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Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
I've got a set of IKEA bookcases. Each one is roughly 30H x 30W x 14D
and is divided into 4 square sections. There are 4 and a half of them, the "half' being half as wide, with only two sections. They are lined up against a wall in our family room and come within a couple of inches of taking up the whole wall, about 13'. They are probably ten years old, and are thus somewhat better than the current crop of IKEA stuff. It's their "Beech" finish. But for the tops, which have gotten a little scratched up, they don't look too bad. I'd like to make a top that spans the whole set. I'm thinking of using ceramic or porcelain tile with a wood 1x2 border around it. My original idea would be reasonably easy, I think. 3/4 ply with the 1x2 glued around the edge to make a "tray" that the tiles would sit in. Maybe I'd get fancy and rout out a dado in the 1x2 (oak, probably) for the edge of the ply to fit into. I might not even bother to use thinset or grout, perhaps just laying the tiles in, or maybe using some construction adhesive. I have a tile saw, BTW. I would use large tiles that span the entire depth with one tile. I think I'd have to build it in situ. There would have to be two lengths of ply to cover the distance, and other than the "border" and the furniture underneath, I don't know how I could fasten them together well. But then I had another idea, a wrinkle that I can't get in my head how to accomplish. I have a bunch of prefinished IKEA kitchen molding, 3/4" thick, maybe 3" wide, straight except for a 1/4 round on one side. It matches the cabinets well. I was thinking of using that, laying flat, as the border. The benefit is that I wouldn't have to try (and fail) to match the finish. The problem is how to attach molding that thin to some sort of base for the tiles. I'm thinking I could make a rabbet on the underside of the molding to accept 1/4" or maybe 3/8" ply and then glue it up. There'd almost certainly be a lip; the tiles wouldn't be exactly flush with the surface of the molding. This might still look OK though. Any thoughts? I'm not a complete idiot around wood and tools, but my skills are modest, so be gentle. |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
Are these book cases 1) mounted high on the wall or are they 2) on the
floor, such that the top surfaces are used table-like/countertop-like, hence their being scratched? I'm thinking, just a sheet of 1/4" or 3/8" luan, finished nicely (durable finish), would do fine, with simple molding around the edges. Any future damage can be more easily repaired or replaced. Ceramic tile, directly applied onto wood, doesn't sound like a secure/ fail-safe surface, to me. Sonny |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
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Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Oct 1, 10:57*am, Sonny wrote:
Are these book cases 1) mounted high on the wall or are they 2) on the floor, such that the top surfaces are used table-like/countertop-like, hence their being scratched? They are on the floor I'm thinking, just a sheet of 1/4" or 3/8" luan, finished nicely (durable finish), would do fine, with simple molding around the edges. *Any future damage can be more easily repaired or replaced. Ceramic tile, directly applied onto wood, doesn't sound like a secure/ fail-safe surface, to me. I was actually thinking the opposite; that a dozen plain maybe $2 each porcelain (floor) tiles would be about as teenager-proof a surface as I could imagine. Did I mention the teenager in the house? And I wouldn't have to sand and finish quite a large area of wood. I could even keep a couple of extra tiles around in case something really untoward happens. Even just gravity, coupled with a tight fit should hold them in, wouldn't you think? |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Oct 1, 9:24*am, " wrote:
