Regular dusting, preferably with a static duster or feather type cleaner. Using a normal cloth can scratch the finish.

Try re-buffing the project, if a shine cannot be achieved, then apply a light coat of wax, allow the wax to dry, then rebuff the project to restore its full glory.

If the work piece looks dull, especially if using Tongue Oil on Oak, then an application of wax maybe necessary after 2 – 3 months, and again after 6 months. This because the oil is still drying and being absorbed into the wood. After the 6 month period you should not have to worry about this phenomena, and routine maintenance should be sufficient.

DO NOT.
Use aerosol furniture polish. Most of these polishes contain silicone, which is detrimental to the natural waxes used.
use detergents or water – if the piece becomes sticky or dried on dirt is present, then use a damp cloth to wipe away the dirt, allow it to dry and then reapply a the wax.

Do not place the item to close to a fire or heater – the heat will damage the wood and melt/soften the wax.

Try to keep real wooden projects out of strong direct sunlight.

Before we get too much into this part, there are a few things we have to consider about the wood we are using for our project, especially if we want a high shine on the project.

OPEN/CLOSE GRAIN
Some woods, such as Oak, Mahogany and Walnut have what is called “open grain”, whilst others like Cherry, Maple and Birch have what is called “close grain”. The open grain woods, if not treated correctly will always give an interrupted surface, such as an orange or lemon is compared to an apple.
To overcome this problem, we need to “fill the grain” – this is easily achievable with grain filler (subject of another lecture) which are commercially available.

GRAIN ENHANCEMENT
Does the wood we want finish have some nice grain or features we want to enhance, such as a burl. If it does then we would be better of using an oil to start the process of finishing. Oils tend to enhance the grains and patterns in wood more than any other finish available.

CHANGING THE COLOUR
Does the wood need to be stained? Why do we stain wood – 2 main reasons firstly to alter the appearance of the wood, Alder or Aspen to look like Walnut or Mahogany. Secondly and probably more importantly to balance the colour of the same wood but from a different plank/board i.e adjacent glued up boards (subject of another lecture).

For this demonstration I am using a piece of White Oak (open Grain), which we want to be darker than the natural colour, we also want it to have a medium to high shine, with good protection against food, wine and some heat resistance.

Step 1.
Sand the piece to be protected starting at 80g, then 120g, 180, 240g , ensuring that you sand with the grain wherever possible.

Step 2.
Clean the piece of all dust, ensure that all traces of glue have been removed.

Step 3
Apply the stain and leave to dry. Note if using a NGR (Non Grain Raining) stain then Step 4 can be omitted.

Step 4
Sand the entire project again with 240g (or the highest grit you used in Step 1) in the direction of the grain. This is to remove any grain that might have been “raised” during the staining process (especially prevalent with water based stains)

Step 5.
Apply the grain filler (you should use a darker filler than the final colour you want to achieve, this will allow for the natural darkening of the project to blend with the filler in a short time.) in small circular motion, leave the filler to dry. Using a clean piece of sacking wipe the excess filler of the work piece ensure you wipe across the grain, NOT with the grain.

Step 6.
Re-sand the piece again – using 240g (or the highest grit you used in Step 1) in the direction of the grain.

Step 7 (Optional)
Re-apply a coat of stain (optional) as in step 3. This maybe may be necessary, if you have removed too much wood during the sanding process or if you want to make the project darker/fuller in colour.

Step 8.
We now apply our first protective coating – this could be oil, varnish, Oil/varnish mix, shellac or some other medium. This coating is going to give us the high degree of protection we need for everyday use.

I have used Osmo Polyx Hardwax oil, as it is one of the easiest to apply, gives a superb finish and very resistant to spills and scratching.
Apply a thin coat of the Osmo Polyx hardwax oil to the whole piece, then with a clean cloth remove any excess.(this should be done with 15 minutes of application), if necessary on larger pieces work in sections or zones. Leave to dry for 12 hours or overnight.

Tip/Hint The cloths, brushes, sponges etcetera used for the application of this oil can be used again, place the cloths, brushes, sponges etcetera in a plastic bag, remove most of the air, seal the bag and put it in the freezer. When you want to reuse them, just let them defrost and you are ready to go.

