Last year TJ made this outdoor bar for our son’s wedding. We wanted to do concrete countertops, but ran out of time. We decided to install a 2×6 wood top instead. We torched the wood for a different kind of finish. I never applied the right kind of sealer to keep the “burn” from fading, so it was necessary to redo it this spring. I credit the torching technique as to why the wood held it’s shape throughout the winter. Very little warping and twisting. Yay! Here is the “before” picture of the bar.
I used two different kind of sanders for this job. (You can see them sitting on the bar counter.)
I first used the belt sander (green one) along the seams of the 2×6’s. I then used the palm sander to sand out any other defects. I started with 120 grit sandpaper and then followed up with 220 grit. Here is what the top looked like after I was done sanding. Not much of a difference because the top was so faded. It feels so much smoother, though.
Now comes the fun part! Torching! I used a small propane bottle with a torch tip.
Here is a short video of me torching the wood. Did I mention how fun this is? LOL!
After all the sanding and torching, here is what the bar top looks like after.
I still have to put a sealer on it. I’m just waiting for a less-windy day. So, here in Wyoming, that may never happen. LOL! We also have a little more work to do on the shelves underneath and cupboard doors, too. Now, we just wait for some warmer weather to enjoy it! 🙂