Making a table for the deck for my wife as a Christmas gift. Having to use a buddy's shop since I obviously can't do that at home without her knowing. Will post pics once it's done.
I've used construction paper on projects as a last light sanding on the final poly layer. The poly was more of a flat/satin finish. Not sure if it would scratch on a high gloss finish. But it's just rough enough to get some of the bits off, but soft enough to not really scratch.
Dont sand. What I like to do for finishing layers is put like '000' steel wool in a thin old t-shirt and do some rubbing. Its best to do it before the finishing layer fully cures hard.
Im cross posting my front door project from the homeowners thread. I ran into the same problem with the sanding and I was using a very fine 220 grit. I ended up putting on 4 coats of varnish separated by 2 hours each with no sanding. Feels super smooth. Completed refinishing my front doors. Before: After: Process and more pics: Spoiler Another fun project I had never done before but pretty straightforward. My doors after only a year looked beat to hell, splintering, cracking, fading, etc. The builder only stained , no varnish. My doors face west so they get killed by the sun. First step is getting the door off it’s hinges. Solid wood doors are heavy, not the easiest solo task. Remove all hardware and tape up glass. Next is the sanding. As with any staining or painting project, the prep is the most important step. If you don’t sand everything evenly the stain won’t uptake evenly, which I ran into. I started off with my orbital sander for the big flat parts. This was overkill and left divots in the wood. My mouse sander was a better choice. For the trim and relief parts I used a hand held sponge-like sander, I had mixed results with this. All sanding was started with 80 grit and then finished off with 220. Higher number grit = finer sanding, lower number grit = coarse. Some of the research I did suggested not to sand finer than 180 grit as this will close off pores. My stain recommended 220 so I went with it and had no problems. Note I wasn’t able to get all the previous stain off, this led to irregularities in the staining process. Next part is choosing your stain. I went with miniwax espresso. After cleaning off the door removing all debris from the sanding I applied the stain with a foam brush. Strokes with the grain, kept a wet edge. I let that sit for eight hours. Side by side unfinished vs. stained no-varnish: Final step is choosing a varnish. The best reviewed varnish that I could find for an exterior door was marine spar varnish. However I ended up sticking with mini wax spar varnish because I wanted my stain and varnish to be from the same company. No science behind that. The varnish is obviously important because this is what will protect your door from the outside elements, mainly sun. You are supposed to lightly sand before each coat with a fine sand paper but when I did this the first time it started to lift the stain so I skipped the sanding and everything felt smooth in the end regardless. I applied four coats of varnish separated by two hours per coat. While all of this was going on I spray-painted the iron guard over each window with a gloss black and let that sit for four hours. I reattached the iron and my hardware and the project was complete. Things I wish I would have done differently mainly revolve around the sanding. I wish I would’ve researched better options for sanding the hard-to-reach parts of the door mainly the relief and trim. There’s definitely some unevenness to the stain but all in all I am happy with the project. I will likely reapply 1 to 2 coats of varnish each year to continue to provide protection to the door.
Any recommendations for a table saw? Looking at getting one soon, around $400, will spend more if I need to. Currently I'm looking at a Skilsaw and a Dewalt. Both have at least a 24" rip width, which should be sufficient and both get good reviews. I just need something that is easy to set-up so I can get everything square. I have a miter saw that no matter what I do I cannot for the life of me get it squared, all my mitered and beveled cuts are off. https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-...Pro-Modular-Guarding-System-DWE7480/204511988 https://www.homedepot.com/p/SKILSAW...oth-Diablo-Carbide-Blade-SPT70WT-22/206688625 Also considered a Bosch but the rip width was 18" and thought having at least 24" was important.
i have access to many tablesaws from tabletop portables to fold up to Jet brand shop saws (that weigh like 1000 pounds) that dewalt is what i keep in my garage and imo it will do just about anything you want it too
OMG lechnerd i just saw that lazy christmas light cord laying there to be manually plugged in, not even plugged in to a smart outlet of any kind i am shocked, its like i dont even know you
Lol Smart plug is there, inside the black box on the right. I unplugged because I didn’t want an extension cord running up the wall in my picture. Probably should’ve removed it all together.
Damn that looks sharp. So what did you do with the areas that you couldn’t really sand? I think I’m gonna face some similar problems when I do the legs of that table.
A dremel would work well for the tight spots on your table if you have one/could get your hands on one. I’m watching your project closely, as we’ve got a really similar table. Really nice antique that one of our dogs scratched the shit out of one night when we left our plates out after dinner.
Yeah I need to invest in one. I probably won’t do the legs until after Christmas. My wife got the table and 6 chairs for $75 off LetGo. She’s got some fabric and made a pattern to cover the top part of the chairs. As soon as it’s all completed I’ll post a picture. We’re honestly thinking about doing this as a side business. I do the wood working/refinishing and she does the sewing/upholstery/marketing. I’m in sales and doing this sort of project is a million times more satisfying.
Thanks, I got a thin wire brush to at least try and get some of the old stain off. Then when I put my new stain on I tried to get creative about putting it on thick in certain areas to help the new stain blend as much as possible. But I failed in a few areas. Look on the left door, just to the right of the top key hole hardware you will see a very dark area where I didn’t remove the old stain well. All that said the hand held sanding sponge was probably the best for tight spaces but it’s not a cure-all by any means. I didn’t want to get too aggressive on the trim/relief parts because you can easily flatten them out and lose the character they provide. Bottom line the best way to do this project is to varnish your door the first day you move (assuming it’s new) so you don’t have to worry about sanding and staining. I just didn’t know any better.