I've got a set of IKEA bookcases. Each one is roughly 30H x 30W x 14D and is divided into 4 square sections. There are 4 and a half of them, the "half' being half as wide, with only two sections. They are lined up against a wall in our family room and come within a couple of inches of taking up the whole wall, about 13'. They are probably ten years old, and are thus somewhat better than the current crop of IKEA stuff. It's their "Beech" finish. But for the tops, which have gotten a little scratched up, they don't look too bad. I'd like to make a top that spans the whole set. I'm thinking of using ceramic or porcelain tile with a wood 1x2 border around it. My original idea would be reasonably easy, I think. 3/4 ply with the 1x2 glued around the edge to make a "tray" that the tiles would sit in. Maybe I'd get fancy and rout out a dado in the 1x2 (oak, probably) for the edge of the ply to fit into. I might not even bother to use thinset or grout, perhaps just laying the tiles in, or maybe using some construction adhesive. I have a tile saw, BTW. I would use large tiles that span the entire depth with one tile. I think I'd have to build it in situ. There would have to be two lengths of ply to cover the distance, and other than the "border" and the furniture underneath, I don't know how I could fasten them together well. But then I had another idea, a wrinkle that I can't get in my head how to accomplish. I have a bunch of prefinished IKEA kitchen molding, 3/4" thick, maybe 3" wide, straight except for a 1/4 round on one side. It matches the cabinets well. I was thinking of using that, laying flat, as the border. The benefit is that I wouldn't have to try (and fail) to match the finish. The problem is how to attach molding that thin to some sort of base for the tiles. I'm thinking I could make a rabbet on the underside of the molding to accept 1/4" or maybe 3/8" ply and then glue it up. There'd almost certainly be a lip; the tiles wouldn't be exactly flush with the surface of the molding. This might still look OK though. Any thoughts? I'm not a complete idiot around wood and tools, but my skills are modest, so be gentle. A couple of boxes of either cork or bamboo flooring. Prefinished. Really cool textures and colours. |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Oct 1, 5:14*pm, Robatoy wrote:
On Oct 1, 9:24*am, " wrote: I've got a set of IKEA bookcases. Each one is roughly 30H x 30W x 14D and is divided into 4 square sections. There are 4 and a half of them, the "half' being half as wide, with only two sections. They are lined up against a wall in our family room and come within a couple of inches of taking up the whole wall, about 13'. They are probably ten years old, and are thus somewhat better than the current crop of IKEA stuff. It's their "Beech" finish. But for the tops, which have gotten a little scratched up, they don't look too bad. I'd like to make a top that spans the whole set. I'm thinking of using ceramic or porcelain tile with a wood 1x2 border around it. My original idea would be reasonably easy, I think. 3/4 ply with the 1x2 glued around the edge to make a "tray" that the tiles would sit in. Maybe I'd get fancy and rout out a dado in the 1x2 (oak, probably) for the edge of the ply to fit into. I might not even bother to use thinset or grout, perhaps just laying the tiles in, or maybe using some construction adhesive. I have a tile saw, BTW. I would use large tiles that span the entire depth with one tile. I think I'd have to build it in situ. There would have to be two lengths of ply to cover the distance, and other than the "border" and the furniture underneath, I don't know how I could fasten them together well. But then I had another idea, a wrinkle that I can't get in my head how to accomplish. I have a bunch of prefinished IKEA kitchen molding, 3/4" thick, maybe 3" wide, straight except for a 1/4 round on one side. It matches the cabinets well. I was thinking of using that, laying flat, as the border. The benefit is that I wouldn't have to try (and fail) to match the finish. The problem is how to attach molding that thin to some sort of base for the tiles. I'm thinking I could make a rabbet on the underside of the molding to accept 1/4" or maybe 3/8" ply and then glue it up. There'd almost certainly be a lip; the tiles wouldn't be exactly flush with the surface of the molding. This might still look OK though. Any thoughts? I'm not a complete idiot around wood and tools, but my skills are modest, so be gentle. A couple of boxes of either cork or bamboo flooring. Prefinished. Really cool textures and colours. Interesting idea. More expensive, to be sure, at least for the bamboo, which is a significant concern right now. You are suggesting tongue & groove slat material, I assume? Would you use some thin ply underneath and glue the slats down? What would you do for the edges? I ask because I do eventually have to repair a damaged bit of floor that consists of some sort of Brazilian Rosewood engineered flooring. I'll have to buy a box of maybe 30-40 square feet to get the few slats I need. The more I think about it, I sort of like this idea, but for a different set of cabinets in our living room. I could even imagine using 3/4 ply under the flooring to enable me to make an overhang in the front for a wider countertop. Back to the edges. The flooring I'm talking about is maybe 1/2" thick, essentially plywood with a "cap" layer of nice wood. The cap is maybe 1/16"- 3/32", not just a veneer. I like the idea of a prefinished material, but I wouldn't be able to match the finish. I'd have to make a deliberately contrasting border, I guess. Ideas? |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Oct 1, 11:42*am, "chaniarts" wrote:
