I have never cared for the dinette table in my RV. It was a type of vinyl wrapped MDF board and quite frankly just ugly. I wanted a custom wood table top but did not want to break the bank by using hardwood. I decided to purchase three construction grade pieces of lumber. I determined I needed three pieces 2"x 6"x 8'. The first step was to mill the boards to the thickness I needed. After milling I cut the boards to the correct length.
Now the exact size will be different for every RV but the norm for the typical RV dinette booth is around 24"x 40". A few biscuits, glue and clamps and I had a table top. Since this was construction grade lumber it had its share of knots. Any knots that were loose or cracking were stabilized with some clear epoxy. I used a small 1/4" round over to ease the edges. Then it was on to sanding. I started with 80 grit and worked up to 220 grit for a nice smooth surface.
To finish the table I used a three part process. Since this was soft wood, stain tends to take to the wood in a blotchy appearance. To minimize that effect I used Minwax Stain Conditioner. It applies easily with a rag. I followed up with Minwax Stain, (Red Mahogany), and allowed it to dry 24 hours. The final and longest part was applying Minwax Wipe On Poly. I did six coats in total sanding lightly between each one. After the last coat I let the finish cure for 24 hours before installing the top in the RV.
The end result was more than I expected. It has transformed the look into something much more high end and matches the existing wood in the RV.
Watch the video below to see the making of the RV table top
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Lou
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