Never ending build....

[Patrick Walsh]

I have posted pictures of this project mostly on the neanderthal sub forum. I figured being i am using a few power tools in the construction i should move to the conversation the appropriate sub category.

Normally when i post it is because i have a question and need some advise. It also presents a nice platform to share.

Today for the first time i attempted to grain fill with BLO prior to finishing with Waterlox. For the most part i used my smoother plane to get a final finish. I then applied a liberal coat of BLO with a foam brush. I then proceeded to rub the oil in to the wood with a piece of 320 grit sanding always with the grain.

So my questions. How many coats of the BLO should i do to really fill my grain before i switch over to Waterlox? Second question is how long should i wait between coats of BLO if i apply multiple coats. After i am all done with my BLO and grain filling how long do i need to wait till i apply my first coat of Waterlox?

I chose to apply finish prior to assembly as i wanted to coat all six sides of my pannel and or all non glued edges of my workpieces as i will not be abble to get to them after assembly. The bench or whatever this thing is is in my basment so i am more concerned with moister than normal. The waterlox will be applied after the pieces are installed.

Ignore the vertical piece of pine barn board to the right of the case. That is there only as a template or stop as the whole wall to the right of this bench will be built out with that pine barn board run on the horizontal. I have not had the time to do the barn board hence the template butting the back of this bench. As maybe you can see in thepictures i had to chop out half of my old built in bench to gain access to instal this end pannel.

Soon enough a 10' cherry and ash roubo with touches of ebony will sit in the space to the right of this bench and up against the wall that will be built out in pine barn board.

Long way to go yet as the whole left sude of this bench still needs to be completed. Another four drawers, six doors, and another end pannel and couple of legs.

More as i progress.

Thank you all again for the guidance.
Patrick

[Patrick Walsh]

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[Patrick Walsh]

I did not get as much done this weekend as i wanted. I ran into a few hicups installing the two corner posts or legs. I did not plan on the ebony plugs. Im still not sure how i feel about them. Im going to oil and sand with 320 before i start the application of a bazzilion coats of waterlox.

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[Lasse Hilbrandt]

I can´t really tell you how to apply finish your project, but I can tell you its a beautiful piece of work

[Prashun Patel]

Wow, my kitchen is green with envy for your shop cabinets.

If it were me, I would not attempt to fill grain on the side panels. I only fill grain on tops of benches and tables (honestly, i hardly do that any more...)

Skip the BLO going forward. Filling grain with BLO is a tricky endeavor because the slurry you fill your pores with may never fully dry. It can then bleed out or cause dimples and blisters under your top coat.

Wetsanding with waterlox won't give you the same problem, because it dries hard.

[Phil Mueller]

Hi Patrick, beautiful build. I don't have experience grain filling with BLO, but have done it a lot with Watco. Depending on temp and humidity, I usually wait 3-5 days between re soaking and a higher grit. If I'm going for a glass smooth finish, I'll typically start with 320, then 600, 800, 1000. Overkill to some, but I have the time. Add it up and you're looking at about a month. I then wait a couple of weeks before a top coat.
You might want to post the question in the finishing sub for a more experienced answer.

[Patrick Walsh]

Thank you for saying so. Its nice to hear as at times i wonder if the whole thing is not just plain ugly. I never really had a plan beyond a miter station recessed into a counter with a scale for repeatible cuts.

I just started building one day with scraps, one idea kept leading to another and i just kept building and buying lumber as i ran out of scraps long ago.

Well the build continues as its only about half done. Heading to a lumber yard about 2.5hrs away this wekend to get some more BEM to make the pannels for the seven doors you see to the far left of the bench and the cab mounted on the wall. All that stuff will get rebuilt as the whole right side just did.

I can´t really tell you how to apply finish your project, but I can tell you its a beautiful piece of work

[Patrick Walsh]

My kitchen is also so dont worry.

Its actually on my short long list. The plan is arts and crafts QSWO style cabinetts and soapstone counters. To be hinest this project is kinda my warm up for that.

So i used Waterlox on all the birdseye maple you see on the backsplash and the drawer slids that hold my Festool containers. I think i just sanded my work to 220 before finish and then applied the waterlox sanding with 320 or 400 between coats then vacume tack so forth and so on. It did just fine filling a number of the deep birdseyes and i have zero complaints. The mahogany on the other hand has some really deep grain. Some of the mahogany is actually maranti "the more red stuff and has deep grain. That was the scrap wood i started the project with. My hope was to avoid deep grain like that again.

So can i actually wet sand with Waterlox and not end up with crap that shows through in my end product?

Wow, my kitchen is green with envy for your shop cabinets.

If it were me, I would not attempt to fill grain on the side panels. I only fill grain on tops of benches and tables (honestly, i hardly do that any more...)