wrote: I've got a set of IKEA bookcases. Each one is roughly 30H x 30W x 14D and is divided into 4 square sections. There are 4 and a half of them, the "half' being half as wide, with only two sections. They are lined up against a wall in our family room and come within a couple of inches of taking up the whole wall, about 13'. They are probably ten years old, and are thus somewhat better than the current crop of IKEA stuff. It's their "Beech" finish. But for the tops, which have gotten a little scratched up, they don't look too bad. I'd like to make a top that spans the whole set. I'm thinking of using ceramic or porcelain tile with a wood 1x2 border around it. My original idea would be reasonably easy, I think. 3/4 ply with the 1x2 glued around the edge to make a "tray" that the tiles would sit in. Maybe I'd get fancy and rout out a dado in the 1x2 (oak, probably) for the edge of the ply to fit into. I might not even bother to use thinset or grout, perhaps just laying the tiles in, or maybe using some construction adhesive. I have a tile saw, BTW. I would use large tiles that span the entire depth with one tile. I think I'd have to build it in situ. There would have to be two lengths of ply to cover the distance, and other than the "border" and the furniture underneath, I don't know how I could fasten them together well. But then I had another idea, a wrinkle that I can't get in my head how to accomplish. I have a bunch of prefinished IKEA kitchen molding, 3/4" thick, maybe 3" wide, straight except for a 1/4 round on one side. It matches the cabinets well. I was thinking of using that, laying flat, as the border. The benefit is that I wouldn't have to try (and fail) to match the finish. The problem is how to attach molding that thin to some sort of base for the tiles. I'm thinking I could make a rabbet on the underside of the molding to accept 1/4" or maybe 3/8" ply and then glue it up. There'd almost certainly be a lip; the tiles wouldn't be exactly flush with the surface of the molding. This might still look OK though. Any thoughts? I'm not a complete idiot around wood and tools, but my skills are modest, so be gentle. bisquits for alignment and glue I'm sure this is an excellent idea, but as I currently own a router, and not a biscuit joiner, I may go the dado route instead. As I mentioned in another post, some relatively inexpensive materials I can handle, but buying fun things like new tools is not in the program right now. |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Oct 1, 9:13*pm, " wrote:
On Oct 1, 5:14*pm, Robatoy wrote: On Oct 1, 9:24*am, " wrote: I've got a set of IKEA bookcases. Each one is roughly 30H x 30W x 14D and is divided into 4 square sections. There are 4 and a half of them, the "half' being half as wide, with only two sections. They are lined up against a wall in our family room and come within a couple of inches of taking up the whole wall, about 13'. They are probably ten years old, and are thus somewhat better than the current crop of IKEA stuff. It's their "Beech" finish. But for the tops, which have gotten a little scratched up, they don't look too bad. I'd like to make a top that spans the whole set. I'm thinking of using ceramic or porcelain tile with a wood 1x2 border around it. My original idea would be reasonably easy, I think. 