[Gary Brown]

Hi and Happy Holidays,

I love the look of oak but its surface is a little rough for a writing
surface. How do you get a smooth surface from it? A heavy, clear coating
that
can be smoothed?

Thanks,
Gary

[Don Fearn]

I think it was "Gary Brown" who stated:

Hi and Happy Holidays,

I love the look of oak but its surface is a little rough for a writing
surface. How do you get a smooth surface from it? A heavy, clear coating
that can be smoothed?

Not just A coating, but SEVERAL coatings is what you need. With
sanding between each coat. Your finish of choice can be used, but for
the smoothest finish, use shellac, lacquer, or varnish; not an oil
type finish, because oil finish tends to soak in instead of building a
layer.

If you want, and you like the look, first apply a wood filler. That
fills the pores of the oak (and oak has a lot of pores) and makes the
wood flatter before you apply the finish. I like the look of the oak
pores as is, so I usually bypass the filler and go directly to the
finish.

Another option would be to accept the oak as it is, and use a desk
blotter to write on instead of writing directly on the desk. That has
the additional advantage of protecting the wood and the finish from
being dented by ballpoint pens . . . .

-Don
--
"Trust me, there is NO way to nonchalantly conceal the fact that you have a
power tool in your head, no matter what you do." -- El Gato

[Nova]

Gary Brown wrote:
Hi and Happy Holidays,

I love the look of oak but its surface is a little rough for a writing
surface. How do you get a smooth surface from it? A heavy, clear coating
that
can be smoothed?

Thanks,
Gary



You can fill the pores with a grain filler such as Famowood's:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=4207

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

In article ,
Gary Brown wrote:
Hi and Happy Holidays,

I love the look of oak but its surface is a little rough for a writing
surface. How do you get a smooth surface from it? A heavy, clear coating
that
can be smoothed?

Thanks,
Gary



One labor intensive way would be to use a filler & finish. A quick,
easy way? maybe a piece of glass.


--
Often wrong, never in doubt.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore, Maryland -

You do not mention how the table top is made?

How wide are the solid oak boards and what type of glue has been used?
Or is it made with solid wood around and plywood or veneer in the middle?
The area where you live plays a role in your table top finish.
With solid oak you will never get a smooth surface as melamine.
To get a surface like a refinished solid wood floor you would need a
controlled owen.
I am refinishing my dinner table. I am using a steel blade scrapper and
hard labour.
Then I will do fine sanding by hand follow by extra fin steel wood.
In your case I do not have enough details to make any comment yet.



wrote in message
...
In article ,
Gary Brown wrote:
Hi and Happy Holidays,

I love the look of oak but its surface is a little rough for a writing
surface. How do you get a smooth surface from it? A heavy, clear coating
that
can be smoothed?

Thanks,
Gary



One labor intensive way would be to use a filler & finish. A quick,
easy way? maybe a piece of glass.


--
Often wrong, never in doubt.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore, Maryland -

[Toller]

"Gary Brown" wrote in message
...
Hi and Happy Holidays,

I love the look of oak but its surface is a little rough for a writing
surface. How do you get a smooth surface from it? A heavy, clear coating
that
can be smoothed?

Use a drum sander rather than a ROS.
My son does his homework at a kitchen table I just made out of red oak with
no problems.

[J. Clarke]

On Mon, 18 Dec 2006 01:08:43 +0000, Toller wrote:

"Gary Brown" wrote in message
...
Hi and Happy Holidays,

I love the look of oak but its surface is a little rough for a writing
surface. How do you get a smooth surface from it? A heavy, clear coating
that
can be smoothed?

Use a drum sander rather than a ROS.
My son does his homework at a kitchen table I just made out of red oak with
no problems.

Actually it depends on the particular piece--some will finish up quite
smooth, others won't. And it varies across individual boards as well.



--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

[DCH]

"Gary Brown" wrote in
:

Hi and Happy Holidays,

I love the look of oak but its surface is a little rough for a writing
surface. How do you get a smooth surface from it? A heavy, clear
coating that
can be smoothed?

Thanks,
Gary



Greetings....

There are many epoxy coatings you could use, grain fillers and the
like...but I still would not use the table top as a writing
surface...maybe you could get a nice leather pad for a writing on...

just another humble point of view...

DCH