My son-in-law is just getting into woodworking. He has a small
workshop in his basement. He made an Adirondack chair for his mom and
me for Christmas, which turned out very well. The design is excellent.
The construction is good. The finish is a little rough.
Now he wants to make a coffee table for us for the TV room. We have
settled on a general design. It will be square, about 32" x 32" (maybe
a bit larger), square legs, glass top inset into a wood frame, with a
shaped edge and a short skirt (if that's the right term).
The room has some wood trim that looks like oak stained a medium
brown. The cabinets are wood painted white.
I have been suggesting that he use oak for this project, stain is a
similar color to the wood trim in the room, and put on a lacquer
finish. He has a new compressor and spray guns for the lacquer.
Is this a good choice for him? Are there other woods that he might
consider?
Any other comments or suggestions?
Thanks
--
For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
Mike G wrote:
> It's as good a choice as any and, more importantly, will match the decor.
> It doesn't make much sense to make a piece of furniture for a room that
> doesn't match the rest of the room
Unless the rest of the room isn't walnut, and you're making a piece out of
walnut. You can't go wrong with walnut. :)
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
"Top Spin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> The construction is good. The finish is a little rough.
Yeah - as a newbie too, I'm learning that the finishing takes as much
work/art/experience as the construction!
Kind'a frustrating to successfully navigate all of the major hurdles in
construction only to realize the hurdles in finishing are just as large!
> I have been suggesting that he use oak for this project, stain is a
> similar color to the wood trim in the room, and put on a lacquer
> finish. He has a new compressor and spray guns for the lacquer.
>
I've been sticking w/ Oak for my learning experience. It's a less expensive
hardwood so the costs of errors are reduced. It's plentiful and available in
wide widths. It stains/dyes well so finishing is less of a challenge. In the
end, if the peice turns out well, it's with a wood that I prefer over
something like poplar.
On Thu, 8 Jan 2004 09:40:16 -0500, "Mike G"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Nitrocellulose lacquer is almost certainly what you were familiar with.
>
>Get the right viscosity and needle/nozzle combination and, yes water based
>lacquer sprays about the same as nitrocellulose. The owners manual for the
>spray gun should give you the appropriate spec's for the gun on the above.
The spray guns 20+ years old, like my experience. Owners manuals, if I
ever had them, are long gone. I think I might be able to just
experiment. It's his first project and he needs to practice on scrap
anyway.
Thanks
--
For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
Oak is cheap for hardwood and not that difficult to work; it's a great
choice if you like the way it looks.
Lacquer will look nice, but it is not the best choice to protect the
wood against hot coffee cups, condensation on the bottom of cold soda
cans, or spilt alcohol. A lot of folks like Behlen's rock-hard table
top varnish for that purpose. Maybe encourage your son-in-law to go
to the library and check out a book called Understanding Wood
Finishes. It does an excellent job comparing the protective qualities
of various finishes.
Well, if you were spraying nitrocellulose with that gun before the
needle/nozzle combination should be ok for water based poly. You will have
to to experiment with the controls, air and fluid, to get a good mist and
you may or may not have to experiment with the viscosity.
I doubt the last though, water based usually sprays pretty well as it comes
out of the can.
Note, if you are unfamiliar with water based finishes don't be alarmed if it
looks milky when you open the can. That is normal and it will dry clear.
Further note, a respirator still isn't a bad idea though just a particulate
mask will work.
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Top Spin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Thu, 8 Jan 2004 09:40:16 -0500, "Mike G"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Nitrocellulose lacquer is almost certainly what you were familiar with.
> >
> >Get the right viscosity and needle/nozzle combination and, yes water
based
> >lacquer sprays about the same as nitrocellulose. The owners manual for
the
> >spray gun should give you the appropriate spec's for the gun on the
above.
>
> The spray guns 20+ years old, like my experience. Owners manuals, if I
> ever had them, are long gone. I think I might be able to just
> experiment. It's his first project and he needs to practice on scrap
> anyway.
>
> Thanks
>
>
> --
> For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
Nitrocellulose lacquer is almost certainly what you were familiar with.
Get the right viscosity and needle/nozzle combination and, yes water based
lacquer sprays about the same as nitrocellulose. The owners manual for the
spray gun should give you the appropriate spec's for the gun on the above.
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Top Spin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 7 Jan 2004 17:58:35 -0500, "Mike G"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >It's as good a choice as any and, more importantly, will match the decor.
It
> >doesn't make much sense to make a piece of furniture for a room that
doesn't
> >match the rest of the room
> >
> >Now the lacquer may be another story. It's a good finish but if you are
> >talking nitrocellulose over water based you had best have EXCELLENT
> >ventilation and he had better be wearing a respirator. The lacquer and
the
> >thinner is an explosive hells brew of toxic petro chemicals until it
cures.