3/4 ply with the 1x2 glued around the edge to make a "tray" that the tiles would sit in. Maybe I'd get fancy and rout out a dado in the 1x2 (oak, probably) for the edge of the ply to fit into. I might not even bother to use thinset or grout, perhaps just laying the tiles in, or maybe using some construction adhesive. I have a tile saw, BTW. I would use large tiles that span the entire depth with one tile. I think I'd have to build it in situ. There would have to be two lengths of ply to cover the distance, and other than the "border" and the furniture underneath, I don't know how I could fasten them together well. But then I had another idea, a wrinkle that I can't get in my head how to accomplish. I have a bunch of prefinished IKEA kitchen molding, 3/4" thick, maybe 3" wide, straight except for a 1/4 round on one side. It matches the cabinets well. I was thinking of using that, laying flat, as the border. The benefit is that I wouldn't have to try (and fail) to match the finish. The problem is how to attach molding that thin to some sort of base for the tiles. I'm thinking I could make a rabbet on the underside of the molding to accept 1/4" or maybe 3/8" ply and then glue it up. There'd almost certainly be a lip; the tiles wouldn't be exactly flush with the surface of the molding. This might still look OK though. Any thoughts? I'm not a complete idiot around wood and tools, but my skills are modest, so be gentle. A couple of boxes of either cork or bamboo flooring. Prefinished. Really cool textures and colours. Interesting idea. More expensive, to be sure, at least for the bamboo, which is a significant concern right now. You are suggesting tongue & groove slat material, I assume? Would you use some thin ply underneath and glue the slats down? What would you do for the edges? I ask because I do eventually have to repair a damaged bit of floor that consists of some sort of Brazilian Rosewood engineered flooring. I'll have to buy a box of maybe 30-40 square feet to get the few slats I need. The more I think about it, I sort of like this idea, but for a different set of cabinets in our living room. I could even imagine using 3/4 ply under the flooring to enable me to make an overhang in the front for a wider countertop. Back to the edges. The flooring I'm talking about is maybe 1/2" thick, essentially plywood with a "cap" layer of nice wood. The cap is maybe 1/16"- 3/32", not *just a veneer. I like the idea of a prefinished material, but I wouldn't be able to match the finish. I'd have to make a deliberately contrasting border, I guess. Ideas? No beveled edge planks or tiles. Cork comes in a lot of colours and when you put an 1-1/2" oak edge around it, in a complementary aniline dye (Lee Valley) Like a lemon cork with a ochre dyed oak edge...can be cool. http://www.corkfloor.com/tiles.html |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
wrote: bisquits for alignment and glue I'm sure this is an excellent idea, but as I currently own a router, and not a biscuit joiner, I may go the dado route instead. --------------------- Think 5/32" slot cutter & #20 biscuits with that router. Lew |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Oct 1, 10:10*pm, "Lew Hodgett" wrote:
wrote: bisquits for alignment and glue I'm sure this is an excellent idea, but as I currently own a router, and not a biscuit joiner, I may go the dado route instead. --------------------- Think 5/32" slot cutter & #20 biscuits with that router. Lew Every time I post something here I get answers to questions I didn't know enough to ask. Now I have a few more questions. My router is hand-held. No table. Round base. Low end, if you must know. Ryobi. How would I go about lining up the slots on the mating pieces? How precise do they have to be? Since you've suggested a $20-$30 bit I assume you think that whatever the disadvantages of using a router for this task, a really cheap biscuit joiner like this: http://www.amazon.com/Homier-Profess...987808&sr=1-10 ....would be even more frustrating due to general crappiness. Even to my untutored eye, that plastic "plate" looks pretty unimpressive. Assuming sufficient care, do you think I'd be successful putting maybe 10 biscuits in a 13 foot span, getting them all to mate? |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Fri, 1 Oct 2010 19:10:51 -0700, "Lew Hodgett"
wrote: wrote: bisquits for alignment and glue I'm sure this is an excellent idea, but as I currently own a router, and not a biscuit joiner, I may go the dado route instead. --------------------- Think 5/32" slot cutter & #20 biscuits with that router. Lew A router can be used for biscuits - or better yet, a spline. Plywood or tempered hardboard as a spline both work quite well. |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
wrote: My router is hand-held. No table. Round base. Low end, if you must know. Ryobi. How would I go about lining up the slots on the mating pieces? How precise do they have to be? ----------------------- Piece of cake, simply set router to depth and lock it. http://www.amazon.com/Homier-Profess...987808&sr=1-10 Good luck. ....10 biscuits in a 13 foot span, getting them all to mate? ------------------- See above. Lew |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Oct 1, 11:37*pm, "Lew Hodgett" wrote:
