BGE Table Questions / Feedback (SketchUp screenshots within)

drd24au

Eggheaders,

First, thanks for all the helpful tips on the tables.  I've read through several topics here and I started working on plans for my new LBGE table.  Sketch-up renderings below.  I built the Nakedwhiz table 2 years ago for my dad.  I'd like to take my next table to the next level: pocket holes, doors, drawers, better wood, better top, etc.  I have a few questions for you.  Any advice/tips/help is appreciated.

General Info:

Materials: wood - cypress, top - granite, will be using the BGE table nest on top of porcelain tile.  Large Big Green Egg.

Climate: outdoors (Alabama) kept under a grill cover

Example I've followed: http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1182381/my-new-lbge-table

Questions:

1) There seem to be differing opinions on finish for the wood.  As mentioned, I'll be using cypress wood from Louisiana.  I want this table to last for many years  Most have recommended multiple coats of a high quality spar varnish (Helmsman, Epifane ?).  Some have recommended a type of oil (teak, etc.) only.  Anyone care to share some knowledge on either spar vs. oil?  Any specific brand / model you recommend?

2) Insulated Firebricks or no firebricks - I plan on using a table nest to provide 2" of an air gap between the bottom of the egg and porcelain tile.  Do you think adding insulated fire bricks under the tile is necessary?  If so, where can you get insulated fire bricks?  I did not see them at the box stores (Lowes, Home Depot).
What if I put multiple pieces of tile on top of each other in replace of insulated firebricks?

I consider myself a novice in wood-working...here are some elementary questions:

3) Joining the side paneling - in the example I've followed, it appears that the builder used a kreg jig to create pocket holes and screw the side paneling into the top and bottom frame.  A friend recommended I shiplap the wood together.  His reasoning was because cypress moves a lot.  Any thoughts? 

4) Gluing granite to wood - what should I use?  I want to be able to move the table around my deck so I want the granite secure.

5) Any recommendations for casters?  I was thinking 3 1/2" from a box store (HD or Lowes).


Anything else?

Thanks very much for your help and advice!  I look forward to your answers.  I will post pictures of the finished product and probably more sketch-up views if people are interested.

SketchUp drawing of my plan:

shadowrider

First off your Sketchup model looks great.

As for finish: Sikkens, Epiphane, Waterlox Marine and General Finishes Outdoor Oil and Exterior 450 products are all great.  I'm a novice too at building stuff, but I have a lot of experience finishing all kinds of stuff from painting cars and bikes, aerospace metal treatments and finishes, etc.  Forget the Helmsman, I'm on several woodworking forums and they all say to avoid it like the plague unless you like sanding it all off and reapplying it every other year.   Urethane and polyurethane (exterior) wood finish products aren't going to be very good because they aren't flexible enough.  Wood expands and contracts breaking the film letting moisture in where it gets under the film and it just goes downhill from there.  In interior applications it's not as extreme and they hold up fine.  And then there's UV, all of those I named have good UV protection and known good track records.  I've been using General Finishes products in my kitchen remodel and have nothing but praise for them.  I'm leaning real hard to GF Outdoor Oil and I'm using cedar when I build mine.

I am looking at building one pretty much identical to your model and am pondering the same joining questions as you are.  Something to keep in mind is that wood expands across it's width and very little along it's length.  I really want to do breadboard ends on my top but I'm not sure how to do the joinery to allow for the movement yet.  I also want to tongue and groove all the vertical "slats" on the outside but don't know whether to glue them or pocket hole them or what.

As far as an adhesive for the granite I think any number construction adhesives would work.  We used a silicone clear for sealing and adhesive in certain interior aircraft structures joints and it's quite strong, it was an aerospace spec product but it looked, worked, smelled and acted just like clear silicone caulk.  I used GE brand clear UV rated silicone to replace the glass in a double pane window in my house and 20 years later it's still there and amazingly hasn't leaked or fogged at all.

McMaster Carr is a good place for high quality casters and don't forget to account for their height.