> >You do not want a cloud of the overspray and bounce back floating around
> >where people are breathing and you have heaters and such making sparks
and
> >what not.
> >
> >Water based, on the other hand, is as good and much safer to spray..
>
> It's been a long time since I finished anything. The lacquer I used
> then was definitely not water-based. I don't recall the term
> nitrocellulose, but we needed lacquer thinner.
>
> Does water-based lacquer spray in air guns about the same?
>
> --
> For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
Take your pick
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Mike G" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> > It's as good a choice as any and, more importantly, will match the
decor.
> It
> > doesn't make much sense to make a piece of furniture for a room that
> doesn't
> > match the rest of the room
>
> Perhaps you should clarify this. Do you mean if one piece of furniture is
> dark stained oak the rest must be?
>
> Or do you really mean that the decor should harmonize? No lime green
chairs
> with chrome legs when the rest of the furniture is Colonial style.
> Ed
>
>
On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 09:19:41 -0500, "Mike G"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>I haven't had any trouble with blushing with water based finishes. I think
>most blushing is caused by humidity rather then temperature and you
>shouldn't have a problem at 65 degrees.
Is that what's it's called? (blushing)
About 15 years ago, I got a local cabinetmaker to take me on as a kind
of an apprentice. I would go over there when I could and he would give
me odd jobs to do as I learned the trade.
After a while, I started making some projects on my own. I set up a
small shop in my garage. I had a compressor and a couple of spray
guns. One day, I was applying lacquer in the garage. It was about
60-65 outside. This was in San Jose so fairly low humidity.
Anyway, the lacquer went on very cloudy, almost milky. I called the
cabinetmaker and he said it was too cold to spray lacquer. He told me
to wait until a warmer day or heat the garage, then reapply and it
would be OK. That's what I did and it was fine.
--
For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
On Wed, 07 Jan 2004 07:59:54 -0800, Top Spin <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Now he wants to make a coffee table for us for the TV room. We have
>settled on a general design. It will be square, about 32" x 32" (maybe
>a bit larger), square legs, glass top inset into a wood frame,
A glass top makes finishing much easier. A perennial finishing problem
is resistance to spilled drinks, or to hot mugs. Glass is an easy way
to avoid this.
> With a shaped edge and a short skirt (if that's the right term).
"apron", usually
>I have been suggesting that he use oak for this project, stain is a
>similar color to the wood trim in the room, and put on a lacquer
>finish.
Oak would work, but it's quite hard to work. Ash is nice, looks
similar, softer to work and is hard to tell apart if you're staining
them.
I haven't had any trouble with blushing with water based finishes. I think
most blushing is caused by humidity rather then temperature and you
shouldn't have a problem at 65 degrees.
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Top Spin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Thu, 8 Jan 2004 17:10:01 -0500, "Mike G"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Well, if you were spraying nitrocellulose with that gun before the
> >needle/nozzle combination should be ok for water based poly. You will
have
> >to to experiment with the controls, air and fluid, to get a good mist and
> >you may or may not have to experiment with the viscosity.
> >
> >I doubt the last though, water based usually sprays pretty well as it
comes
> >out of the can.
>
> Sounds good. We'll give it a try.
>
> >Note, if you are unfamiliar with water based finishes don't be alarmed if
it
> >looks milky when you open the can. That is normal and it will dry clear.
>
> I recall that if I applied the lacquer when te ambient temperature was
> under about 65 or so, it would go on cloudy and stay that way. Does
> the water-based lacquer have the same problem?
>
> >Further note, a respirator still isn't a bad idea though just a
particulate
> >mask will work.
>
> Good idea.
>
> --
> For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
"Mike G" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> It's as good a choice as any and, more importantly, will match the decor.
It
> doesn't make much sense to make a piece of furniture for a room that
doesn't
> match the rest of the room
Perhaps you should clarify this. Do you mean if one piece of furniture is
dark stained oak the rest must be?
Or do you really mean that the decor should harmonize? No lime green chairs
with chrome legs when the rest of the furniture is Colonial style.
Ed
On Wed, 7 Jan 2004 17:58:35 -0500, "Mike G"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>It's as good a choice as any and, more importantly, will match the decor. It
>doesn't make much sense to make a piece of furniture for a room that doesn't
>match the rest of the room
>
>Now the lacquer may be another story. It's a good finish but if you are
>talking nitrocellulose over water based you had best have EXCELLENT
>ventilation and he had better be wearing a respirator. The lacquer and the
>thinner is an explosive hells brew of toxic petro chemicals until it cures.
>You do not want a cloud of the overspray and bounce back floating around
>where people are breathing and you have heaters and such making sparks and
>what not.