wrote: My router is hand-held. No table. Round base. Low end, if you must know. Ryobi. How would I go about lining up the slots on the mating pieces? How precise do they have to be? ----------------------- Piece of cake, simply set router to depth and lock it. http://www.amazon.com/Homier-Profess...scuit-Jointer/... Good luck. ....10 biscuits in a 13 foot span, getting them all to mate? ------------------- See above. Lew Not to pester, but I meant lining them up laterally. I'd love to be able to use biscuits without having to buy what for me would be a seldom-used tool. I haven't used a biscuit joiner, but I assume there's a straight "fence" on it with a mark that marks the center of the biscuit. With a round router base and a cutter that will be a good 2" behind the edge of the base, how do you go about lining up the slots on the two mating pieces? |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Oct 2, 12:13*am, -MIKE- wrote:
On 10/1/10 10:43 PM, wrote: Keep in mind that the holes don't have to line up perfectly and can be longer than the biscuit. Biscuits are really for up and down alignment, not side to side. Ah. Now I see. This is a very interesting development. I made a "temporary" desktop... six or seven years ago... that I've been thinking of dressing up with a hardwood edge. One cheap trip to HD and I could be using biscuits to attach it. Thanks. |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
wrote in message "temporary" desktop... six or seven years ago... that I've been thinking of dressing up with a hardwood edge. One cheap trip to HD and I could be using biscuits to attach it. Thanks. For a number of years, I've used an invisable nailing kit for attaching trim and face frames. http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...at=1,230,41182 Alternatively, I've just hammered in a finishing nail, countersunk it and then filled the hole with a wax filler stick fractionally darker than the wood itself. It results in a hard to recognize attachment point and is about as easy to use as it gets. http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...at=1,190,42997 There's always alternative ways to attach things. |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Oct 2, 7:14*am, "Upscale" wrote:
wrote in message "temporary" desktop... six or seven years ago... that I've been thinking of dressing up with a hardwood edge. One cheap trip to HD and I could be using biscuits to attach it. Thanks. For a number of years, I've used an invisable nailing kit for attaching trim and face frames.http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...at=1,230,41182 And I thought that was a plane for elves. Go figure. Alternatively, I've just hammered in a finishing nail, countersunk it and then filled the hole with a wax filler stick fractionally darker than the wood itself. It results in a hard to recognize attachment point and is about as easy to use as it gets. Sure. That method I've used already. Plus the "just glue and a crapload of clamps and hope what the high school shop teacher said about glue was true" method. But this "biscuits without paying for the special tool" idea appeals to me. |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Fri, 1 Oct 2010 20:07:52 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote: On Oct 1, 10:10*pm, "Lew Hodgett" wrote: wrote: bisquits for alignment and glue I'm sure this is an excellent idea, but as I currently own a router, and not a biscuit joiner, I may go the dado route instead. --------------------- Think 5/32" slot cutter & #20 biscuits with that router. Lew Every time I post something here I get answers to questions I didn't know enough to ask. Now I have a few more questions. My router is hand-held. No table. Round base. Low end, if you must know. Ryobi. How would I go about lining up the slots on the mating pieces? How precise do they have to be? With the edge guide, and they have to be fairly precise. Here's a pic of a router with a guide installed: http://fwd4.me/h6J You could use it to do a dado groove. Since you've suggested a $20-$30 bit I assume you think that whatever the disadvantages of using a router for this task, a really cheap biscuit joiner like this: http://www.amazon.com/Homier-Profess...987808&sr=1-10 I have a Harbor Fright bisquicker. It works well as long as I keep the trigger pulled. If not, it widens the slot. I picked it up for $30 on sale. I removed one of the too-tight springs and it works much more smoothly now. I'd respring it and find and install a plate shim if I used it more often. It's probably very similar to the Homier model. http://www.harborfreight.com/4-inch-...ner-38437.html ...would be even more frustrating due to general crappiness. Even to my untutored eye, that plastic "plate" looks pretty unimpressive. Assuming sufficient care, do you think I'd be successful putting maybe 10 biscuits in a 13 foot span, getting them all to mate? You should have no problem, G. -- Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly. -- Plutarch |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
