Memento Display Shelf

[Chet]

On 6/25/2021 at 3:44 AM, wtnhighlander said:

I suppose I could have shifted the frame order

This is a sure recipe for a mistake in my shop. 

[wtnhighlander]

9 hours ago, treeslayer said:

 how do you plan to cut the dadoes ?

For time's sake, a router and guide fence. Started settung everything up this evening, but its been a long week. I'm foggy enough that I drew blood just putting a bit in the router, and decided tomorrow would be a better day.

[treeslayer]

18 minutes ago, wtnhighlander said:

I'm foggy enough that I drew blood just putting a bit in the router,

thanks Ross, that's when i quit too, pushing too hard, brain fog just means an accident

[wtnhighlander]

Worked on dado cuts today. Very satisfying when they are a 'snap-fit'.

The router guide worked well. By cutting through the 'L' and trimming the plate with the bit you will use, guide marks for both sides of the bit are formed. I started cutting the right edge of the dado, moving left at each pass to make width. When approaching the left edge as marked, I used the shelf itself to set the guide. 

I also found an off-label use for spindle sander sleeves!

That is a cove in the back edge of the bottom, to allow clearance over shoe molding, so the unit won't be so far from the wall.

[RichardA]

On 6/25/2021 at 7:52 PM, wtnhighlander said:

For time's sake, a router and guide fence. Started settung everything up this evening, but its been a long week. I'm foggy enough that I drew blood just putting a bit in the router, and decided tomorrow would be a better day.

When a bit bites, it's time for Beer.

[wtnhighlander]

Joinery cut and dry fit.

[RichardA]

Looking good young'un.

[wtnhighlander]

Not much going on with this lately. Lots of sanding...I probably should have done more before assembling the curved frames. Now I have a lot of areas that a ROS won't fit, so a block and elbow grease come into play. Meanwhile, attempts continue to match existing furniture in the room.

This color sample has a base of Rustoleum "Weathered Gray" (2 heavy coats), and a coat of GF High Performance as a sealer. Then I masked the center, and used Rustoleum "Ebony" stain on the left, GF Black Milk Paint on the right, to highlight the grain. Milk paint was wiped back immediately with a wet rag. Ebony stain was rubbed in, wiped back, then allowed to set for 20 minutes.  When it was almost dry, I scuffed the surface with a red abrasive pad to remove most of the black from surface, leaving only the grain. Another coat of HP over it all.

Photo sent to the client, and they think they like the ebony side best, but I will take it by for an in-person examination tomorrow.

Naturally, this is the most complicated finishing schedule. I will be forced to pre-finish almost every piece, to avoid the struggle of scraping black out of all the inside corners. Of course, this complicates the glue-up even more than it already was.

Why do I get myself into these things????

[Bmac]

I do not envy that finishing schedule you have ahead of you, but the customer wants what the customer wants. When asked to match the existing furniture in the room you can almost always guarantee a headache. Sometimes it's almost better to not try and match and do a complimentary color/stain/finish, as a poor match may standout more than the complimentary color/stain/finish. But again the customer wants what the customer wants. 

 

[curlyoak]

I refuse to match finishes. I feel like it is a rabbit hole that I might not find my way out. If the finishes I offer are not wanted then either the client can finish it or hire a specialist. I avoid rabbit holes.

[Chestnut]

1 hour ago, Bmac said:

I do not envy that finishing schedule you have ahead of you, but the customer wants what the customer wants. When asked to match the existing furniture in the room you can almost always guarantee a headache. Sometimes it's almost better to not try and match and do a complimentary color/stain/finish, as a poor match may standout more than the complimentary color/stain/finish. But again the customer wants what the customer wants. 

 

I only make stuff for friends and family. I usually tell them if you want it colored/stained/etc. your going to pay over walnut price, or i can just make it out of walnut. If you want it cheaper no coloring and I'll use maple or cherry or other domestic hardwood. It's a good way to explain how much of a PITA color matching is.

[wtnhighlander]

Well of course, after a 'site visit' today, my latest sample has been deemed 'too blue'. When I take photos of the existing furniture, and compare to photos of the samples I made, guess which matches most closely? 

The very first one, naturally. 

[Coop]

Ross, wouldn’t it be better for the customer to take a picture of their furniture to the paint/stain supply store and let them match it for your customer. That will take the trips and liability off of you. Perhaps supply the customer some scraps of the same wood to take with them. 

