Phew! I almost ran out of clamps!

[Todd Burch]

This was one time that I did have enough. Good thing I bought the whole box last time! I'm applying curly maple beading to my cherry face frames - didn't want to have to fill any nails holes, although a pin nailer certainly would have sped up the process.

Todd.

[Brian Hale]

Todd

I didn't know any one person owned that many spring clamps!!! :cool::cool:

I've got a real love/hate relationship with them; either they're too weak, too strong, wrong size or just not enough of them....

Nice looking frames!!

Brian :)

[Terry Quiram]

Yep, thats a lot. Now you have to sand all the little grease spots from the cheesy rubber/vinyl/plastic end proctectors.

Great looking face frame.

[Chris Padilla]

Well, you've got me beat on spring clamps! :) That looks like a nice touch for the faceframes. Won't most of that maple be hidden?

[Todd Burch]

Chris, if I plan it right, the figure in the maple will stick out like a sore thumb! Looking straight on, you won't see much, but from the sides, you'll see all of it.

Terry - you are correctamundo on having to sand the clamp marks out. A good eye can see the marks in the second picture.

[Jim Byrne]

Parchment paper works well to protect the surface and I dont think it has any additives that might leave a mark.

Used this on Balsa and Gorilla glue and it worked well still released. Though wax paper was better.

[Larry Browning]

Hey Todd,
Was it snowing in your shop? :D

[Todd Burch]

Larry, as a matter of fact, we had a SEVERE sawdust storm today. 2" of pine and maple shavings EVERYWHERE. CNN came by and even interviewed me. Stay up and watch Headline News all night - maybe you'll see me. :)

[Jason Roehl]

Terry - you are correctamundo on having to sand the clamp marks out. A good eye can see the marks in the second picture.

Todd--I DON'T have good eyes and I can see the marks in the second pic. :D Should be some cool cabinets when you're all done.

[Alan Turner]

I have the Senco 23 ga. pin nailer, and have found, per a tip from Jeff Jewitt, that for these tiny holes, you can put a drop of superglue on the hole, and sand it in till dry with 320 grit, and the sawdust fills the hole pronto. About 30 sec., per hole. But, you would have a lot of holes on this job. Use the med. density. Just sand till dry.
BTW, great looking job.
Alan

[Byron Trantham]

Todd,
I think I would have used a couple strips of say 1x2 to hold the maple in place and maybe 3-4 small bar clamps. Fewer clamps and no marks. Just a thought. BTW, I'll bet your hands were killing you after opening up all those clamps! :rolleyes:

[Todd Burch]

Alan, great tip on the pin nailer, which I have. However, these maple strips were sanded to only 120, as I really really really want them to get dark quick when I'm staining. I've learned through previous mistakes that when spot sanding like you suggest, I would end up with light spots where I sanded with 320 (or 220), and that would be a bigger issue than not even filling the hole.

Byron - right you are. I chose this method because I needed to be able to move these things around/out of the way while glue was drying, and my clamps that I would have had to use for a distance > 2" (4" to 6" C-clamps) would have been too heavy on the faming to be able to move it safely. Even with cauls, I would have used a minimum of 2 for the 26" runs, maybe 3 for the strips that wanted to twist a little, plus make all the cauls. Grabbing what I had to use seemed to work OK in this case, and if I play my cards right, SWMBO will do the final sanding ;). With these spring clamps, I got good pressure and spot pressure where I needed it. As for hand-aches - not a problem - I was blessed with Popeye's forearms, but not his love for spinach!

[Mark Singer]

Todd,
Very nice detail!! I have done a similar edge on sheet goods...it makes a lot of sense.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Now I know why I can't buy any spring clamps; you have them all. :)

I think that's a beautful effect with the bead moulding. Would you mind giving us the specific steps making it? Thanks Alan in Md.

[Todd Burch]

Alan, it was fast and straightforward, and YOU CAN DO IT too!

First find some curly maple, finished to 3/4" thick. It can be fat or scant, depending on whether you want the beads inset from the frame, flush or proud.

Then, joint one edge. Set tablesaw fence to 1/4" (+) and rip your strips. Use a sacrificial pushblock.

Sand the show edge or the strip. I have the luxury of the wide belt sander for this. Burn marks? Who cares!

Set up a 1/4" beading bit in the router table, with featherboards pushing against and fence and the down towards the table. Feed 'em through. After your first strip, note which side gives you the cleanest roundover. Feed all subsequent strips so your show side gets the cleanest edge.

Below is a drawing showing different options for how you might want to flush or offset the beading.

I learned, from a more experienced cabinetmaker, several years ago, some techniques for speeding joinery when it comes to things like this. I had always prior sought for "tight and flush". However, this is the most time consuming and requires the most fuss and precision. Leaving an intentional gap, like the roundover does to the square edge of the framing material, allows any deviations in material (or assembly) to not be "as" noticable. Also, I could have used plywood for the framing instead of solid stock, since the edges are covered (and in this case, there will be glazing in the gap, hiding all traces of inner plys). This beading is a good way to go, especially around drawer fronts and doors when using inset mountings, plus, it looks good! Also, where face frames meet case sides, it is common to leave the face frame just proud of the case side or run a "V" groove with a router.

So, after my cabinetmaker friend pointed these techniques out to me, I started looking at furniture while in stores and other people's homes, and even my own home, and asking myself WHY did they make it that way. You'll see ALL KINDS of shortcuts used for production pieces.