I don't know how well these work but they seem like the would do the job. Have watch for grit and sanding against the grain issues. This particular one is 80 grit.
I made it through the first summer/fall without having to buy cushions. I am expecting to have to buy them in March/April.
Hardly advanced woodworking but have made a nice little side business of making cornhole boards for people. I think I enjoy the staining more than the painting, even though that usually involves one more coat.
Just got finished converting an old dresser into a dining room buffet. Forgot to take a before picture, so this is a decent ways into the sanding and disassembly process. The whole thing started the same color as that side panel, and it obviously had three drawers on each side. After building the shelves and doors to replace the bottom two drawers on each side. The final product
Built an enclosed console table for my back porch that the dog bed will fit in. Dual purpose of somewhat hiding the bed plus providing them a place to stay warm. Used tongue and groove cedar for the top.
Advice needed. I’m making some epoxy resin live edge river tables. I rushed the tape job used to form up the bottom and it had a slow leak. Lost about 1/3 of the resin before it cured enough to stop the leak. But now I have a table top epoxied to a workbench. Thoughts on removal with minimal damage on either side?
I'd think you can lift one edge of your table and "pop" it off of your workbench. How much of an area are we talking about? Like a baseball sized area or laundry basket sized area they are stuck together?
My company just bought another company and they have an 8’ high and 4’ wide dry stack of live edge that they’re liquidating. I’ve already got a call into the VP that procured the company and made an offer on it.
14x14. I’m assuming roughly 1/3 of the surface area is epoxied? It’s enough that I can’t move it with a mallet or pop it up with a chisel. I don’t really care much for the surface it is on, just a plywood buffet that was in the basement that I use as a counter.
I’m seeing acetone and heat most places. I’m worried about ruining the structural integrity of the rest of the resin if I go that route. Once I get home from work it should be cured enough to remove the tape. I’m hoping that eliminates some contact area.
About 20 minutes of chisel and prying and it’s free. Took some plywood with, but nothing that can’t be planed right off.
Also I know there was discussion on sanding poly between coats but I used helsman spar urethane and hand sanded with 220 after the first coat then with 0000 steel wool after the second coat.
Got the side tables finished up. Madre Cacao tops with epoxy resin rivers. Solid cherry legs. One mishap on the table saw ripping the legs. One 2x2 5-foot leg ended up kicking back and flew like a fucking missile into my garage wall. I’m working on a job site saw with a tiny table and no outfeed so I was cutting from the side to keep it level. Broke some fingers and got a good smack in the face from a kickback about 13 years ago in shop class and have been pretty afraid of table saws ever since. I always get some anxiety using them. This didn’t help.
Did my new work bench last week (pictured below, yes that’s a television on the end) and am working this week on a table for our entryway. Will post pics when complete.
I found this amusing. U.S. Lawsuit saying Home Depot tricks buyers of 4X4 lumber is deep-sixed By Jonathan Stempel,Reuters 16 hours ago By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit accusing Home Depot Inc of deceiving shoppers about the size of its four-by-four lumber. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman in Chicago rejected plaintiff Mikhail Abramov's claim that the largest U.S. home improvement retailer should be held liable for selling lumber as 4 inches thick by 4 inches wide, when the dimensions were actually 3-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 inches. While not persuaded by Atlanta-based Home Depot that the lumber's actual size was "common knowledge," Coleman said its labels reading "4X4-6'" would not have misled reasonable consumers. She said the "4x4" portion lacked any unit of measurement, and Home Depot never expressly represented that its lumber actually measured 4 inches by 4 inches. Abramov's allegations "describe no more than a label that was potentially confusing to some consumers," Coleman wrote. The dismissal was without prejudice, meaning Abramov can refile his proposed class-action complaint, which sought unspecified damages. His lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Home Depot spokesman Stephen Holmes said on Monday: "We're glad to have resolved the issue." In seeking a dismissal, Home Depot said a ruling for Abramov would "ignore nearly a century of standardization and disturb an entire industry's reliance on these lumber names." U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang, who also sits in Chicago, in September dismissed a similar lawsuit filed by Abramov's law firm against home improvement retailer Menards. Chang, however, found that "no reasonable consumer would think that the labels showed the exact dimensions of the lumber." His decision has been appealed. The case is Abramov v Home Depot Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, No. 17-01860. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York)
Finally got this finished up and moved into the dining room yesterday. The cuts were a huge pain in the ass and the stain didn’t turn out as uniform as I wanted, but whatever.
Judges: If you don't understand that a 2x4 is not literally 2"x4" you're a fucking moron and society has failed you.
We make our own wine, roughly 30 bottles at a time. There's 5 different variants there; Cabernet, Malbec, Shiraz, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay.
I wish. We just use the wine kits like this: https://www.midwestsupplies.com/aus...MI3ZXbztzp2QIVx2F-Ch1G0QgpEAQYASABEgKrmvD_BwE
Finished my entryway table last week. Took longer than expected because when I was 75% done, my wife decided it was too big so I needed to cut it down significantly. I told her how big it was gonna be if I built what she originally showed me but it wasn’t until it was actually built until she realized what that meant. Whatever, I made it work.