Oak bartop for restaurant

[mastercabman]

I have a friend that is doing some work for a contractor.The contractor wants him to build a bartop that is about 35' long.He wants to make it out of Oak.
He also wants to have a rustic look to it.My friend wants to use 1x6 Oak board on plywood.Needs to be 26" wide.There will be a 4" tray added.
He called me for some advise on how to go about it,and i told him that I'm not too sure about putting 5 pcs of 1x6 together to make up 26".
Would it be safe to use boards that are about 5.25" wide to make this bartop? I am worrying about cupping/bowing if it gets too much moisture.
I did ask him what type of finish he is going to use,and we agreed that he should use an epoxy type of finish coat.
Would it be better to use boards that is more like 2.5" wide?
Should he glue up the boards together? Or just keep them tight?
Any input would be great.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I think that 1x6 is really gonna want to cup.  How about oak veneered phy?  Rustic effects could be done with the finish, e.g. paint in some knots and nail holes with stain.  And then epoxy the bejeebers out of it.

Let us know what you decide to do and how it comes out?

BTW, not rustic, but did you ever see Per's thread on building a bar for the local VFW? 

 

[tjbier]

For the rustic part, once it's done take a propane or mapp gas torch and lightly pass the flame over the wood.. try it on scraps first and see how it turns out.

The top finish would have to be that 1/8" thick acrylic clear coat stuff. 

 

[Ken Nagrod]

First, the oak boards you pick will have a bigger impact on the cupping issue.  I don't see a problem with 5 1/4" or 5 1/2" width boards as long as they have a good amount of growth rings and you're selective of what the grain is doing along the lengths.  Second, would be the method you choose to join them side-by-side for the total width.  Third, I'd recommend going with 4/4, 5/4 or 6/4 boards so there's enough meat to plane down for the next suggestion.  Fourth, I would recommend paying to have a shop run the sections through a wide belt sander just before you're ready to join and finish them.  Fifth, make sure to seal those end grains on all the boards to keep them stable.

 

[mastercabman]

I think that 1x6 is really gonna want to cup.  How about oak veneered phy?  Rustic effects could be done with the finish, e.g. paint in some knots and nail holes with stain.  And then epoxy the bejeebers out of it.

Let us know what you decide to do and how it comes out?

BTW, not rustic, but did you ever see Per's thread on building a bar for the local VFW? 

He did asked about using oak plywood,but i did not think that it would give that rustic effect.I will mention the "painted knots" and "nail holes" effects.
I would like to see Per's thread on that bartop.Do you have a link?

 

[mastercabman]

The top finish would have to be that 1/8" thick acrylic clear coat stuff. 

I agree.

 

[mastercabman]

First, the oak boards you pick will have a bigger impact on the cupping issue. I don't see a problem with 5 1/4" or 5 1/2" width boards as long as they have a good amount of growth rings and you're selective of what the grain is doing along the lengths.  Second, would be the method you choose to join them side-by-side for the total width.  Third, I'd recommend going with 4/4, 5/4 or 6/4 boards so there's enough meat to plane down for the next suggestion.  Fourth, I would recommend paying to have a shop run the sections through a wide belt sander just before you're ready to join and finish them.  Fifth, make sure to seal those end grains on all the boards to keep them stable.

Yes but there's no garanties!  Beside i don't think he's going to spend all that time at the lumber yard to pull the right boards.
But i think you are right about using thicker board.If he does go that way.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Culling through lumber is definitely time consuming, and when you're making something for a customer, time is money, so obviously that would have to be factored in should you go that route.  Also, finding a yard or supplier that allows you to cull through their material can be a challenge.  It's usually a lot easier when you make friends with them prior to making that request and explain your project and the importance of the pieces you need.

 

[lumbajac]

Maybe a stud structure sheathed with 3/4" ply for a good base, then veneered with "cabin grade" or "#3" oak flooring could be considered?  Lower-grade oak should give a variety of color and character to yield the rustic flavor.  Toe-nail the flooring to the substructure just like you would a floor.  Fill in knot holes with black-tinted epoxy, then finish with a layer of epoxy.  Maybe Waterlox could be a finish choice if customer doesn't like the "thick" epoxy look... can also be easily repaired.

