Since the last time I showcased anything on here, I made a nightstand to match the bed I made a while ago. It combined a lot of new techniques I’ve never used before so it was a cool project.
I’ve also done some smaller projects, like turning a couple of tap handles for my kegerator, which I recently outfitted to serve home made nitro cold brew.
I had two friends who had major surgery on their bones, so I painted them each a picture. Each of these are “before” shots, and I’m likely going to attempt companion pieces for each of how everything looks now, with all their added hardware
My first few projects since joining the space in April have all been modern Walnut pieces- once I had a decent table saw jig for the long miters I kept wanting to come back for more precision and better finishes.
Entry table. My favorite finish of the three- Walnut Danish Oil, semi-gloss spray lacquer, with a final buff of paste wax. Kind of a pain but pretty economical and I love the look and feel.
@mlemon I’m a sucker for walnut, those look great! Are they solid walnut or walnut ply? I need to learn how to weld soon, it’s been on my todo list for a long while now. If you’re a fan of trying new finishes I’d recommend a hardwax oil finish, such as Osmo Polyx or Rubio Monocoat. I’ve only used Osmo, but it’s far and away my favorite finish to use, especially on walnut.
@gordoa40 thanks! The vinyl table was ply, the other two were solid. Welding is so much fun- working with steel feels like a super power after years of joining wood parts.
And yeah, just picked up some Rubio Monocoat for a new project- psyched to try it out but definitely a bit of sticker shock! Amortized over the life of the piece and I could see it making sense for quality work though.
A little Rubio goes a long way. Plus, you eliminate the in between coat sanding and cleaning, and applying more coats. For detailed or large pieces, that’s a big deal.
@mlemon That’s pretty much how I felt after learning how to use the lathe/mill.
And yeah, it is pretty expensive. Rubio is honestly pretty ridiculous; Osmo is a little cheaper ($50 for 750ml rather than $50 for 350 ml). A little goes a long way with those, though. I bought one 750ml can of Osmo and it has been used on my bed (lots of surface area), nightstand, and a handful of small projects and I still have half the can left.
Hahah maybe I’m being too dramatic but in some areas I didn’t line up my miters completely square so I had to fill or sand more than I wanted, resulting in some veneer looking a bit off. Also had some tiny chip out that only I notice but it still bothers me lol
Also, the time it took me to cover the front edges with walnut “edge banding” (just cut some 1/8" walnut) probably wasn’t worth the effort. Can easily get a better product and I don’t think I saved SO much more than all solid.
Panel glue-ups are easy enough, but I still need more practice/experience to get faster!
Miters are tough. Even short miters. The more time I spend tuning the tablesaw and sled, the better, but I still can’t get perfect miters. And with the plywood, sanding is dicey. Still, it’s hard to get that clean look that plywood provides for case furniture.
William Ng, a cabinet maker on Youtube, showed a neat way to deal with miters, if they’re a little open on the outside. Work some wood glue in with your fingers. Then take a screwdriver and burnish the corner from each side, using the side of the screwdriver. That rolls the sharp edges into each other, and relieves the corner at the sametime. Lightly sand it down before it sets up. This is working pretty well on a bunch of trays that I’m building. For a cabinet, the face of the miter will be covered with a frame.
@stepho what a cool way to commemorate this! Love the colors and movement you got with the brush strokes
@cfstaley I love all the spalted pecan!! Still got some spalted pecan side tables in the queue to do over here. I’m a sucker for cool rocks, so I really love your rock drawer.
@mlemon Those pieces all look awesome and really beautiful coordinating style! Love the pull out drawer for the vinyls, very nice
Welding is on my list… one of these days.
@kingkeyan What a gorgeous desk! I’m curious to see more pics. You’re saying this is a convertible, right? i.e. sitting or standing desk. The floating look of the top is so cool.
I hear about Rubio Monocoat a lot from some of the YouTubers I watch. I’m intrigued, but haven’t tried it yet. Nice to know there’s a good cheaper alternative (thanks for the tip @gordoa40).