sqlsavior
Lunatic Member
I actually did this a couple of years ago, but it's been a really nice, practical addition.
Before - taken during my wife's annual baking session for the Wildlife Center:
Even when it was cleared off, you couldn't sit at the counter comfortably because there was no real leg room, with only a four inch overhang. But that was enough to glue some supports to:
I bought a long plank of some oddball hardwood, maybe poplar or alder, I forget, and sawed it into three pieces:
After a lot of fussing over matching the height, and sanding off old edge glue, I glued the boards one at a time, using long clamps, doubled up to reach across the counter to pull things tight. It was difficult to get every mating surface perfectly flush, so I had to use some putty, which dried to a really bright white, so I covered the narrow strip of putty with wood glue (Titebond III) to protect the putty and darken it so it wasn't so noticeable. Sounds kind of kludgy, but it worked well, as did using a shim wedge to fill in an imperfectly sawn angle.
I found some knotty wood pieces for trim, and kept them flush with nails and clamps while the glue dried:
Very careful masking let a coat of epoxy protect the wood, and completely cover the joints between the wood and the Formica top, so that nothing could seep into any gaps when cleaning, etc. The epoxy was way too glossy after curing, so I added a coat of satin polyurethane for the final finish.
It seems very well supported, and feels as solid as a rock:
We like the way it turned out, and folks seem to love sitting at it.
It has made the kitchen into a hang-out place.
Before - taken during my wife's annual baking session for the Wildlife Center:
Even when it was cleared off, you couldn't sit at the counter comfortably because there was no real leg room, with only a four inch overhang. But that was enough to glue some supports to:
I bought a long plank of some oddball hardwood, maybe poplar or alder, I forget, and sawed it into three pieces:
After a lot of fussing over matching the height, and sanding off old edge glue, I glued the boards one at a time, using long clamps, doubled up to reach across the counter to pull things tight. It was difficult to get every mating surface perfectly flush, so I had to use some putty, which dried to a really bright white, so I covered the narrow strip of putty with wood glue (Titebond III) to protect the putty and darken it so it wasn't so noticeable. Sounds kind of kludgy, but it worked well, as did using a shim wedge to fill in an imperfectly sawn angle.
I found some knotty wood pieces for trim, and kept them flush with nails and clamps while the glue dried:
Very careful masking let a coat of epoxy protect the wood, and completely cover the joints between the wood and the Formica top, so that nothing could seep into any gaps when cleaning, etc. The epoxy was way too glossy after curing, so I added a coat of satin polyurethane for the final finish.
It seems very well supported, and feels as solid as a rock:
We like the way it turned out, and folks seem to love sitting at it.
It has made the kitchen into a hang-out place.