 

[BMH]

Mastercabman,

Another solution is to use tongue and groove oak flooring material on a plywood base. Our cabin has oak T&G flooring with a bake on finish and we used that to make our island counter top. I have build a coupe of pieces of furniture with the left over. This brand of Oak flooring had a rustic look to it and is very easy to maintain. The island counter top has a thick polyurethane finish that makes it imperious to any fluid. Our contractor edge banded it with the same flooring material, I guess 3/4 thick, people are very impress with it. This was our contractor gift to us after he built our cabin.

Bruce

 

[mastercabman]

Mastercabman,

Another solution is to use tongue and groove oak flooring material on a plywood base. Our cabin has oak T&G flooring with a bake on finish and we used that to make our island counter top. I have build a coupe of pieces of furniture with the left over. This brand of Oak flooring had a rustic look to it and is very easy to maintain. The island counter top has a thick polyurethane finish that makes it imperious to any fluid. Our contractor edge banded it with the same flooring material, I guess 3/4 thick, people are very impress with it. This was our contractor gift to us after he built our cabin.

Bruce

Yes,i did suggested to do a T&G .I think this will help.He is going to find out hopefully today,if the owner wants Oak plywood or solid Oak.
I got a feeling that i might end up helping him with this project!

 

[pugilato]

I think a lower grade of oak flooring is your best bet.  Oak-veneered plywood may wear out and you would end up staring at the underlayment (especially likely if you buy chinese plywood).  As a finish, I saw this product yesterday that looks like the epoxy finish you see on some restaurant tables... called CrystalLac PolyOxide Wood Floor Finish. 

 

[Kevin Stricker]

I agree with the oak flooring idea being the best bet.  I would worry about gluing wider 1x stock to plywood as seasonal moisture changes will cause the oak to move but the plywood will not.  The t&g joint allows for some movement in the wood.

Epoxy is the finish to use.  It's more flexible than poly and less likely to chip if a glass is slammed down on it.

 

[Sparktrician]

Given the likelihood that oak will bow and crack in wider (1" x 6") widths, I'd be inclined to use 1" x 2" strips set on edge (as in butcher block) glued, clamped and planed to get the surface dead flat, and epoxy-coated as has been suggested.  I might even go to the extreme of cross-boring the bartop every 16-18" and using countersunk stainless steel all-thread with fender washers to keep the strips properly clamped together, then plugged with either matching or contrasting material.  OK, it's overkill, but it will last a lifetime. 

[smile]

 

[Kevin Stricker]

Given the likelihood that oak will bow and crack in wider (1" x 6") widths, I'd be inclined to use 1" x 2" strips set on edge (as in butcher block) glued, clamped and planed to get the surface dead flat, and epoxy-coated as has been suggested.  I might even go to the extreme of cross-boring the bartop every 16-18" and using countersunk stainless steel all-thread with fender washers to keep the strips properly clamped together, then plugged with either matching or contrasting material.  OK, it's overkill, but it will last a lifetime. 

[smile]

Sounds like it could be the biggest workbench in history!  At 35 feet long can you imagine that glue up?  Cool idea though, you could use the allthread as clamps.

 

[Sparktrician]

Given the likelihood that oak will bow and crack in wider (1" x 6") widths, I'd be inclined to use 1" x 2" strips set on edge (as in butcher block) glued, clamped and planed to get the surface dead flat, and epoxy-coated as has been suggested.  I might even go to the extreme of cross-boring the bartop every 16-18" and using countersunk stainless steel all-thread with fender washers to keep the strips properly clamped together, then plugged with either matching or contrasting material.  OK, it's overkill, but it will last a lifetime. 

[smile]

Sounds like it could be the biggest workbench in history!  At 35 feet long can you imagine that glue up?  Cool idea though, you could use the allthread as clamps.

I'd sure hate to have to carry it in and set it at 35' in length. 

[big grin]

 

[allen r austin]

I did this years ago with t g flooring  on 3/4 plywood and loved it.
I did it as a build in so I would not have to carry it ! I used some regular type finish so I could repair it easy.
We have looked at the two part epoxy for bar tops, but have not found a way to do the edge?
WOULD love to know how to get the edge.
Allen