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I want to build a bar at home for serving drinks etc and want to use reclaimed wood.

So far I've managed to get hold of a softwood fence panel.

How would I treat it and get it to a usable condition?

Alaska Man
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StuP
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    What do you mean "*outdoor wood, softwood*" ? Questions are easier to answer if you post a very detailed thorough explanation of your project. You may find that the Woodworking stack is better place for your question. – Alaska Man Jun 15 '20 at 17:53
  • Soft woods won't hold up very well under use. So either find better wood or plan on a seriously thick top layer of some kind of clear epoxy, or better yet, a thick glass plate cut and ground to size. – Carl Witthoft Jun 15 '20 at 18:14
  • Yes, [woodworking.se] has quite a number of Q&As about outdoor finishes. – FreeMan Jun 15 '20 at 18:29

2 Answers2

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You can run it through a planer to flatten it out, sand it down remove splinters, and then apply a polyurethane sealer to make it inviting for use.

Apparently polyurethane is food safe once cured.

When using a planer on reclaimed wood just make sure to remove all metal from it beforehand or else you'll be buying new blades often or can hurt yourself:

MonkeyZeus
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  • Lots of warnings about using a planer on _any_ reclaimed wood! You can damage the tool and hurt yourself. Check out the warnings on [woodworking.se]. – FreeMan Jun 15 '20 at 18:30
  • @FreeMan If you wouldn't mind linking to some specific posts then I'll gladly edit the warnings into my answer, thanks! – MonkeyZeus Jun 15 '20 at 18:57
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    You can also make it inviting for use by putting a few 6-packs of beer on it... :-) + – JACK Jun 15 '20 at 18:58
  • @JACK Yes, indeed! – MonkeyZeus Jun 15 '20 at 19:00
  • I work for beer. – Alaska Man Jun 15 '20 at 19:25
  • https://woodworking.stackexchange.com/questions/5224/can-barn-wood-planks-be-planed-and-how-thin#comment11718_5224 https://woodworking.stackexchange.com/a/155/93 https://woodworking.stackexchange.com/questions/9881/can-i-remove-existing-wood-finishes-using-a-jointer-or-planer-without-damaging-t/9883#comment20376_9883 https://woodworking.stackexchange.com/a/1605/93 (scroll down to the planer/jointer section) – FreeMan Jun 15 '20 at 19:33
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Do not treat it.

You are starting with some fence you found. You want your bar to obviously be the MadMax salvaged heap of stuff that it is. Concentrate on making it able to withstand 3 heavy guys leaning against it. Pound nails in flush because they could draw blood. Make the surface flat enough to hold cups and bottles. Paint the whole thing with paint you find in the back of the garage because that will reduce splinters.

Willk
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