Popular Post wtnhighlander Posted April 6, 2019 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 Lots of "life" slowing things down, but here are the raised panels for the cabinet vertical members. Pre-finishing before assembling into the frames. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wtnhighlander Posted April 24, 2019 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted April 24, 2019 I actually started assembling the panels into something that resembles a cabinet, before I realized I wouldn't have space to sand & finish some areas. So, I removed the screws and took the vertical dividers back to the bench. You've seen my other oak projects that have a colored plaster of paris grain filler applied. I've refined my technique a bit, using a thinner mix, and working it it with a rag, instead of trowelling it on. This leaves much less surface film to remove, but it is still terrible on sanders and vacs. The best solution I'v found is to use a card scraper. That removes the bulk, then I drop one grit from the previous sanding(usually from 120 to 80), and work back to the final finish, 180 for poly or as much as 320 for oils. The scraped plaster powder is much coarser than sanded, and can be brushed up without getting much into the air. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wtnhighlander Posted May 3, 2019 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted May 3, 2019 I need to get this project wrapped up, and get back to the deck rennivation I started a year ago. So, burning some vacation days this week, trying to get as much done as possible, no picture of the project yet, as my work space looks like a tornado hit it. But here is a handy tip for those "thrifty" woodworkers lije myself. When you're down to just a few cheap F-clamps, but still have a glue-up to finish, use a pipe clamp to squeeze the boards together tightly, then snug the cheap clamp next to it. The cheap clamps will hold, even where they might not pull a gap shut. Move the pipe clamp to the next spot and repeat. Every clamp I own is in service right now..... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2019 My clients wants a receptacle embedded into the counter top, since the cabinet will block access to the one in the wall. A place to plug in a blender, phone charger, etc. We decided that elevating it above the main surface would help avoid spills from running into the box. I made a 'curb' of 3/16" cherry strips, cut into lengths and oriented to match grain direction with the counter top lamination. The curb was made wider than the cover plate, so I could trim it flush. My oscillating multi-tool worked great for removing the bulk of the waste, but careful chisel and scraper work was necessary to do the final clean up without gouging the top. Network is horrible tonight. Here is a photo, sorry I had to crop it tight and remove color to make it small enough to load. PS - the tape is just a marker for orientation. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2019 No pics, but progress is slowly continuing. Installed drawers with center mount slides, as the skinny drawer boxes left no room for side mounts. They work well enough, but allow the drawer to rock, side to side. I installed hard maple wear strips on either side of each box, now I'm tweaking them with shims to temove the rocking while still letting the drawer work smoothly. Tedious. On a better note, treating the cherry "butcher block" top with sodium hydroxide is bringing the color out wonderfully. Tried a variation in the process. After sanding to 180, I applied the sodium hydroxide / dihydrogen monoxide* solution to begin coloring and raise the grain together. Repeated for 220 and 320, the surface is buttery smooth, and the color penetrates well enough that light scratches don't reveal the salmon pink of raw cherry. I'll post before and after shots when its all done. * a.k.a. Drano & water 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted June 12, 2019 Report Share Posted June 12, 2019 Ross, looking forward to more pics. Where did you get that formula? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2019 8 hours ago, K Cooper said: Ross, looking forward to more pics. Where did you get that formula? Experimentation. David Marks did a piece on his TV show, where he colored bubinga with potassium dichromate. Of course, we've all seen the iron acetate (vinegar & steel) treatment used on various species. These examples started me thinking about the chemical process involved. The ph of the treatment seemed to be a key factor, as vinegar and potassium dichromate are both acidic. I wondered what a more basic chemical would do. Lye (sodium hydroxide) is from the base end of the ph scale, and Drano Crystals drain cleaner is mostly sodium hydroxide. I tried it on scraps of a few species I had on hand, with impressive results. Pics posted around here, somewhere. Cherry takes on the deep red/brown it has after years of typical UV exposure. Red oak gets a nice dark caramel hue. Walnut darkens, but doesn't change shade much. Mulberry, light gold when freshly surfaced, turns as brown as a Hershey bar. If you want to try this, I'd look for a cleaner source of lye. Drain cleaner has aluminum shavings mixed in, that need to be filtered out. Also, use appropriate chemical PPE. The stuff is caustic, could irritate the skin, maybe more serious damage to the eyes. At least it doesn't emit chromium gas, like the stuff DM used. