tacky gilded side table

November 6, 2005 2:51 PM

I want to put texture on a table. Is there a way...

to put indented designs in a table top without actually having to carve into it? For instance, can I put something like plaster on it and then draw designs in it and have it dry? What would a good medium be? I suspect plaster wouldn't be strong enough because I use this table for heavy things, like the microwave.

I am thinking of covering the whole thing over with gold or silver or copper leaf afterwards, so any advice on making that durable would be appreciated, too. I don't really like the thick-layer-of-polyurethane look.

posted by small_ruminant to home & garden (9 comments total)

I think the plaster idea is a promising one, though I think you would probably get better results by applying a layer of plaster, letting it dry, and then carving into that. It's a lot easier to cut into and manipulate than wood is.

In my imagination, the plaster could be applied within a wooden frame on top of the table, and would not reach above the height of that frame. You could put the metal leaf onto the textured plaster, and get a piece of glass that would rest on the raised wooden frame, covering/protecting the whole thing. Depending on the size of the table and the thickness of the glass, it will probably be strong enough to support heavy things. (You could achieve a more finished look by building a more complicated frame with an inset lip to hold the glass, so that the visible wood was also exposed, level with the tabletop.)

Could you say a little bit more about the "texture" you're aiming for? Depending on how rough the surface would be, it may be practically undesirable for use as a tabletop (problems with dust, things catching, the surface chipping), so the glass might make a lot of sense.

(Disclaimer: I have no practical experience any of the things described above, except for carving into plaster.)
posted by gorillawarfare at 3:14 PM on November 6, 2005

i'd suggest using linoleum. you should be able to pick up a large piece fairly cheaply at a flooring place and it's traditionally used for cutting (lino cuts). it's also tougher than plaster. the main drawback is that your limited in the depth you can cut (a few mm).
posted by andrew cooke at 3:30 PM on November 6, 2005

"you're"; you can buy suitable cutters at a craft store.
posted by andrew cooke at 3:31 PM on November 6, 2005

If you want durability, you might try Bondo. Carvable, sandable, etc.

Why don't you want to carve directly into the table top?
posted by bricoleur at 3:55 PM on November 6, 2005

You might also try making a wooden box, then putting clay on the bottom and sculpting the clay. Then pour the plaster into the mold you just made. It would probably be pretty expensive to do it all in one slab, but you could probably do it in sections and reuse the clay after you've finished each section.
posted by MegoSteve at 4:09 PM on November 6, 2005

Another option would be thinset, the cement used for mounting tiles. Trowel a smooth layer on and then incise. You might want to sand the surface smooth before any subsequent treatments, and then seal the whole thing off with a concrete sealant.
posted by adamrice at 4:31 PM on November 6, 2005

Astroturf.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 7:43 PM on November 6, 2005

Exactly what sort of texture are you actually after?

Some paints are designed to form a natural texture as they dry - for instance, some go on thick and are designed to form large cracks, which is supposed to make them look old, or something. Others form some other limited textures.

One of your tags is texturepaint, so I might be teaching my grandmother to suck eggs.

Another trick might be to to put on a layer of paint, then lay down a stencil and put on another layer of paint, then remove the stencil and put on a final layer of paint, leaving either a subtle or bold embossing (depending on how thick you put your paint on). Probably be able to do a cleaner job than with carving, too.
posted by The Monkey at 8:28 PM on November 6, 2005

Thanks. I haven't decided on the pattern- probably something boring like those Indian silver pieces.

The glass over the top is a good idea.

Is thinset sturdier than regular plaster?

Someone else suggested punched tin tiles. Does anyone have any experience with those?

I don't want to carve into the top of the table because it's a cheap laminate yard sale table. Also, doodling shapes into wet plaster is much easier and more forgiving of mistakes than carving into laminate.

Thank you for the suggestions!
posted by small_ruminant at 10:06 AM on November 7, 2005