First Project Picture

[Jeffrey Brown]

I said that I would post a picture of the project that I have been working on for quite awhile and here it is. Any constructive criticism is always appreciated. I have learned quite a bit from working on this project and I could not of even started it if it wasn't for the help from David Duke and Bobby McCarthy sending me or willing to send me the plans for this. Thank you very much to both of you.
As you can see, it is not 100% complete. I am waiting on the mirror to come in. And, I need some help on which route to go for the finishing. Polycrylic, boiled linseed oil, varnish,...So, if someone is willing, please help!
It is by no means "professional grade" but, i think that it turned out alright. Take a look and tell me what could be better.
Here is what I know that I had trouble with:
- Stain being evenly applied
- My first measurements were off
- Had difficulty with the mortise and tenon joints
Thank you in advance for any help/guidance. Jeff

[lou sansone]

hi jeffrey
it looks real nice to me. please excuse this question, but what is it? I take it is some type of mirror. I can't tell from the photos what scale I am looking at
best wishes


lou

[Jeffrey Brown]

Lou,
It is a hallway mirror(minus the mirror) with coat hook blocks that slide left or right(minus the coat hooks). Any ideas on finishing? Thank you for looking. Jeff

[Brett Baldwin]

That looks to be a nice addition to an entryway.
If you are planning to use it as an everyday coatrack, I'd think a durable finish would be the way to go. A poly of some sort would probably be easiest. I would suggest taking a scrap piece (or three) of the same wood with the same stain on it and trying out your finishes to see what works best/easiest for you.

[Vaughn McMillan]

Looks good, Jeff. What kind of wood did you use? I second the suggestion for some type of durable finish. From what I've seen, water-based polycrylic in easy to clean up and will probably dry faster, but may not offer as rich of tone as an oil-based polyurethane. Also, a wipe-on polyurethane is easy to apply and relatively difficult to mess up. (I can mess it up, but I have a special talent that way. ;) )

I think I see the mismeasured parts, but I think when you have it in use with coats hanging on it, it won't be very noticeable. And on the plus side, every mistake can be a learning experience. Some people (like me) need to learn a few things more than once. :o

- Vaughn

[Jay Knoll]

Jeff

I think that looks great. I was going to say that something looked a bit "off" on the bottom part, but then I re-read your post and you said that there would be coat hooks on the boards and that they will slide. So the irregular spacing is a feature, not a defect!

That could make for some interesting finishing, you don't want to gunk up the groove the wood pieces slide in, or "glue" them in place with the finish. Perhaps you should have done some prefinishing before you assembled the piece, but that isn't an alternative.

I would use an oil based finish, maybe a wipe on varnish in this case, you could do the sliders, let them dry and then work on the rest of the piece. Keeping the sliders free to move will be a bit of a challenge.

Jay

[Jim Becker]

Looks great, Jeff!

Finishing with a wipe-on product will be easiest. My favorite finish for decorative pieces like this is BLO followed by shellac, however...or sometimes just BLO and wax if it is a closed grain wood species. (Cherry, for example)