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9 September 2013 at 3:27 am #18306
After a couple weeks of regular use, I’m happy to report that a canvas tarp over carpet is totally serviceable. The bench does rock a bit, especially when traversing a board or ripping a board while it’s in the vise, but I can live with it. Maybe I’ll try to load up the base with some more weight. But in the meantime, I’m still working.
Justin
21 August 2013 at 3:11 pm #16847Ok, I think I’m going the canvas drop cloth route. It just seems cheapest and easiest. I’ll report back with results.
Thanks for all the suggestions!
Justin
21 August 2013 at 2:20 am #16834Thanks, all, for the suggestions and comments. Keep em comin’!
I realize that my original post has some botched hyperlinks. Sorry about that. Not sure why that happened…
– @mathbone Good to hear that someone else is facing this same problem, and that in practice, it’s not that big of a deal. I’m still a bit hesitant to work on carpet, though. I just can’t shake the impression that I would wreck the carpet in short order. Good tip on keeping the bench from moving, too. Have you managed to find a way to keep it from squirming around the shop?
– @edfly Yeah, I’ve thought about rubber flooring. That was supposed to be Bullet point 4 in my original post, but the hyperlink got mussed up. Bottom line is that flooring tiles and roles – ones that will lay down over carpet, anyway – seem to be pretty expensive. I like the idea, but yeesh, that’s pricey for a shop floor.
– @dmr400 It sounds like others agree with you: a canvas tarp would be a pretty easy and inexpensive solution. I’m thinking of basically a painter’s drop cloth, which can be had at Lowe’s for $30: http://low.es/16ufG1s (I’d embed the hyperlink, but I’ve already botched a couple). Is this what you’re thinking of? Or did you have something different in mind?
As far as I can tell, installing tongue and groove flooring over carpet is a bad idea: it shifts too much, and the tongues break. But this is all speculation and second-hand knowledge on my part. Do you have experience to the contrary?
Thanks so much!
25 April 2013 at 1:29 pm #11372What a cool table. It’s easy to like hidden compartments and lots of folding!
Although the design is ingenious, I wonder if construction is actually pretty straightforward. The multiple tops are just hinged, right? Then the fold out leg is also hinged from the apron. The backgammon table would be hard to pull off, I think. But otherwise, I think that anybody who completes the coffee table would have a good shot at something like this.
24 April 2013 at 2:10 am #11294I don’t know much about BLO, but tung oil does dry, and when it does, it dries hard. I’ve had good luck with Hope’s Tung Oil, which is 100% tung oil, no solvents or driers added. I used it on a serving tray made of white pine, which is about as soft as balsa. From what I’ve picked up lurking in various forums, linseed oil behaves about the same. Before treatment, my fingernail dragged across the surface would leave a deep scratch. After 3 coats of tung oil, I have to really press to make any dents, and they seem to repair themselves pretty quickly (I’m guessing the oil underneath the surface seeps into the scratches).
I applied it as others suggested above: one thin coat, wipe off excess, wait 24 hours, repeat. I noticed that the finish hardens considerably after you’re done applying coats. Let it sit for a week or two, and it’s a tough finish. Not polyurethane tough, but still tough enough, and easier to refinish, and less toxic.
@spillplane: the wax should come off with a little denatured alcohol (or possibly mineral spirits). I’m guessing you can then thin the oil by dragging a rag dampened with mineral spirits across the finishing surface. I don’t have any experience doing this, but I know that people thin oil finishes with mineral spirits, so it stands to reason that you can remove excess dried linseed oil this way. Again, I’m just guessing here, but it’s worth a shot, and it’s backed up by Craig’s post above. If you can manage to get the excess removed, then you can go back to applying light coats of oil. Apply a few thin coats and let it dry for a week, and I think you’ll be very pleased.27 March 2013 at 2:44 pm #10099Thanks, George. You confirmed what I suspected: no big problems with warping/twisting/movement once installed, just an initial flattening problem. I live within walking distance of the lumber yard, so I suppose I could laminate the top, assemble the legs, and then, only once I’m ready for them, I can go buy the flattest, straightest 2x12s I can find, and install them that day. Should be easy enough to time it right (fingers crossed).
Justin
27 March 2013 at 3:21 am #10077After seeing all the great work in this thread and getting fed up with my old bench, I’m about to embark on building a new bench. I’m trying to reduce the amount of boards I need to laminate (just trying to reduce steps). My question is this: how far can I push this lamination reduction?
It seems like the work surface itself will benefit from the stability of lamination. I plan to use laminated 4x4s (actual measurement 3.5 x 3.5) for the work surface (half as many boards to prep).
But what about the aprons and tool well? I was thinking that I could use 2x12s (which actually measure 1.5×11.25) for both these components. Any foreseeable problems? Anybody tried this?
Thanks,
Justin
19 March 2013 at 3:30 pm #9609Sorry, Dave, no experience there: I glued up then painted, or else masked off the glue surface before painting. Curious to see what you find, though. Keep us posted.
Justin
13 March 2013 at 6:39 pm #9235I’ll post a pic of the tea cabinet when it’s done. I still have to put on the finishing touches (I have to make the pulls and paint them). Should be done this weekend.
Justin
13 March 2013 at 4:00 pm #9227Yes! I just completed a tea cabinet and a bench in “salem red,” and I’m really happy with the results. It’s easy to apply, dries quick, is safe for both sewer systems and my health, and finishes hard with a nice feel to it. And the colors are really beautiful: think soft, matte-finish pastels, more chalk than latex paint. I really like this stuff, and it will become a regular part of my repertoire.
I applied two coats: brush one on with either a foam brush or natural bristle brush, then let it dry for an hour or so. Lightly sand with 320 grit sandpaper. Then apply a second. After it dries, I rub down with 0000 steel wool to take the “chalky” feel out of it. People say you’re supposed to use nylon burnishing pads for water based finishes, but I didn’t know any better and steel wool worked just fine for me.
Although the paint dries hard as all get out, people say you can put a topcoat on, so I put one on the dining room bench to make it easier to wipe down. The bench got a water based acrylic, which I wasn’t totally happy with. It made the finish feel plasticky and added too much shine. I experimented a little with the tea cabinet, and found that paste wax adds a nice sheen with barely any darkening, bleached shellac darkens the paint just a little, oil quite a bit. I stuck with paste wax for the tea cabinet, just for fun.
Go for it!
Justin
20 February 2013 at 11:29 pm #8267Is this project likely to start with wood selection? Like George, I worry that finding 2 1/4″ oak will be tough for me. Should I try to start tracking down some oak/cherry on my own? Or will there be instruction on selecting this wood (or alternatively, laminating narrower boards into thick enough legs)?
20 February 2013 at 3:16 am #8201Paul,
Can you suggest a budget-friendly gouge for your US students? A quick google search yields no US sellers for the Faithfull gouges.
Justin
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