This is probably the coolest project that I’ve ever built! This project was fun for me because it was basically mine to take over. It all started last year when I was up at my cousin’s place in the panhandle and his buddy had just helped him mill up a cedar tree. This was a pretty good size cedar that needed to be brought down and was from a spot near the local river up there called the Wacissa River. We got to talking about the pieces and he wasn’t looking to sell it for much as he got it and milled it up himself for next to nothing, so he gave me a 10′ slab and said do what you want with it. I had a few ideas, but the paying customers took up most of the time and the ideas stayed just that, ideas.
Well the last time I was up there in the summer my cousin mentioned he was interested in making a mobile bar for his barn where everyone hangs out. I told him I could do that for him and use that same cedar that he had given me the year before. He green lit the idea and had just one request, to carve the Wacissa River into the bar top. This was perfect, I took that instruction and ran with it. I knew that filling the river with blue epoxy (total boat thick pour, find here : https://amzn.to/3UDVTvJ ) was a no brainer, but I thought about how to step the game up a little more.
I had the thought of adding his cattle company’s logo to the front of the bar and backlighting it to add a cool effect to the piece. As the ideas poured in and the calendar crept towards the annual hunting trip I take up there in November it was time to start bringing the ideas to life. The first step was to cut the river into the slab. Now admittedly, I was in a hurry because I was also working on a large CNC based project at the time so I needed to keep things moving and I didn’t flatten the slap before cutting the river out and if I were to do it again I would not skip that step. It created headaches later on in the project. So the river gets cut, and I will tell you it was very nerve wracking lining up the two cuts that it took to carve the entire river in that nearly 6-1/2 long slab of Florida Cedar.
When he river was cut it was now time to start with the epoxy, but not the pour I mixed up some black epoxy to fix bug holes, cracks in the slab, and knots that could leak through when it was time for the big pour. When the spot pour epoxy was complete it was time to prep the piece for the big pour. I cleaned the piece thoroughly and moved it into the office space where the air conditioner was running trying to keep the epoxy at a reasonable temperature to avoid cracking. The epoxy mixes and is tinted a nice royal looking blue.
Once the epoxy is cured I can move on to the bar itself, the cabinetry portion of the project. The bar top goes back on the cnc to get flattened and it’s time to make some boxes. I begin the project with making a carcass for the 6’x3′ open on 1 side box. The box also gets a divider in the middle and to create two spaces with adjustable shelves in each. The inside of the box gets painted with a dark paint, and the outside gets a light brown stain. Then the box gets trimmed out with walnut and white oak on the open side of the box. I also begin to put together the logo for the cattle company.
The logo is two interlocking “W”‘s and I chose to make those from walnut and attach them with half joints. Using the miter saw I bring down the stop on the saw that will keep the saw blade from cutting all the way through the piece. I also add a scrap piece of wood to bring my cut piece off the fence and it allows for the blade to go to the desired depth all the way across the work piece. I set the angle on the saw to match the marks that I had made on the “W” pieces. I repeat this process for all of the joints and both side of each joint. The result is two “W’s” that look like they were made out of 1 piece of wood.
Construction of the cabinet is simple glue and screws to get the piece secured because the trim that will be added to the edges of the cabinet will cover any visibility of the screws. Trim goes on with glue and nails and so do the spacers for the W’s logo in the center of the bar. With some strategically placed blocks and holes I’m able to run a couple of strip lights behind the logo to add the effect that makes it look like the logo is glowing! After a ton of sanding and cleaning prep The pieces are ready for finish. The lacquer goes on smooth and adds a richness to the piece that is very satisfying.
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