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Kitchen Banquette with Table

Project by Todd A. Clippinger posted 191 days ago 2556 views 6 times favorited 33 comments Add to Favorites Watch

This banquette is made of a poplar frame and plywood panels. It has a toe-kick heater under the left half and two drawers, one 3 foot and one 4 foot long. Yes, those are very long drawers that make for lots of storage!

The paint is Pittsburgh Manor Hall oil base. It flows out and self levels beautifully. I sprayed on the first couple of light coats in the shop then did the installation. After the install was complete, I caulked it all in and brushed on the final coat. Spraying leaves an automotive like paint job that is really smooth. Brushing the final coat allows the homeowner to make touch-ups with a brush and they will not be obvious.

The table top is made of curly maple and the angle is cut to accommodate the traffic pattern.

A local upholstery shop made the cushions.

Buffing Out

The finish that I used is ML Campbell’s Krystal which is a conversion varnish. That means I have to figure out how much I need to use and activate it by mixing in the catalyst. This also means that I need to plan on using it all within about 12 hours once it is activated.

It is easy to handle and looks pro when applied. It is rated for use on table tops and cabinetry for the kitchen and bathroom. That means it is very durable.

The stain is Sherwin Williams BAC wiping stain in black walnut. The BAC wiping stains flash off fast. They are rated to dry and be top coated in about 30 minutes. This is dramatically faster than Minwax, Behr, or most other stains which have a dry time of 24 hours.

I highly recommend looking into the wiping stains from Sherwin or ML Campbell. They also have a line that dries in 2 hours. If your woodworking on nights and weekends I recommend these products.

Conversion Varnish

Peace, Love, and Woodworking

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com


33 comments so far

View DSnyder's profile

DSnyder

5 posts in 547 days


posted 191 days ago

Looks great, Todd! I had never heard of those products before… they dry so quickly!

Thank you for sharing!

-- You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body. -CS Lewis

View Greg Wurst's profile

Greg Wurst

713 posts in 711 days


posted 191 days ago

I was wondering when you’d post another project. I’ll have to look into those stains. Being inherently impatient they sound like something I’d really use. Those have got to be some heavy-duty drawer slides!

-- You're a unique and special person, just like everyone else.

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

5590 posts in 978 days


posted 191 days ago

They are made by Accuride and they are verrrry expensive. They can be side mounted or laid flat and under mounted.

If mounted on the side, the load rating is 500 bls. Mounted flat underneath the load rating drops to 150lbs.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

5590 posts in 978 days


posted 191 days ago

Greg – Yes it has been awhile.

Doing simple home repairs does not seem very glamorous and worthy of posting. But I am starting to consider how much I take my knowledge and skill for home repairs for granted. I get called because others can’t do it.

Maybe I should post more how-to here and in HomeRefurbers. A lot of people want to know how to do these kind of tasks.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View Karson's profile (online now)

Karson

25273 posts in 1279 days


posted 191 days ago

Todd: ‘ve been following the pictures that you post on flickr. It’s nice to see it all come together.

The maple top is great. What are you going to make with your resawn pieces?

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View a1Jim's profile

a1Jim

15549 posts in 455 days


posted 191 days ago

Hey Todd
A nicely built,planned, and finished project. great Job. Your shop looks well organized and laid out. Do you have a spray booth to shoot your conversion varnish?

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

View Don K.'s profile

Don K.

1095 posts in 205 days


posted 191 days ago

I was wondering the same thing as Jim. I know in your shop pics you said you had a finishing room that was being used for storage. I was wondering if you are finally using it or still doing finishing work in your shop ?

I your third picture, is that a a/c vent on the bottom ?

By the way, GREAT work on the table and bench (as always)

-- Don S.E. OK

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

5590 posts in 978 days


posted 190 days ago

The toe kick heater is a 220v electric unit. There was a 4’ strip heater under the window and that end of the kitchen gets cold because of the old windows and the back entry door that is off to the right.

I am just spraying in my shop until we can finish the building. Until then, my finish room is a storage room.

If it is cold out I turn the furnace off while spraying, then I open the windows and doors to cross-ventilate the room and get fresh air in. I shut it all up and then turn the furnace back on.

If it is warm out, the doors and windows are open any way without fear that the furnace will kick on. Besides that I turn the power switch off for the season anyway.

I finish my projects but I am not spraying a lot of finish such as trim packages for a house or spraying everyday, so this has worked so far. With the fast dry times of lacquer or conversion varnish I do not have contamination issues.

The re-sawn material will tentatively be used in a project coming up soon for the same clients. I just hated to plane that lumber down and waste all of that great curly maple. I was able to chase the line freehand and I had great results. I love my Grizzly bandsaw.

Resawing the Lumber

Usable Material

Resawn Pieces

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View Don K.'s profile

Don K.

1095 posts in 205 days


posted 190 days ago

WOW….now that is some nice re-sawing. I thought my old Rockwell did a good job…makes mine look like a butchers saw.

-- Don S.E. OK

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

5590 posts in 978 days


posted 190 days ago

I only have been using the cheap blades from Grizzly for my re-saw projects. I am planning on getting a high-end re-saw blade in the future so it will only get better.

The Grizzly blades work but they do not stay sharp for a terribly long time. As long as they are sharp they track consistently and do a nice job.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View Don K.'s profile

Don K.

1095 posts in 205 days


posted 190 days ago

Todd,
What size bandsaw is that ?

