Walnut counter – day 5
The epoxy cured over night, now it is time to start sanding.
Erin started with 80 grit paper to remove the bulk of the excess epoxy, then stepped down to 120 , then to 220 grit.
One of the corners had a few air bubbles, that must have emerged after we left the epoxy to cure. I used some compressed air to clean out the holes.
I filled the cavitys with super glue and let them dry while Erin was sanding down the other corner.
After a lot of sanding, I wiped down the surface with some Naphtha to clean away the resin dust. The inlay really popped out when it was clean. The malachite was definitely a good choice.
Erin got started applying the polyurethane to the counter top while I prepped the corbels for finish. I remembered that I had left a few pencil marks, in some hard-to-sand locations. I removed these with a paper towel, soaked in denatured alcohol. It just dissolves the carbon, leaving clean wood behind after a little rubbing.
When the first coat was applied to the counter, Erin moved over to apply urethane to the corbels. She was careful to not get any finish into the dovetail slot, down the back of the corbel. The dovetail fit is about as tight as it can be already. We don’t need them any tighter.
After a couple of hours of work, everything looks fantastic. Another day or two of finishing and we will be ready for the install.
Midnight Woodworking 