Refinishing a table - need some help

[applescrap]

Adhesive strips?. I have used them and they work good plus no mess. They come in different strengths. Adhesive puddies, like you use on a dorm wall would work great i think. Just some more ideas. I like what ancient said just the corners with the caulk.

 

[Barley_Bob]

These are all good recommendations, guys. Thank you.

Here's a question... My thinking has been that if I make the slabs removable, I can pop the slabs out for moving or cleaning and then just set them back in onto the silicone. And then I'm not reglueing them in, so much as setting them on a stable surface I've built by shaving down the rabbets and inserting silicone. But does that make sense? Or would it be better to just redo the silicone every time?

For the record, my custom fits are waay better than the fits were before and the slabs wobble way, way, way less now. We're talking tiny amounts of silicone going in just to make sure the wobble and slip are zero

 

[ancientmariner52]

These are all good recommendations, guys. Thank you.

Here's a question... My thinking has been that if I make the slabs removable, I can pop the slabs out for moving or cleaning and then just set them back in onto the silicone. And then I'm not reglueing them in, so much as setting them on a stable surface I've built by shaving down the rabbets and inserting silicone. But does that make sense? Or would it be better to just redo the silicone every time?

For the record, my custom fits are waay better than the fits were before and the slabs wobble way, way, way less now. We're talking tiny amounts of silicone going in just to make sure the wobble and slip are zero

Making the slabs removable sounds reasonable to me. The only potential issue I see is that each fit will be unique. You might want to match mark them somehow.

 

[applescrap]

Making the slabs removable sounds reasonable to me. The only potential issue I see is that each fit will be unique. You might want to match mark them somehow.

I agree and thats a good idea to mark them. If the space is small, to me its a no brainer, adhesive tape. The stuff sticks really well comes in different thickness and is durable and easily removed. In actual fact they have insulation tape that is soft foam on one side and sticky adhesive on other. Ita meant for under doors, windows, etc... that stuff would be perfect giving you flexibility in widths for custom fitting and holding the granite on a soft bed. Also you can cutit to fit however you want it. Thoughts? Note, I dont know jack though

 

[Barley_Bob]

Making the slabs removable sounds reasonable to me. The only potential issue I see is that each fit will be unique. You might want to match mark them somehow.

They're marked with masking tape now. When I'm done with fitting, I'm going to go under the table and make permanent marks. I'm probably going to make tallies and use a hot wire to sear the wood and a chisel to etch the slate.

I agree and thats a good idea to mark them. If the space is small, to me its a no brainer, adhesive tape. The stuff sticks really well comes in different thickness and is durable and easily removed. In actual fact they have insulation tape that is soft foam on one side and sticky adhesive on other. Ita meant for under doors, windows, etc... that stuff would be perfect giving you flexibility in widths for custom fitting and holding the granite on a soft bed. Also you can cutit to fit however you want it. Thoughts? Note, I dont know jack though

I like this idea. It sounds like a bit more work because I'll have to find the right thickness, but it would be easily removable, preventing damage to the table and making cleaning easier. I was imagining gunk getting stuck around the edges of the silicone. It's something to think about for sure. I'll also have to see if they make pieces that are thin enough.

 

[Barley_Bob]

Hey, I finished it! It took forever! I ****** it up 100 times, but it's done and it's gorgeous. In all honesty, it's better than new and I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks for all your help guys - I really appreciate it! Now for the matching end table...

 

[Barley_Bob]

Oh, so on fitting slabs - I chiseled down the rabets to make the slabs to sit as flat as possible. I picked the best fit first, but this was one of the hardest parts of the job. What I found was that by lying under the table with a flashlight, I could see where the slabs were being held up, mark the sections, and then chisel them down. I got pretty close just doing this. It didn't make for pretty work, but no one will see the rabets anyway. To stop the slabs from wiggling entirely, I stuck little felt adhesive pads under the wobbly corners.

To make sure I keep everything straight, I used my chisel to cut tallies into the outward facing rabet in each window to number them. Then, I put a piece of tape on the underside of each slab and numbered those to match the tally on the corresponding window. Even if the tape comes off the slabs somehow, the windows are permanently marked. With the tape, it should always be obvious to someone putting the table together what goes where. Unless they're just not smart.