The last area discussed was polishing and buffing your project after your finish is applied. To do this your project needs to be fully cured for some time which is usually weeks for some finishes. Sand the project with 1000+ grit wet/dry paper with water and few drops of dish soap as a lubricant. Then buff using hand or variable speed power buffer (best) using a buffing compound such as Wizards Turbo Cut. Once buffed use professional detailers wax like Wizards Mist and Shine Cleaner to finish off the surface, make it shiny smooth, and remove static and left over compounds. If the surface needs it you can rebuff with a finer compound like 3M Swirl Mark Remover. Microfiber rags also work well during the process especially when waxing.

Ron demonstrated the whole process on one of the class members practice boards. It was very impressive and amazing how much this step can make a difference in the finish. Ron also mentioned how you can buff finish up in sheen such as taking flat and making it glossy.

Overall it was a great class and information I really needed and can use at this point in my woodworking, thanks Ron. Ron gave us Mohawk catalogs and color charts to help us on future projects. Homework then for graduation in December is to bring samples using your favorite finish and be prepared to discuss them. I plan on bringing my bandsaw boxes with finish so I can kill two birds with one stone and cover myself for the bandsaw box class at well.

There have been a few other minor site changes like getting rid of my mug shot, updating the wording of the who I am box, adjusting the headers to match up with the new logo, update the about page, and making the gallery images sort by newest image first. I would still like to add more to my about page, add a better photo of myself in the shop, adjust some colors like the calendar logo and green text, move all older photos to the gallery, etc. I would also like the logo photos to only be on the main page but not sure I am willing at this point to put that much time into this site.

Besides fun with computers and my site I did work in the shop along with getting ready for winter. I worked on homework for my finishing class (see photo below) and made some additional sample pieces to help decide how I could finish the other two bandsaw boxes using class techniques. My first square bandsaw box I almost have the finish completed and will be ready to line the bottom of it soon.

Using the new spindle sander I sanded up the other oak shaped bandsaw box and proceeded to glue it together. I used a technique from finishing class to fix a split in the wood ring seems with CA glue; this worked out very well and you can see the glue on the side of the box in the middle photo below. The box side bandsaw kerf and bottom got glued together and then I cut off a stem for the lid from the remaining inside block and attached that. From the photos below you can see how I added paper towel to lift the inside block up a hair when gluing the lid. I glue the lid like this so thing remain aligned, just make sure you wax or in my case packing tape the inside block up so you don’t get the lid stuck to it from glue squeeze out. Next is sanding the box all up so I can apply my finish.

Overall it was one of my more productive woodworking weekends in some time. I actually feel like I am finally getting back into the groove.

• If you want a smooth surface on open grain wood then you will probably use grain fillers.
• Napta can be used to clean furniture of dirt, oil, and wax leaving a cloudy surface that can be refinished or buffed.
• Colored wax is good to make a slight change in color at the end of a project, such as giving oak a warm feel with red wax. If no wax you can use shoe polish for that hint of color. Remember this is not a very durable finish.
• We discussed fish eye again and how it forms when the finish cannot lay down correctly on top of other finish or materials.
• Old furniture with a dark almost black finish is many times shellac and can be removed with denatured alcohol.
• Shellac or sealer raises the grain slightly to then be cut down smooth and give you a layer for which to build primary finishes on.
• Soft colored wax is usually for hiding nail holes and small repairs but to be used after the finish is applied. If you need something before the finish then use putty.
• Quick fill burn in sticks are for larger repairs and is a much harder wax.
• Two part epoxy can be used to fix veneer by scraping it into the void and flush with the project surface. Works like Spackle, Bondo, putty, etc but a much nicer finish.
• C/A glue makes for quick and easy repairs. Use it to glue up small parts and you can sand it off and will hide with clear finish over it. Glue things like loose joints or particle board. For particle board it will draw in and stabilize the material. Make sure you are careful of the chemical reaction and getting glued to something. C/A glue comes in thin, medium, heavy, and gel. Thin works great for places where it needs to be drawn into cracks or gaps. Make sure you use cloth or paper to make loose joints as tight as possible before gluing.
• When wiping on a finish cotton seems best but wipe it once, do not keep rubbing it and allow to dry before more coats for best results.
• Foam brushes are ok but you need to be careful of bubbles. Once again do not overwork.
• When brushing varnish use the best fine haired brush you can find, again do not overwork. Like above allow the thin coat to fully dry and then add another if needed.
• Color markers work great for touch ups and small repairs as well as adding grain or knots wen you needed to hide repairs.
• We reviewed sheen of finishes and toner repairs.

Homework this week is to go out to Mohawk’s Web Site and look over products and color charts, review what materials they have and request a catalog, etc if can. Finish up sample boards using techniques learned in class that we can do in our shop. I for one need to apply clear finishes to my boards from last week. Also do some repairs on a large 12×12 inch sample board that we have seen tonight in class and we are able to do with materials on hand, etc.

I also know part of my homework for this class is to finish my bandsaw boxes using some of these techniques I am learning.