Skip the BLO going forward. Filling grain with BLO is a tricky endeavor because the slurry you fill your pores with may never fully dry. It can then bleed out or cause dimples and blisters under your top coat.

Wetsanding with waterlox won't give you the same problem, because it dries hard.

[Patrick Walsh]

I like your style as i like overkill!

I have never wet sanded or sanded anything to 1000 grit. I think i might give it a try though.

I like taking my time to do something as perfect as i can. Well isnt that why most of us like to build stuff. My only poblme with a long finishing routine is that it often means i have to stop building for a while as i dont have a dedicated finsihing room. Provided this project is built into my shop it makes it even that much more difficult. I will take my time non the less. I guess if i could motivate to do a coat a day of Wterlox after work ina couple weeks i could have a seriouse finish built up.

Hi Patrick, beautiful build. I don't have experience grain filling with BLO, but have done it a lot with Watco. Depending on temp and humidity, I usually wait 3-5 days between re soaking and a higher grit. If I'm going for a glass smooth finish, I'll typically start with 320, then 600, 800, 1000. Overkill to some, but I have the time. Add it up and you're looking at about a month. I then wait a couple of weeks before a top coat.
You might want to post the question in the finishing sub for a more experienced answer.

[Brian Holcombe]

Awesome Patrick! Very nice work.

[Patrick Walsh]

Thank you Brian,

The compliment means quite a bit coming from you being your work is so clean and i always like what you choose to build.

Awesome Patrick! Very nice work.

[Patrick Walsh]

I got nothing done this weekend. Well that is a lie. I drove 2.5 hours each way to a lumber yard to source more BEM for the rest of the project. It took most of the day as i tirelessly sorted through each and ever board of BEM they had. I also intended to purchase about 40 BF of Honduran mahogany for the face frames and door styles and rails . I did not like what they had in stock and a lumber yard closer to me has some really nice pattern Honduran mahogany so i held back.

On the way home i drove buy a guy loading piles of lumber out of the bucket of his tractor and on to a table with a free sign. Im not normaly the type to want or take other junk, it was ckear i had not just driven b a pile of junk.

As i was driving buy i could easily tell a large amount of what was on the table was rough stock. I made a quick u-turn and scored 45ish BF of 5/4 cherry. It was a major score as the gentleman would not take a dime for the the lumber. I almost could not believe my luck. As i was turnong around another guy also turned around. I made it to the driveway first. I offered to split the good wood with this guy a number of times. It was determined bytes he owners of the cherry wood this other guy did not have a jointer or planer hence i got it all.

I then spent all day today in the yard. I have a pretty bad gardening habit much like woodworking. It requires i prune about 10-15 trees along with a number of bonsai, get stuff back in decorative planters, transplant amd root prune as i grow a number of japanese maples in containers along with the rake the yard fertilize so forth and so on. Take the patio furniture out and on and on and on. Chances are for at least the next couple to few weeks i will have to do one shop day and one yard day on the weekend.

Progress will be slow for a while

As if it is not slow enough...

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[James Pallas]

Those are some very nice and well done shop cabinets. I am always very jealous of woodworkers like you and Brian H. That have "clean rooms" in their shop to do photo shoots in. Throw a few shavings around shoot a few snaps and then behind the wall where the real work is done. Looks like a great shop for you to do your great work.
Jim

[Patrick Walsh]

The real work is done in every corner of my shop. I am just anal retentive about keeping a clean work area. After every opperation be it ripping pieces on the table saw, planing and or chopping dovetails or mortise i clean. Actually i probably vacume 2-3 times a hour if not more when working. I keep a vacume next to every work station. I have two Festoo CT's and a regular shop vac plus fully ducted dust collection hooked to every machine. When i am done for the day i always clean my shop head to toe. Sharpen and put all tools away, vacume all bench tops, machines inside and out then floors in full.

I find it lends itself to the discipline with regard to order and moving step by step through a project taking no shortcuts and or not stopping to redo something when you screw up vrs. try to hide the mistake. I suppose keeping a clean workspace helps me to stay at a non rushed pace and just take my time not skipping steps and or shortcuts.

I hate working in a mess. I cant think straight. Plus i have no choice but to work in a mess monday through Friday as my co workers dont share my same propensity for order and tidiness. I spent a small fortune to get my shop setup to be so clean. It has been worth every dime. I dont think my OCD would allow for a messy shop.

I would be lying if i did not admit that i am a bit jealous of those whom can turn out beautiful work amongst a mess. I cant do it to save my life. I think its more ADD than OCD as i just loose my focus in a mess.

Those are some very nice and well done shop cabinets. I am always very jealous of woodworkers like you and Brian H. That have "clean rooms" in their shop to do photo shoots in. Throw a few shavings around shoot a few snaps and then behind the wall where the real work is done. Looks like a great shop for you to do your great work.
Jim