[Chet]

On 7/6/2021 at 6:38 PM, Coop said:

Ross, wouldn’t it be better for the customer to take a picture of their furniture to the paint/stain supply store and let them match it for your customer. That will take the trips and liability off of you. Perhaps supply the customer some scraps of the same wood to take with them. 

This sound like a good plan.

[Coop]

On 7/6/2021 at 8:51 PM, Chet said:

This sound like a good plan.

I say this from today’s recent experience. I built my my wife an armoire for our bedroom and going in, I knew it would be painted, much to my dismay but poplar was at a good price so who am I to argue. She wanted a color that would match a painting in our bedroom and also that would match a throw pillow on our bed. I insisted that she go with me to Benjamin Moore to deal with the clerk and the samples. My only liability now is to insure that the sprayer and sprayee  does a good job.

[wtnhighlander]

We actually discussed this, but I am unaware of any supply house in the area that custom blends wood stains.

[treeslayer]

1 hour ago, wtnhighlander said:

We actually discussed this, but I am unaware of any supply house in the area that custom blends wood stains.

Sherwin Williams in my area will custom blend stain, I give them a scrap to test on and a sample of what I want it to be and they mix it up with great results, looking great Ross

[Bmac]

On 7/6/2021 at 9:17 PM, wtnhighlander said:

Well of course, after a 'site visit' today, my latest sample has been deemed 'too blue'. When I take photos of the existing furniture, and compare to photos of the samples I made, guess which matches most closely? 

The very first one, naturally. 

I feel for you and am sorry to hear that. People want custom stuff but are often not willing to pay for the headaches they cause by being demanding with custom stuff. I hope you are getting adequately compensated.

In my profession I deal with colors all the time. People just don't understand all that goes into a color match, and with teeth it's even more complex. You've got value, chroma and hue that all play a role in color matching. Most dentists, when confronted with fixing a discolored tooth in the front of the mouth have taken to treating the front 6 rather than just the one, that way they have control over the color. I view this as practically malpractice, but who can blame them with a picky patient. I have become more and more reluctant doing "cosmetic work"  and if I am confronted with fixing a discolored front tooth I set low expectations, charge more and send them to the lab for custom staining. I will not accept anything less in doing those cases.

People just don't know what they don't know about color, and a lot of other things for that matter.

[gee-dub]

I have really been enjoying this build.  Sorry the customer is being finicky but, that's what a lot of customers do.  The design is an eye catcher and I look forward to the finished piece.

[Chestnut]

12 hours ago, wtnhighlander said:

Well of course, after a 'site visit' today, my latest sample has been deemed 'too blue'.

From your recipe you were using all WB poly. A coat of shellac or even oil borne poly might reduce the blue some? Do you still have your sample to give it a try?

12 hours ago, wtnhighlander said:

Well of course, after a 'site visit' today, my latest sample has been deemed 'too blue'.

Hey I've been working diligently for many years applying a very expensive stain of coffee and tea to my teeth and your telling me you can't match it in minutes? The outrage!

[wtnhighlander]

I have plenty of scraps to play with, so I might the poly as Drew suggested. My shortage is time, but the client is very understanding in that regards. Before his recent retirement, he was my boss, snd knows exactly how demanding my day job is.

[wtnhighlander]

Perfect example to illustrate @Bmac's point.

Upper-right is client's furniture, bottom is the 'too blue' sample. Shot together under the room light (incandescent or warm white LED) at client's house. The middle-left image is an overlay, a new sample with just one coat of stain, but shot under my shop lighting (4000k LED).

In this view, the client's piece doesn't look gray at all, but in person, it most definitely is. "Bluff Gray" is listed in the catalog description.

I think I'll try mixing the gray with something like 'Ipswitch pine', and see how that turns out. If that is no good, I'll hit up the nearest Sherwin Williams 

[Coop]

Ross, don’t you have a formula and experience in ebonizing wood? I think a color to match the darker grain in his wood would look good. 

[wtnhighlander]

Ken, I have ebonized a few things. Think the curved frames would look good in deep black, with natural oak shelves, but that isn't my call.

[wtnhighlander]

Finally got back to this. Made more color samples, and while they were drying, made my mind up to just add some dowels in a few spots to help locate parts and add strength to some otherwise shallow joints. I used a locating method I saw on YT recently...

I drilled shallow pilot holes to fit a finishing nail. Tap the nail in, snip it off about 1/8" above the surface, using sturdy wire cutters. Repeat as needed. Align the mating piece and press together to transfer the hole locations. Pull out the nails with the cutters, then drill to fit the desired dowel.

Frugal man's dowel center.

Aside from that, not much of interest to show. Sanding, tweaking joints, staining samples...