I've got a couple of questions regarding attaching a bar top I recently made
out of mahogany.
The old bartop is 3/4" ply with formica glued to the top. I removed all the
formica so now there is just the 3/4" ply. Should I attach the top to the
existing top with screws (the new top is 3/4" thick) but cut slots in the
ply to allow for expansion? I would prefer to keep the ply to make the top
seem more solid. I thought about gluing it down but I'm afraid that the
solid top would try to expand/contract and eventually come loose or worse
yet end up cracking.
For the edging I am making a 2 x 1 1/2" rail and rounding over the edges
1/4". I think I'll have the rounded over part protrude above the bar top to
create a 1/4" ledge around the bar. I'm worried though that there won't be
a strong enough joint between the edge of the top and this rail with just
glue. I could put biscuits in but I'm worried it still not be
enough(especially if the top is only 3/4" - goes back to having the plywood
substrate which would get 1 1/2" of glue area for rail to attach to).
Any thoughts/opinions?
thanks,
Eric
George,
Thanks very much for your suggestions! After I posted I decided to
remove the plywood so that the mahogany would be flush with another
shelf that extends behind the bar. I decided to attach the top via
button blocks to allow for expansion.
However, my wife suggested that I replace the aforementioned shelf
with mahogany as well so perhaps I'll put the plywood back; easy
enough as it was just nailed straight down and came up easily.
As for the bar rail, I thought I might cut a 3/4" dado in the rail and
glue it onto the top that way. My concern is that people will
probably be resting their arms on the rail and I think the dado will
provide a bit more support for the rotational force that will be
applied (hope that makes sense).
So it would look like this:
___
| _|___________________
| |_________bar top_____
|___|
^---- bar rail
Wouldn't that be stronger than this (even with biscuits there the rail
and top meet):
___
| |___________________
| |_________bar top___
|___|
^---- bar rail
The top of the rail is going to be about 1/4" above the bar.
I finished the top with Danish oil using the method that John Paquay
describes on his site and I've put a couple of coats on the under side
as well.
thanks again for your suggestion,
Eric
"George M. Kazaka" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Eric
> Definately Keep the plywood for a solid base, attach the your Edge strip
> with Glue & Biscuits to the top only
> If you are concerned about the differance of expansion and contraction Then
> Glue the mahogany down to the ply with silicone.
> Apply spots of slicone about every 12" in each direction let the weight of
> the Mah. top settle on the silicone.
> Make sure you finish the back side of the Bar top with the same material as
> the topside.
> You can apply a few screws to keep the top from creeping while the silicone
> sets up. Or you can use tape.
> Do not use clamps and if you use the screws don't set them down tight.
> This is the tryed and true method of preventing problems from the
> differance's of movement from differant materials.
>
> Good Luck
> George
>
> "Eric Yancey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I've got a couple of questions regarding attaching a bar top I recently
> made
> > out of mahogany.
> >
> > The old bartop is 3/4" ply with formica glued to the top. I removed all
> the
> > formica so now there is just the 3/4" ply. Should I attach the top to the
> > existing top with screws (the new top is 3/4" thick) but cut slots in the
> > ply to allow for expansion? I would prefer to keep the ply to make the
> top
> > seem more solid. I thought about gluing it down but I'm afraid that the
> > solid top would try to expand/contract and eventually come loose or worse
> > yet end up cracking.
> >
> > For the edging I am making a 2 x 1 1/2" rail and rounding over the edges
> > 1/4". I think I'll have the rounded over part protrude above the bar top
> to
> > create a 1/4" ledge around the bar. I'm worried though that there won't
> be
> > a strong enough joint between the edge of the top and this rail with just
> > glue. I could put biscuits in but I'm worried it still not be
> > enough(especially if the top is only 3/4" - goes back to having the
> plywood
> > substrate which would get 1 1/2" of glue area for rail to attach to).
> >
> > Any thoughts/opinions?
> >
> > thanks,
> >
> > Eric
> >
> >
With glue and biscuits, it will be plenty strong enough. In fact, you don't
need the substrate either.
Preston
"Eric Yancey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've got a couple of questions regarding attaching a bar top I recently
made
> out of mahogany.
>
> The old bartop is 3/4" ply with formica glued to the top. I removed all
the
> formica so now there is just the 3/4" ply. Should I attach the top to the
> existing top with screws (the new top is 3/4" thick) but cut slots in the
> ply to allow for expansion? I would prefer to keep the ply to make the
top
> seem more solid. I thought about gluing it down but I'm afraid that the
> solid top would try to expand/contract and eventually come loose or worse
> yet end up cracking.
>
> For the edging I am making a 2 x 1 1/2" rail and rounding over the edges
> 1/4". I think I'll have the rounded over part protrude above the bar top
to
> create a 1/4" ledge around the bar. I'm worried though that there won't
be
> a strong enough joint between the edge of the top and this rail with just
> glue. I could put biscuits in but I'm worried it still not be
> enough(especially if the top is only 3/4" - goes back to having the
plywood
> substrate which would get 1 1/2" of glue area for rail to attach to).
>
> Any thoughts/opinions?
