Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
19 February 2020 at 5:24 pm #649741
Larry,
I’m with you and my F.K. video was so long ago it was VHS. Tormek wasn’t even on the horizon. No grinding for Frank, just water stones, several of which I gouged to death before I acquired the then lately on the market Veritas honing guide. A great aid for a beginner but OMIGOD it takes forever to lose a thousandth and uneven pressure is nearly built-in.I learned to seek out proper light to establish the angle then trust my hands to maintain it. Just this morning I got out my 2 dovetail chisels and discovered they had been put away with serrated edges. Shame on me. 15 or 20 strokes on the 600, a dozen more on the 8000 and back in business.
Tormeks, Diamonds and over-engineered European power tools; hard wood isn’t getting any cheaper but one can still buy a shipload of lumber for the price of those goodies.
18 February 2020 at 4:36 pm #649573You won’t regret the lathe. Get one with a pivoting head and gift back your friends with small bowls. I’ve made do with assorted contoured water stones for years. They’re cheap. Someone’s always discarding stump cut-offs and they’re free.
18 February 2020 at 4:26 pm #649571I guess Wifey has said an emphatic NO to the kitchen table? Maybe you could show her the Frank Klausz sharpening video, introducing her to a new hobby?
I used to live in the Great White and used propane a salamander for heat in an uninsulated self-storage space. Lot’s of machining and then glue-ups with Urea Resin. No problems mixing the powder with water or using water stones. W/O) heat, No way I’d turn on the lights, let alone work.
A 60,000 BTU propane heater is less than 100 Bucks. Get one.
18 February 2020 at 1:07 pm #649541I believe too much is made of how various different finishes affect the ‘look’ of a completed project. All finishes make the grain ‘pop’ when first applied.
Because finish is applied in the first place to protect the wood from dirt and abrasion, the #1 consideration should be how the project is going to be used. How it looks should be a secondary concern.
A box is generally meant to be handled and wax alone offers little protection against abrasion, skin oils, and the environment. At a minimum, shellac or oil, Linseed or Tung, would be best for your box. followed by wax. The wax helps level the varnish and imparts a wonderful tactile feel. My preference would be Shellac chosen for it’s color tone to suit the wood then classic varnish. Amber Shellac and the additional amber tone of varnish would give your project a warmer look imparting a slightly red’er tone to the wood . I pad on the shellac , 2 or 3 coats within an hour of each other each followed by a light sanding with 220 Garnet Paper on a hard wood block just to level. The final coat, lightly applied and not sanded. Then I use a foam brush, carefully dipped then pushed against the side of the can to remove excess for the varnish. Some may scoff at using a foam brush but with a little practice it leaves a thin film with few if any ridges. I let that cure for at least a week then wax with a bit of 0000 steel wool that I first dip in Mineral Spirits, pressing out the excess and apply with the grain. Buff with a microfiber cloth.
[attachment file=”649542″]
Attachments:
You must be logged in to view attached files.17 February 2020 at 2:32 am #649372My experience with finishes runs the gamut from A to B. Oil for open grain like Mahogany, varnish for closer grained like Walnut and your Sapele. I could probably give you better advice on chasing away daughters of which I have three. Two of them still talk to me though.
Lately I’ve overcome my resistance to the plasticky look of urethane with General Finish Armor Seal, and for a high wear use like you’re building, I would recommend it. It’s tougher than varnish alone but looks almost as natural as oil.
17 February 2020 at 2:17 am #649369I think one needs to keep in mind the progressive order of preparation: jack planing to remove highs and lows, smooth planing to remove planing ridges, scraping to remove the marks left by the smooth plane, sandpaper in progressive grits to make finer and finer scratches. The scraper is part of, not the end of the process. On wild grain as you describe, the scraper is turned in every direction until the imperfections are gone, something you can’t do and avoid tear out with a smooth plane.
I was trained in the Pleistocene era accept that planes and especially scrapers burnish the wood, closing the pores. After scraping, the wood is moistened, not wetted, then sanded with 220 Garnet paper so that the wood will accept the finish uniformly. For oil finishes, you’re done. For surface finishes you may want to go to finer grits.
17 February 2020 at 1:51 am #649363I have the same issues and use “Pilot Progressive Reading Glasses” from Ebay. They’re cheap and have glass optics. For my electronics bench (small detail like soldering) work I use a Waldmann Opti-vue magnifying light together with the progressives. I found mine used on Ebay; new, they’re very expensive. Don’t bother with the $75 lamps on Amazon and elsewhere, they’re junk.
As to Walnut, I recall reading that waste normally runs as high as 50% but I don’t find that to be the case here in Western North Carolina where native walnut is plentiful and there’s usually 6 feet good in 8 foot lengths of raw lumber. What you describe sounds like re-claimed pallet wood. Any hardwood lumber yard should be able to do better than that.
Now, pencil lines. I can’t see knife lines or those mechanical pencil hard lead lines. I use good old 12 packs of Dixon HB 2 soft lead pencils from Office Depot whose lines stand out on Walnut, Bubinga, etc. and mostly erase quite easily. Post joinery planing, scraping, and sanding deals with any residue and indentations. One simply needs to take care about sawing and chiseling on the correct side of, or splitting, the lines.
[attachment file=”649364″]
Attachments:
You must be logged in to view attached files.17 February 2020 at 1:16 am #649356Thanks guys,
I decided on the $100 Lee Valley Large Front Vise. It isn’t quick release but I seldom had reason to open the Jorgensen more than an inch or two. I’m a little concerned about depth capacity, like clamping a 12″ x12″ x3/4″ board for edge planing. That will be answered after receipt. If it’s an issue I’ll simply move it to the bench tail and have a superior arrangement for securing work between Dogs than my present well-used LV Super Dog (a quite valuable accessory).Then, I’ll have the perfect excuse to order another vise for the front, probably the Eclipse.
[attachment file=”649357″]
- This reply was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by Bill Epstein.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by Bill Epstein.
Attachments:
You must be logged in to view attached files. -
AuthorPosts