Any woodworkers?

What are you planning on for a finish? That flame box is beautiful!

 

In PHX AZ there is a higher-end "fashion mall" with Tiffanys, Cartiers, Tag Heuer watches, Prada, etc. Having looked in the Cartier store (security guards at the entrance) and Tiffanys (no guards), I asked Tiffanys what makes them different from Cartier in their opinion. The response: Cartier makes what it can with the shape/size/color of the high-quality stones (be it a Jaguar or a leaf) while Tiffanys alters high-quality stones into pieces that are more of a standard shape (necklace, ring, etc) but still dazzling.

Find out what that piece of wood "wants to be".

 

I love that, it is in the spirit of everything I try to do with wood, what does it want to be, what is this piece the best suited for?

 

Not really sure on the box elder. I have a couple of others with some red figure, may test with those. I really like a blo finish but if it darkens it too much it may end up being water based polyurethane.

 

The cross-shape leaves much spare wood for testing finishes. I think.

 

Yeah it does. I've done some of the smaller crosses in box elder and blo does darken th red up a bit but it still looks nice. The white wood can vary quite a bit between trees becoming mostly on the yellowish side but again, still nice and warm. Actually with a penetrating oil finish I find that it preserves the color longer. With waterbased poly the red seems to fade over time because it's just a top coat and doesn't really soak into the fibers of the wood.

 

Go with the penetrating oil, my opinion. The people "donating" to get them will appreciate it better, though when you say "water-based fades over time" you did not specify the timeframe.

 

Well that kind of varies, if it gets sun it will fade faster. And the catalpa will darken over time. I'm pretty sure it will be blo for the finish. I've kinda got this belief that anything worth doing is worth doing well. So wbp is quicker, but blo seals better and looks nicer in my opinion, even though it takes longer to cure.

 

I’ve heard a good sanding sealer can help keep the color going and can keep it from changing too much under oils or urethanes, but I haven’t used one myself.

 

Interesting.........sanding sealer is nothing more than a dewaxed shellac. But it can also darken things up a bit like an oil will. I'd does dry really fast, but doesn't deep penetrate like an oil will. I do use shellac when finishing turnings on the lathe.

 

Have looked at salad bowl finish?

 

I usually make my own, lol. Blo and beeswax blend, same for cutting boards. Foodsafe.

 

Between sun bleaching/expanding and water taking down mountains ... nothing is permanent. In PHX during summer you will every year find someplace where two sidewalk sections are literally heaved up at the contact where all surrounding sections have pushed until 2 sections just push up.

I guess all we can do is our best to preserve for the duration that people are aware of the situation, leave the rest to others and grandchildren to re-finish the surface.

 

Guys I just want to say how cool it was to have a discussion on different finishes like this. Good constructive conversation like this is rare nowadays. Woodworkers are a different breed, almost always a very giving and generous sort.

 

I appreciated lurking cause finishes are my arch nemesis. I know little to nothing about the options that exist aside from the very basics.

I concur with your sentiment on the discussion. I don’t participate much on this site these days but the two or three threads I’m on, I learn a ton.

 

All sanded while I was chatting with you guys. Lol.

And blo applied. See how warm it looks?

Blo is a very slow finish to apply but it really soaks in and cures from within. Only thing is you have to be carefull with the rags hang or lay them flat as they can spontaneously combust. But no solvent, no smell, and it's actually good for your skin, lol.

 

Is anyone using a dust collector like this?

 

I use a super dust deputy but that's on a large harbor freight dust collector. Looks like that one is made for a shop vac. I don't know how good the Chinese cyclones are? Kinda why I stick to dust deputy brand. Nothing really against Chinese product but some things you just don't know?

 

Yeah I’m looking for something small, I don’t have a lot of space. But for the cost of a shop vac plus the adapter, I’ve been looking at this one:

 

Evening, i understand this is a woodworking thread but figured I’d ask here.. I play guitar and have been looking at getting a wooden stand to hold my guitars..thought of many my own but the time cost and fact it could result in disasterous results for my guitars…. I’ve seen many reviews on zither but also considering acoustic remedy.. anyone on here own one? Any idea how they do on carpet.. I called the company and asked and they said they haven’t really tested it with thick carpet.