Step 9.
Re-sand the piece again – using 320g in the direction of the grain.

Step 10.
Apply a second coat of the Osmo Polyx Hardwax oil, in the same manner as Step 8. Leave to dry for a minimum of 12 hours.

Step 11.
Re-sand the piece again – using 600g in the direction of the grain. If you want a higher sheen, especially for table tops, then Re-sand the piece with 1000g, then 1500g. Remove any dust and allow to dry.

Step 12.
We are now ready to apply our 1st coat of wax. We are going to use Fiddes “Mellow wax, this wax is formulated for applying onto prefinished pieces such as our sample. Whilst we can use a coloured wax, there is no real advantage in this example as the wood is so dark, the wax would not have any appreciable effect. We could also use the Fiddes “Supreme wax” just as easily, it is just that I prefer the use of the Mellow wax for this application.

Apply a light coat of wax to the piece rubbing in small circular motion, then finish off by rubbing with the grain of the wood. Ensure to remove any surplus wax before it has dried.
Leave to dry for the required time

Step 13.
Buff the piece with a clean dry soft cloth, preferably in the direction of the grain.

Step 14.
Repeat the application wax in step 12.

Step 15.
Repeat step 14. When fully buffed the work is finished – the project can now be used. However for full protection, I would prefer to leave the piece for an additional 2 weeks in cool (not cold) dry conditions, just to let the Osmo Polyx Hardwax oil fully cure. (if using Oil/Varnish or Varnish, then I would leave it for 6 weeks) After this time a additional buffing, would not hurt, or even an additional light coat of wax.

On the market today there are a multitude of products to choose from natural waxes, such as Bees Wax or Carnauba Wax to hybrid waxes, which are mixed with other oils and waxes to make application and drying times faster. These hybrid wax systems are usually available in different colours, which enable you to stain wood at the same time as providing a protective finish.

There are 2 basic ways of apply wax to the project, depending upon the required finish.
1. Directly to bare wood
2. On top of another medium, such as Oil, shellac or Varnish.

Applying to untreated wood.

Step 1.
For applying directly to bare/untreated wood, the wood should be sanded to about 180 grain for a matt finish, 320 grain for a semi-gloss finish and 600 grain for a higher sheen. All sanding should be in the direction of the grain where possible, ensuring that there are no traces of glue remaining.

Step 2.
Remove all traces of sanding dust, by cloth or vacuum.

Step 3.
Apply a small amount Fiddes “Supreme wax” with 0000 wire wool in the direction of the wood grain; not forgetting to get into the corners and joint lines. Immediately remove any excess wax with a separate soft cloth, again in the direction of the grain. It should be noted that the use of coloured waxes will darken the wood, and subsequent applications of coloured wax will deepen the colour. You should always test the colour waxes on scrap wood from the project.

Step 4.
Leave the wax to dry in accordance with the manufactures instructions, between 3 to 30 minutes depending upon the type of wax used and conditions in the room.

Step 5.
Buff the wax in the direction of the grain, wherever possible with a soft cloth. Leaving a super sheen.

Step 6.
Apply further coats of wax as necessary or desired.

These three short blogs are the notes presented at a demonstration I gave last Friday evening. Sorry there are no photographs at the moment – not that there would be much to see. I hope you find it useful.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Finishing
This presentation is going to try and explain the selection process and application of wax as used as a protective and decorative finish.

The goal of this presentation is to explain why we are selecting the use of wax, the preparation of the surface prior to application, the application of the wax and the maintenance of the piece after application.

But, before I start in detail, there is a selection process we must go through every time make something, this is applicable whether it be a Table, Box, Piece of Art or a small Egg turned on a lathe. Most of us, through experience, do not go through this process consciously every time, but sub-consciously we do, it all comes down to past experience.

There are 5 main categories/thought processes we must apply in each and every project these are listed below.
1. Why finish a product
Why do we apply a finish, whatever it may be?
• To give some protection to the finished item from damage
• To enhance or change the appearance of the material used.

