Table top gloat.......almost.

[Matt Sollars]

I scored some old science classroom table tops from our high school building today. I was told it's about 6-8 4ft by 2ft tops...about 1in thick...and 2 10ft by 2ft wide countertops...(same material)

If I remember correctly, these all have a black paint over them. I am fairly certain that they are solid wood, but i could be wrong. I know they are on the heavy side.

My plan is to use them for shelving or outfeet/assembly table construction. If i have enough, I may use them for legs of a workbench.

My question is this....if they are hardwood all the way through, I need to get that paint off....

Is sanding my best option?
Should I cut them to 8'' widths and face joint the paint off (since i'll be jointing and biscuiting them anyway for the outfeed/assembly table)

Solvents seem like a pain, but if that's what's needed, what solvents?

Thanks guys.
Matt

ps. if they aren't hardwood throughout, any suggestions?

[Jim O'Dell]

If you find that they are solid wood when you get them, are the underneath sides painted or damaged? If not, put the painted side down, especially for the outfeed tables.
Anyway to find or figure out what type of paint? If latex, there are some citrus strippers that are very safe. Jim.

[Matt Sollars]

I have no idea how I'd figure out what kind of paint. Lab tables from a high school, probably made in the 50's - 70's sometime. If there is a way to tell by looking, I don't know what it is.

stripping with the jointer, i take it, is a bad idea. ''gunking up the blades'' scenario I'd guess.

I'll be anxious to see what others have to say.

Matt

[Gary McKown]

2 ft. wide table tops sound like they are from lab benches, in which case they could possibly be made of soapstone or some such material, as was typical in the old days. More recently I think most were made from high-density particle board, relying on the surface coating or laminate for protection.

[Mike Cruz]

Before sending any of this through any of your machines, make sure there are no nails, screws, or staples that bored youngins may have lodged down in them over the years. While I am sure all of us on this forum would not have done such a thing when we were in HS (for the love of the art), there were plenty of my classmates that had 3 or more periods of "shop" a day because they had no aspirations of success in their lives and just wanted to goof off. Now that I think of it, they had it right...I should have skipped Physics and taken a second shop class!

[Lee Bidwell]

I just checked next door in my research lab (built in the '50s), and the countertops are a solid stone material. They have been painted over many times over the years with a high gloss black paint (not sure what type, but definitely water resistant, maybe even an epoxy). I've never seen wood countertops in a bona fide research lab, but, in a high school lab, who knows? The countertops in our newer lab (remodeled in 2002) are a synthetic stone, probably as hard and heavy as quartz, but more uniform in color than the quartz you see in kitchens. Either way, you probably have a great find on your hands. Let us know how it turns out.

Lee

[Jim Tobias]

Matt,
I have a few of those type "science" tables and they have natural colored solid wood legs and aprons, but the top is a black composite material which I suppose is resistance to chemicals/water, etc. I put urethane whhels on a couple of them and use them for everything from offfeed tables to mobile assembly tables. I even added a couple of shelves under one of them. VERY USEFUL in the shop.

Jim

[Sean Nagle]

I agree with Gary. They are most likely soapstone. Soapstone can be worked with woodworking tools with carbide cutting edges.

Soapstone would make great surfaces for shop furniture.

[Sean Nagle]

Matt,
I have a few of those type "science" tables and they have natural colored solid wood legs and aprons, but the top is a black composite material which I suppose is resistance to chemicals/water, etc. I put urethane whhels on a couple of them and use them for everything from offfeed tables to mobile assembly tables. I even added a couple of shelves under one of them. VERY USEFUL in the shop.

Jim

Jim, soapstone was used in labs because it is impervious to chemicals. It is also superior to granite in the kitchen since it is resistant to staining. The downside to soapstone is that it is softer than granite and can get dinged. But it's also easier to repair.

[Matt Sollars]

well, i got a look at them after work today. they are all 24'' wide.
2x 8ft slabs
8x 4ft slabs

They seem to be some sort of laminate bottom and the top 1/4 inch or so is (i'm betting) soapstone. has the feel of soapstone, and look as well. but the bottom is definitely some type of mdf/ply/composite material. all are 1'' thick.

decent enough score for me...even if i don't use them for anything right away. my question may have been answered.....what do i need to work with them.

carbide anything will be ok? i'm assuming.

thanks guys. i'll post pics tomorrow when i pick them up.

matt

[Mike Cruz]

OK, I'm about an idiot. I totally misread what you wrote. I thought they were tables from SHOP class, not from LAB class. Totally disregard my entire previous post...

[Matt Sollars]

....it seemed a little off......


...hey, it's only tuesday.

matt

[Mike Cruz]

So what you are saying is that you picked up some of those table tops I was using in Chemistry and Physics, not the ones in the wood shop class that were avoiding education. Ahhhhhhhh......

Thanks for not giving me a big...WHAT??????????????

[phil harold]

Some lab benches are soapstone others are a mdf core/base coated with a phenolic resin 1/4" or so thick

[Leigh Betsch]

I picked up a couple of lab bench tops with sinks molded in them. I made a router table out of one of them (there's a thread here somewhere). I was warned at the time by a fellow Creeker that they could contain asbestos, don't know if they do. They will eat up a good carbide saw blade pretty quick. Where a respirator and use good dust collection.