So what did I buy? Well looking at various photos you can easily tell I have more Jet tools then others for the big machines. I usually research what are the best tool make and models for what I plan to use it for and then start to compare prices and features of that class and buy the one I feel is best. Price usually comes in second since I learned a long time ago you get what you pay for in tools, and then your not happy and pay twice as much down the road to get what you really wanted in the first place. I wanted more of a benchtop model since the floor models are more power for what I will be doing in the foreseeable future, but not a wimpy benchtop sander that in a year or two I will want to trade up.

Looking around I really liked the Jet JBOS-5 5 1/2 inch 1/2 Hp model but the price was getting a little steep for me, then I ran across the General 15-220 M1 model that was near identical to the Jet at over $80 cheaper, and then for that difference I could get a stand and have close to a floor model without much work to build some cabinet for it to sit on right away. I own a General hybrid table saw and it was one of my first big woodworking tool purchases. Sure are their things I do not like about my tablesaw, yes but overall it has been a very good tablesaw for me and I been happy with the purchase. Another General tool in the shop cannot hurt and with it I expected the quality I got with the tablesaw.

So here is my purchase and yep I picked up a deal on a Bosch 1/4 sheet sander as well in the process. The setup was not too bad, most of the work was getting everything out of the boxes and unwrapped, then build the stand for it to sit on.

I reused the feet to attach the sander to the stand and started the process of steel table cleanup and sealing it along with tuneup and making sure the table was flat and spindle was 90 degrees to the table. This all went pretty smooth, no problems.

I tested it on some scraps and then started to sand my bandsaw box from last week. As a review to this point I am pretty happy with it, the dust collection is good, noise is minimal, and operation smooth. Very easy to change out spindles and papers; the height of the tool and stand works well for me (I’m a little on the shorter side). I will probably add a shelf to the stand down the road and maybe wheels to make it more mobile but right now the whole setup is not so heavy that I cannot pick it up and move it to where I need it in the shop. I expect this will be out and in use more and more as I take advantage to owning such a tool and change up my work flow.

In the end I am happy with the purchase, I will update if anything changes or I discover something while using it more. Not much else done this weekend since once again I was not feeling up to par with my health to be working a lot in the shop. Would be nice if someday I could get over all this muck and have my solid woodworking weekends back. On a side note I have been working on getting lumber for my workbench and some other materials and small tools as well this week. I am like a squirrel stocking up for winter which does not feel that far off.

We quickly moved into grain fillers and using both zinc chromate colored (WoodCoat brand) and water based clear (CrystalLac brand) fillers. The purpose of these is to even and level out the surface and grain of a project to achieve better light reflection such as on a table top. Colored zinc chromate fillers have the advantage of a stain and filler in one application as long as you can match the color, if you cannot then you can always tone later. If you use water based clear filler then you need to make sure you stain or color the project first before applying. Ron demonstrated on a refinishing project and some scrap boards. It was like putting on auto body putty, but you want to work it into the grains and holes and remove the excess filler before it dries since it will dry rock hard and take some work to sand down. Wipe using a rough cloth across the grain so not to pull the filler material out of the grain and once near dry polish/wipe down with the grain using a softer cloth to smooth it out and remove wipe marks.

Next discussion was finishes such as varnish (polyurethane), lacquer (used in most finishing businesses since it dries quickly), shellac, and water based. A good way to test what a project will look like with a finish is wiping on denatured alcohol and looking quickly before it evaporates off. Clean off the surface before finishing preferably with air or a brush, no tack cloths. The tack cloths leave wax behind which can cause issues with some finishes. If coloring with toner seal first before first coat of toner and after you reach your desired color. The three major types of finishes used are evaporative (dries because solvent evaporates out leaving the resin), chemical reaction creates the finish, and emulsion. Sheens or the amount of shine ranges from water clear, gloss, semi-gloss, matte, satin, flat, to dead flat. Sometimes you mix two to achieve the sheen you desire and level out the sheen when used on several projects. Any sheen can change and improve as you smooth, level, and polish the project such as taking a flat sheen and buffing it up to satin or matte. Finishes can be applied with rags, brushes, and sprayed depending on what you want the end result to be. More of this will be discussed in our next class session.

Homework this week is to apply shellac, varnish, and lacquer to one each of a colored practice board and a non-colored board. We should also try grain fillers but I do not have any so I will not be doing this part out of the homework. I will keep fillers in my bag of tricks for down the road when I do need to level out a project.

This week I purchased a new oscillating spindle sander along with a 1/4 sheet palm sander for my shop. Little excited since it has been my first big tool purchase in quite some time and it is nice to finally add more specialized equipment to the shop and improving what can be done in my shop. I plan to post more on this soon.

My second project was spraying the clear water lacquer finish on my square bandsaw box. I got a few coats on it and now at the point that I need to sand 1000 grit and buff it out. Looking forward to seeing how this box comes out, hope the finish is smooth and glass like.

Third I started on a new bandsaw box and this time I took pictures during the process. It is a shaped box with a curved lid that started out from scrap quartersawn oak I glued up into a block and then squared up on my bandsaw.