2. Selection of finish
The first questions we have to ask ourselves, even before we start the project is “What level of protection do we want/need”?
i. Cosmetic (Art pieces, decorative – non use items)
ii. Durable (chairs, cabinets, beds)
iii. Heavy Use (table tops, work surfaces)
iv. Inside or outside (will the project come into contact with the elements ({sun, wind, rain snow})

3. Surface Preparation
The amount of work done on surface preparation largely depends on the following:
i. The type of finish/protection selected.
ii. The material used.
iii. The appearance of the final project (Rustic, everyday use, fine use).

4. Applying the finish
The application of the finish is largely determined by the finish selected, but could be one of the following:
• Spray
• Brush or roller
• Hand applied (rubbed or wiped)

5. Maintenance
This last part of the process involves what must be done to maintain, sometimes even to enhance the project after it is finished and in place.

I did have a specific reason to want to go to Rockler, I needed some hardware. Unfortunately they did not stock it as a normal item, Internet only, or special request. But I did find an alternative item, now that I am home was probably the better of the two choices. I also picked up a “Hock” blade and chip breaker for my Record No 4. Unfortunately it does not fit the plane 100% correctly (98%) and the results are worse than the original blade – so I can see me making a No 5 or 6 wooden body to fit to the blade (which is really very nice). The really good thing was they only charged me half price for the blade, at $18, I have no complaints.

We then headed off to Dublin, Ca, where were to visit the Woodcraft Store (I had a gift voucher I wanted to use). I found the staff there really helpful and it was not long before I had started to fill my basket with the second part of my shopping list – One thing I did buy, which was not on the list was some “Purple Heart”, not too much, just a 4’ x 5”x ¾”, which they kindly cut in half for me so it would fit in my suitcase. Please note we cannot buy PH in Finland and I had never seen it before watch out to see how I use it!

It was then time to leave and visit Obi (http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/Obi ) – Obi is situated in Salida, Ca, which was not too far from Dublin. Matt took his own car and I continued my travels with Wayne after about 40 minutes or so we arrived at the workshop of Obi.

We were greeted warmly and instantly shown the “Finger”,

This was a small finger that Obi had been working on (it was extremely realistic), we just wondered when the rest of the body was going to be completed?

It seemed that he was already working on the head, we found a template for the upper teeth.

Matt and Obi discussing an old guitar.

After many enjoyable hours of conversation it was time for the compulsory Group photographs.

NOTE: Obi is still showing us the finger! And look I did buy a LJ shirt. Wayne’s T-shirt also had some significance which escapes my memory at the moment, but I am sure he will enlighten us all some day

I am not too sure how long we spent with Obi; I do know it was not long enough – the time passed too quickly.

Wayne and I said our goodbyes at this point, he was heading off home, and Matt had kindly offered to drop me back off in San Francisco.

Matt and I spent a very pleasant hour or so driving back to my hotel, where our discussion was all too short.

I would like to thank everybody for making my first real visit to the US such an enjoyable and memorable occasion. The warmth, hospitality, and friendship shown were second to none. So please be warned I am already planning a return trip.

We can now reveal the real reason behind my visit the San Francisco. Forget about the 10 day skiing trip in a premier location, forget about travelling too one of the nicest places in the world that I have been, Forget about Californian Hospitality and Sunshine – The real reason behind this sham was to make a snap ISO 9000 inspection on the infamous Ms Debbie’s shop tours.

We had been receiving nothing but good reviews, nothing bad was ever said – this had to be too good to be true – so with international help in the form of Wayne C we decided to do a snap inspection (PS I’m sending LJ the whole bill for the trip) after much consultation with many LJs in TOP SECRET (the coffee lounge), we managed to lure one unsuspecting LJ into inviting us to his workshop.

Ms Debbie had previously undertaken a tour of this LJs workshop http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/Radish/blog/2430 some two and half months ago, but we smelled a rat in the report (or was it just a wet Fur Hat?). The work shop was too clean and tidy – nothing out of place.

So here is the report.

Friday 18 January 2008 – the telephone rings and it is Special LJ Agent Wayne C – “I will pick you up in front of your Hotel in about an hour” – the phone goes dead. I wait in the shadows of the hotel lobby (to keep out of the sun), when a large SUV pulls up with darkened windows, I was hastened into the front passengers seat and with the squeal of tyres and smell of burning rubber Agent Wayne C has the pedal to the metal (actually about 25 mph, the traffic is a little heavy) and we are off on our secret assignment. Sitting in the back of the car, wearing dark glasses was Junior agent Tyler (Wayne C’s son), who was just along for the ride.

