Just A Bit More

After I oiled the counter there were a few spots on the wood that didn’t quite look right. It looked like the oil didn’t penetrate was well in a few small areas. At first I thought it was just the wood, but then I noticed it was in the middle of the boards only. I had glued up several boards to make the counter. The area where two boards met always looked fine, but some of the areas towards the middle of individual boards did not look good.

I decided it was a sanding issue. I think I concentrated so well on the areas where two boards met I did not sand as well has I should have towards the middle. Especially with the higher number grits. I started with 60 grit and went through 80, 100, and 120. I think I got a little lazy with the 100 grit. Anyway, I decided to do a little more sanding before I put the poly finish on. Oh, I went with a clear, oil based, high-gloss polyurethane top coat.

Before Sanding


After Sanding


I was able to finally finish the wainscot cap and base-molding for the floor and wall now that the cabinets and counter are all one unit. Really makes a difference. Also, before I put the top-coat on I caulked. I had to caulk around the edge of the sink and where the counter met the backsplash. I decided I didn’t want the caulk to show where the counter met the backsplash so I made a small quarter-round piece and nailed it to the counter after I applied the caulk.

Quarter-Round Trim


Around the sink there is nothing I can do to hide the caulk. I got the darkest color I could find to try and match the wood. It is almost black caulk. The funny thing is, you always hear how black caulk is supposedly bigger than white caulk. I certainly didn’t notice any difference, but then, I’ve never done a side by side comparison.