-- Don S.E. OK

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

5590 posts in 978 days


posted 190 days ago

It is a 17” bandsaw with 12” resaw capacity.

You can see it here: http://grizzly.com/products/G0513

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

5590 posts in 978 days


posted 190 days ago

I bought the resaw fence at the same time but I have never used it. I have been able to freehand everything to date.

It cuts that good out of the crate.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View cabinetmaster's profile

cabinetmaster

7999 posts in 436 days


posted 190 days ago

Great looking project Todd. We use a lot of ML Campbell products in our shop. Great product. I sure wish I had not sold my Grizzly Bandsaw. I had the 14” model.

-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps

View ND2ELK's profile

ND2ELK

6065 posts in 652 days


posted 190 days ago

Very nice unit Todd. You did a beautiful job on this piece. I plan to put a unit like this in my new kitchen. Thanks for the inspiration.

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

View Rogue's profile

Rogue

87 posts in 348 days


posted 190 days ago

Love the drawers man!! nice way to not waste the space with big bentch boxes.

-- Rogue

View griff's profile

griff

897 posts in 640 days


posted 190 days ago

Todd, This unit looks great. When I first seen the picture I thought the top was walnut, That is as close as I have ever seen a stain come to walnut. I just finished a set of mirror frames made of maple and stained with minwax walnut and they looked nothing like the walnut I had been using. Again very good build.

-- Mike, Bruce Mississippi = Jack of many trades master of none

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

5590 posts in 978 days


posted 190 days ago

Griff – The wiping stain from ML Campbell or Sherwin behave and look entirely different than Minwax.

I really don’t buy Minwax or any other stain anymore unless I can’t get the pro stores to match it for me (which rarely happens.) The biggest reason I use these stains is that I get to topcoat in less than an hour.

These stains behave differently than Minwax and stains similar that are considered off the shelf at the home centers. Most people are unaware of these stains because they are not marketed to the public but you can buy them too.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View Dick, & Barb Cain's profile

Dick, & Barb Cain

6991 posts in 1178 days


posted 190 days ago

Very nice as usual by you.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

View scott shangraw's profile

scott shangraw

408 posts in 947 days


posted 190 days ago

Nice job Todd!!!Glad to see you have work coming in still.Thanks for some info on your finishing process.
Stay busy !!!!!
Scott

-- Scott NM,http://www.shangrilawoodworks.com

View Beginningwoodworker's profile

Beginningwoodworker

3857 posts in 551 days


posted 189 days ago

Nice work Todd.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

View CessnaPilotBarry's profile

CessnaPilotBarry

1224 posts in 581 days


posted 189 days ago

Nice!

I’m a big user of ML Campbell products. I like the wiping stains as much as Mohawk products, and the MLC stuff is cheaper and easier for me to get. My local Pratt and Lambert paint store hooks me up!

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

View Julian's profile

Julian

663 posts in 404 days


posted 189 days ago

Todd, this is the perfect design for my tiny kitchen! I will be borrowing the idea. Great job!!

-- Julian, Park Forest, IL

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

5590 posts in 978 days


posted 189 days ago

Julian, you may borrow anything that you see here!

I post to share and inspire.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View Todd Thomas 's profile

Todd Thomas

4825 posts in 327 days


posted 188 days ago

Todd, as always…great job on the banquette…looks very nice….

-- Todd, Oak Ridge, TN, Hello my name is Todd and I'm a Toolholic, I bought my last tool 10 days, no 4 days, oh heck I bought a tool on the way here! †

View Dennis Zongker's profile (online now)

Dennis Zongker

1005 posts in 470 days


posted 188 days ago

Great Job, Todd!!! I was wondering if the Krystal, bruins your eyes, as its drying? The only thing I hate about catalyst & pre-catalyst is you can only go about 4 to 5 mills dry. If you acceed that thinkness then veneer can grain check. So when appling the finish we use a gage and can only put three coats max, at 5 mills wet. We only use conversion varnish on dinning tables and conference tables. So, whats your pro’s and con’s of these typs of finishes.

-- Dennis Zongker

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

5590 posts in 978 days


posted 188 days ago

Dennis – The Krystal does not irritate my eyes and of course I wear a mask while spraying to protect my lungs. I do not find it any more offensive to my senses than the pre-cats that I have used.

I was informed not to build too much product or it would cause crazing as the product shrinks.

I only use this on dining tables or kitchen and bath cabinets otherwise I use a simple pre-cat on everything else, bookcases, side tables, shelving, trim, doors, etc.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View Blake's profile

Blake

2715 posts in 753 days


posted 187 days ago

Nice job. Those oversize drawers are cool. What kind of slides did you use?

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

View Grumpy's profile

Grumpy

14852 posts in 729 days


posted 181 days ago

Great design Todd. Very practical.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

View Sonny's profile

Sonny

110 posts in 731 days


posted 180 days ago

looks very good
pittsburgh paint is the best finish paint around….......

View Thos. Angle's profile

Thos. Angle

4015 posts in 841 days


posted 161 days ago

I think this was in the shop when we stopped by. It really came out great.

-- Thos. Angle

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

5590 posts in 978 days


posted 161 days ago

Thos. – This is the project that I had in the shop. I am glad that you got to see it in progress and now you can see it finished here in the gallery.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View Mike's profile

Mike

140 posts in 261 days


posted 50 days ago

Heh Todd! You do really nice work.

-- Mike, VT

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