Shims... Wax... and suppliers.

B

betyouaint

Registered
After spending some time trawling through hundreds of posts on here, I'm starting to feel brave enough to lay the slate on my old table. However, I still have a few unanswered questions.

Firstly, when shimming the slate, does the shim go between the table frame and wooden slate backing OR between the slate itself and the backing. I'm assuming the former but have no evidence that this is correct?

The thought of using Bondo (which I just discovered is what us Brits call P40 or "car filler") fills me with dread. Don't get me wrong, I've been using this stuff for 30 years for countless other projects but using it in a non-permanent application just doesn't sit well with me. I realize it's a popular choice on AZ but I'd like to at least give the wax a go first.

I've seen shims from Home Depot or Lowes used on some tables. Are these really suitable?

Also, where do I find the correct "grade" of beeswax to seal the seams? I'm assuming my ski-wax wouldn't be suitable...? ;)
 
Last edited:
betyouaint said:
After spending some time trawling through hundreds of posts on here, I'm starting to feel brave enough to lay the slate on my old table. However, I still have a few unanswered questions.

Firstly, when shimming the slate, does the shim go between the table frame and wooden slate backing OR between the slate itself and the backing. I'm assuming the former but have no evidence that this is correct?

The thought of using Bondo (which I just discovered is what us Brits call P40 or "car filler") fills me with dread. Don't get me wrong, I've been using this stuff for 30 years for countless other projects but using it in a non-permanent application just doesn't sit well with me. I realize it's a popular choice on AZ but I'd like to at least give the wax a go first.

I've seen shims from Home Depot or Lowes used on some tables. Are these really suitable?

Also, where do I find the correct "grade" of beeswax to seal the seams? I'm assuming my ski-wax wouldn't be suitable...? ;)
Click to expand...

Shims can be bought at Home Depot or Lowes. I will send you a blue wax stick. PM your address.
 
Thanks Pat, but being as impatient as I am I picked up some beeswax this afternoon along with the shims. I spent the evening laying and leveling the slate and despite a lot of chips along the seam edges it's all looking good with a couple of passes. I also used the wax to fill the screw holes and a few nicks in the ageing and abused slate. Just need to lay the cloth, and fix the rails and pockets.

Thanks again.
 
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