My Latest Project

[Stew Hagerty]

I just completed this stand as a birthday present for my beautiful wife. The framework is made from some curly cherry while the top, which is also cherry, has has some nice figure and a swirl of very prominent cats paws. The frame is mortice & tenon construction. The top is a three piece glue-up taken end to end from the same board and figure matched as well as possible. I attached the top using pocket holes in the top rails which I elongated to allow for seasonal movement. I beveled the top to lighten it and then carried that design aspect to the bottom of the legs.

I applied a half pound cut of garnet shellac followed by a custom blend of GF dye that I like to use on cherry. On the top I thinned down the dye to give a bit more translucense and allow the cats paws to stand out more. On the framework I followed the dye with 5 coats of satin wipe-on poly, while I sprayed the top with 5 coats of Behlen "Buffcoat" lacquer. Lastly, I applied a nice coat of Liberon Black Bison wax (clear).

This was a mostly Neanderthal project. I did cheat and use my tablesaw to rip the stock and to bevel the top. I also used a cordless drill with my kreg jig for the pocket holes. Oh yeah, and does using an electric buffer count against me too?

2012 Loaine B-Day 01.jpg2012 Loaine B-Day 02.jpg2012 Loaine B-Day 03.jpg2012 Loaine B-Day 04.jpg

[Mike Null]

Very nice work and good design!

[Mel Fulks]

Nice.Top glue up is good . "Matched as well as possible" is quite accurate.

[Bruce Page]

Very nice! I like the combination of textures.

[Paul Saffold]

Very very nice, Stew. I like cherry and you've done a great job on it.
I am confused about dying the cherry after you gave it a wash coat of shellac. I thought dye could only be applied to raw wood. Do you sand back to wood after the initial coat of shellac?
Paul

[Gordon Eyre]

I like this and what a neat way to make use of the designer boxes. All in all a great project. Kudo's to you and your wife.

[Stew Hagerty]

I am confused about dying the cherry after you gave it a wash coat of shellac. I thought dye could only be applied to raw wood. Do you sand back to wood after the initial coat of shellac?
Paul

I use the shellac as a grain sealer so that I don't get blotching. And actually, it's probably more like 1/3lb that 1/2lb; I make my shellac with a 75/25 mix of denatured alcohol/everclear to slow down the drying in general, but with this thin mix I also add some 99% pure isopropyl alcohol to slow it further to give the shellac plenty of time to soak in deep. I use garnet because it imparts a hint of redish background color. Yes I do sand afterward but just lightly, usually with 320, although I did take the top to 600.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nice work Stew! It has a "light" feeling to it....

[Stew Hagerty]

Mike, Mel, Bruce, Paul, Gordon, and Ken... Thank you all for your kind comments. My wife does indeed love the stand, we have a large Master Bath and she decided to put in there.

OK, now on to my next project. First I'm going to go to work on a puzzle box for my granddaughter's 3rd birthday in a about 3 weeks. Then I think I'm going to build a new coffee & end table set. I'm thinking something in the Craftsman style, but made from mahogany. Anyone have any good ideas?

[glenn bradley]

How did I miss this? Beautiful piece. LOML has been after something very similar; also for a bathroom. The light visual weight is a perfect fit. I am hiding this thread form her for sure .

[Paul Cahill]

Very nice. I am trying to sort out in my mind various approaches to finishing having done a lot of reading. I am curious why you chose the wipe-on poly on the legs and the sprayed lacquer on the top?
Paul

[Stew Hagerty]

Very nice. I am trying to sort out in my mind various approaches to finishing having done a lot of reading. I am curious why you chose the wipe-on poly on the legs and the sprayed lacquer on the top?
Paul

The wipe-on poly was easy to apply to the open web structure of the frame without dealing with the drips & runs that (for me at least) would be inevitable with spraying in and around everything. Plus I didn't want the frame to have the deep high gloss of the top.