>
> thanks,
>
> Eric
>
>
Oh Yes the Dado would be much stronger
When you put the Ply back on do use screws, and use enough that will make it
survive a nuclear blast
"EricY" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> George,
>
> Thanks very much for your suggestions! After I posted I decided to
> remove the plywood so that the mahogany would be flush with another
> shelf that extends behind the bar. I decided to attach the top via
> button blocks to allow for expansion.
>
> However, my wife suggested that I replace the aforementioned shelf
> with mahogany as well so perhaps I'll put the plywood back; easy
> enough as it was just nailed straight down and came up easily.
>
> As for the bar rail, I thought I might cut a 3/4" dado in the rail and
> glue it onto the top that way. My concern is that people will
> probably be resting their arms on the rail and I think the dado will
> provide a bit more support for the rotational force that will be
> applied (hope that makes sense).
>
> So it would look like this:
> ___
> | _|___________________
> | |_________bar top_____
> |___|
>
> ^---- bar rail
>
> Wouldn't that be stronger than this (even with biscuits there the rail
> and top meet):
>
> ___
> | |___________________
> | |_________bar top___
> |___|
>
> ^---- bar rail
>
> The top of the rail is going to be about 1/4" above the bar.
>
> I finished the top with Danish oil using the method that John Paquay
> describes on his site and I've put a couple of coats on the under side
> as well.
>
> thanks again for your suggestion,
>
> Eric
>
>
>
> "George M. Kazaka" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > Eric
> > Definately Keep the plywood for a solid base, attach the your Edge
strip
> > with Glue & Biscuits to the top only
> > If you are concerned about the differance of expansion and contraction
Then
> > Glue the mahogany down to the ply with silicone.
> > Apply spots of slicone about every 12" in each direction let the weight
of
> > the Mah. top settle on the silicone.
> > Make sure you finish the back side of the Bar top with the same material
as
> > the topside.
> > You can apply a few screws to keep the top from creeping while the
silicone
> > sets up. Or you can use tape.
> > Do not use clamps and if you use the screws don't set them down tight.
> > This is the tryed and true method of preventing problems from the
> > differance's of movement from differant materials.
> >
> > Good Luck
> > George
> >
> > "Eric Yancey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > I've got a couple of questions regarding attaching a bar top I
recently
> > made
> > > out of mahogany.
> > >
> > > The old bartop is 3/4" ply with formica glued to the top. I removed
all
> > the
> > > formica so now there is just the 3/4" ply. Should I attach the top to
the
> > > existing top with screws (the new top is 3/4" thick) but cut slots in
the
> > > ply to allow for expansion? I would prefer to keep the ply to make
the
> > top
> > > seem more solid. I thought about gluing it down but I'm afraid that
the
> > > solid top would try to expand/contract and eventually come loose or
worse
> > > yet end up cracking.
> > >
> > > For the edging I am making a 2 x 1 1/2" rail and rounding over the
edges
> > > 1/4". I think I'll have the rounded over part protrude above the bar
top
> > to
> > > create a 1/4" ledge around the bar. I'm worried though that there
won't
> > be
> > > a strong enough joint between the edge of the top and this rail with
just
> > > glue. I could put biscuits in but I'm worried it still not be
> > > enough(especially if the top is only 3/4" - goes back to having the
> > plywood
> > > substrate which would get 1 1/2" of glue area for rail to attach to).
> > >
> > > Any thoughts/opinions?
> > >
> > > thanks,
> > >
> > > Eric
> > >
> > >
Eric
Definately Keep the plywood for a solid base, attach the your Edge strip
with Glue & Biscuits to the top only
If you are concerned about the differance of expansion and contraction Then
Glue the mahogany down to the ply with silicone.
Apply spots of slicone about every 12" in each direction let the weight of
the Mah. top settle on the silicone.
Make sure you finish the back side of the Bar top with the same material as
the topside.
You can apply a few screws to keep the top from creeping while the silicone
sets up. Or you can use tape.
Do not use clamps and if you use the screws don't set them down tight.
This is the tryed and true method of preventing problems from the
differance's of movement from differant materials.
Good Luck
George
"Eric Yancey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've got a couple of questions regarding attaching a bar top I recently
made
> out of mahogany.
>
> The old bartop is 3/4" ply with formica glued to the top. I removed all
the
> formica so now there is just the 3/4" ply. Should I attach the top to the
> existing top with screws (the new top is 3/4" thick) but cut slots in the
> ply to allow for expansion? I would prefer to keep the ply to make the
top
> seem more solid. I thought about gluing it down but I'm afraid that the
> solid top would try to expand/contract and eventually come loose or worse
> yet end up cracking.
>
> For the edging I am making a 2 x 1 1/2" rail and rounding over the edges
> 1/4". I think I'll have the rounded over part protrude above the bar top
to
> create a 1/4" ledge around the bar. I'm worried though that there won't
be
> a strong enough joint between the edge of the top and this rail with just
> glue. I could put biscuits in but I'm worried it still not be
> enough(especially if the top is only 3/4" - goes back to having the
plywood
> substrate which would get 1 1/2" of glue area for rail to attach to).
>
> Any thoughts/opinions?
>
> thanks,
>
> Eric
>
>