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I want to make a wingback chair. I have slightly more than a layman's knowledge of woodworking - I made tables and benches with my dad growing up and designed/built my own futon when I went to college. The problem is that there appears not to be a free woodworking plan for a wingback chair on the internet. With the help of my Industrial Design friend, we've come up with a plan for the bulk of the chair. The only remaining problem is the front legs. Traditionally these chairs have absurdly curved front legs, which doesn't seem very conducive to weight bearing. Do any among you know how these chairs are put together? We're trying to decide between running the leg up to the armrest under the frame or maybe running a metal dowel through the middle. Are either of these necessary? Have any of you guys done anything like this before? Or even better, do you have a wingback chair you can take the legs off and see how it's done professionally?
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Aug 17, 2011 07:11
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Rockis Dukakis posted:That's it, I'm going to tear up the carpet covering my stairs immediately. The carpet was glued to EVERYTHING and I used a carpet scraper on my Fein to get off the worst. Then I used some glue remover and a hand-scrape to get rid of the worst layer. Repeat last step one gazillion times. Washed it with a mild soapy water. Washed with water. Sanded the worst scars from stair use and from my scraping as well as the once clear coat. Used acrylic mud to fill the various scrapes and scars. Sand again. Paint. Disappointed. More filling of dents and scrapes. More sanding. New paint. Finally somewhat satisfied. It was obviously done by amateurs and they did a terrible job. Once I ripped the carpets off, the bottom layer was stuck to the glue. They used so much glue that parts were still flexible. I used so much god drat time getting rid of that glue! I still shudder thinking about carpets and glue. After the whole thing was cleaned it wasn't so bad.
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Aug 17, 2011 10:44
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I stripped all the paint off my old Victorian staircase, and then realised that Victorians weren't so stupid as to use nice timber to build something they had intended to cover, and have had to promptly repaint it because its all knots and ugly.
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Aug 17, 2011 19:39
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Behold, "paint grade."
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Aug 17, 2011 19:41
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I guess I am the only one that actually likes the look of knots in wood. Not a ton of them but one here and there gives it character in my eyes.
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Aug 18, 2011 01:54
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Knots are one thing, but paint grade is a whole separate beast. Discoloration, marks from processing, etc.
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Aug 18, 2011 01:57
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Knots, burls, wavy grain, etc. are something that I appreciate and sometimes look for when making pieces that I will only be staining or applying polyurethane to. Paint grade wood is usually wood with a very porous surface, a little bit of water damage or cosmetic rot, or an area that was too close to the bark and has that spongy exterior look to it. Then again there are some people that like their wood to be completely free of knots, and have almost no discernible grain. Sort of like early generations of laminate flooring or that wood grain sticker they put on top of cheap office desks. When I worked at a lumber yard one summer I got tired of digging to the bottom of a bundle of lumber for the "perfect" boards that a lot of the older guys wanted when they were making shelves, so I'd just let them do it themselves. They'd expect me to tear apart a bundle the size of a queen sized bed and as tall as a 5th grader to get their special boards. Nothing like moving 800lbs of wood, having some crotchety old man scowl at it, then put it aside until you're got the 4 best in the pile. Then having him not say thanks, and spending 15 minutes putting them all back and re-tarping the bundle.  "Oh, that has a knot! Nope, not that one, it's grain is too visible, oh that one gets a little darker near the end, and this one looks to have dust on it!" "Are you sure you wouldn't prefer some melamine coated particle board or some MDF?" "NO! I want to make a nice cedar cabinet for my cottage bathroom! All I need is wood without any traces that it was once a tree!"FUN!  If I had a nickel for every one of these bastards I had to tear apart I'd have enough to get myself the most expensive prostitute in 1920's Berlin.
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Aug 18, 2011 04:18
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Stalizard posted:... do you have a wingback chair you can take the legs off and see how it's done professionally? Mine has legs with a block like this  http://www.vandykes.com/15-queen-anne-chair-leg-with-block/p/201923/
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Aug 18, 2011 04:54
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Blistex posted:If I had a nickel for every one of these bastards I had to tear apart I'd have enough to get myself the most expensive prostitute in 1920's Berlin. That reminds me: I had a little cherry (or something?) tree in the front yard die, and I offered to cut it down for the landlord so I wouldn't have to mow around the stupid thing anymore. The trunk wasn't more than 2" in diameter at its thickest and the tree wasn't more than 8' tall. Anyhow, I went to cut it down, and discovered that the roots had rotted to the point where I was able to tear the whole drat root ball out by hand. I saved the main part, threw it on my lathe, and turned it down to a spindle blank. Only about 1.5" diameter when all was said and done, but hey, free slightly-spalted root burl! Went from this:  to this:  and this: 
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Aug 18, 2011 05:06
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Blistex posted:Thanks! So what's under that carpet? Is it just a plain old stair frame put up and meant to be covered, or is there actual wood worth showing under it? If the former, you can buy Along the edges of the carpet is white paint, underneath it's a very dark stain. Dark enough that I can't really tell what species of wood or what grade. Either way, they're covered in a lot of crap that I'm assuming contains lead, being in a 120 year-old house. Iskariot posted:I did this and it's possibly the worst job I've done. Not to put you off or anything but be prepared.