wrote in message about glue was true" method. But this "biscuits without paying for the special tool" idea appeals to me. Then you shouldn't have too much trouble. All you need do is find someone like me, or Leon, or a number of others who have bought that 'extra special tool' like the Domino and buy our biscuit joiner from us. I'll sell you mine for $50 and toss in a box of 2000 various sized biscuits. :) |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On 10/2/10 6:14 AM, Upscale wrote:
wrote in message "temporary" desktop... six or seven years ago... that I've been thinking of dressing up with a hardwood edge. One cheap trip to HD and I could be using biscuits to attach it. Thanks. For a number of years, I've used an invisable nailing kit for attaching trim and face frames. http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...at=1,230,41182 Wow. This is why usenet still has some value to me. I've tucked away that little trick in my brain for future use. ...... and like most things in that catalog, you don't really need that little plane to do it. -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On 10/2/10 6:46 AM, wrote:
On Oct 2, 7:14 am, wrote: wrote in message "temporary" desktop... six or seven years ago... that I've been thinking of dressing up with a hardwood edge. One cheap trip to HD and I could be using biscuits to attach it. Thanks. For a number of years, I've used an invisable nailing kit for attaching trim and face frames.http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...at=1,230,41182 And I thought that was a plane for elves. Go figure. Alternatively, I've just hammered in a finishing nail, countersunk it and then filled the hole with a wax filler stick fractionally darker than the wood itself. It results in a hard to recognize attachment point and is about as easy to use as it gets. Sure. That method I've used already. Plus the "just glue and a crapload of clamps and hope what the high school shop teacher said about glue was true" method. But this "biscuits without paying for the special tool" idea appeals to me. I don't know if this pertains to your current thought process or not, but as has been discussed in here on several occasions, biscuits are intended for alignment and don't add any discernible strength to most joints. -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Oct 2, 11:44*am, -MIKE- wrote:
On 10/2/10 6:14 AM, Upscale wrote: *wrote in message "temporary" desktop... six or seven years ago... that I've been thinking of dressing up with a hardwood edge. One cheap trip to HD and I could be using biscuits to attach it. Thanks. For a number of years, I've used an invisable nailing kit for attaching trim and face frames. http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...at=1,230,41182 Wow. *This is why usenet still has some value to me. *I've tucked away that little trick in my brain for future use. ..... and like most things in that catalog, you don't really need that little plane to do it. The LeeValley catalogue is often inspirational. "Shiat!, *I* can do that!" Many will just order the tool. Good on Robin when they do. |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Oct 1, 9:43*pm, Robatoy wrote:
On Oct 1, 9:13*pm, " wrote: On Oct 1, 5:14*pm, Robatoy wrote: On Oct 1, 9:24*am, " wrote: I've got a set of IKEA bookcases. Each one is roughly 30H x 30W x 14D and is divided into 4 square sections. There are 4 and a half of them, the "half' being half as wide, with only two sections. They are lined up against a wall in our family room and come within a couple of inches of taking up the whole wall, about 13'. They are probably ten years old, and are thus somewhat better than the current crop of IKEA stuff. It's their "Beech" finish. But for the tops, which have gotten a little scratched up, they don't look too bad. I'd like to make a top that spans the whole set. I'm thinking of using ceramic or porcelain tile with a wood 1x2 border around it. My original idea would be reasonably easy, I think. 