Ken Ross

Members
  • Posts

    14
  • Joined

  • Last visited

About Ken Ross

  • Birthday 02/21/1967

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Phx Az
  • Woodworking Interests
    Furniture, cabinetry, detailed woodwork

Ken Ross's Achievements

Apprentice Poster

Apprentice Poster (1/3)

0

Reputation

  1. TIODS the walnut table looks terrific! I was curious about the epoxy on the live edge. Is that to protect the softer wood? Did you brush on the epoxy and then sand to smoothe it? Particle Board, So the poly/oil blend is a no because of the resins? The oil obviously would not fill any of the grain and leave the surface of the wood fairly open creating bite for the sealer. Am I understanding correctly? Jerry, I really don't want a plastic look to the wood at all. In fact I much prefer the close to the surface look including seeing some of the grain as well. My consideration for CV was purely for the sake of durability.
  2. Sorry about that. Having some troubles downloading pics
  3. Thanks Boatworks and Tiods, Thinking that's good advice. I honestly am not very familiar with CV. Just have been told that it is an extremely tough finish. But your right, it will surely need to be repaired on down the road which would be a total refinish with the first method. I actually picked up some GF finishes as well to test out. Think that's where I will start. I am including a couple pics. Two are walnut, one of which I have already finished with my favorite oil/poly the other needs just a little more work with some CA glue before the finish. Third pic is a maple that's ready for finish. Thanks again, Ken
  4. I have found that this forum is a great place to get really good advice. For a novice like myself, your information is invaluable. That said I am back for more of your thoughts. Much appreciation in advance! I am building a couple natural edge slab tables. Both walnut and salted maple. The surfacing, bow ties and sanding are complete and I am about to begin finishing. What I would like to do is conversion varnish for the protection it provides but with the walnut especially it sure would be nice to first bring out the color and definition I get with an oil/poly blend such as Waterlox or Maloof. Is it possible to spray CV over such a finish? I know CV is a mechanical bond. Most advise sanding to 150/180. That would most likely leave scratches which would show up in the final CV coat. Can a sealer solve bonding issues? Seems a little crazy to me but maybe shellac between the two finishes?? Thanks guys, I appreciate your input. Ken
  5. Jerry, Thanks i appreciate the info. I had read some on the M.L.Campbell products as well. You said the majic words "easy to spray". I have used and sprayed a lot of lacquer, poly, shellac etc..but never a conversion varnish so this will be tredding new territory for me. Normally i would opt for a different finish but like your situation, this project calls for the most durable finish possible. Thanks again for sharing. Ken
  6. Hello Jerry, I was wondering if you ended up going with the GF conversion varnish and if so how you liked it? I am nearing the finishing stage for a couple table tops and wanted to use a conversion varnish for its durability but I have never used the product. Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks Ken
  7. K COOPER, Thanks! I bought the lumber from a rancher in Southern Az. Cutting Mesquite is part of his range management program and he has been milling and selling it. Az native mesquite is called velvet mesquite. It is really beautiful and not bad to work with although getting large pieces is difficult. Cracks and imperfections are always present. To me it just adds to the character. I chose to fill the voids with epoxy and a small amount of turquoise.
  8. Thanks Eizzle, that's a solid 3 months of working weekends and nights in my garage. Small shop with not the best of tools..working on improving that everyday. Thanks again. Nice to know others think my work is turning out well.
  9. TripleH, You make a lot of good points. Including who actually has the final say! Trouble is many times she gives me the old, I'm not sure or Um yeah I guess that's fine. Both of which, in varying degrees mean back to the drawing board. The toner or equalizer sounds like a good idea. Does that involve using a tint in the clear top coat? Wdwerker had mentioned an acrylic finish. Would that be suitable in your opinion? I can relate to your " wood hoarder " comments. These cabinets are going in my home and I will look at them everyday. I could never live with a reminder that I didn't perform to the best of my abilities. If I run short, I run short and I will deal with it when the time comes. I sure appreciate your imput. Lots of good advice and you have brought up issues that I should have been paying more attention to as I headed down this road. Focus is much clearer. Thanks
  10. WdWerker, With finishing there are definitely no magic cures for me. This is where I struggle the most. I had considered rubbing out the Waterlox but was concerned about that finish around the stove and the sink area. The other concern was that it is such a thin finish. Would I be able to get that satin finish without compromising its ability to protect.
  11. Triple H, This is my first project with Cherry. I did do a few test pieces with various finishes. Cell. Laquer, Waterlox, Shellac etc.. I didn't see to much blotching. In fact it looked really good with the oil finish. Just concerned about the finish holding up around the stove and sink area.If I am careful I believe I have enough lumber on hand. All from the same lot, but my overage is only about 25%. My lack of experience in a project of this size makes me worry that May not be enough so I have kept my eye out for lumber that would match what I already have. I actually like the sap. The kitchen will have a bit of a rustic look anyway. I don't plan on staining. I agree with your opinion of coloring. In fact the few times I have stained other types of wood, I rarely like the result as opposed to a natural finish. I do have a spray set up but no booth. For the island I built a small enclosure in my garage and got by ,but for this part of the project I would need a much larger space. Thanks for your reply. I appreciate the imput.
  12. WdWerker, Thanks for the reply. I was looking for suggestions for the finish on the Cherry. I'm just not sure about using poly for the satin sheen. Trying to avoid the plastic look.Have to admit that I have zero experience with wipe on poly though. Maybe it would produce better results? Waterlox does have a product that claims to be satin but I have heard that it is still pretty glossy and not as user friendly. Would a Tung oil finish hold up to conditions of a kitchen? Is it possible to use a Tung oil or similar for the color and then use satin poly as a finish for protection? Finishing is my area of least experience. I have done several test pieces and still not satisfied with any that I have tried.
  13. Hello All, I am new to this forum and in search of help deciding on a finish to use on the Cherry cabinets I am building. I have read through the posts on finishing and found that this subject comes up regularly. I have also noticed that there is a huge amount of experience and knowledge here. My experience in wood working in my opinion would be considered "beginner" but I have been around woodworkers my whole life and by taking my time and researching diligently before a new technique is used I do pretty well. The lot of Cherry that I bought is exceptionally colorful and full of beautifully contoured grain. While I have approx. 25% over the BF that I need, try as I might I just can't find more that compares. So in other words, I don't want to screw this up! I don't plan to use stain but I may finish building the pieces and then set everything in the sun a day or two before finishing. I really like the results I get from Waterlox but want a satin finish for the cabinets. I don't have the facility for a cat. Laquer and have never used a poly on this large of a scale and don't necessarily care for the look of a high build that I see with poly. Hoping that some of you folks may be able to point this beginner in the right direction. I am including a photo of the first phase of my kitchen remodel project. The island is meant to be an accent piece. The top and legs are made of mesquite with a Waterlox finish. I really like the finish but want the Cherry to be satin but have the same " close to wood" type look. Thanks for any help you can give.