The full-size table: Apply varnish to the top, and more on the legs and aprons

[Al Navas]

From my blog:

Where I was a while ago: Application of the Zinsser SealCoat™ (an alcohol-based, wax-free sanding sealer) went well. The secret: Apply very thin coats with a lint-free rag, wiping as you go. Wait a minimum of 2 hours, then sand with 400 grit sandpaper, until smooth to the touch - but don’t sand all the way to the wood. Repeat once.

Today:

1) Time to apply the first coat of Target Coatings’ EM2000wvx alkyd varnish:

2) I fine-tuned the mortise and tenon fit on a test leg made of scrap, glued-up quarter-sawn white oak (QSWO):


Now, some details.

Setting up the FMT to make the tenons - I don’t want to do this while perched 6 feet above the ground, so I do this with the FMT on the workbench:

http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/table-leg-tenon-fmt-300x199.png

As a first step, I record all dimensions for the test tenons; this simply makes it easier to tweak the fit:

http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/table-leg-tenon-measure-300x157.png

Just for kicks, I make sure I won’t cut through into another mortise. For this I make a new test mortise, at 90° from the first one, on the face where the other tenon will be - I cut this one, to share with YOU:

http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/table-leg-tenon-setup-300x125.png

Now, to cut a test mortise:

http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/table-leg-cut-mortise-271x300.png

This is my view when I remove the router from the FMT:

http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/table-leg-mortise-300x199.png

I wanted a 1/4-inch reveal from the front edge of the leg - and got it:

http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/table-leg-reveal-300x186.png

Now that the mortise and tenon joinery fit has been tweaked, I turn my attention to spraying the table top.

Getting ready to spray took about 10 minutes. The steps:

1. Filter water into one Teflon®-coated aluminum spray cup, using a Fine paint filter - I will use this water to clean the internals of the HVLP system; I will do it after spraying each of the 2 or 3 coats:

2. Stir the top coat. Satin sheen coatings have a “flattening agent” that settles to the bottom of the can; it must be stirred prior to application:

3. After stirring, filter the topcoat using a Medium filter, directly into a Teflon®-coated aluminum spray cup:

http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/topcoat-filter1-172x300.png

4. Proper application of a finish using HVLP equipment requires careful adjustment of the air flow, and of the material being sprayed. I shoot into Kraft paper I tape to the back panel of the booth:

http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/first-topcoat-adjust-spray.png

5. Once I am happy with my adjustments, I start spraying. I am especially careful to fully coat spray all edges, and about 3 inches into the top surface. This ensures proper coverage:

http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/first-topcoat-spray-start-300x199.png

6. As soon as I finish spraying I inspect the surface, to ensure sufficient coverage. The applied spray must be “wet”, and applied at a wet film thickness of 2-3 mils (thousands of an inch); if not, the finish will have a somewhat rough feel. On inspection, this first application of the varnish went well (the final appearance will not be shiny, but rather a nice, satin finish):

http://sandal-woodsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/first-topcoat-spray.png

Actual spraying took about 5 minutes, followed by about 5 minutes to clean up the spray gun.

Enough for today. After cleaning the spray equipment, I headed to the house, and a wonderful dinner - spinach salad and a few crackers!

Next: Continue spraying the table top, mill the QSWO boards for the aprons, finish milling the walnut blanks for the legs, glue up the legs. Use the Leigh FMT to cut mortises on the legs, and the tenons on the aprons.


Thanks for following along!


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[Rob Diz]

Al -

This looks great.

I'm wondering if you are spraying in your shop or a separate finishing space.

I have sprayed about 15 gallons of Target USL, but I tend to spray it in my garage with a fan at my back to push the overspray out of the shop. I have not sprayed the EM2000.

I'm also wondering why you didn't spray more than one layer at a time. My expereience with the USL is that it takes about an hour or so (depending on temp/humidity) to be dry enough to spray on another coat. Do you find that letting the EM2000 dry overnight yields a better finish (or was it just dinnertime:))

Nice project - thanks for walking us through it. No matter your level of experience, these tutorials are always helpful.