3/4 ply with the 1x2 glued around the edge to make a "tray" that the tiles would sit in. Maybe I'd get fancy and rout out a dado in the 1x2 (oak, probably) for the edge of the ply to fit into. I might not even bother to use thinset or grout, perhaps just laying the tiles in, or maybe using some construction adhesive. I have a tile saw, BTW. I would use large tiles that span the entire depth with one tile. I think I'd have to build it in situ. There would have to be two lengths of ply to cover the distance, and other than the "border" and the furniture underneath, I don't know how I could fasten them together well. But then I had another idea, a wrinkle that I can't get in my head how to accomplish. I have a bunch of prefinished IKEA kitchen molding, 3/4" thick, maybe 3" wide, straight except for a 1/4 round on one side. It matches the cabinets well. I was thinking of using that, laying flat, as the border. The benefit is that I wouldn't have to try (and fail) to match the finish. The problem is how to attach molding that thin to some sort of base for the tiles. I'm thinking I could make a rabbet on the underside of the molding to accept 1/4" or maybe 3/8" ply and then glue it up. There'd almost certainly be a lip; the tiles wouldn't be exactly flush with the surface of the molding. This might still look OK though. Any thoughts? I'm not a complete idiot around wood and tools, but my skills are modest, so be gentle. A couple of boxes of either cork or bamboo flooring. Prefinished. Really cool textures and colours. Interesting idea. More expensive, to be sure, at least for the bamboo, which is a significant concern right now. You are suggesting tongue & groove slat material, I assume? Would you use some thin ply underneath and glue the slats down? What would you do for the edges? I ask because I do eventually have to repair a damaged bit of floor that consists of some sort of Brazilian Rosewood engineered flooring. I'll have to buy a box of maybe 30-40 square feet to get the few slats I need. The more I think about it, I sort of like this idea, but for a different set of cabinets in our living room. I could even imagine using 3/4 ply under the flooring to enable me to make an overhang in the front for a wider countertop. Back to the edges. The flooring I'm talking about is maybe 1/2" thick, essentially plywood with a "cap" layer of nice wood. The cap is maybe 1/16"- 3/32", not *just a veneer. I like the idea of a prefinished material, but I wouldn't be able to match the finish. I'd have to make a deliberately contrasting border, I guess. Ideas? No beveled edge planks or tiles. Cork comes in a lot of colours and when you put an 1-1/2" oak edge around it, in a complementary aniline dye (Lee Valley) Like a lemon cork with a ochre dyed oak edge...can be cool.http://www.corkfloor.com/tiles.html Thanks for the cork link, which happens to be local for me. Do I write with a New York accent? Some of their products look like they would fit the bill nicely. I might order a sample or two. One question: In my application there'd be no "basebaord molding" to cover up the cut edges; the tiles would be flush up against (and possibly level with) the oak border. Can they be cut neatly? How? Razor knife? I guess I could make a deliberate lip by routing a notch in the oak, But I think that bit of complication might sway me back to the porcelain tile. |
Ideas for making a single top for a long series of Ikea bookcases
On Oct 4, 8:48*am, " wrote:
On Oct 1, 9:43*pm, Robatoy wrote: On Oct 1, 9:13*pm, " wrote: On Oct 1, 5:14*pm, Robatoy wrote: On Oct 1, 9:24*am, " wrote: I've got a set of IKEA bookcases. Each one is roughly 30H x 30W x 14D and is divided into 4 square sections. There are 4 and a half of them, the "half' being half as wide, with only two sections. They are lined up against a wall in our family room and come within a couple of inches of taking up the whole wall, about 13'. They are probably ten years old, and are thus somewhat better than the current crop of IKEA stuff. It's their "Beech" finish. But for the tops, which have gotten a little scratched up, they don't look too bad. I'd like to make a top that spans the whole set. I'm thinking of using ceramic or porcelain tile with a wood 1x2 border around it. My original idea would be reasonably easy, I think. 3/4 ply with the 1x2 glued around the edge to make a "tray" that the tiles would sit in. |
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