Using French curves I laid out a pattern on both the side and the top of the block, and then proceeded to cut the lid and bottom off the box following the cut lines on the side of the block. The lid and bottom was cut to be 3/16 to 1/4 inch thick.

Using double stick tape I put the entire block back together and then cut the sides of the box out following the cut lines on the top of the block. Once this was done I took the top and bottom back off the block, laid out a cut line for a 1/4 inch thick wall, and then cut the inside out of the box. The last photo shows the final box pieces ready for sanding and gluing. My shop does not have a spindle sander so I am now in the market for one; I will probably put this box aside till I get one so I can properly finish it. A spindle sander is a good investment in a small shop and something I have wanted to get just never really had a need, but now I have an excuse. Then again do you really need an excuse to buy more tools?

Forth weekend project was working on the new logo, I am glad to say I think I have finally come up with something I like. Just some more tweaking and adjusting to do so hopefully soon <fingers crossed> I can put a done stamp on it.

The base color should be used first and color should be used close to bare wood. Using multiple colors enhances your project instead of using one shot stains or dyes. Try combining multiple stains, dyes, or both for best effects. Dyes make a good undertone since they go deeper then pigmented stains but if you use pigmented stains then sanding to 220 seems to be best. Rit dye from the grocery store works well, is cheap, and easy to mix. Mix it in a 16oz plastic container and make sure you filter it out after mixing using a coffee filter.

Toner is really color in a sealer and toner is the best tool for tweaking and adjusting color or hiding blemishes and grains. Toning is over something not sealed and glazing is over something that has been sealed. Toner is easier to use then stain or dyes but usually more expensive on larger projects.

Shellac is a barrier coat and sealer, when used as a sealer a wash coat of 10-to-1 with denatured alcohol works well. Use shellac when transitioning products or to seal in the color. As a sanding sealer it can help balance out the color, remember sanding is about color control.

Ron demonstrated to us using various dyes, stains, and toners in various combinations on his practice boards. Interesting was the use of purple dye which greatly enhanced the various stains once layered over it. Purple helps in achieving a deeper color especially a walnut color. It was very easy to see if using various products together how much better the look was then these products separate. Toners were awesome and seeing wood change instantly in color when using them made it easy to see the appeal over stains and dyes.

Our homework is using our sample boards to do tests of various pigmented stains and dyes keeping track of what we do and products used; then bring them back next week to test toner on them and see if we can tweak color.  Before I left Ron helped me out on my square bandsaw box to improve the finish. I agreed with Ron I should have sprayed it to begin with and Ron gave me some Mohawk Clear Water Lacquer spray which we tested on the bottom to complete the finish. It is an impressive finish because once dried it still looks wet and is very smooth. Another guy in my class offered to flock the inside of my box for me which I might take him up on especially on my shaped box. I can get an opportunity to see how flocking is done. He said he has had good luck doing flocking and I am eager to learn since I hear more negatives about the process and results then positives.

Saturday found me at the Furniture Makers meeting where the topic was hand cut joinery. Two of the club members had attended Marc Adams School for a joinery class and shared what they had learned. Various joints were discussed with most of the time spent on mortise & tendon and dovetails, which was great for me with my interest in developing my skills with hand cutting dovetails. The main point was when doing hand cut joints layout is everything, when doing machined joints setup is everything.

The rest of the weekend found me sick yet again with the stomach flu but at least this time I knew where it came from. It has been one of the worst months of my life for being sick. Since I was not feeling par I did not work much in the shop other then my class homework, adding more finish to a bandsaw box, tossing out scraps and sawdust, and more drywall of holes from last weekend. Did not want to risk overdoing it and get sicker, since I really really would like to spend a quality day or two soon in the shop actually making something.

Being laid up gave me additional time to continue work on the new logo for this web site and change the slogan from “Doin’ It with Wood in the Neighborhood” to “Working with Wood in the Neighborhood”. You can see a slight theme change going on here to make this site a little more professional and serious for the future.

During this first session we started out with the basics discussing how finishing is about building layers, like a sandwich, to achieve the end result you desire. Doing this makes it very easy to repeat the finish you want in the future. Always start out deciding up front what it is you want the outcome to be and the function of the finish, build to that point.

We quickly moved into discussing the first layer, or sanding, and how vital it is to the end result. Sanding is preparing the surface and you stop where you want to stop depending on the next layer and end result needed along with removing rough grain and scratches. Sanding is about color control and the dyes and stains you use because sanding (or scrapping) can open or close pores. The more you do sand the more burnished the surface becomes and the stain or finish may not penetrate as well. When you hand sand always use a block so it cuts flat and the finish will lay down in a uniform fashion and achieve good light reflection. Various hand and machine sanding was then discussed along with different papers and grits. Rubbing compound can easily take out 1000+ grit scratches and is good to know when testing things.  An interesting item about random orbital sanders was to stop and start them on the work piece to avoid deep swirls or circle cuts in the wood.

We wrapped the class up discussing homework which was to make various sample boards sanded to different grits that will be used for stains, dyes, toners, and clear finishes. I got my homework completed this last weekend without issues, pretty straight forward.