[Frank Drew]

Thanks for the progress report and pictures, Al.

You are finishing the underside of the top, right?

[Al Navas]

Thanks, Rob!

I have a 12' X 15' finishing room, with a filter between the main shop area and the finishing area. The intake filter from the main shop area is in the wall, to my back as I face the spray booth; it is a large filter, as the exhaust fan pushes air out at 2,200 CFM, just about one complete change per minute of the total air volume in the finishing room itself (9-foot ceiling).

I used USL for several years, but switched to the EM2000 just recently. It levels out beautifully!!!

It *was* dinner time. Plus I still had to turn over the table top, to completely finish the underside with EM2000. Letting the EM200 dry overnight allows you to turn over the top and lay it down on the blocks I have on the turntable, without fear of damaging it or blocking on the plastic sheeting. Once the underside is completely finished, I will turn it over and do the best I can on the topside.

I had already applied the SealCoat to both sides, sanded, and the bottom was ready. In fact, I just came in a few minutes ago, from spraying the underside for the second time this morning. I spray once, wait an hour, sand very light with 400 grit or 600 grit sandpaper or rub very lightly with a synthetic pad to smooth out the finish perfectly to the touch, and then go back and do it again maybe a total of 3-4 times.

I keep hoping these tutorials will help others tackle things without the fear associated with this type of work. :)


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[Rob Diz]

It is EXACTLY this type of tutorial that got me to go beyond painted plywood projects 3 or 4 years ago. Thanks for contributing to the deliquency of ww.

I'm sure there is someone out there reading this posting now thinking "I can do that if I just break it down to the parts". Soon, they will be buying more tools (new or used) and of course also becoming rough lumber collectors.:rolleyes: Oh the slippery slope.

Then folks will realize you can custom make just about anything, and suddenly you will have a VERY long to do list. .

[Al Navas]

Thanks for the progress report and pictures, Al.

You are finishing the underside of the top, right?
Frank,

You are welcome! And I am truly sorry, but when I responded to Rob I left the computer room and headed back to the shop, to continue work, and did not notice your post...:o

Today I am doing the underside of the table top. I probably screwed it up with the way I said it, so here is the complete story:

Yesterday I applied only one coat of the finish coat to the topside, and still have 2-3 to go.

Today I am finishing the underside properly. I will apply the third and final coat to the underside in just a short little while, after I sand *very* lightly with 400 or 600 grit, depending on how the second coat feels. That should do it.

I will let the underside cure overnight, and will probably turn over the table top tomorrow morning, to continue with the finish on the topside of the table.

I hope this makes more sense now. Sorry for messing up.

The weather is gorgeous, very much like Spring, and the temps are into the low 60s. WOW! All blinds are up in the shop, the sun is coming in, and all is perfect!!!


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[Dwight Boesiger]

Al

What a great tutorial series. It is much appreciated. Can the EM 2000 be successfully brushed on? I've done a limited amount of spraying before using Oxford Ultima spray lacquer but dont have a good place to spray something as large as the dining table I'm building.

Dwight Boesiger

[Al Navas]

...What a great tutorial series. It is much appreciated...
Thanks, Dwight - you are welcome, indeed!





...Can the EM 2000 be successfully brushed on? I've done a limited amount of spraying before using Oxford Ultima spray lacquer but dont have a good place to spray something as large as the dining table I'm building...
I could probably spray something about 96 inches long, but it would be touch-and-go, I think...:eek: First I would have to build a larger turntable, for sure.

I used the USL for quite a while, too, and like it very much, for it is so forgiving. But I am liking the EM2000 much better, although it is just a little more finicky. For example, I left the coating in the Teflon-coated aluminum spray can this morning, and the very tip of the nozzle developed a super thin, semi-soft layer - but it wiped right off. Fortunately, I first tried it on the Kraft paper, and noticed the problem with the spray pattern immediately. ==>> Now corrected. :D

From the Technical Information Sheet (http://www.targetcoatings.com/images/PDF/2000emtech.pdf) provided for download by Target Coatings:
Description:

EMTECH EM2000wvx Waterborne Alkyd Varnish (EM2000) is a waterborne, hybrid alkyd urethane coating that dries and cures to very hard, clear film at room temperature without the use of secondary catalysts.