Whilst driving and weaving around traffic, Agent Wayne C outlines the plans of out mission over the next 36 hours – were heading south on I1.

Our Target (http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/Blake ), who was aware of our coming, but not our ultimate intention, was not at the pre-arranged meeting place (http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/Blake/blog/3122 ) at the pre-assigned time. It was his day off and he had got delayed. So we took advantage to look around this LJs place of work (Day Job) – all we could see were lots and lots of second-hand tools. Some of them were in pretty good condition, but very few wood working tools, Agent WayneC and my self suspected that an inside influence (the mark) might have had something to do with lack of woodworking tools in this vast array of used power and hand tools (he later denied this allegation, saying “the boss wont let me”. And we do not think he was talking about his employer.).

Unfortunately the agent who was in charge of collecting visual information about this place (me) forgot to take the camera out (sorry!).

We waited only a short time, then the subject was in sight, driving one of those more sensible Pick-Up trucks (you know the one I mean, the one where the engine is less than 5000 CC and less than 5M Nm of torque) – here was the man who was going to make or break the myth of the great LJ inspector Ms Debbie.

Meeting Blake was great, a first time also for Wayne C, Blake then explained about how the business was running and what type of customers they had – I wish that we had stores like this here in Finland. So after about half an hour we were invited to visit the home and workshop of Blake, we picked up some sandwiches along the way and headed off into the countryside. Upon arrival we were welcomed into the house, where Blake explained the renovations he and his wife had been doing to there home, we then loaded the provisions we had bought plus the extra rations that had provided into our arms and headed down the path to the workshop, where we would see the truth.

The workshop is set in a paddock about half an acre, bordering on a small stream/river and surrounded by tall trees and wilderness. This was an idyllic setting and would inspire any person too be so creative. The workshop was clean, but not too clean, not too large, but large enough for the type of work that was undertaking. There was plenty of natural light from the windows and ventilation was certainly not a problem!

The first thing I noticed in the workshop, was not the table saw, but rather the new router station had recently built, complete with Incra fence system, it was awesome and well designed and built, any person would be proud to have this in there arsenal of tools.

As time was short, we decided that a working lunch, on the move lunch, was the best way forward. Blake explained that the layout was continually evolving with changes here and there as the projects being worked upon needed. He also outlined plans that he had or further improvements he wanted to make to the workshop.

I remembered to take the camera this time and decided to make a visual record of the shop, so we could analyse the results at a later time.

During our discussions the subject of chair building and finishing with wax came up – I promised that I will post two blogs on both subjects in the near, as soon as my current project is finalised (10 Chairs).

If I had to criticise Blake’s workshop and we did discuss this. Lumber storage! Blake does not have too much cut lumber, but what he does have is not stored in the most efficient manner and boards are just resting against the wall totally taking up one corner of the small workshop (look behind blake in the above picture). A redesign of this will not only get the lumber off the floor and give more valuable working space, but will also help to keep the lumber in a better condition. (Blake, as you have so much natural ventilation in the workshop, the humidity inside and outside workshop are probably not much different, you might consider freeing up this corner totally {more space for tools[Lathe]} and making a storage place, undercover,outside).

Blake showed us some of the smaller projects he was working on and some of the problems he was encountering, but more importantly how he was overcoming these problems. We finished off this meeting, which I guess was about 3 hours, by posing for some photographs – I wish I had had a longer to stay and work with Blake, I found him to be both inspirational and self motivated – he would be welcome to work with me at any time.

Wayne C, Blake & Tony

Reluctantly, we walked back up the hill to where we had left the cars, and we reluctantly said our good byes and headed off back North or our next visit.
So in summary was our mission a failure or success, did Ms Debbie pass muster? We would have to say a resounding YES – Thank you Ms Debbie for all your work. Thank you Blake for sharing your home and time with us – It will never be forgotten.

On our way home in the “Rush Hour” the roads were all busy with people heading home, oblivious to the self-importance of the three of us.

