Outdoor table top? Which wood?

[pe2dave]

Metal frame, broken glass top.
Seeks to replace top with wood: Will stay outside all year!
Suggestions for wood please?
Max thickness 18mm.
What width 'plank' - suggestions please - no, not quartersawn.

I've suggested replace the glass.... not approved.

 

[recipio]

Has to be Iroko .............unless you have a secret stash of Teak somewhere The width is down to the construction method.

 

[pe2dave]

Has to be Iroko .............unless you have a secret stash of Teak somewhere The width is down to the construction method.

Using planks, Iroko, max width for 18mm without going quartersawn please? To avoid cupping?

 

[thetyreman]

sweet chestnut is a good choice if you can find any of it.

 

[Rorton]

will you have any gaps in between each of the planks of wood (like a picnic table) or thinking of a solid piece? Was just thinking about water sitting on top of it

 

[pe2dave]

will you have any gaps in between each of the planks of wood (like a picnic table) or thinking of a solid piece? Was just thinking about water sitting on top of it

Currently a (broken) glass top. Sits in a 1cm C shaped lip?
Thinking of tapering down to 1cm, since circular, can't allow for expansion...
How about a ... biscuit / something as separator, loose tongue idea to allow for swelling?

Guesses on safe width please, at 18mm thick, before cupping becomes a problem?

 

[Rorton]

ah ok going for a solid top then, I was thinking more like this

So you have a gap for each plank, and they are held together underneath

 

[pe2dave]

ah ok going for a solid top then, I was thinking more like this

View attachment 102519

So you have a gap for each plank, and they are held together underneath

How 'underneath' please? Screwed through from the frame?
This table sits on a metal frame (cross shaped) so unable to do that?

 

[Rorton]

yeah, so you have an extra few planks underneath at 90 degrees to the others. You could finish them 'shorter' so that the tabletop fits in the lip , but not sure how it would work in the centre? do you have a picture of what you have left to work with?

 

[pe2dave]

 

[Rorton]

Came across these, got me thinking that the table edge is proud of the circular bit where the glass would sit

so you could then put in the supports underneath, and then they rest/secure into the existing 2 bars on the existing metal frame.

I may be totally off base here, and people who do this all the time will come along and say 'dont be daft' build a solid top

for me, if it was going outside id just be a bit worried about water staying on a solid top all the time.

Thinking about it, if you made it out of 18mm material, you could run a rebate round the edge so it slots into the gap nicely and you just have the 'bullnose' of the existing frame showing?

 

[pe2dave]

@Rorton - agree re sitting outside, hence my original question. I doubt many (any?)
finish is good for more than a year or so!

Tks for the idea of inserting a 'frame' /support in the glass wrapper. Food for thought.

 

[Droogs]

Have the style as in the first picture and connect each board with a brass dowel 10mm diameter just fitted snuggly in a drilled hole with a 1/3 of the length in each board edge. secure the whole thing to the outer ring from below with a single screw at each end of the board. this will allow movement and stop it falling apart

 

[Ttrees]

Are you particularly avoiding quartersawn hardwood as it can split more readily,
and avoiding flatsawn for the cupping?
Or is it a case of avoiding to use select boards as you may need to buy a lot in order to acquire perfect examples?

Curious to see what the best cut timber for the job is, regarding wide planks.
I still would have thought some decent flatsawn stock would be preferred?

It's going outside, why would it matter a jot, if it moved a lot using riftsawn stock?
Certainly the case where a scraper or sander would become useful, instead of a plane when the time comes to refinish.

Have you need for it to be quite flat...
Games table or something else?

Tom

 

[Chippymint]

As already said Iroko is good and so too is Sapele.

Cupping is always a potential problem if you don't use well seasoned straight grained wood. Obviously the fault will worsen as the wood width increases. If you go to a good stockists you could probably pick some out. You may get away with 45 degree grain.

As the gent says, have a gap between planks is a good move, 3/6mm is adequate. On 18mm thickness, 50mm wide boards would be my max. Make sure you allow for side to side for movement, for each plank, by allowing the fixings to move (assuming you are using more than one across the a planks width).

My advise is to treat it with a suitable product every year and keep it indoors during winter.

 

[pe2dave]

Are you particularly avoiding quartersawn hardwood as it can split more readily,
and avoiding flatsawn for the cupping?
Or is it a case of avoiding to use select boards as you may need to buy a lot in order to acquire perfect examples?


Tom

Moving to quartersawn to avoid cupping Tom.
I doubt I have the skill to choose appropriate grained wood, especially if I'm to cut it down to a few inches.

 

[hugov]

You might like to consider a timber designed for exterior cladding or decking, like Yellow Balau Hardwood, a popular timber for Decking, Flooring, Cladding. Warm in colour - profiles available Shadow Gap, PTGV, Rain Screen, PAR (haven't used, just an idea). Balau is apparently OK outside without treatment and is a fairly dense hardwood unlike most cladding products, so good for a tabletop.

 

[harryc]

You might like to consider a timber designed for exterior cladding or decking, like Yellow Balau Hardwood, a popular timber for Decking, Flooring, Cladding. Warm in colour - profiles available Shadow Gap, PTGV, Rain Screen, PAR (haven't used, just an idea). Balau is apparently OK outside without treatment and is a fairly dense hardwood unlike most cladding products, so good for a tabletop.

Yup yellow balau used extensively for higher end decking, just needs regular oiling otherwise it fades to grey but otherwise perfect for outdoors.

 

[Ttrees]

Moving to quartersawn to avoid cupping Tom.
I doubt I have the skill to choose appropriate grained wood, especially if I'm to cut it down to a few inches.

Bear in mind, I have no experience whatsoever on using iroko for outdoor projects,
But, I can tell you with the little amount of iroko I've resawn into boards, that its more of a case of the luck of the draw.

I don't normally need to cut a big slab of it into narrower stock, as I normally have the perfect pieces somewhere....unless I make a big mistake like cutting a batch too short
It has so much tension, when cutting racing stripes to make thickness up, its much easier to just glue it beforehand to save material.

Some seemingly good stock will react, whilst other suspected examples will stay put.
I only work with the reclaimed stuff which is all stored the same and for a long time, so possibly the best chance of being in equilibrium.

Tension in the timber seems to matter most, compared to environment its in.
If its gonna do something, it probably already has, even if its strapped/weighed down.
It likely would spring back again and be obvious straight away.

If you can get it around the thickness you're after, then you should be safe enough.

Maybe decking might be worth looking into also, could be cheaper or as cheap?
I've never encountered any decking before whatsoever.
It might have grooves cut into it, so you would need to have that side down, but that might actually help matters regarding cupping.
Seen plenty of tables with grooves underneath for this purpose, albeit deeper slots in those tables.

I have found plenty of bits in bottoms of skips out in the rain for suppose no more than a week saturated, and dismantled ledged and braced doors t&g, exterior wall panels t&g and the good stock will stay flat.

Seemingly not much difference in movement wet and in the cold slightly damp workshop afterwards.
I couldn't tell you a thing about stability regarding grain orientation, as I try not to crosscut it.

Might be worth shopping around, if its a big concern. (kinda tough at this time)
The batch of timber might likely be similar throughout from what I've seen, from big hoards and troublesome stock would be quite evident from a picture I'd imagine.
The stuff I have would be.

Hope that might help a bit
Tom

 

[pe2dave]

Thanks @Ttrees a lesson in Iroko use! Agree about internal tensions, wood always finds
ways of surprising us.
Quite curious about decking / floorboard re-use... I'll look into that.
Appreciated.