Topping a table with zinc sheet metal

 So here's the whole set finished up....I did a post on painting with the ASCP in "Emperor's Silk" a couple of days ago...this post is a long one but if you're curious as to how we topped the table with zinc this will show you the process....

 First is measuring of course.  And the zinc comes in sheets which have a plastic protective sheet on one side (you'll see it in some of the other photos)

 This is the adhesive that attaches the sheet metal to the surface...it helps eliminate any "bounce" between the table top and the metal...

 The clamps are there to hold the metal down nice and tight and then my husband had some boxes on it to weight it down in the center as well.  The piece of narrow wood on top of the table is just added protection against marring the surface of the metal from the clamps...

 The corners are trimmed and on this one it was a little tricky since they were rounded....he trimmed more out later as you'll see further down....

 Now he's using a "slapper" hammer which is wood covered in a heavy piece of leather...(I think he made this slapper)  you can buy these hammers any place that sells metal shaping supplies.

 Here you can see how he trimmed more out of the corners so they would lay nice and smooth...all of this will get soldered so it covers all those gaps...

At this point he tacks it into the bottom of the table with some small nails.  So it wraps all the way around the table top...

 He keeps gently tapping with the hammer to get the zinc to lay as close to the surface of the table as possible...

 So now for the soldering...we purchased the flux and zinc solder from the same place we bought our zinc.

 The soldering iron (above) is what you use to heat the solder to melt into the gaps and cracks.

 The flux is sort of like primer for paint...it helps the solder stick to the metal so you want to make sure to get down into the cracks and surfaces that you want to get soldered together...

 Lay the solder on top of the gap and melt it into the cracks with the iron...it will get filed and sanded so at first it looks really messy

 Here's the first corner ready to be filed...

 This is the filing....

 Here it is filed down and ready to sand...

 If you see holes in the solder or gaps you can add more solder and file again...you want it to be solid and completely filled in....

 It then gets sanded with 100 grit sandpaper...

 A view from underneath...

 Time to pull off the protective plastic and give it some patina...

I have some photos of the patina process (to see that my post on the patina process click HERE)we did on another piece my husband made...so another post...

I think this one is long enough--

And I am the proud new owner of 4 quarts of ASCP, (French linen, Old white, Paris grey, and Arles), some clear and dark wax AND the book with all these wonderful uses for the paint....

I can't wait to play!!!
I am submitting this to the party below...first time I've done this party...

And we made the top 10!!!!  Thanks DIY club!!!
Here is a link to all 10 winners...