Walnut Coffee Table

[Andrew Teich]

I have been a lurker here for a while trying to decide what direction to take with my project. I am a semi-skilled, resource limited DIYer. I have inherited a walnut table that my grandfather built but that was in need of some TLC. It has my grandfather's name stamped on the bottom and 1976. The table was originally coated with "some kind of pour on finish that was very tricky" according to my grandmother. The table also "sounded like a gun shot" when it cracked some years later. The underside of the top was not coated with anything.

The restoration was started by my father and a neighbor back home before I arrived on the scene. They decided that since the finish was chipping off the top that they would just continue chipping it until they couldn't chip any further, sand the remainder down and then coat with whatever clear finish was in a can on the garage shelves.

Since bringing the table back to my home I have evened out the legs so it no longer wobbles, and removed the finish from the top. The top was never flat OR level to begin with and I initially thought that I could just use the belt sander both flatten and level the top. The pictures (if I can figure out how to add them) are of the top sanded with 40 grit and the sides of the top still with the pour on finish. The legs and lower shelf are some sort of semi-gloss varnish or poly.

Areas where I would appreciate suggestions:

Should I continue to attempt to flatten and level the top with a belt sander?

Should I remove all the finish and refinish everything. (there are some runs on the legs)

I was thinking about using Mirror Coat by System Three (to get the same look my grandfather intended) on the top with a satin finish on the legs. Do I need to use BLO and a shellac under the Mirror Coat to make the rings really look great?

Should I consider a different finish for the entire table that would still endure the traffic a coffee table would have.

How to repair the crack.
I have some System Three T-88 epoxy glue. I was going to fill the crack with this and then put some famowood on any spaces that remained on the top.
Could sawdust be mixed with the epoxy glue to effectively make my own wood filler.
Should the crack be bridged with some new material attached on the bottom of the table.

[Matt Day]

I'll let someone else comment on the finish, as I'm far from an expert.

Might I suggest adding some dutchman's (or butterflys, bow-ties) at the crack to stabilize it, then maybe filling the crack?

That's a neat project with some great family history - I like it!

[Cody Colston]

That crack was almost inevitable, no matter how it was finished.

I see no reason not to use a belt sander on the top to sand it down to bare wood. Then, like Matt, I think butterfly inlays across the crack would stabilize it and also look good. I would not fill the crack but would leave it as a "character enhancement."

I'd also sand the legs if they have runs in the original finish. You will need to sand them anyway if you plan on putting a new finish over the old. For finishing the top, I would do as you mentioned, BLO followed by de-waxed Shellac and then four or five coats of wipe-on polyurethane, sanding to 320 grit between coats. That should give it all the protection a coffee table needs.

[Andrew Teich]

Thanks so much Matt and Cody for quick and friendly responses. I was so worried that the thread would linger unloved before dying off as another amateur asked the same old questions. I managed to completely rebuild my shower while only lurking on Johnbridge forums but this project is more unique and needed some pretty specific suggestions.

When you say that the crack was inevitable, why was it inevitable?
Is the structure of a tree cut in that direction inherently weak?
Would using structural epoxy glue on that crack strengthen it such that the table would crack along another path?

When finishing with BLO, shellac and poly how would you finish those holes? Just sand really well and have a dip?
I got overly aggressive with a belt sander on a desk I redid to take to college and ended up with a really neat indent that held change and paper clips.

I am flying the friendly skies but will get to work on this on saturday.
Thanks for all your help.

[Prashun Patel]

That top is a cross sectional cut. When cut like this, cracking almost always happens along the pith. Add to that the fact that the top was finished the bottom was not. This can contribute to uneven drying also. The fact that it took years for the crack to develop is really amazing. These kinds of cracks can happen withing HOURS of being exposed.

It's probably cracked all it's going to crack now. I'm inclined to go with the dutchman idea, but if you've not done inlays it may be more effort / $$ than you wish to spend.

You can fill the crack with epoxy or epoxy and sawdust. The T88 will dry clear, which will look black in your application. Sawdust will give it some body and prevent sagging, but there's no way to make the crack invisible or even close to it.

I'd also finish the bottom side too.

As for finishing, since the top is end grain, any finish on top of it is going to make it very dark. There's little benefit to oiling it. I'd probably just shellac it (dewaxed - Zinsser Sealcoat) to prime and seal it in case there's anything left from the old finish. Then I'd go to the topcoat, an oil-based varnish like Waterlox (which I love on Walnut).

[Cody Colston]

When you say that the crack was inevitable, why was it inevitable?
Is the structure of a tree cut in that direction inherently weak?
Would using structural epoxy glue on that crack strengthen it such that the table would crack along another path?

