steve kadisak
08-20-2009, 4:47 PM
Hello group,
I'm a relative newbie to woodworking, taking on some home improvement projects. I have some equipment and a little knowledge, but not a lot of experience.
My first big project will be banging together some cabinets for a kitchen remodel, but the reason for my post is to get some guidance on an island countertop I'm making from ipe (brazilian walnut).
The countertop will be constructed from laminated 2x strips 78" in length. I am thinking I will also construct a sub-structure of 2x ipe to support the top along its width (42") and provide attachment to the base cabinet. I will be attaching (gluing) some 1x stock along the outer perimeter underneath the 2xs as a decorative edge (following the top grain pattern; from the outside the top will appear to be 2 1/4" thick).
I just picked up the wood yesterday and gave it a once over. It appears that some of the boards (2x6 decking) are quartersawn, while others vary between rift and plain. Here are some questions:
-Should I only use the quartersawn boards for this project or can I mix quartered and riftsawn boards (I assume plain sawn is a no-no)?
-Are 5' wide boards going to be stable if they are quartered or should I expect some twisting/bowing/cupping despite the grain pattern (i.e., would it be advisable to rip the wide boards into narrower strips?
-I'm not sure how dry the wood is although it has been indoors (warehouse) for several months and I have moved it to an unused room inside my air conditioned house. How long should I let it "normalize" before beginning machining?
- I was planning on screwing the substructure to the top - I have read that it is best to slot the screw holes to allow for movement - how oversized should the holes be and how long of a slot should I plan on?
- I've read about alignment problems for laminated tops so I was planning on bicuiting each piece and building sub-laminations about 12" in width, planing the sub laminations, then gluing the subs together two at a time using steel bars and some deep reach clamps to help hold alignment. I haven't exactly figured out how I'm going to hold alignment for the final mating, but I will probably try to use a variation of the steel bar method. Anyone want to shoot holes in this plan?
- Last, anyone have any other pointers on working with ipe? I've heard the stuff can be a bear to work with.
Sorry for the long note and thanks in advance for any replies. This is great group with lots of knowledge and generosity!
Steve Kadisak
I'm a relative newbie to woodworking, taking on some home improvement projects. I have some equipment and a little knowledge, but not a lot of experience.
My first big project will be banging together some cabinets for a kitchen remodel, but the reason for my post is to get some guidance on an island countertop I'm making from ipe (brazilian walnut).
The countertop will be constructed from laminated 2x strips 78" in length. I am thinking I will also construct a sub-structure of 2x ipe to support the top along its width (42") and provide attachment to the base cabinet. I will be attaching (gluing) some 1x stock along the outer perimeter underneath the 2xs as a decorative edge (following the top grain pattern; from the outside the top will appear to be 2 1/4" thick).
I just picked up the wood yesterday and gave it a once over. It appears that some of the boards (2x6 decking) are quartersawn, while others vary between rift and plain. Here are some questions:
-Should I only use the quartersawn boards for this project or can I mix quartered and riftsawn boards (I assume plain sawn is a no-no)?
-Are 5' wide boards going to be stable if they are quartered or should I expect some twisting/bowing/cupping despite the grain pattern (i.e., would it be advisable to rip the wide boards into narrower strips?
-I'm not sure how dry the wood is although it has been indoors (warehouse) for several months and I have moved it to an unused room inside my air conditioned house. How long should I let it "normalize" before beginning machining?
- I was planning on screwing the substructure to the top - I have read that it is best to slot the screw holes to allow for movement - how oversized should the holes be and how long of a slot should I plan on?
- I've read about alignment problems for laminated tops so I was planning on bicuiting each piece and building sub-laminations about 12" in width, planing the sub laminations, then gluing the subs together two at a time using steel bars and some deep reach clamps to help hold alignment. I haven't exactly figured out how I'm going to hold alignment for the final mating, but I will probably try to use a variation of the steel bar method. Anyone want to shoot holes in this plan?
- Last, anyone have any other pointers on working with ipe? I've heard the stuff can be a bear to work with.
Sorry for the long note and thanks in advance for any replies. This is great group with lots of knowledge and generosity!
Steve Kadisak