I guess that's about it. Todd.

[Chris Padilla]

How proud is the beading on the faceframe you are working on?

[Todd Burch]

Chris - IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU MEASURE!!! HAR HAR HAR!!!

(er... uh... I was going for flush...)

[Chris Padilla]

:D I thought as much! :D

[Daniel Rabinovitz]

Todd
Thanks again for a most thorough explanation.
Looking GGGGGGGGGGooooD!
Daniel :cool:

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Alan, it was fast and straightforward, and YOU CAN DO IT too!

First find some curly maple, finished to 3/4" thick. It can be fat or scant, depending on whether you want the beads inset from the frame, flush or proud.

Then, joint one edge. Set tablesaw fence to 1/4" (+) and rip your strips. Use a sacrificial pushblock.

Sand the show edge or the strip. I have the luxury of the wide belt sander for this. Burn marks? Who cares!

Set up a 1/4" beading bit in the router table, with featherboards pushing against and fence and the down towards the table. Feed 'em through. After your first strip, note which side gives you the cleanest roundover. Feed all subsequent strips so your show side gets the cleanest edge.

Below is a drawing showing different options for how you might want to flush or offset the beading.

I learned, from a more experienced cabinetmaker, several years ago, some techniques for speeding joinery when it comes to things like this. I had always prior sought for "tight and flush". However, this is the most time consuming and requires the most fuss and precision. Leaving an intentional gap, like the roundover does to the square edge of the framing material, allows any deviations in material (or assembly) to not be "as" noticable. Also, I could have used plywood for the framing instead of solid stock, since the edges are covered (and in this case, there will be glazing in the gap, hiding all traces of inner plys). This beading is a good way to go, especially around drawer fronts and doors when using inset mountings, plus, it looks good! Also, where face frames meet case sides, it is common to leave the face frame just proud of the case side or run a "V" groove with a router.

So, after my cabinetmaker friend pointed these techniques out to me, I started looking at furniture while in stores and other people's homes, and even my own home, and asking myself WHY did they make it that way. You'll see ALL KINDS of shortcuts used for production pieces.

I guess that's about it. Todd.

Todd, Thanks for the great explanation. I learn from you all the time. I'm going to have to start paying you tuition pretty soon. But don't get any ideas from this though. :) Alan

[Chris Pasko]

Hey Todd, awesome as always!

I had a quick question, you said you could have used ply in this case since there would be glazing between the face and the beading, I was wondering what you are talking about. I assume you are not going to paint it, but rather stain it, so would the glazing be noticeable. What are you using for glazing, and why =).

Thanks!

[Todd Burch]

Chris - good question!

I'm using a several step finishing process. I'll be toning, staining, sealing, glazing, sealing and lacquering. Here's the skinny on these steps.

Toning. For this, I use what is called a toner. This is a spray-application only, "colorant" if you will. With it, I can make white ash look like mahogany, or birch look like golden oak, or poplar look like cherry, or even cherry sapwood look like cherry heartwood. It dries about 5 nanoseconds after it hits the wood. It is acetone based. ML campbell Microton Toner. (Cherry)

Then, I will stain with an acrylic stain. ML Campbell Woodsong 2 (Cinnamon). Spray on, wipe off. You can rag it on or brush it on or spray it on. Rag works OK, brush works better, and spray works best. With this stain, 30 minutes later you can topcoat.

Then, since I'm glazing, I will shoot a water white vinyl sealer. (ML Campbell)

After the sealer, comes the glaze. Think of glaze as a thick bodied stain, like a runny milkshake. Heavy on the pigments. I will wipe this on, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wipe it off, leaving some dark glaze in the recesses of mouldings, corners of wood, etc., so as to give the piece an aged look.

After the glaze dries, another coat of vinyl sealer, followed by 3 coats of satin lacquer. The vinyl sealer is used for adhesion with the glaze. If I wasn't using glaze, after the stain, I would lacquer.

I'll be posting pictures when I get to that stage. ;)

Todd

[Chris Pasko]

Wow, thanks a lot for that detailed explanation Todd. I have a good grasp of what you are doing...now just to see the final product! Cant wait!

[Jason Tuinstra]

Todd, I'm looking forward to the finished product. I'm sure it will look sweet. How can it not? It's curly maple and cherry! Waiting eagerly...

[Todd Burch]

..and walnut too! (and poplar as well, if that counts for anything)

[Chris Padilla]

Toning. For this, I use what is called a toner. This is a spray-application only, "colorant" if you will. With it, I can make white ash look like mahogany, or birch look like golden oak, or poplar look like cherry, or even cherry sapwood look like cherry heartwood.
Todd

Todd,

You must truly be an artist (or a magician) if you can make a wood like birch look like oak or ash look like mahagony! I am just teasing here...I know you mean the color and not the grain! :p

[Jim Hill 2]

Todd, could you describe how you are going to finish this? I just used a technique like this and had a terrible time padding on the shellac. I had ¼” beading that was proud of the face frame on both sides of a frame that was about 1” thick. I could not get it to go on as smooth as I would have liked and sanding between coats seemed very difficult. Any finishing tricks up your sleeve?

[Todd Burch]

Jim, see my post above in this same thread. (Post #22). I think it is complete on how I will finish it. If that is not clear enough, let me know. :)

Todd