In the previous few years, kitchen DIYs have gotten highly regarded. They don’t need to be excessive and so they additionally don’t have to interrupt your pockets. In case you’re trying so as to add an inexpensive solution to get some strong counter tops then you definately’re studying the suitable weblog. Take a look at my countertop plans and comply with alongside!
Supplies I Used to Construct the Countertop
Step 1: Shifting Materials to the Store and Chopping Edges
The very first thing I did was transfer my cellular cart to the facet of my miter noticed stand. That is so I can flip out the wing and pull materials immediately from the cart to the noticed and reduce 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 reduce your boards to size. I like to recommend taking the measurement your prime must be then leaving your self and additional 1” or 2. You’ll reduce it down completely afterward.
Step 2: Rounding The Edges of the Materials
Subsequent is to knock off the rounded edges of the fabric. You probably have a jointer, then you should use it to get one edge flat…..and one face flat. Subsequent I transfer the beautiful massive pile to my desk noticed. Right here I make certain to position 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 if you happen to don’t have a jointer then I’ll depart you a hyperlink to 2 movies I’ve executed the place I present the way to use a desk noticed or a router as a jointer. However you’ll be able to undoubtedly hold this challenge easy and let or not it’s just a little imperfect. In case you solely have a tablesaw, you should use it to chop off every rounded edge, then depart the face alone. This methodology would require extra sanding and also you may find yourself with just a few small gaps, however you’ll be able to 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 facet of the boards to be consistent with each other. Now my completed countertop will land about right here however it’s aways finest to make an even bigger than wanted slab then reduce it down ultimately.
Subsequent I have a look at the tree ring route 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 dealing with the identical route as that may promote your complete slab to cup in that route whereas alternating them will oppose forces.
The subsequent 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 need just a little 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 just a few 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 may see this joint doesn’t shut properly. If it doesn’t shut properly now, it undoubtedly received’t one you place glue on it so take the time to re reduce each ends right here on the miter noticed.
Step 4: Assembling the Countertop
Okay now lets do the factor that I might guess causes probably the most stress in woodworking. I’m speaking about glue up! It’s common whenever you’re first beginning to construct to make a giant slab like this and attempt to glue up all of the boards at one time. Nonetheless, you study actually fast that it’s manner higher to do a number of small glue ups so they arrive out proper slightly than rush it and mess it up or stress your self out.
Once you’re glueing issues along with yellow wooden glue, my go to is DAPS Weldwood, you sometimes have about 3-4 minutes of working time, which isn’t loads. So have as many issues able to go as you’ll be able to resembling clamps, brushes, mallets, and bisquets in my case. Which lets speak about subsequent. You may undoubtedly reduce 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’ll slip and slide and getting a superbly flush prime is sort of inconceivable. By slicing in bisquets slots…. this instrument references the highest of every board to chop in a slot on every edge in order that whenever you insert a biscuit, it is going to routinely align every board and never enable it to slide round whereas making use of strain. Alternate options that obtain the identical factor are dowels or a domino however keep in mind you’ll be able to undoubtedly simply glue up the boards if you happen to don’t have something, it is going to simply require extra flattening within the subsequent step.
Step 5: Altering the Countertop Thickness (optionally available)
Truly, I added in a step. See after milling my boards, my 2x4s turned out to be only one 1/4” thick. Which is sweet however I personally wished the look to be nearer to 2”. To attain this, I reduce a nostril that’s the thickness I need and easily connected it to the very entrance. So know it is 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 little thing in constructing, there are a number of methods to do every little thing. The countertop is simply too vast 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 could have 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 sooner, then I sand out the scuffs this creates within the decrease grits. For my skinner matching shelf, I threw this by means of the drum sander and this makes fast work of it.
Step 7: Chopping the Countertop to Size
I now reduce my prime and shelf to their actual wanted size. I selected the sliding portion of my tablesaw to ensure this reduce was at an ideal 90 however a monitor noticed or round noticed with a fence would work as effectively. Subsequent I wished to set the countertop in place and see the way it was going to lookup towards my wall. No wall is ever completely straight so anticipate to have some gaps in your set up.
You may cowl up this hole with a backsplash board or you’ll be able to 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. You probably have a giant hole you’ll be able to at all times use one thing like a multi instrument 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 approach 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 simple 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 wished a slight gray tint so I did the identical factor the place you’ll be able to take latex paint and dilute it with water to create a extra translucent stain type of end, however I did it with gray. The extra water you add, the extra translucent it is going to be. I used a foam brush to wipe it on, then virtually instantly wiped it off. After letting that dry I utilized a transparent coat to guard every little thing.
Step 9: Putting in the Countertop
To put in the countertop I merely crawled inside and screwed by means of some picket 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 reduce in a receiving notch so my shelf may sit on prime and permit me one thing to screw down onto. The left terminates into the cupboards so I may go to the within and go immediately into the top grain.
Annnnd I’m going to name that one other challenge executed. I’ll depart you hyperlinks to the movies displaying you the way to construct cupboards and in addition me putting in these in case you’re . I hope this video has given you some good ideas or inspiration if making low-cost counter tops is in your to do.
