# plywood bar top idea? Need help



## ffjosh (Mar 15, 2012)

I have made a bar and I am making a top for it. I have already looked at laminate, tile and other wood options but there out of my budget or I just don't like them.
I am going to make it out of particale board and finish the top with plywood. I have seen some pictures of plywood that is finished and I like the look.
I have searched and found a bunch of different ways to do it but am wanting to know what you guys prefer?
So far I have seen
Pick your plywood (not sure if some are better then others)
Sand it smooth (60 grit?)
Use a damp clothes and go over the wood. (this opens the pores in the wood?)
Stain it
Sand it
Stain it
Sand it
Ect ect ect
Then put lacuer over it to keep it from getting water damage.
This sound right? Any other ideas?
Also this will be in atleast 3 pieces of plywood. (fairly large bar) How can I make where the pieces connect look seamless where they butt up?
If there isnt a way I thought about making 8-12 pieces of plywood and putting a piece of strip between them and sanding it down to look more like a pattern.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

ffjosh said:


> I have made a bar and I am making a top for it. I have already looked at laminate, tile and other wood options but there out of my budget or I just don't like them.
> I am going to make it out of particale board and finish the top with plywood. I have seen some pictures of plywood that is finished and I like the look.
> I have searched and found a bunch of different ways to do it but am wanting to know what you guys prefer?
> So far I have seen
> ...











Hardwood veneer plywood can be used by itself for the parts for the top. *This drawing* shows how I configure 3/4" plywood for commercial bar tops. This can also work well for residential use. The sizes can be altered as desired.

Preparing the plywood can be very simple. It may only need a very slight sanding to just clean it up from being stacked and handling. I would sand with the grain with open coat sandpaper no coarser than 180x, 220x preferred. The veneer is very thin and you don't want to perforate (sand through) that layer.

Depending on the look you want, you can just stain, or leave natural, and then use a sealer, with a compatible topcoat. Some topcoats can be just thinned and used as a sealer. I would *not* wet the wood with water, or sand the stained application.

For topcoats, you can use lacquer, oil base varnishes or polyurethane, conversion varnish, or waterbase polyurethane. If you can spray your finish even better. Oil base finishes are very tricky to spray.

You can join the edges of butted sections with "tite joint fasteners". The pieces I use under the main top help in keeping sections level.












 







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## ffjosh (Mar 15, 2012)

So I lightly sand
Stain (orwhatever I prefer)
seal it
then top coat it

I would have to brush it all.

I like those fastners. How do you look from above? Im afraid the seam will show and make it look funny.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

ffjosh said:


> I like those fastners. How do you look from above? Im afraid the seam will show and make it look funny.


They work very good. A seam is a seam, and it's likely you can't make it disappear. If you add strips...you have more seams. Either way there will be a seam or two. They may look on purpose.








 







.


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## ffjosh (Mar 15, 2012)

cabinetman said:


> They work very good. A seam is a seam, and it's likely you can't make it disappear. If you add strips...you have more seams. Either way there will be a seam or two. They may look on purpose.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


IM thinking about just cutting it so the seams are at the corners so it atleast makes it look on purpose. I saw a few examples on line that look really good.


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## BradF (Mar 29, 2012)

on your top coat if your brushing after it dries wet sand it with 400 then apply another coat sand it with 600 and it will be as slick as glass. If you want you can cut oil based poly and hand rub the finish on and it will dry quicker and you can build up a nice finish.


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