>
>Water based, on the other hand, is as good and much safer to spray..
It's been a long time since I finished anything. The lacquer I used
then was definitely not water-based. I don't recall the term
nitrocellulose, but we needed lacquer thinner.
Does water-based lacquer spray in air guns about the same?
--
For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
It's as good a choice as any and, more importantly, will match the decor. It
doesn't make much sense to make a piece of furniture for a room that doesn't
match the rest of the room
Now the lacquer may be another story. It's a good finish but if you are
talking nitrocellulose over water based you had best have EXCELLENT
ventilation and he had better be wearing a respirator. The lacquer and the
thinner is an explosive hells brew of toxic petro chemicals until it cures.
You do not want a cloud of the overspray and bounce back floating around
where people are breathing and you have heaters and such making sparks and
what not.
Water based, on the other hand, is as good and much safer to spray..
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Top Spin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My son-in-law is just getting into woodworking. He has a small
> workshop in his basement. He made an Adirondack chair for his mom and
> me for Christmas, which turned out very well. The design is excellent.
> The construction is good. The finish is a little rough.
>
> Now he wants to make a coffee table for us for the TV room. We have
> settled on a general design. It will be square, about 32" x 32" (maybe
> a bit larger), square legs, glass top inset into a wood frame, with a
> shaped edge and a short skirt (if that's the right term).
>
> The room has some wood trim that looks like oak stained a medium
> brown. The cabinets are wood painted white.
>
> I have been suggesting that he use oak for this project, stain is a
> similar color to the wood trim in the room, and put on a lacquer
> finish. He has a new compressor and spray guns for the lacquer.
>
> Is this a good choice for him? Are there other woods that he might
> consider?
>
> Any other comments or suggestions?
>
> Thanks
>
> --
> For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
Yes, when lacquer is sprayed and the finish looks milky it's called blush.
The haze is caused by the sprayed mist picking up excess moisture from high
humidity air. Think water ring on a table..
Nominal best spraying temp to avoid premature or slow cure is 70 degrees and
you were only 5 degrees under that and I've sprayed in a greater range with
no problem so I don't know what to tell you about your experience and I
can't agree with the local cabinet maker
However, if it happened and you are not comfortable spraying at 65 degrees
that's good too, spray at 70 degrees. Like chicken soup, it can't hurt..
Good luck
Mike
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Top Spin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 09:19:41 -0500, "Mike G"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >I haven't had any trouble with blushing with water based finishes. I
think
> >most blushing is caused by humidity rather then temperature and you
> >shouldn't have a problem at 65 degrees.
>
> Is that what's it's called? (blushing)
>
> About 15 years ago, I got a local cabinetmaker to take me on as a kind
> of an apprentice. I would go over there when I could and he would give
> me odd jobs to do as I learned the trade.
>
> After a while, I started making some projects on my own. I set up a
> small shop in my garage. I had a compressor and a couple of spray
> guns. One day, I was applying lacquer in the garage. It was about
> 60-65 outside. This was in San Jose so fairly low humidity.
>
> Anyway, the lacquer went on very cloudy, almost milky. I called the
> cabinetmaker and he said it was too cold to spray lacquer. He told me
> to wait until a warmer day or heat the garage, then reapply and it
> would be OK. That's what I did and it was fine.
>
> --
> For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
On Thu, 8 Jan 2004 17:10:01 -0500, "Mike G"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Well, if you were spraying nitrocellulose with that gun before the
>needle/nozzle combination should be ok for water based poly. You will have
>to to experiment with the controls, air and fluid, to get a good mist and
>you may or may not have to experiment with the viscosity.
>
>I doubt the last though, water based usually sprays pretty well as it comes
>out of the can.
Sounds good. We'll give it a try.
>Note, if you are unfamiliar with water based finishes don't be alarmed if it
>looks milky when you open the can. That is normal and it will dry clear.
I recall that if I applied the lacquer when te ambient temperature was
under about 65 or so, it would go on cloudy and stay that way. Does
the water-based lacquer have the same problem?
>Further note, a respirator still isn't a bad idea though just a particulate
>mask will work.
Good idea.
--
For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
"Top Spin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have been suggesting that he use oak for this project, stain is a
> similar color to the wood trim in the room, and put on a lacquer
> finish. He has a new compressor and spray guns for the lacquer.
>
> Is this a good choice for him? Are there other woods that he might
> consider?
My first project was Oak. An entertainment center. The reason I used Oak
is because I had salvaged a bunch from a job site I was working on. Sooo, I
guess what I am saying is if he has any good wood deals going, use that.
Otherwise, if he has to purchase wood, Oak is a wonderful wood to use. Make
sure and tell him to use a nice sharp blade! Good luck on the project.
SH