you like the look.
Hope you have lots of that wood as the possibilities are endless what you can make.
Good luck and I would very much like to see the finished table.
Kindest Regards
Eileen