In the previous couple of years, kitchen DIYs have gotten highly regarded. They don’t should be excessive and so they additionally don’t have to interrupt your pockets. In the event you’re wanting so as to add an affordable strategy to get some stable counter tops then you definately’re studying the fitting weblog. Try my countertop plans and observe alongside!
Supplies I Used to Construct the Countertop
Step 1: Shifting Materials to the Store and Slicing Edges
The very first thing I did was transfer my cell cart to the aspect of my miter noticed stand. That is so I can flip out the wing and pull materials straight from the cart to the noticed and lower the ends. Everytime you’re becoming a member of boards collectively you want all the perimeters and ends to be at a 90 and straight. The miter takes care of all of the ends. It’s additionally at this step you can lower your boards to size. I like to recommend taking the measurement your high must be then leaving your self and further 1” or 2. You’ll lower it down completely in a while.
Step 2: Rounding The Edges of the Materials
Subsequent is to knock off the rounded edges of the fabric. When you’ve got a jointer, then you should use it to get one edge flat…..and one face flat. Subsequent I transfer the beautiful giant pile to my desk noticed. Right here I make sure that to put the jointed edge up towards the tablesaw fence to get the second edge parallel. Then I take advantage of the thickness planer to get the second face flat.
Now for those who don’t have a jointer then I’ll go away you a hyperlink to 2 movies I’ve carried out the place I present use a desk noticed or a router as a jointer. However you may positively preserve this venture easy and let or not it’s a little bit imperfect. In the event you solely have a tablesaw, you should use it to chop off every rounded edge, then go away the face alone. This methodology would require extra sanding and also you may find yourself with a couple of small gaps, however you may nonetheless construct your self some counter tops.
Step 3: Creating the Countertop Sample
Okay after getting all the fabric sq. and straight, I subsequent laid out my boards to get the depth my countertop and shelf wanted then began rearranging them. The very first thing I do is line up one aspect of the boards to be in step with each other. Now my completed countertop will land about right here but it surely’s aways finest to make a much bigger than wanted slab then lower it down in the long run.
Subsequent I have a look at the tree ring course and attempt to stagger them. See how these rings curve down? This one is fairly heart however this one curves up, this one down, What you need you keep away from is all of the rings going through the identical course as that may promote the whole slab to cup in that course whereas alternating them will oppose forces.
The following factor I have a look at is the place all of the seams line up, see how most all land proper on this zone? I would like a little bit extra selection so what you are able to do is take smaller boards and place them on the entrance. Simply flip flop the 2 boards and that may push the seam away from the others. To the place after I did that with a couple of different rows, now my seams had been spaced out all throughout the slab.
Okay then final thing I checked out earlier than sticking issues collectively, was the butt joints. You’ll be able to see this joint doesn’t shut properly. If it doesn’t shut properly now, it positively received’t one you place glue on it so take the time to re lower each ends right here on the miter noticed.
Step 4: Assembling the Countertop
Okay now lets do the factor that I’d guess causes probably the most stress in woodworking. I’m speaking about glue up! It is not uncommon if you’re first beginning to construct to make an enormous slab like this and attempt to glue up all of the boards at one time. Nevertheless, you study actually fast that it’s manner higher to do a number of small glue ups so they arrive out proper fairly than rush it and mess it up or stress your self out.
If you’re glueing issues along with yellow wooden glue, my go to is DAPS Weldwood, you usually have about 3-4 minutes of working time, which isn’t rather a lot. So have as many issues able to go as you may comparable to clamps, brushes, mallets, and bisquets in my case. Which lets discuss subsequent. You’ll be able to positively lower all of your boards and simply glue then clamp them collectively however the place bisquets assistance is with aligning the tops.
When you apply glue to 2 surfaces they may slip and slide and getting a wonderfully flush high is nearly unimaginable. By chopping in bisquets slots…. this device references the highest of every board to chop in a slot on every edge in order that if you insert a biscuit, it is going to mechanically align every board and never enable it to slide round whereas making use of stress. Options that obtain the identical factor are dowels or a domino however keep in mind you may positively simply glue up the boards for those who don’t have something, it is going to simply require extra flattening within the subsequent step.
Step 5: Altering the Countertop Thickness (non-compulsory)
Truly, I added in a step. See after milling my boards, my 2x4s turned out to be just one 1/4” thick. Which is sweet however I personally needed the look to be nearer to 2”. To attain this, I lower a nostril that’s the thickness I would like and easily connected it to the very entrance. So know this can be a trick you should use to make your glue up look thicker.
Step 6: Scaling down the Countertop
Okay, now lets flattening this factor. Like every thing in constructing, there are a number of methods to do every thing. The countertop is just too large for my thickness planer so I simply did this by hand with my 4” belt sander. You need to select the widest belt sander you have got so it’s simpler to maintain it flat and never create divots. I additionally like to show my sander to a forty five within the first cross to hog away materials quicker, then I sand out the scuffs this creates within the decrease grits. For my skinner matching shelf, I threw this by way of the drum sander and this makes fast work of it.
Step 7: Slicing the Countertop to Size
I now lower my high and shelf to their actual wanted size. I selected the sliding portion of my tablesaw to verify this lower was at an ideal 90 however a observe noticed or round noticed with a fence would work as properly. Subsequent I needed to set the countertop in place and see the way it was going to search for towards my wall. No wall is ever completely straight so count on to have some gaps in your set up.
You’ll be able to cowl up this hole with a backsplash board or you may hint the precise form of your wall onto the countertop, that is referred to as scribing. I did this with a washer however you should use absolutely anything. As soon as I had my line established I used my sander as soon as once more to remove materials as much as it. When you’ve got an enormous hole you may all the time use one thing like a multi device to chop away extra materials up entrance then refine it with a sander.
Step 8: Making use of End
Okay and that’s it for the method constructing half, I now have a countertop prepared to put in however earlier than doing that I completed it. I’m utilizing Whole Boat’s Gleam 2.0 which is a Spar Varnish that’s tremendous straightforward to make use of, a excessive gloss (precisely what I used to be going for right here), and my favourite characteristic: it’s quick drying. I like to make use of their Wooden Sealer varnish primer earlier than hand which fills within the grain to create a smoother end.
Ending Tip:
Have you ever ever seen white washed gadgets earlier than? Nicely I needed a slight gray tint so I did the identical factor the place you may take latex paint and dilute it with water to create a extra translucent stain form of end, however I did it with gray. The extra water you add, the extra translucent it will likely be. I used a foam brush to wipe it on, then nearly instantly wiped it off. After letting that dry I utilized a transparent coat to guard every thing.
Step 9: Putting in the Countertop
To put in the countertop I merely crawled inside and screwed by way of some wood scrap strips I screwed into place…and you may see how taking the time to scribe the 2 edges actually makes a distinction. Then for the shelf up right here I screwed a cleat to the nook the place there’s framing, then lower in a receiving notch so my shelf might sit on high and permit me one thing to screw down onto. The left terminates into the cupboards so I might go to the within and go straight into the top grain.
Annnnd I’m going to name that one other venture carried out. I’ll go away you hyperlinks to the movies exhibiting you construct cupboards and in addition me putting in these in case you’re . I hope this video has given you some good suggestions or inspiration if making low cost counter tops is in your to do.
