Kitchen benchtop advice

[Ang_flange]

 

I’m now turning my attention to the benchtops. On the old cabinetry I am going to have a go at the Dulux renovator Range.

For the new island, I was going to use 2 Specrite project panels and biscuit joint them together but I recently did a resin pouring course (final product in photo) and now I want to use this method to join two pieces of real timber slab together. Any advice on the type of timber to use? Would camphor laurel be ok? The bench top would not have a sink or cooked, would not be used as a chopping board, more for general serving. 

[Jason]

Hi @Ang_flange,

Let me tag some very helpful members who might be able to share their thoughts on what timber to use for your benchtop. @redracer01, @pete_brig, @Mathy, @2Belindas, @ProjectPete.

Hope that helps get the discussion started. 

Jason

[pete_brig]

Thanks @Jason for tagging me but that's not something I've done. I'd have reservations about using resin to "join two pieces of real timber"--IMO it'd still need some form of mechanical join like biscuits etc & the timber would need to be thoroughly prepared (dried etc) as well as considering any issues with inherent oils. But it could give a very nice result going by @Ang_flange 's photo. Good luck!
P.S. as the saying goes: good judgment comes from experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment

[Ang_flange]

Thanks Pete. I queried the strength of the join the resin would have too. The person I did the course through - has loads of resin experience - assured me that the join and resin is extremely strong - the timber is likely to break before the bond or the resin. 
Obviously I would ensure the timber I used was well dried/cured. 

I was hoping for advice on what would be a good type of timber to use as a bench top. 

[Brad]

Camphor Laurel does have a smell that lingers so keep that in mind if you want to go down that path.

I would use timber with a live edge with the bark removed so your resin/epoxy has some imperfections to help it grip. The river effect when you use two live edges facing in and if using a colour to stop bleeding a thin coat of clear around the join and a margin of safety for spills and overflows will give you clean lines when it is finished.

My personal choice would be Tas Oak but what ever you choose will take some finding! Ebay and Gumtree are good starting points for slabs.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Ang_flange,

You might like to take a look at what @Old-gal24 is currently putting together for her kitchen and bathroom benches. She's using some amazing live edge River Red gum timber slabs and they are turning out fantastic. 

Some popular timbers to use for benchtops are Victorian ash, Spotted gum, Blackbutt, Tasmanian oak, Ironbark, Blackwood, Jarrah and Brushbox. These are all dense hardwoods that are resistant to the wear benchtops receive through every-day activities. You might find the type of timber you choose to use has a lot to do with what colouring you find appealing and as long as it is well seasoned and a hardwood then the option is up to you.

Please let us know if you need further information or had any questions.

Mitchell

[Ang_flange]

Thanks @Brad and @MitchellMc

Your replies have been really helpful. I am really worried about doing all the work and then finding I’ve chosen the wrong timber. 
I have a really great timber supplier in Brisbane so hopefully he has something appropriate so I can get started!

[pete_brig]

Hi @Ang_flange 

Sorry I misread your question. Here's a link to a site with some examples: Garde Timber slabs (I think I bought a piece of dressed gum from them that I made into floating shelves for a bathroom makeover.) Note the difference in the colour of the raw vs finished timber. There are other sites too that might give you an idea of the colours (e.g. check out timber flooring) & here's an article I found: 9-australian-timbers (Houzz) 

Personally I find the camphor laurel too busy and the same for mango but it depends on the style you want & colour. Hope your supplier has something you like--it'd be a coincidence if it's the same place that I referred to. Cheers

[Ang_flange]

Hi @pete_brig 

Not the same supplier but I think yours might be better so thanks for the link. The Houzz article is exactly what i was hoping to read - I must have been using the wrong search words in Google. 

I feel a lot more confident about choosing a timber now. I will let you know how I go.

Thanks!