black Walnut Grain Filler-Conclusion

[Ernie Kuhn]

From my original post last week, the promised photos. Hope all three make it. These are a couple of the 6" x 4" drawer fronts for my router table. Last year I bought on ebay, 16 pieces 11"x2"x1" figured black walnut for about $12. Good buy but no use till now. Resawed them about 1/8" thick to use as veneer on plywood drawer fronts. Book matched two pieces for each. The wood had some "open pores" which prompted my call for wood grain filler help. I did not intend to hide or camoflage the grain. Its the prettiest I've seen. See what you think. There is a wood spirit/sprite in No. 2. I think he will guard the expensive router bits.
Thanks to all of you for your help last week.
Ernie

[Norman Hitt]

I like Him. The one in #2 must be the Watchman, with eyes wide open and quietly alert, Buuuut the one in #1 must be the Enforcer, as he looks MUCH Meaner, with darker eyes and a shadowed face. Gonna be Nice.

Cheers.......Norm

[Jack Hogoboom]

Pretty outstanding...especially for a router table!!!! :D

Jack

[Chris Padilla]

I love walnut...what did you end up using for filler?

[Ernie Kuhn]

Norm, I agree, #1 is the enforcer. Jack, thank you, this is a learning piece of case work for me and I'm experimenting with things I haven't done before. Chris, Carole, Don, Ted, and Jim offered various suggestions. I ended up wet sanding with BLO, 220 grit and 320 grit on a 1/4 sheet cheap Makita vibrator sander. Good slurry. Rubbed it off with a chamois type leather garden glove. Let it dry. One coat clear shellac and ultimately, the "dreaded" poly top coat.
Now I need to find small, unobtrusive drawer pulls/knobs. I'll post a picture of completed unit in a week or so. Thanks for your interest and especially for all of the suggestions. Hope Mr. Becker doesn't think I covered up too much grain.
Ernie

[Jim O'Dell]

Now I need to find small, unobtrusive drawer pulls/knobs. I'll post a picture of completed unit in a week or so. Thanks for your interest and especially for all of the suggestions. Hope Mr. Becker doesn't think I covered up too much grain.
Ernie

I'd hate to see you cover those up with door pulls. How about routing a finger pull cup on the bottom edge of the drawer face. Not visible from the front but easy to grab and pull the drawer open. I just love to see good looking wood! Jim.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

I may be "Bonkers" but I believe that #3 is right on time. Reminds me of the tail spread of a TURKEY! (BTW - That's a compliment)

Bruce

[Charlie Plesums]

I think those drawer fronts would look much better on an entertainment center or some living area. About the right height for media storage drawers. Much better than using them in the shop. Somebody might think there were valuable router bits inside or something.

Why don't you let me send you a sheet of MDF, which would be much more appropriate for the shop, and I will provide a good home for your drawer fronts.

[Mark Stutz]

Ernie,
These are stunning! I too like to "experiment" with new techniques, etc. while making shop projects. My first reaction was, like others, that these are too nice for a shop. After reflecting a little however, I think they are perfect. We spend as much time there as we can, and I for one enjoy looking at nice wood rather than MDF all the time. Sort of reminds me of the tradition of apprentices showing off their skills building beautiful tool chests.
BTW, that was a steal on the wood!

Mark

[Ted Shrader]

Ernie -

We all thought you were asking about run of the mill walnut - not beautiful stuff like that. You are going to have a top of the line router table!

Ted

[Ernie Kuhn]

Jim O'Dell, great idea! I have a problem in that the drawer faces are flush with each other and the case and the top of one drawer is only 1/8" below bottom of the next drawer up. I'm thinking a thin horizontal wooden "pull", contrasting wood, accross bottom, applied with dowel? Bruce, yes, it's sure is a TURKEY!!! Your eyes are better than mine.
Charlie, I have a couple of the 11"x2"x1" pieces left. If you want to try something small, I'll send but need your snail mail address. Send me an email.
Mark, exactly what I was thinking. If it turns out to look like furniture, I would be inclined to invite prospective customers into the shop e.g. show and tell. If it turns out to be ugly but functional, I can still use it but no customers in shop.
Ted, this is really pretty wood but the pieces were relatively small and I didn't have a clue what I could use them for when I bought them. Now I think I can resaw 1/8" thick, book match and use for music or jewelry box lids?
Thanks to all for looking and comments. This is a new experience for me. Will post finished router table pics in a week or so.
Ernie

[Ernie Kuhn]

FINAL PICS,
Its finished! Coudn't find suitable drawer pulls, made them from honey locust pen blanks and doweled into drawers. Bottom drawer short piece of cheap American Elm ($2.00) that I tried again to resaw for thick veneer. Thanks for looking. Hope you enjoy. Its great when a project is finished.
Ernie

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

The American Elm might have been inexpensive, but certainly NOT CHEEP .........That is fantastic looking! Great bookmatch.

Bruce

[Ernie Kuhn]

Bruce,
No turkey this time but, almost looks like a skeleton lying on its side, with the rib cage to your left? Imagination is a wonderful thing. Thank you for the compliments. I just got lucky in uncovering someone else's work. Again, as with the small pieces of walnut, I had no idea what the heck I would use that piece of elm for but, it just seemed to fit here. Again, thank you,
Ernie

[John Miliunas]

Ernie, looks good! You got yourself some magnificent pieces of wood there, as well. :) I agree with Bruce regarding the bookmatching on the Elm. Sweet! :)

One comment, if I may, though. That switch. Brings shivers up and down my spine! Even if a guy normally unplugs the machine to change bits, there are times that you may just be making a slight fence adjustment or such with the router still plugged in and that puppy has a bright-lit sign saying, "BUMP ME!" :eek: I'd seriously consider replacing it with, at least, one of those button-type switches Rockler, Woodcraft, et all have, which forces you to press it "on" in a very specific manner. If you keep the toggle switch, there are protective covers you can utilize to help prevent an accidental engagement. Please, consider something! :) :cool:

[Ernie Kuhn]

John,
You are absolutely correct. I searched locally for safety pushbutton switch at local big box but their price was somewhere on the order of $40. Couldn't do it. I will check with the two sources you mentioned.
At the moment, I am following an administrative control in that I have a remote knob attached to 1/4 20 thded rod which goes to the router shaft lock. The knob is on the same side as the elec cord and I disconnect and hang the cord on the knob when changing bits, reminds me to plug it back in and to double check that the lock is off before I try to start the router again. That being said, a push button safety switch like I have on the Grizzly band saw is in order.
Thanks again,
Ernie