First hand tool only project

[Rob Millard]

This was my first hand tool only project ( disclosure; I did use the band saw to resaw the top from 5/4 rough sawn material). The table was made as a demonstration piece for a woodworking class I taught at a local living history farm www.metroparks.org/_carriageHill/parkOverview.aspx. I’ve always said that I could more easily build furniture without electricity, than I could without hand tools, and that proved to be true, except for the lighting. The shop is a barn with only 4 small windows; making fine work , such as scribing dovetails difficult. I had suspected that I wasn’t cut -out for teaching, and I was correct. I could (should) have done much better, at teaching but I still enjoyed the class.
The table is cherry with a curly maple drawer front. It is 18” square and stands 27” high. The finish is, lye on the cherry and aniline dye on the curly maple. I oiled and shellaced the curly maple but only used shellac on the cherry.
Rob Millard

[Mike Wenzloff]

Very nice again, Rob.

Yeah, I lived in a log cabin without electrikity [and inside running water] for nearly 9 years. About 3 years into it we switched from kerosene lights to propane. My wood carving got much better...

Take care. Thanks for sharing the experience.

Mike

[Chris Barton]

Rob,

That's a stunning piece. One of these days I am going to get around to trying to do something completely with hand tools... maybe.

[Michael Morin dit Boucher]

Rob,

Nice job...elegant table..nice lines. You've done yourself proud. I do most of my work by hand as well. Table saw is my electrical crutch though.

[Mark Stutz]

Rob,
Nicely done. I really like the effect the lye has on the cherry...100years in a bottle , so to speak! What concentration did you use...or just wing it. I've been toying with the idea of using it on mahogany as well.

Mark

[Kurt Loup]

Rob,

Nice job! Do you have a reference for info on the lye treatment?

Kurt

[John Timberlake]

Great table! Love the taper of the legs and the contrast between the maple and cherry. Simple and elegant. And probably a lot more fun to make with hand tools than power. Keep it up.

[Rob Millard]

Rob,
Nicely done. I really like the effect the lye has on the cherry...100years in a bottle , so to speak! What concentration did you use...or just wing it. I've been toying with the idea of using it on mahogany as well.

Mark

Mark,

I did just wing it. My first water to lye ratio was too strong and the sample turned out far too dark. I poured in some more water and got it too weak; just like Goldie Locks, I liked the third try.

I have used the lye on mahogany, but I prefer the color I get from lime. The lime is more difficult to apply for an even color, but is easily sprayed; something you can do with the caustic lye mixture.
Rob Millard

[Mark Stutz]

Rob,
Now you've really piqued my interest! Any sites you can refer me to that I can read more about the lime? I don't have spray capability...can this be done without it? Thanks.

Mark

[Rob Millard]

Rob,

Nice job! Do you have a reference for info on the lye treatment?

Kurt

Kurt,

The lye treatment was discussed in the Nov/Dec 1986 issue of Fine Woodworking in an article by Tom Dewey.

I used Red Devil drain cleaner as the source for the lye.
The lye works great to color the cherry, but you must experiment
with the ratio of lye to water to arrive at a color you like. If you get it too dark, there is no way short of very heavy sanding or planing, to remove the color. Also the lye is quite caustic so you have to be careful with it. The thing that I like most about the lye, in addition to the instant aging, is the stable color that results. Cherry is notorious for drastic color changes, so much so that items displayed on a table top can leave “shadows” where they sat. Cherry treated with lye, has in my experience been immune to these drastic color changes. The color is also very natural looking, and has great clarity.
Thanks
Rob Millard

[Rob Millard]

Rob,
Now you've really piqued my interest! Any sites you can refer me to that I can read more about the lime? I don't have spray capability...can this be done without it? Thanks.

Mark

The following link has a section on using the lime.
http://home.woh.rr.com/federalfurniture/

Yes, it can be done without spraying. I've had good luck with a soft brush, and a careful application. You must avoid having the mixture run onto an untreated area, or you'll get a spot that will show. If this happens, you can wet sand the offending spot with the lime mixture and 320 paper, making a perfect repair.
Rob Millard

[James Owen]

Rob,

Very nice piece. Lovely color on both woods.

Might I suggest that you don't give up on the teaching too quickly? You have a lot of hard-earned knowledge and skill that you can pass on to others via classes. Like anything else worthwhile, teaching takes some practice to get good at....

James

[Mark Stutz]

Rob,
Thanks. I asume that "hydrated lime" is the stuff you get at the garden center to put on your yard?

Mark

[Tom Stovell]

Rob,
I wish I had known you were going to be out at Carriage Hill I would have made the trip to see you teaching. I live near there, in Tipp. We used to get over to the park a couple of times a season but haven't done that much since the construction on Rte. 201--just to show you how long it's been!
Was this demonstration a class or a single event? Any way, the table looks great, as usual. Thanks for sharing.

Tom

[Kurt Loup]

Thanks Rob.

Kurt