Oiling, BLOing, Waxing, and Buffing -- Oh My!

[Andy Hoyt]

Had one of those apostrophes just now while I was reading Carole's thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=30419) and thought that I run a question up your collective flagpoles.

There are a number of very prolific turners (Carole, John H, Travis, Jim K., etc) here who always seem to have new pieces to show every few days. And usually at one point or another while describing things they'll say something like, "Gonna let it sit for 14 days so it can cure...." or "Gonna let it sit for 37 to 43 hours for the .... to happen" or "I'll wait for 63 hours and then rub it down with 4-0 wool, wax it, wait til Tueday, and then......".

Remember they've got stuff rolling off the end of the process every few days. And this means that they could easily have ten, twenty, thirty, or more (?) pieces in development at any given time. And I'm not talking about rough turned stuff - it's the finish turned stuff I'm asking about.

So here's my question.

How the heck do you keep track of it all so you know what each piece needs next - and when?

Enquiring minds want to know.

[Bob Noles]

Andy,

One thing they have over me is they are master organizers as well as master turners. :D :eek: :p

[Travis Stinson]

What was the question?;)

[Michael Stafford]

I don't do it that way.....:p ;)

[John Hart]

You got a lot of nerve grouping me in with a bunch of great turners! I don't even rate!:o
But I wouldn't mind hearing what everyone else does...cuz I've been wondering the same thing.;)

[Jim Becker]

Had one of those apostrophes just now


Really? This one?

’
:D

But excellent question. I'm looking forward to learning how folks manage their production time lines through finishing.

[Jim Dunn]

Well they could tell ya but it involves quantum mechanics:) I put mine in a bag and wrote the date on it. Course I've only got 2 pieces in bags right now.

[Andy Hoyt]

You got a lot of nerve grouping me in with a bunch of great turners! I don't even rate!:o
But I wouldn't mind hearing what everyone else does...cuz I've been wondering the same thing.;)

Hey! I said "prolific", not "terrific":D

[John Hart]

Hey! I said "prolific", not "terrific":D

Oh.......Well........then.......that's very different isn't it?

.....Nevermind.:)

[Gary Max]

Andy you will like this----I line them up.
If I am really working on getting a bunch of bowls done I may have 20 or more going at the same time. So they come out of the bath and go to the end of the line and as they dry I go to the other end and start the finish turining.
Remember I do live in Kentucky

[Cecil Arnold]

So Gary, living in Kentucky, does that mean that when you line them up they aren't in a straight line?

[Gary Max]

Cecil-- I just don't have to number them or write the date on each one.
I try to keep it as easy as possible. Heck most of the time I ain't got any ideal what day of the week it is.

[Glenn Clabo]

Okay Andy...so is this where I should tell everyone about the two years of life on an island...women....and certain beverages?

[Carole Valentine]

Andy, I am really not what you would call a "prolific" turner and I am definitely not organized! Right now I have 4 pieces sitting on top of the microwave that have just received their final coat of oil. There are two pieces sitting on the counter that have had their coat of thinned lacquer and their first coat of oil. Tomorrow morning the finished pieces will depart from their perch on top of the nuker to take up residence at the back of a table in the front room where they will simmer quietly for a couple of weeks before being buffed. The pieces on the counter will receive their second coat and migrate to the top of the nuker where they will stay until they either receive their final coat of oil or get tossed into the burn box (I am not real fond of either of them.) I buff in batches whenever I happen to feel like it, which is not very often so when the mood strikes me, chances are that everything not on the back line of the curing table is more than likely ready to go to the buffer. Making it to the curing table however, does NOT, guarantee immunity from the burn box. Sometimes I will pick up a piece to take to the buffer and think "I don't LIKE you!" BAM! Into the box you go! So it goes.:D

[Andy Hoyt]

Thanks Carole. So let me see if I understood. Your parlor and kitchen have been overrun by the abyss - excellent.

Seriously - You know what needs to be done by virtue of where you left it the last time you did something to it. Right?

But it seems like you use a bunch of different finishing approaches. How do you keep all that straight over the course of many weeks? Being smart? Post it notes? A ledger?

Sorry for sounding like a twit. I'm just looking for clues so I can develop a process that I can actually remember from one day to the next.

[John Hart]

Yeah...now that's my problem exactly! I had a notebook, but I lost it.:eek:
Sticky notes make a mess of the finish. I just try to remember and always fail.

[Jim Dunn]

Andy your turning to many pieces at one time:eek::eek::eek:.
Carol I wish I could take up residence in the kitchen for my wood working addiction:D. Have a whole lot more room and a much cleaner place to work:p

I think for the occasional turner the thing to do is build a drying/buffing, whatever set of shelves and place turned items according to the next listed thing to do. You could place a post-it-note on the shelve to help you remember??;)

Jim

[Carole Valentine]

But it seems like you use a bunch of different finishing approaches. How do you keep all that straight over the course of many weeks? Being smart? Post it notes? A ledger?


I just try to remember, but that's getting difficult. I've been known to screw up, now and then!:D:D:D I've put a sealer of lacquer on pieces that weren't supposed to have it. One time I laid a piece that had been buffed on the counter for a couple of days. I forgot it had been finished and picked it up with the ones scheduled for the second coat of oil. Oil doesn't do too good on top of wax.:o I need a finishing room addition on my shop (climate controlled of course) then I wouldn't have to do the kitchen/parlor shuffle.:)

[Raymond Overman]

I'm not as old as you are Andy. My minds like a steel trap. Closed. :eek:

[Karl Laustrup]

I'm just looking for clues so I can develop a process that I can actually remember from one day to the next.

ROFLOL. :D :D Yeah, right!!

Even post it's don't help me. I forget where I put the post it. :o :eek:

Karl

[Andy Hoyt]

Karl - Amen to that. My thought was that we all could use this thread as an on line post it note.

Raymond - Is it a one way or a two way trap? And how do you remember which way it's set for?:cool: