Shopsmith Forums

Hello everyone,

Have not posted here in a long time, but I have lurked on the pages.

I recently picked up a couple of slabs of Mexican Buckeye. The are end grain pieces and I was wondering about a few things.

Sanding them down is not a problem, but what should I use to fill in some deep gouges?

Should I strip off the bark or leave it on. Currently, I am leaning towards taking off parts of the bark that look like they will fall off eventually and leaving other pieces on.

Any suggestions on how to mount legs on it?

What would make a good finish?

Thanks.

Bernie

Bernie wrote:Hello everyone,

Have not posted here in a long time, but I have lurked on the pages.

I recently picked up a couple of slabs of Mexican Buckeye. The are end grain pieces and I was wondering about a few things.

...
Thanks.

Bernie

Well then, Bernie, you should know that we like PICTURES!!! And lots of them!!! Welcome, glad you came out!

Derek:D

Hello Derek,

Here are some pictures of the wood I am using. Have not started any work on them yet. I took pictures of both sides for you to look at.

Bernie

Beautiful! What is the wood like? What is the grain like, all that kind of thing? It almost look sliek a seciton through an old apple or pear (or other fruitwood) tree that I picked up some time ago. I picked up a couple of planes with broken handles and I was considering using the apple.

Derek

Beautiful! What is the wood like? What is the grain like, all that kind of thing? It almost looks like a section through an old apple tree that I picked up some time ago. I picked up a couple of planes with broken handles and I was considering using the apple.

Derek

Bernie wrote: Sanding them down is not a problem, but what should I use to fill in some deep gouges?

The gouges have such character, that you really don't want to hide them with filler. You could use a pour-on bar top finish like Klear Koat or Famowood. It will fill in the gouges leaving them visible, and you will have a smooth flat surface.

Thanks Michael. I didn't plan on filling in all of the gouges, just some. Your suggestion for finish is what I was going with. I might put some tung oil on first and let dry for a while before sealing it. Still not sure how to attach the legs since this is end grain.

Bernie

derekdarling wrote:Beautiful! What is the wood like? What is the grain like, all that kind of thing? It almost looks like a section through an old apple tree that I picked up some time ago. I picked up a couple of planes with broken handles and I was considering using the apple.

Derek

Hello Derek,

This is all end grain. It is a cross section of a tree cut into a slab. Feels like a hardwood, but my test piece sanded down really easy.

Bernie

Bernie wrote:Hello Derek,

This is all end grain. It is a cross section of a tree cut into a slab. Feels like a hardwood, but my test piece sanded down really easy.

Bernie

Yes - it is a hardwood, but that doesn't mean that it is "hard". Hardwoods come from deciduous trees and softwood from conifers. Some hardwoods are quite soft (poplar), and some softwoods are quite hard (southern yellow pine).

Thanks. I am still wondering how best to attach a leg to the table. Because it is end grain I know that screws won't really hold well. Any suggestions?

Bernie