I've finally gotten a chance to start working on my mini-toy hauler trailer and had an idea for the table I wanted to ask advice on:

Basically, I want to put pictures on the table. There are two basic options:

1) Glue the pictures down and then polyurethane over them to protect them (not sure right now if they'd be conventional photographs or computer printouts). I think this one would look the best - but I'm worried that the prints would absorb the polyurethane and bleed through.

2) Glue them down lightly (probably with rubber cement) and then screw a sheet of plastic (the plastic replacement window panes available at the big-box stores) on top of them to protect them. This one has the advantage of being able to change it around - but the edging would be a challenge.

I'm hoping that someone on the list is a little more crafty than I am and has some experience at this.

Thanks.

Mike

I would be concerned about moisture with option # 2.

It's not likely that the whole thing would get gooey, but.. if air can get in, so can condensation.

I know people who did something similar with coffee tables.They put all the stickers they got from different companies(like those stickers you see on work helmits/hard hats)then polyurethane over them.

This is a favorite decorating idea at a local cocktail bar I've been known to frequent. All kinds of stuff under the "glass" from concert tickets to the paper ripped off book matches.

I'd let the pics "float" ... no gluing. Cut a piece of Lexan (scratch resistant) to size. Go to a Big Box store and get a chunk of metal (aluminum?) edging and put it all the way around the table (50's retro!) with a thin chunk of buytl and screws. Should be waterproof and you can change out the pics if you ever chose too.

Your mileage may vary.

I think I've been in that bar, Donna. It's actually a sobriety test; when you start trying to pick the stuff up, they quit serving you.

If you choose to do the polyurethane thing I suggest a 2 part material that's sold at craft stores. Gluing pictures printed from a ink-jet try printer works quite well. I've used both plane paper and photo paper. Both work, but I prefer the photo paper.

I can't remember the name of the stuff I've used. It comes in two plastic bottles of the same size. You mix equal parts, pour on a the surface. It's self leveling. A propane tourch is used to remove the bubbles.

Good luck with which ever method you use.

I found the stuff. It goes by several names. Most names have either in the name or associated with it "pour on epoxy". Here's a link to one supplier.

Anyone remember the era of decoupage? Although it doesn't produce as hard a surface as the epoxy method, you could use a marine spar varnish/poly and you would get good results.

We used to do that stuff in the 60's. Ah, er, well, I heard about those that did it way back then....

I've seen the two-part pour-on epoxy stuff before. Although that would be ideal for more dimensional items (doing up a map with all the State quarters would be cool!), the decoupage approach is more along the lines of what I was thinking of (I wouldn't have attempted spelling it though.. sheesh!).

Right now I've got a test board sitting outside in my baby toy hauler. I'm in the middle of putting the polyurethane on the walls (covered the interior with 1/4" luan) so it's easy to run the tests without using extra brushes. I'm testing out prints made with run-of-the-mill printer paper as well as one done on ink-jet photo paper. I'll get a coat or two of the poly onto it and report back on how they look.

Initial gluing of the photos was done with watered down white glue (although one piece of paper I put down with spray glue), allowed to dry overnight and then laid down a coat of polyurethane the next day.

Although it doesn't allow for a very precise cut - one approach that worked nicely was to rip the picture out by hand (normal paper only) leaving a tapered and frayed edge. Highlights around the picture and avoids a harsh edge which would take a lot of layers of polyurethane to smooth down.

Initially I figured on cutting out photos of motorcycles from magazines - but my daughter has lobbied heavily for family photos instead.