Showing posts with label finishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finishing. Show all posts
Finishing the Funeral Chair in Blue
Finishing the Funeral Chair in Blue
Construction and assembly of the Funeral Chairs was only half of achieving the look I wanted. Subtly changing the aesthetic Tom Fidgen went for on his original, I opted to dye my chairs blue before finishing them.
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| With the construction done, it was time for finishing. |
I began by adding a few drops of TransTint blue dye to a ½ lb cut of dewaxed shellac. The TransTint only requires a tiny amount to add plenty of color. As the blue coats the insides of the TransTint bottle and obscures how much has been squeezed out, it is difficult to tell how much has been added. I usually end up putting in too much TransTint.
Once I had the shellac and TransTint mixed, I applied two (2) coats with a rag. Though the second coat doesnt add too much in the way of color, the fact that the layers of shellac dissolve into each other allows for great blending and even color distribution. This adds dramatically to the consistency of the color.
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| Rich, consistent blue. |
With the dye finished I hand sanded with 320 grit paper. Still there were miscellaneous loose fibers that would push back into the voids in the Timberstrand rather than sand off.
After vacuuming and running a tack cloth over the sanded chair, I began rag applying Arm-R-Seal. I let each coat dry overnight and after the second coat, I sanded between each with synthetic 0 steel wool.
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| Each coat of Arm-R-Seal added body and gloss to the finish. |
Id aimed for 5 coats of Arm-R-Seal. Unfortunately the deadline of the Long Island Woodworkers Club Showmeant that I was only able to apply 4 coats. After the last, I sanded with synthetic 0000 steel wool. The body built up by the Arm-R-Seal captured the loose fibers which had persisted through the shellac. When it was all done, I was quite pleased with the smooth texture and the overall finish.
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| The depth and tone of the color on the Timberstrand is wonderful. |
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| This close up shows the variation you get. |
With the abbreviated finishing schedule wrapping up the day before drop off, it was soon time to take the Funeral Chair in Blue to the show. There, I was surprised to find that all of the chairs in the exhibit hall were commercial made versions of the Funeral Chair.
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| My Funeral Chair in Blue next to one of the exhibit halls commercially made Funeral Chairs. |
The chair was a popular piece at the show and the vibrant blue color was a major point of interest.
One of the chairs is now wrapped up in a wooden box on its way to Colorado. The other is proudly serving as supplemental seating in my dining room.
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| I took every precaution I could in packing the chair. |
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| Travel safe, my friend. |
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| Our chair, ready for duty. |
I cant finish my posts about the Funeral Chair in Blue without giving thanks to Tom Fidgen. Besides taking the design (and name) from his wonderful book The Unplugged Woodshop: Hand-Crafted Projects for the Home & Workshop, Tom was a tremendous help. When I had questions about the joinery during the initial construction phases, he patiently answered each one and helped me make sure the chairs went together and folded properly. Thank you Tom.
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| Thanks, Tom. |
Finishing the Funeral Chair in Blue
Finishing Trials
Finishing Trials
Im a typical Woodworker in that I give the build much more time, consideration and love than the finish. Thats not to say I dont care at all about finishing, just that its a necessary chore, not a joy.
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| A fresh coat of Arm-R-Seal on Lills Quilt Rack. |
Typically I use shellac or Arm-R-Seal. Ive gotten relatively proficient at applying both with a rag. Thankfully Ive not yet ruined a project by applying finish.
Since the Wood Talk boys recommended spray lacquer to me in response to a question about finishing a Christmas present which never got built, Ive been eager to try it. A few weeks ago, when I build five (5) of the Drunken WoodworkersSucculent Planters I was finally able to use spray lacquer and it was a joy. Quick, neat and clear.
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| The spray lacquer worked wonderfully. |
In light of this new finish I gave pause when finishing my latest project, a simple, single board backpack rack for my three (3) kids. The board is spalted maple, with a subtle splating pattern which runs along one edge. The board has cooler tones and I do not want to turn them amber with finish.
To make sure the spray lacquer provides the results I wanted I took the cutoff from the board and taped off four (4) sections. I tried Deft Spray Lacquer, Watco Spray Lacquer, Minwax Polycrylic (another Wood Talk suggestion for cool tones) and Bulls Eye Clear Spray Shellac (I already hand some on hand).