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Aug 18, 2011 05:17
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Rockis Dukakis posted:Either way, they're covered in a lot of crap that I'm assuming contains lead, being in a 120 year-old house. That's a safe assumption. Mine is 83 years old an "lead paint ahoy!". I find the chips have a slightly sweet taste. Anyway, if you saw or sand them be sure to wear a good mask. I don't mean those cheapo paper ones that you pinch at the nose, a really nice 3M sucker with a charcoal filter. Bad Munki posted:That reminds me: I had a little cherry (or something?) tree in the front yard die, and I offered to cut it down for the landlo. . . <snip> Holy crap that's nice! I'm going to go looking for dead cherry trees now. I imagine I could probably pull them out with the tractor and a chain attached to the loader.
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Aug 18, 2011 05:57
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Bad Munki posted:... but hey, free slightly-spalted root burl! Any idea what to make from it? Love that grain pattern. Do you have to dry it before turning or after?
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Aug 18, 2011 06:02
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When I turned it round it was still wet just from being in the ground. I know sometimes it's nice to turn green wood, though, so I could probably turn it now, I just like the wood to be a bit harder when I cut it, so I'll wait. Maybe put it in the oven at a low temp for a bit. I don't think there's too much danger of it splitting, not a piece like that and that thin, so I'm probably safe either way. I was thinking I could get a tap handle or two out of it, or a few bottle stoppers. Also, it's my understanding that lots of trees have gorgeous root burls, you just don't see them that often because they're a bitch to get out and process. 
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Aug 18, 2011 06:08
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That thing looks like it might make a nice pepper mill.
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Aug 18, 2011 06:35
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Thumposaurus posted:That thing looks like it might make a nice pepper mill. Nope. Reproduction Pioneer-Era dildo is the correct answer!
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Aug 18, 2011 07:18
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Blistex posted:Then having him not say thanks, and spending 15 minutes putting them all back and re-tarping the bundle. I HATED breaking down bundles... Especially with 12+ LF pieces of Jatoba... Did you ever get the bundles wrapped with 2" wide steel straps? We always shielded our eyes with our forearm when cutting one of those things...
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Aug 19, 2011 00:58
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jvick posted:I HATED breaking down bundles... Especially with 12+ LF pieces of Jatoba... 99% of them were the bundles that came with a tarp stapled on, and the thin metal bands. The odd time we would get one with thick plastic bands or some kind of material similar to seat belts, but never thick bands. Nothing like cutting a nice steel strap that is just under tremendous pressure (kiln dried spruce expanding due to super humidity) and having the strap fly off and slice through your jeans or knock your hardhat off. That was always good to get your blood pumping, but luckily I never was injured. I think the worst was having to break down a bundle of 4x4" 16' Pressure treated beams so you could get the "good ones" for the crotchety old man. In their defense those 4x4" PT Beams would twist like a corkscrew for some reason.
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Aug 19, 2011 01:20
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Blistex posted:Nope. Reproduction Pioneer-Era dildo is the correct answer! Can't it be both?
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Aug 19, 2011 01:21
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Thumposaurus posted:Can't it be both? That's not how you spice up your sex life! 
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Aug 19, 2011 01:30
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so I'm starting on my first real woodworking project(s). The first thing I'm building is an aquarium stand out of MDF with the sides and top covered in laminate but the front face doors are black walnut. My second project is going to be a coffee table out of another piece of black walnut. I got it all belt sanded before I started and I just finished taking the first door down to 220, rounding off the corners a bit and applying watco danish oil at the recommendation of one of the guys at the walnut shop. My question is this... for the coffee table am I alright using the same oil for the finish? I really love the finished results from this one piece I've done so far but I'm concerned that while the oil alone should be fine for cabinet doors it might not be durable enough for a coffee table that people could potentially spill drinks on. Is there something else I should be finishing the coffee table slab with? Here are some photos of what I'm working with. These are the bookmatched doors, the top two pieces will be butted up against each other and won't move, the bottom pieces are the doors:  This is going to be the coffee table once I figure out what to do for legs  This is the first door after sanding to 220 and oiling  I'm so in love with this black walnut... definitely thinking of endless possibilities for things to build.