So Wayne took a shortcut on the coast road, and this is where I saw my first Californian Sunset – I can now totally understand why people want to live here.

Wayne & Tyler (Wayne’s son)

As this blog went on a little longer than I expected, I will continue with day two on a separate entry.

This blog is also intended as a supplement to Bob #2 blog http://lumberjocks.com/topics/1766#reply-19323 Traveling post 9-11 in North America.

The travelling between Helsinki and Vancouver, via Frankfurt went without any problems what so ever – we flew with the German airline Lufthansa. The security restrictions for entry into Americas was reduced as of the 1st January 2008, so No need to remove our shoes, or to go through the second security check point.

Arrival at Vancouver, going through the immigration control was really easy and straight forward, a few strange questions, but it was all over in 15 minutes, even with the large queues. Then onto collect our baggage – we just found the carousel, when the first bag on the belt was mine, then my wife’s bags came, our friends bags followed, but I was still waiting for my second suitcase and waiting and waiting – then there were no more bags coming out – Oh S#!T, what a way to start the holiday – went to the baggage claim place and queued for 45 minutes to report the lost piece, just as it was my turn, I got a call, you bag has just come out of the hole. 1 hour 30 minutes later than the rest.

Any way we picked up the limo and got to whistler. I won’t bore you with the details of the holiday, other than to say it was BLOODY expensive there, even with the favourable exchange rate it cost more than double the amount we pay in the Alps! But the skiing was perfect, the best ever.

Ok onto the trip to San Francisco. We booked the flight with Air Canada – so queued and waited to check in, only to be told, that they had subcontracted that flight to United Airlines – So of we toddle with 4 baggage carts and queued in the United queue – got the front of the line and gave our papers to the check-in assistant – only to be told that we had to use there electronic check in machines first – So baggage and carts out of the line, found a machine filled in the necessary information into the computer (which was just confirming the information they already had on file), then back into the United queue again. Then they present us with more paperwork to fill in, why this cannot all be done online, or at least print the forms before you arrive at the airport I do not know. Any way then to US Customs – they guy on the desk was really great, but I was a bit surprised when they took my finger prints and photograph. The customs guy was really patient with my wife, as he waited for her to adjust her make-up and hair before having her photograph taken.

The United flight was a nightmare – I felt like one of the factory farmed chickens, the seating was so narrow, and the knee space was at an absolute minimum – The passenger in front of my wife was a real A## Hole, he insisted on having his seat fully reclined for the whole flight, regardless of our pleas for a little space. WE WILL NEVER FLY WITH UNITED AGAIN they are a shambles.

Arrived in SFO – straight through to baggage claim – no customs or immigration – I liked this very much.
Well the next 4 days are covered in Part two, but the flight home from SFO to HEL, was like the flight out, not a problem Check-in, Customs, Immigration all went like a dream– I am just glad that my wife did not find out that they allowed a 5th suitcase free for a couple (unofficial), other wise Macys shares would have gone through the roof.

The first thing to decide is what size of board you want as this will dictate the stock you need. Or the stock you have will dictate what size cutting board you can make.

Stock selection: you need to have a good contrast between the different woods used. The wood selected should also be hard woods, but not necessarily too hard. OAK, ASH and BEECH are very hard and durable, but Cherry, Mahogany and Alder are hard wood s, they are not so durable.
When the stock is selected for use, the first thing to do is prepare a plan so you know what size to cut/prepare everything!

You can get a better picture from here ( http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi/Boards/Ken%20Walters%20-%20Latice%20-1.jpg)

The plan above it what I used for the layout of the larger of the two boards I made.

Before we start cutting wood, the saw blade must be exactly 90° to the bed of the table saw. The mitre gauge must be exactly 90° to the saw blade, even a 0.1° error will show up in the final product.

Here you can see the prepared stock, with the walnut glued to the Ash. The stock is thicknessed on the planer at the same time, with the same settings. The stock is then ripped on the table saw again using the same settings – we have to be micrometer perfect.

Now we can start to cross cut. Ensure that the length of the crosscut is exactly the same as the width of the stock.

