Favourite Things Part 2

Finishing is a tricky subject – it can make or break a project. There are many different finishes, and almost as many different ways to apply them. After using most of the types of finish available I find myself reaching for the Shellac nine times out of ten.

So what is shellac? It is a resin excreted by the Lac bug which feeds on braches of certain trees. The resin is harvested and then purified – the different levels of purification give different shades of shellac, from dark brown through to clear. It is dissolved in alcohol (methylated spirit is fine) and by varying the amount of alcohol to shellac (or the “cut”) you can get different strength solutions (i.e. thicker for bodying up).

Shellac has some excellent traits :

• It will bond to pretty much anything
• It dries very fast
• No strong smell
• Easily removed – just wipe off with an alcohol soaked rag.
• Each application melts into previous layers, so no problems with “sand through”
• Most other finishes will bond to it, so it can be used as a sealer (i.e. between an oil based finish and a water based finish)

For me one of the best things about shellac is its versatility – you can wipe on a single thing coat to seal the timber against fingerprints (think Jim Krenov’s method of finishing) or you can continue to add layers of finish to get the desired sheen or thickness. And the speed with which it dries means you can make some serious progress – no waiting overnight for the finish to cure. Only a couple of minutes are needed for it to be dry.

Ease of application is another plus – I’ve used paper towels, rags, mini-rollers and brushes. You can also spray it, but I’ve never felt the need to.

So what downsides are there to shellac? Well, it is dissolved in alcohol, so shellac probably wouldn’t make the best finish for a bar top – a few splashed drops of whiskey would spell disaster. Its also not water proof, so is only suitable for indoor use. But that’s about it.

Shellac is a wonderful finish for wood – it brings out the beauty of the grain and figure and makes it shine. It is a natural finish that has been used for centuries and just looks “right”. My favourite technique is to apply a coat of oil to the piece, buff it dry and then apply shellac. This gives a deep shine and makes the figuring jump out at you. And its quick and easy to do!

One final comment – there are many different shades of shellac. Experiment with them on different colour timbers – I love garnet on walnut, and lemon adds an interesting “vintage” tint to most timbers.

Favourite Things Part 1

Hi Folks

I thought over the next week I would blog about some of my favourite things. But don't worry, its about simple, useful (and cheap!) things around the workshop that I use everyday and wouldn't be without.

So to the first item - Superglue.

I'm sure most of us have used superglue at one time or another (and have a bad memory of sticking your fingers to the item to be repaired!). Its cheap, easily available and dries fast.

I was interested to find it comes in different thicknesses - I'd only used the regular stuff. You can get a thick gel version (which doesn't run - useful on vertical surfaces) and a low viscosity thin version, too. The thin stuff has become a workshop favourite of mine - it has hundreds of uses. The cool thing is this - due to its watery consistency it wicks into cracks and openings. So you can sit two pieces together then wick the glue in afterwards - cool! And it also draws itself into cracks, so the next time you have a piece of timber chip or split just let some glue seep its way in and then hold the chip down for a few seconds until it sets. Perfect repair!

Over in the guitar making world repair guys use superglue for many, many things. And turners also use superglue as a finish! Is there no end of uses for this wonderful stuff?

A perfect companion to superglue is accelerator - just spray one surface with it before putting the two parts together and the glue sets almost instantly. Or you can use a drop of accelerator to set a layer of glue before adding another, allowing you to build up a repair quickly.

So - some of my applications for superglue:

As a filler - just add sawdust.

For gluing metal to wood.

Repairing splits, checks and cracks.

To glue up quick jigs.

To temporarily tack pieces together (pry them apart within 10 minutes though)

To strengthen soft areas of timber.

As a thread lock.

For me the best attribute is speed - apply the glue, hold the pieces together for a few seconds - done! And its a surprisingly strong bond, too, once it cures fully.

Just remember not to glue your fingers together - maybe an emergency tube of superglue dissolver would be a good thing to add to the list.