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Aug 24, 2011 15:53
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I'm jealous of your copious amounts of walnut... I have a question for you guys as well: My gf is wanting a new coffee table from wood that looks "old/used". Aside from spending stupid amounts of money on reclaimed wood, I'm thinking about getting some poplar and aging it to make a table. My question is this, do you guys have any recommendations for how to "age" wood, or make it look used/worn? Google searches have pretty much led me back to 2 videos. Right now I'm thinking of just getting some light stain and dirt to rub into the wood and wipe off almost right away. Before that I'll bang up the boards with various tools and what not to make the wood look used, but I'm not sure how great it will be. To top off the look, I'm hoping to use quarter sawn oak for the legs.
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Aug 24, 2011 17:57
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I wouldn't put dirt on it. Dirt != age. However, I've heard that dropping a good amount of heavy duty chain on it can put some nice random-looking dents and dings in, which then take stain differently, giving it that worn antique look to a certain degree. Otherwise, leave your wood out in the sun/rain for a while? Unprotected poplar turns grey in a matter of days under the sun and rain, just ask the poplar scrap sticks I forgot in the bed of my truck.
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Aug 24, 2011 18:05
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MMD3 posted:My question is this... for the coffee table am I alright using the same oil for the finish? I really love the finished results from this one piece I've done so far but I'm concerned that while the oil alone should be fine for cabinet doors it might not be durable enough for a coffee table that people could potentially spill drinks on. That walnut looks great. I'm no expert on finishes, but as I understand it oil is nice because it's easy to apply and repair, but doesn't provide a lot of protection. Varnish is harder to apply and repair, but provides more protection. I'd go with a wiping varnish for the coffee table. Try it out on a piece of scrap and see how it looks first.
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Aug 24, 2011 18:13
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MMD3 posted:My question is this... for the coffee table am I alright using the same oil for the finish? I really love the finished results from this one piece I've done so far but I'm concerned that while the oil alone should be fine for cabinet doors it might not be durable enough for a coffee table that people could potentially spill drinks on. Hit it with the oil, let dry a few days, then start putting layers of Polyurethane on it. 3 coats should do it, and be sure to do a light sanding with 220 between coats, then wipe with a damp cloth. You don't want any bumps, hairs or dust in between coats. The poly is super clear so you will not alter the colour of the stain, and it's really tough so you don't have to wince every time someone forgets to use a coaster. jvick posted:I have a question for you guys as well: My gf is wanting a new coffee table from wood that looks "old/used". Aside from spending stupid amounts of money on reclaimed wood, I'm thinking about getting some poplar and aging it to make a table. My question is this, do you guys have any recommendations for how to "age" wood, or make it look used/worn? Google searches have pretty much led me back to 2 videos. If you want older wood, go for a drive until you see an abandoned barn or shed, the kind with the exposed boards. Go to the nearest house and ask if you could grab a few boards. Most people won't have a problem with it if the barn is abandoned or dilapidated. You can then sand, plane, or just leave bare and get that old finish. Here's the one that I did with straight barnboard and a few coats of polyurethane. If you want to age/distress the wood then there are millions of different options. The chain has been mentioned, another way is using a stiff bristled wire brush to add some scratches and to allow stain to penetrate deeper in certain areas. Using different types of stains and oil in patterns and areas to give the impression of age, as well as using dyes or sometimes tea to give it an older colour. Just google "aging wood" and start reading. Also be sure to test your method on scrap wood (same type as you are using) so you don't end up making your project look like crap.
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Aug 24, 2011 19:37
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Blistex posted:Hit it with the oil, let dry a few days, then start putting layers of Polyurethane on it. 3 coats should do it, and be sure to do a light sanding with 220 between coats, then wipe with a damp cloth. You don't want any bumps, hairs or dust in between coats. The poly is super clear so you will not alter the colour of the stain, and it's really tough so you don't have to wince every time someone forgets to use a coaster. awesome, thanks! can you recommend a brand/type? and the other thing I'm trying to avoid is too much gloss, is there like a satin polyurethane I could use? also how many times should I apply the oil and how often? I flooded it last night, let it dry for a half hour, flooded it again, waited 15 minutes (per instructions) and then wiped it clean... this morning I took a look and could tell there were some dry spots so I'm guessing I just keep applying until I don't see dry(ish) spots? I guess I need a finishing for noobs guide. Time to buy a lot more Watco on Amazon I guess if I'm already 1/3 of the way through my quart on one side of one door. MMD3 fucked around with this message at 20:46 on Aug 24, 2011 |
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Aug 24, 2011 20:38
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MMD3 posted:awesome, thanks! this is actually exactly what I'd like the finish to look like if I can help it... this is a black walnut coffee table made locally that I saw in a shop which inspired me to make a table. 