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted June 12, 2019 Report Share Posted June 12, 2019 Marc did a video using baking soda and water on cherry to darken it. This solution is a bit safer to use and easier to come by. I found 100% pure lye in a home center near the drain cleaner but i'm sure it can be had easily enough from the typical online sources. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2019 10 hours ago, Chestnut said: Marc did a video using baking soda and water on cherry to darken it. This solution is a bit safer to use and easier to come by. I found 100% pure lye in a home center near the drain cleaner but i'm sure it can be had easily enough from the typical online sources. Yeah, Marc's results are nowhere close to as dramatic as what I'm seeing. But my cherry is a lot more pink in raw form, too. May just be the difference in tannin levels of trees from different regions, but ph levels are different, as well. Engineers toolbox lists baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) as ph of 8.4, lye (sodium hydroxide) as ph of 14. This wood starts out salmon pink, and ends up a deep brick red-brown. I'll check on lye at the local home centers. My Drano came from WalMart. The local HD may not carry lye, but I bet Ace Hardware does. Used to find it commonly sold as paint stripper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2019 OK, I promised a demo of the color change. First, the raw cherry, with white paper for reference: Now for the after photo: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted June 14, 2019 Report Share Posted June 14, 2019 Wow that's a lot more red than i was expecting. Most of the cherry i use ages to more brown than it does red like that. Interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted June 14, 2019 Report Share Posted June 14, 2019 It is very appealing. Any information on how permenant this color is? My curiosity is that reduction and oxidation reactions are usually reversible. Lye is a reducing agent while the pieces will be in the air exposed to planty of sunlight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2019 @Mark J, I have test pieces that were treated almost 2 years ago, and left without protective finish. The color is a little more brown now, but still dark and even. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2019 Signed, sealed, and delivered. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2019 Shutters, too. Having difficulty with photo uploads tonight... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2019 Shot of a shutter with lights off. Cutting in the receptacle box was one of my more puckered moments this week! The shutters are attached to the wall with 'Tapcon' concrete screws, hidden behind the removable 'rails'. Eight 1/4" x 2.75" screws per shutter. Pretty sure the house will crumble before those shutter come off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wtnhighlander Posted June 23, 2019 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted June 23, 2019 One last shot of the bar top. Client was thrilled with the color. Regarding the 'center mount' drawer slides - we chose them to save as much horizontal space for the column of skinny drawers as possible. The big pull-out for the trash can got 2. They work well enough, but the skinny drawers wobbled from side to side. So, I added hard maple spacer strips under the edges of each drawer box to keep them level and steady. The close tolerance added friction, so I used petroleum jelly (ala John Heiz) to keep them sliding smoothly. But then, what else WOULD one use to lubricate one's wood? 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted June 23, 2019 Report Share Posted June 23, 2019 This all turned out awesome! I really like the shutters it's a cool idea. Those skinny drawers are kinda funky what is their intended purpose? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted June 23, 2019 Report Share Posted June 23, 2019 Very nice!! I love the bar top too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmac Posted June 23, 2019 Report Share Posted June 23, 2019 Very nice and the top looks great. 1 hour ago, Chestnut said: Those skinny drawers are kinda funky what is their intended purpose? Liquor bottles I hope. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2019 4 hours ago, Bmac said: Very nice and the top looks great. Liquor bottles I hope. Nailed it in one. The tall bottom drawer is sized specifically for those squarish bottles used by our TN native, Sir Jack Daniel. The other two had to fall in line, or get the boot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted June 24, 2019 Report Share Posted June 24, 2019 Ahh I see it now.... how could i have been so blind. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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