Sam Chambers
09-12-2005, 2:12 PM
This was a gift for my stepdaughter on her 16th birthday. SWMBO got her pearls, so I figured I'd build her something to keep them in. It's the New Yankee Workshop design, with a few modifications - most of them accidental.
I got the cherry about 8 years ago, from my parents' neighbor. He was building a cherry kitchen when he suddenly died of a heart attack, and she was selling the rest of his lumber. I'm glad it will have a chance to endure.
The finish is 1 coat BLO, 2 coats Zinsser Seal Coat (dewaxed shellac), 2-3 coats Minwax Wipe-On Poly (clear gloss).
New stuff on this project:
First nice, indoor project.
First time working with cherry. Beautiful stuff, but very brittle. Didn't have too many problems with burning, though. First dovetails. They were made with my Jointech Saw Train.
First time finishing anything for inside. (Many thanks to Jim Becker and other in the finishing forum for their help!)
Lessons Learned:
There are plenty of mistakes in the finished piece, but I'm getting better at fixing or hiding them.
BLO works magic with cherry. I'm glad I didn't stain it, because I really love the color.
I didn't enjoy my first experience with shellac. It dries too dang fast.
The Minwax Wipe-On Poly was very easy to use, and quite forgiving.
I bought some cherry knobs at Rockler, but they weren't even close to being a decent color match, and I didn't have time to turn any from my existing stock, hence the brass knobs.
Sometimes teenagers really do appreciate the nice things you do for them.
Last, but definitely not least...Kickback really hurts.
Many thanks to all of you who gave me such great advice!
I got the cherry about 8 years ago, from my parents' neighbor. He was building a cherry kitchen when he suddenly died of a heart attack, and she was selling the rest of his lumber. I'm glad it will have a chance to endure.
The finish is 1 coat BLO, 2 coats Zinsser Seal Coat (dewaxed shellac), 2-3 coats Minwax Wipe-On Poly (clear gloss).
New stuff on this project:
First nice, indoor project.
First time working with cherry. Beautiful stuff, but very brittle. Didn't have too many problems with burning, though. First dovetails. They were made with my Jointech Saw Train.
First time finishing anything for inside. (Many thanks to Jim Becker and other in the finishing forum for their help!)
Lessons Learned:
There are plenty of mistakes in the finished piece, but I'm getting better at fixing or hiding them.
BLO works magic with cherry. I'm glad I didn't stain it, because I really love the color.
I didn't enjoy my first experience with shellac. It dries too dang fast.
The Minwax Wipe-On Poly was very easy to use, and quite forgiving.
I bought some cherry knobs at Rockler, but they weren't even close to being a decent color match, and I didn't have time to turn any from my existing stock, hence the brass knobs.
Sometimes teenagers really do appreciate the nice things you do for them.
Last, but definitely not least...Kickback really hurts.
Many thanks to all of you who gave me such great advice!