Gdhoosier

Nice plan!  A couple thoughts:

1.  If you are a novice woodoworker, you plan is fairly complex - lots of joinery.  For the side/back paneling, if you have a table saw with a dado stack (or a router with a 1/4 straight bit), I would recommend cutting a groove in the 2x4s and then make stub tenons/toungues with the tops of your cypress paneling to sit in the grooves.  No screws would be needed and the wood could move in the groove no problem (and you could glue up your cypress pieces to make a solid panel that would "float").  If you don't have the tools or that is too complicated, shiplap may work OK with pocket hole screws.  For the frame, at least around the egg, I would suggest mortise and tenon joints for strength (versus just screws).  

2.  For casters, I would use fully locking casters - 3.5" is fine although you could probably go a bit smaller.  Depends on what they are weight rated and how high you want your table to be - I would suggest getting casters at a Rockler or Woodcraft - they will have a selection of good quality casters.  Cheaper casters have stops that keep the wheel from rolling but not from rotating around - I like casters that lock both the wheel and the rotating mechanism so that it feels rock solid.

Good luck with your plan and please post pictures of the finished product!

Toxarch

shadowrider said:

As for finish: Sikkens, Epiphane, Waterlox Marine and General Finishes Outdoor Oil and Exterior 450 products are all great.

Any lead on where we might find these?

Gdhoosier

Try Rocker or Woodcraft, if you have one nearby.

shadowrider

I've been getting General Finishes products at my local Woodcraft.  I'm pretty sure most of them are available through Amazon too.

drd24au

Hello again,
After many interruptions and a new miter saw for Christmas, I am finally back at it.  I will post pictures when the project is complete.  I have the table ready except for the finishing/sealing the wood, casters and granite top.  I have done a lot research on both finishing the wood and casters. I really want my table to last as long as possible, and I only have one shot to get it correct.  Thanks for any and all responses!

Questions on Wood Finishes:

Thanks for the previous recommendations.  I called my local Woodcraft and the salesman recommended System Three Marine Spar Varnish (http://www.woodcraft.com/product/847115/system-three-spar-varnish-satin-quart.aspx) or Exterior 450.  Does anyone have any experience with the System Three product or Exterior 450?  Will this type of finish have to be reapplied every so often?  I live in AL and it will be kept under a grill cover.  It seems like spar varnishes have mixed reviews.

The cypress wood is rough cut, so I want to keep that look for the most part and minimize a bunch of sanding.  Hopefully that doesn’t create an issue with finishing.  Also, I do not want a high-gloss finish.

Another method I have seen recommended is untinted exterior paint.  I had previously not thought of this option. It makes sense because the paint has UV and mildew protection and if dries clear, it sounds good to me.

I have also seen a lot of recommendations for Sikkens.  The only potential issue I see is I really did not want to stain the wood and from what I can tell, Sikkens stains and seals.

All suggestions are welcomed.  Thanks in advance.

Questions on Casters:

I have not weighed the table, but I know it is pretty heavy.  The rough-cut cypress boards are about 1 – 1/8” thick and I used these boards for the entire project except for the four, 4x4 posts.  I will have an approximately 25”x56” granite top.  See SketchUp models above as a reference of how much wood I used.  I previously thought I would use 3-1/2” casters, but I plan to use either 4” or 5” casters. 

My greatest fear is the caster breaking out of a post when I am rolling it.  This happened to one of my relatives.  The table will be on my deck, which is older and all the boards are not perfectly even.  I have checked out castercity.com’s website.  My concern with the plate caster is the bolts are going to be near the edge of the wood; and my concern with the stem caster is that only one bolt is supporting a heavy load. I read a couple of posts on this forum (https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1150242/caster-help) about attaching a steel plate to a stem caster and having both a stem and plate caster combination.  Has anyone else done this with success?  If so, where did you get the plate?  If I go with a stem caster and purchase my own stem, how long should the lag bolt be?  Any other suggestions?  As you can see I am probably over thinking this, but I do not want to mess up.

Thanks in advance for the help!