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Polycrylic, Shellac, Watco Lacquer, Deft Lacquer. |
What I found was that the clear shellac still added an amber tone. The Polycrylic had a nice, cool tone, though even the light, spray can application raised the grain. It was the only finish I tested which had to be sanded between coats.
The two (2) Lacquers were equal in their final results. Though the Watco Lacquer built faster, the Deft won out because it had an oval (rather than circular) spray pattern which made it slightly easier to apply.
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| The Deft Lacquer was clear, cool & easy to apply. |
When I took the sample board in to show my wife, she replied that she thought it would be blue, like my son’s stool. I went back to the shop and ran more finish tests on the back of the test board. I put one (1) coat of blue dye on one half and two (2) coats on the other half. Then I divided it with tape perpendicular to the dye division and put Deft lacquer on one half and Watco on the other. Again the lacquers were even in final appearance. The blue however, did not work. While it accentuated the grain of the Douglas Fir in my son’s stool, it masks the beauty of the spalted maple.
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| The blue was cool, but not for spalted maple. |
Though it took the better part of a week to apply all the test finishes, I’m glad I did. I’ll be spending part of my Father’s day finishing the backpack rack and I’m now confident I’ll get a finish I’m happy with.
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| Tomorrow the lacquer will finish up this project. |
Finishing Trials
Lills Quilt Rack Part XII Finishing
Lills Quilt Rack Part XII Finishing
With the shaping finally 100% complete it was time to finish the sanding. As I had done earlier I used the RO 90 to sand from 80 to 120 to 180 grits. Again, the interface pad and slow speeds help and allow the sander to handle the curves and create a flowing, smooth finish.
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| Assembled and ready for final sanding. |
Unfortunately, while doing the final shaping and sanding on the narrow end of one of the Tiger Maple legs, I found a hole in the wood. I suspect this was from some sort of pre-kiln insect infestation, tough I didn’t find any trails or tubes leading to the hole. Because it was after final glue up that I discovered this flaw in the wood, I had to live with it. Once the final shaping and sanding was done, I filled the hole with epoxy and sanding that flush once it had cured. While slightly visible, it’s now solid and strong.
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| I didnt find this hole until the post assembly sanding. |
With the repair of the hole, construction was finished. The quilt rack was constructed. The only thing left to do was to apply finish.
Finishing was a simple, rag applied process, allowing at least 24 hours between coats.
First I blew off the rack and wiped it down with a tack cloth. Then I put on a coat of ½ lb cut shellac as a sealer.
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| The beautiful grain of the shelf wet with shellac. |
The dried shellac was hand sanded with a 320 grit sanding sponge and then wiped down with a tack cloth. Then I applied the first coat of Arm-R-Seal.
On drying, I hand sanded off the drip marks with a 220 grit sanding sponge and then sanded the entire quilt rack with a 320 sponge. Then the tack cloth and the second coat of Arm-R-Seal.
Between the second and third coats I again sanded by hand with the 320 grit sponge and followed up with a tack cloth. Then the third coat of Arm-R-Seal.
Once the third coat dried I used 00 synthetic steel wool over the entire piece and again wiped it down with the tack cloth. Then I applied the fourth and final coat of Arm-R-Seal.
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| The 4th coat of Arm-R-Seal dries. |
When the final coat has cured, I used 0000 synthetic steel wool to buff out the entire piece and though it wasn’t necessary, I then applied a coat of Howard Feed n’ Wax which I buffed off with a rag after 20 minutes.
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| The finished quilt rack. |
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| The finished quilt rack with quilts. |
With that, Lill’s Quilt Rack was done. After a wee 77 hours over two months I’d taken one (1) large Walnut board and a few small Tiger Maple boards and transformed them into the piece I’m most proud of. It was a wonderful learning process and time well spent.
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| My son takes Aunt Lill over to the quilt rack to show off his Dads work. |
You can see all of the posts about Lills Quilt Rack here.
Or, click here the photos. |
| Lills Quilt Rack |
Lills Quilt Rack Part XII Finishing
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