When finishing with BLO, shellac and poly how would you finish those holes? Just sand really well and have a dip?


With cross-sectional slabs like that, there is always stress introduced as the slab dries and as the moisture level changes with the humidity. Moisture loss is higher at the outside edge than it is at the interior. When those outer rings dry, they shrink and are placed in tension. Enough tension and it will crack, sometimes years after being cut, as in your example.

It PROBABLY won't crack elsewhere if you fill the existing crack with epoxy but there's no guarantee. You can see that there are multiple, small, radial cracks already in the wafer that just haven't opened up yet.

I wouldn't worry about filling the holes. They, too, add to the character and rustic look of the piece.

If you do decide to add butterfly inlays across the crack, you can get inlay router bit kits from Rockler or Woodcraft and many of the other woodworking tool supply stores. They are not terribly expensive, either.

Like Prashun suggested, finish both sides of the slab the same. That will help slow down the transfer of moisture and keep the slab "balanced."

[Prashun Patel]

Cody's probably got more experience than I, but if that slab is many years old, then it's probably pretty dry and has cracked /stabilized all it's going to. Filling in the crack now is just a matter of aesthetics.

I think Miracle Coat might be overkill. A varnish should be plenty of protection and will look good.

You should level the surface and sand it to 320 or 400. People say sanding north of 180g is useless, but on end grain, I think it helps to reduce the amount of drinking in and darkening that can happen. Don't take my word for it, though. I'm just a hobbyist.

If you don't level the top, the more glossy the surface gets, the worse you'll notice the undulations.

[Andrew Teich]

There is one part that was a hole(looks black in the first photo) and is totally filled in with the old finish as well as uncounted small cracks filled with the old finish that appear white in the close up of the crack photo. If I sand these to 400 will they look alright with shellac over them? Or should I try to remove that old finish material from those tight spots.

So for now I think my plan will be to remove the old finish from the legs and sides, attempt to sand the top level as best I can, select and execute a crack stabilization plan (leaning towards epoxy with sawdust or leaving it as I don't have a router), finish sand legs to 180+ and top to 400, shellac everything, then top coat everything (sheen and varnish/poly TBD)

Is sanding with a belt, random-orbit, finish and hand sanders going to yield a flat enough surface for a gloss finish or should I sand the best I can and use a sheen other than gloss?

Thanks for all the help, you guys are the A Team!
Can't wait to get home and work on this.

[Prashun Patel]

Not sure I'm part of the A-Team, but if you want a good finish that is easy to apply, use a wiping varnish. Take any oil based varnish and thin it 50/50 with Mineral spirits. Wet the rag and basically polish it on. You won't have to worry about dust, streaks, or runs. You'll have to do more coats but it's much easier than brushing.

You simply stop applying coats when you like the look.

I'd use a gloss varnish. Just don't build it up too high by putting on a million coats, and it won't be overly glossy. If you wish to tone it down, you can wax it after yr last coat.

As for sanding, if the surface is not level, I'd use a belt sander.

[Andrew Teich]

After working on this last fall, too slowly, and having the top split further being left in a cold garage overnight (because I was tired of carrying it in and out) I gave up for the winter. Spring came and went with other projects taking priority while the table sat in our living room completely stripped and partially rough sanded. In August I was able to wrap up the condo projects for the summer and get to work on the table.

Legs and Lower section sanded to 220, top sanded to 320 and allowed the paper to wear out and burnish the end grain top with a ROS.

Cracks filled with T88 epoxy, it ended up filliing the pores around the repair areas. There is not a consistent appearance across the top with the repairs and being less that perfectly flat. I think it's just fine though and LOML is just glad that I'll let her put things on it after another week of cure time.

Three pictures of the sanded table on the turntable in my "finishing room" before anything was applied.
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Two pictures of the table after application of BLO.
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No Pictures after adding Garnet Shellac, sorry. It did look pretty good although I had trouble getting a consistent finish from the shellac, many small ridges that apparently the waterlox covered as I cannot see them any longer.
Three pictures after adding 8 wipe on coats of Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish. One still wet in the "finishing room" and two in the living room where it's hiding behind the recliner so LOML won't forget that it's curing and come home and just dump something she's carrying on it.

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Thanks to everyone that added their ideas to this thread and set me on the path to a successful project. This project was the reason I found SMC and my first post here. In the time since I have become interested in woodworking and particularly in hand tools. I have built my first worktable/bench(http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?162858-Temporary-Bench-Idea&highlight=), learned to hand cut dovetails (still need more practice though) and converted a small coat closet into a small tool closet and begun to fill it and the storage area in the garage. I think I'll celebrate by becoming a contributor!
Thank You,
AT