Expert: maura macaluso - 9/27/2009

Question
I have a slab of pine approx. 4 in by 4 ft by 7 ft.  My father cut this piece and many others from a single tree.  This is the smallest.  It has never been finished and has a slight bow making the surface unlevel.  My father was always going to make a bar or something but never did.  My father passes away a year ago and I inherited the wood. I am going to make myself a desk and thought about putting fiberglass resin on it for a couple of reasons. One to give it the appearance of a glass top and two to help level the surface.  What do you think? and if I do that should I do both sides and all four edges. Help please.  Thank you

Answer
Hi Kim, sorry for the delay, I was away on vacation with no access to email.  I was not supposed to recieve questions in my absence but for some reason, your question slipped through to me.

I am not familiar with applying fiberglass resin to wood but I am familiar with epoxy resin being used to achieve the effect you wish.  Also try "bartop finish" If done properly, it should work although you may have to build a form first. Thanks for the question and have a good day.

Maura www.carvinginnyc.com

After reading your question again, I would take another look at this slab and determine just how slight the bowing really is.  The best chance to make a nice desk from this is either to have the wood milled thinner(You would need  to find a lumberyard or mill to do this) to remove the bow  or to sand the top surface flat.  I don't think that even if you encased this in epoxy, you could level a surface that isn't level.  If you did try it, I think the temperature and humiditys affect on both the epoxy and the wood would wind up cracking it eventually. I really think you need to level at least one side of this, if not both and apply a standard clear varnish or poly.  A slab of wood the size you are discribing will really need to breathe and have room to expand and contract as wood does.