Cut enough square parts as per your plan, in my case 8 Ash & Walnut and 24 Bird Cherry

Next set up the length of the long pieces 15 in total. You need to be accurate here, just setting 4 ½” is not enough. Take the long piece against 3 of the blocks you have cut and check that they are perfectly flush.

So before we continue we have to clean up the blocks. Small whispers of fibre as shown below will play havoc with your assembly. I used 180 grain sand paper for this, be careful not to round the corners.
BEFORE
AFTER Really clean edges

The blocks are assembled and to check for the fit before applying the glue.

I stopped taking photographs at this point. The glue a used on the first board was polyurethane and the second a D3 waterproof PVA. The open time of the polyurethane is better for this assembly.
Apply glue to the mating surfaces and clamp. I laid the whole piece out on a sheet of plastic (to stop the glue sticking to my workbench) and clamped in the vertical and horizontal axis.
If everything is cut exactly correctly, then the blocks should not lift under pressure, if they do – using a block of wood and a mallet tap the back down to be flush with the adjacent blocks.
You could add a lot and I mean a lot of weight on top of the blocks to keep them in place (about 50lb/25kg per block)
Leave it to dry, overnight is always good, then you can remove the clamps and start the clean up.
I used my belt sander with 60 grit to start, then 80 and finally 120, grain, then went onto my random orbit sander and started with 120, then 180, and finally 240. Then onto my small oscillating finishing sander with 240 and 320 grit – do this on both sides.
WARNING – If you use the belt sander the wood will get quite hot, if you have used PVA glue, this may reactivate the glue softening it, this can cause the stresses in the wood to bow, buckle you flat finish, if this does happen just place a clamping caule over the high spot whilst the wood is still hot, correct the error and wait for the for the board to cool down, it will flatten out again (PVA glue can be reactivated with heat many days after it cures).
So both sides of the board are now flat and parallel! Now start the finishing in accordance with the instructions on the packet/Tin. Take your time and you will end up with a work of art, that is too good cut fillet steak on.

I hoped this helped those of you who just needed a little guidance.

Here are a couple of photographs of the work space T-Boxes, the Unisaw and the workbench. Just need a coat of wax tomorrow morning and is ready to go.

The longest and hardest job – was cutting the extended tracks and fitting the aluminium inserts in the out-feed table. They are perfectly aligned and I get NO binding at all over the whole length. The extended tracks are used for my panel cutting Jig (Left or right side) with a depth of cut up to 80cm.

I have now updated the drawings of the workshop and have added the before and after drawings. I have gained considerable space, the only thing I do not like is the dust extraction piped being on the floor (it is the best place, as I do not want a vertical pipe in the middle of the room).

BEFORE

AFTER

Both Joiner and planer are on mobile bases and can be easily moved with a minimum of effort. This update has given me huge perfectly flat work area, which can be used for assembley, Vacuum bagging large sheets and improved the sheet material handling capabilities. In addition I also have a large area behind the table which is totally free space, store partially finished items, such as chairs whilst they are waiting to go to the finishing room.

I hope that this short series will show that with carefully planning you can optimize your working space – the most important thing is “A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING” and “EVERYTHING IN IT’S PLACE”. Keep the workshop clean and tidy and you will have more space and a safer place to work.

I have fitted both of the tables together, levelled them and they have got there first coat of Finnish on them (Photographs next time). I have added a sketch of the two tables fitted to the table saw – showing the size.

The tables are level and relatively flat (there is some undulations especially where the two tables meet. This deviation in a planer surface is no more that 0.5mm (20 thou), I can live with that, especially since the DELTA out-feed and Side table had deviations greater that 1/8”

DELAYS – This has turned out to be a bigger job than first planned; it has affected every major machine in the shop to some degree or another. The result will be worth it, I will have more work surface and more free space. (Free space – free space – I have place for more tools {drool} now how do get them without the wife knowing???)

The big delay yesterday and today was having to reroute the dust extraction ducts and pipe work – I have shortened the system by 3m (10ft) of 6” pipe and removed a 90° elbow – so it should be more efficient??
Tomorrow, I hope to start tidying up, and take some more photographs. Monday I have to move the Band Saw and Drill press. Tuesday I start my next project (a bed)