Memento Display Shelf

[wtnhighlander]

That weathered gray was about as much of a science experiment as the cherry lye treatment! Made me fully understand why most of you guys avoid coloring the wood, for sure.

If I didn't lay it out before, it went like this:

a. Apply Minwax pre-stain wood conditioner, very wet.

b. Immediately rag on some Rustoleum Ebony stain to emphasize the deep grain, and wipe it back with a spirits-dampened rag. Conditioner prevent the non-pore areas from absorbing too much. Allow to dry.

c. Color blend...1 part 50/50 mix of Minwax Provincial and Minwax Natural, plus 1 part Rustoleum Weathered Gray, plus 2 parts mineral spirits. Stirred, not shaken. Apply lightly and evenly with a folded, lint-free cotton rag (a.k.a. an old t-shirt). Allow to dry.

d. Top coat with GF High Performance satin. Bench took 3 coats (4 on the seat), scuffing between with a maroon scotchbright pad. I really need to get a spray rig...

[Coop]

I’m a tad confused. What is the correlation/orientation of the display case and the sitting bench? Just in the same room?

As an aside, I have made very few items that I did not keep and utilize or give to friends and family. As much work and ingenuity as you have put into these two pieces, I bet it was hard to see them out the door? 

[wtnhighlander]

@Coop, yes. These pieces are in the guy's bedroom, where they wanted to match the color and woodgrain of their commercial bedroom suite as close as possible. The bench incorporates the bead and molding details borrowed from the bed & dresser. The shelf design was picked by his bride-to-be,  from a Crate&Barrel type catalog, and I re-scaled in to fit the allotted space.

As for seeing them go, neither of these would go particularly well in my home. Since he is willing to pay for what he wants, and patient enough to deal with my schedule, I have no complaints.

[Coop]

Helluva a job!