carpentrymdfwallswoodwoodworking
Could anyone provide advice on what would be an effective way of building something similar to the staggered block matrices as shown in the two photos below:
Regarding materials, solid wood would surely be too heavy and expensive. MDF would likely also be too heavy?
Another alternative could be a foam-based product, but I would be concerned about longevity. It could begin to wear and look shabby over time.
To achieve a glossy finish, would a vinyl or some sort be better than paint?
The attached pieces and legs may have exacerbated the effects by not moving with the seat but a piece of pine of that size was probably destined to crack regardless. You can try to weep glue down into it (run a line of yellow glue over the crack then blow it down into the void with an air nozzle) and then clamp out the space but it probably won't be permanent and you could damage your finish with the clamp pressure. Were it me, I'd fill the crack with tinted epoxy and let the piece wear the crack like a badge of honor. Think of a piece reclaimed pine:
Hope this helps, cheers!
In my own opinion I don't think that the owner of this top has figured out how is he/she going to use this top. If he /she are going to use it as it was intended, as a butcher block top, then a poly coat would flake off in time. But a regular coating of mineral oil, not vegetable oil, would be suffice. Vegetable oil would turn rancid.
Best Answer
I'm not sure how the originals did this, but as a DIY project, I'd get a large flat mounting surface like a finished grade sheet of plywood to handle the weight. Attach the plywood to the studs. For the blocks, I'd use something like MDF. The flat ones would just be a sheet or two of MDF. The larger boxes would be hollow with 4 sides cut of MDF and a cap on the face. For an even better finished look, you can build the boxes in advance, sand down any rough corners, before placing them on the wall.
To assemble it, I'd lay out a grid with chalk lines or a good straight edge and build from the bottom up based on the grid. Use finish nails to hold pieces in place while the glue dries. Use spackle or wood filler for the nail and screw holes. Caulk the corners. Then finally paint, likely with a spray gun for the primer and base color, followed by a lot of careful brush work for the accent colors.