Cheers

Philly

Binding

Hi Folks

Found some spare time on the weekend to do some more work on my guitar project. I've added the binding around the body and given the guitar a good sanding - the top was then stained with a thinned lemon dye. A coat of cellulose sealer keeps the dirt out of the pores.

Next step is to finish inlaying the fingerboard and then I can spray the finish.

This week sees a smoother in Greenheart - a very hard and dense timber. More pics soon!

Cheers

Philly

Coffin Smoother with Norris Adjuster

Hi Folks

Had a good day finishing off the brass soled coffin smoother - take as look at the photo's, I think you'll agree it came out quite nicely!

I was very pleased with the adjuster - it works smoothly and accurately. And the plane is a pleasur e to use, the substantial weight means you only have to push the plane forward - it holds itself onto the workpiece!

Cheers

Philly

Black Magic

Hi Folks

Just putting the finishing touches on my current plane - its a brass soled coffin smoother in African Blackwood. This one is special as it has a norris-style adjuster, the first on this particualr model.

I've completed all the major components and have only the final shaping and finishing to complete. So tomorrow will see this beauty complete - looking forward to seeing this one polished up!

I was flicking through the current issue of "British Woodworking" magazine and was pleasantly surprised to see me featured in an article on scrapers - I vaguely remember demonstratrating how to sharpen and use them at the recent WL West show. And the article also shows my Toted Smoother in use, too.

Over at Karl Holteys website he has started blogging - very enlightening to see some of his methods being demonstrated. Well worth a read!

Cheers

Philly

News....

Hi Folks

Been a lot happening here over the last week or so and its been busy! I only just found time to sneak in my birthday ;)

Completed a trio of planes for an American customer - he wanted some custom touches on two of them. First, a Jack - an offset tote, styled like an 18C plane. And then a smoother, but shaped like the one in Moxon's book. Interesting styling, but surpringly comfortable to use. Once the customer gives me his feedback I'll post some pics.

Current plane in progress is a brass soled coffin smoother in African Blackwood. This one will be the first with a norris style adjuster, though. I think this will turn out to be quite a plane and I can't wait to see it completed.

Other news - Karl Holtey has launched a new website. Take a look here...... He makes the most astonishingly wonderful planes, and to the highest possible standard. I don't think I'm out of line to say his are the finest in the world - his attention to detail is otherworldly!

In the pipeline are some exciting new projects - I'm so excited about them I want to blurt out the details. But you're just going to have to be patient - watch this space :)

Cheers

Philly

West Dean

Hi Folks

Just about recovered after the Hand Tool event. It was a fantastic weekend and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. Highlights for me were having my bench next to planemakers Karl Holtey and Bill Carter - the chance to chat throughout the weekend with them both about plane related things was heaven! It was also interesting to compare their work - Mr Holteys planes are sheer perfection, every detail being spot on. Mr Carters planes on the other hand, while made to the same high standards, are aged to give a "vintage" appearance and could be mistaken for being pristine examples of classic infill planes.

The UK Workshop crew dropped by to say hello and it was good to meet customers who I previously only dealt with via email. David Charlesworth was also at the show, which was a special treat - I haven't seen David for almost a year so it was good to see him out and and about.

Last week I had a few emails from a Gent in Norway asking questions about planes and planemaking. It turned out that he was coming to the UK to attand a violin making course - I told him about the Hand Tool event and he managed to catch an earlier flight so he could attend the show before going off to his course. So say hello to Stig - I have a feeling he'll be turning up at my workshop in the near future ;)

After getting home and unpacking the van I was pretty wiped out on Monday. So I spent some time cleaning the workshop - a perfect way to recharge my batteries! This week I've been making a trio of planes for an American customer from Beech, but with some interesting details - a smoother like the one featured in Moxon and a Jack with an off-set tote. I'll have some photo's for you later in the week .

Be good,

Philly