Firehouse Dining Table

[firefighter ontheside]

I'll post pics of the dining table here as I go.  It is made with a sheet of walnut plywood and a sheet of birch plywood.  I made a grid of poplar 1x1 to create thickness without making it too heavy.  The grid pieces are glued and nailed to back of the walnut plywood.  Then the birch piece is glued and screwed to the grid pieces thru the bottom.  I forgot to take a picture of that before I turned it over.  The edge will be 7/8"x2 1/2" walnut mitered at the corners.  There will be decals with the department patch and the engine house numbers on each end.  Then i will pour resin over the whole thing.  The legs will be 3x3 steel tube powder coated black.  The table is 42"x84".

 

 

[Crusarius]

great idea for making a thicker lighter table. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to seeing the end result. I was going to suggest a single large inlay in the center with the patch. But with the epoxy it will give it the same result.

looks good so far.

[firefighter ontheside]

This is going to be a match to the table I made for house 2 a few years ago.  I'm making them as each engine house gets remodeled.  House 3 will be done with a major remodel in about 6 weeks.  I just glued and clamped the two long sides on.  Once those are sufficiently dried, I will glue and clamp the two end pieces on.  I will have to put several pipe clamps together with couplings to have clamps long enough.  I'm using biscuits to line up the pieces with the top.  I'm not even putting glue in them.  I should be applying the decals later today.


 

[firefighter ontheside]

My wife is experienced with stickers more than me since she does a lot with the cricket.  She did not make these, because they are multilayered and bigger than the cricket can do.  I got these from the guy that does lettering on our firetrucks.  She helped me put the stickers on.  

 

 

 

[Crusarius]

That looks good. putting a clear epoxy on? anything else like some danish oil first?

[firefighter ontheside]

Nope, just the epoxy on it.

[Brad_bb]

So how did you affix the cross framing underneath?  Glue and brad nail?  Screw, glue, and plug?

[firefighter ontheside]

I placed the walnut plywood with the top side facing down.  18 ga brads and glue holding the grid pieces to the walnut.  Marked the location of the grid pieces on the edge.  Placed the Birch plywood on and glued and screwed it to the grid.  

[firefighter ontheside]

I've had the table top set up in the kiln shed for a week.  I decided today is the day to pour resin on it.  At 0830 I put a seal coat of 1 quart of resin on it.  This is to seal any cracks or other spots that may allow air to make its way into the flood coat.  This coat has to cure for 4 hours before I can pour the flood coat.  That will be about a gallon of resin.  I've set up plastic on the floor to catch what drips off the side.  I have to be careful about not stepping in that.  My torch is ready to pop air bubbles.


 

 

[firefighter ontheside]

Flood coat was poured about 90 minutes ago.  It went pretty well.  Not too many bubbles.  Its starting to cure so theres not much more I can do if new bubbles pop up.  I had one little gnat land in the resin.  He was removed with a toothpick.  I will check back on it in a little while to make sure there are no more bugs.  The next big thing to do is turn it over after it is fully cured and remove all of the drips.  Then it will be pretty much done.

 

 

[NE Woodburner]

Beautiful job. Look forward to seeing in finished with the legs attached...

[doc henderson]

I would eat on that!  nice!

[firefighter ontheside]

Thanks.  The firehouse won't be ready for at least a month, so its gonna sit in my shed like this for quite a while.  We decided that the next table, for Hs 1, will be 8' long.

[Ron Scott]

Nice!