Multiple coats of EM2000wvx can be applied within a 24-hour period allowing for a faster job completion.

EM2000wvx is thinned and can be cleaned-up with basic tap water. When cured EM2000wvx Waterborne Alkyd Varnish develops into a hard, durable alkyd film that offers excellent clarity, water and chemical resistance. Specially formulated for industrial spray applications, EM2000wvx can also be brush or pad applied for ease of use versatility.
I added the emphasis in red, to make sure it is clear that it can be either brushed on, or pad applied. If I were you, I would call Jeff Weiss, the President of Target Coatings. He is super helpful!


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[Mike McCann]

Al
thanks for the step by step. Great instructions.

Nice looking table. so you like the emtex better than Target USL?

[Al Navas]

Mike,

You are welcome - thanks for your kind words!

I have a feeling you mean the EMTECH EM2000, and not emtex? If so, yes, so far I do. I have used only the satin sheen product, as my client does not care for shiny surfaces on his furniture close to huge windows.

I like the EM2000wvx it so much, I called last week and ordered two more gallons, as I will still have a stand-up desk to make for this client, as soon as I finish this table.

I am headed to the shop right now, but will be back in a few hours.


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[Jim Kountz]

Al, I have been following along although this is the first time Ive replied. I just wanted to tell you that this is looking great and its always interesting so "see" inside another shop and how that person does their thing. Very interesting, thanks for taking the time for this and Im looking forward to more!!

[Al Navas]

Jim,

Thanks - I appreciate your comments!

I am glad to pitch in - in fact, I decided to do so on my blog, due to many questions from my readers. As a result, I decided to give others a chance to view the work as a Tutorial. My fear always is that much might be too basic - but the response has been terrific, encouraging, and truly supportive of my work.

That SMC management and Mods allow us to share is terrific, as not everyone reads others' blogs.


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[Craig T. Smith]

Al, + 1 on how much I appreciate your finishing tutorial. Now a question on your mortises.On the cross section of the two mortises you did not connect them in the corner. Some magazines connect them. Would you give some insite into why you do it your way as compared to theirs? Again thanks for your top notch explanations. Craig

[Al Navas]

Craig,

You are welcome!

Mortises (and their matching tenons) provide the large glue surface needed to maintain structural integrity in the joint. As a result, they should be as large as possible. In some cases, this means the mortises will meet each other. When this happens, the tenons must be mitered, leaving a clearance of about 1/32-inch or 1/64-inch on the ends.

In my case I was trying to avoid doing this, as I don't have a good way to miter the tenons at the ends of the long aprons. My limit is caused by interference from the metal column that supports the dust collection basket and DC piping over the table saw blade. The column is attached to the extension table on the table saw.

Although I could remove this column temporarily, I found another issue: The 1/2-inch diameter spiral carbide bit I have been using on the router to cut the tenons has a cutting length of 2-1/8 inches; it turns out this is the original design I had in mind for the M&T joinery, and the reason for my design. But with this bit at its maximum cutting length there was not that much shaft left in the collet, and I felt this was not only unsafe, but might cause an undesirable amount of runout and, therefore, inconsistent dimensions in both tenons and mortises.

Soooo... A slight re-design on the fly resulted in tenon length of 1-7/8 inches. And this is what I show on the photo - Please keep in mind that the tenons will be located at the opposite corner, not where I show it in the photo. I showed it the way I did strictly for illustration purposes.

In my original design I included tenons 2-1/2 inches wide by 2-1/8 inches long, and the tenon thickness 1/2-inch. Now they will be 2-1/2 inches wide, by 1-7/8 inches long, and 1/2-inch thick.

I believe this will be a good, solid and stout mortise & tenon joint.


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