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Aug 24, 2011 20:53
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MMD3 posted:awesome, thanks! Take a look at The Wood Whisperer site. There's a video, book, and a lot of free videos and articles on finishing. You can learn most everything from the free videos and articles, but the book and simple varnish finish DVD go into a little more detail all in one place. Most polyurethane brands have gloss, semigloss and satin varieties. The satin and semigloss just have additives to knock down the gloss. You have to be careful to mix them up thoroughly before and during use or they'll settle out and you'll just get a gloss finish.
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Aug 24, 2011 22:45
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Cpt.Wacky posted:Take a look at The Wood Whisperer site. There's a video, book, and a lot of free videos and articles on finishing. You can learn most everything from the free videos and articles, but the book and simple varnish finish DVD go into a little more detail all in one place. thanks for the info! hmmm, in reading this on his site I just realized the watco danish oil I'm using already has a varnish in it... for some reason I guess I was assuming it was straight oil but that wouldn't really account for the mineral spirits smell it gives off would it. so I guess the question then is... do I need anything past just the danish oil for basic protection? Should I just apply another couple of layers and call it good?
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Aug 24, 2011 23:05
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To get that grey aged look to wood you can dissolve some steel wool in vinegar and brush that on the bare wood. Then brush over it with a strong tea solution. The tannins in the tea react with the vinegar/steel wool to give it the grey weathered look. I've only really seen it used on pine and maple so not sure how well it would work on poplar, but worth a shot at least.
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Aug 25, 2011 00:14
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Blistex posted:If you want older wood, go for a drive until you see an abandoned barn or shed, the kind with the exposed boards. Go to the nearest house and ask if you could grab a few boards. Most people won't have a problem with it if the barn is abandoned or dilapidated. You can then sand, plane, or just leave bare and get that old finish. Here's the one that I did with straight barnboard and a few coats of polyurethane. Bad Munki posted:I wouldn't put dirt on it. Dirt != age. Thanks fellas. I think I'll need to use stain and oils possibly to get the desired color. I have done some testing with a light blow torch and some coffee. The tea is a good idea as well.
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Aug 25, 2011 00:54
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MMD3 posted:this is actually exactly what I'd like the finish to look like if I can help it... this is a black walnut coffee table made locally that I saw in a shop which inspired me to make a table. That is probably a hand rubbed wax finish, beautiful, but not practical for most people. Watco or Danish Oil is just varnish mixed with oil and sometimes colored. For a coffee table you'll want either varnish or lacquer. There are brushing lacquers or you can buy it in a spray can. Oil based varnish is also nice and gives a warmer hue to the wood. Water based poly is okay but be careful not to build it too thick or it will look like plastic. Water based poly will emphasize walnut's cool brown color. You can rub out the final coat with steel wool or sandpaper to dull the finish.
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Aug 25, 2011 07:23
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wormil posted:That is probably a hand rubbed wax finish, beautiful, but not practical for most people. awesome, thanks... I guess I'll probably try going with just the danish oil for now then and see how it holds up. how would I go about repairing the finish if it gets some water rings or something from people not using coasters, would it just be as easy as sanding the area down a bit and then reapplying the danish oil?
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Aug 25, 2011 16:20
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MMD3 posted:this is actually exactly what I'd like the finish to look like if I can help it... this is a black walnut coffee table made locally that I saw in a shop which inspired me to make a table. That is just straight up nice black walnut, not distressed/aged. Distressing and aging in my opinion give it a cheap look. Find a source of nice wood (like barns) and get the pieces square, then finish them well. Tung oil is a perfectly good finish that won't reek or hurt anything and you can build enough layers to suit the finish you like, all the way to glassy. It looks wood-y and real, and dries in ~15 hrs in my experience. Danish is fine but its not always 100% tung or whatever. Tung's the fastest drying or at least I find.
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Aug 25, 2011 23:34
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Not an Anthem posted:That is just straight up nice black walnut, not distressed/aged. Distressing and aging in my opinion give it a cheap look. Find a source of nice wood (like barns) and get the pieces square, then finish them well. Tung oil is a perfectly good finish that won't reek or hurt anything and you can build enough layers to suit the finish you like, all the way to glassy. It looks wood-y and real, and dries in ~15 hrs in my experience. huh, I'm not trying to distress it at all, and I know I got my wood from the same shop that this table came from, actually the shop guy that helped me pick out the board I'm using turned out to be the exact guy who made this table I'd seen/photographed. I'm fortunate to have this place in town: http://www.gobywalnut.com/ I'm a little confused about what you're saying, from the reading I've done Tung Oil takes months to cure and smells the whole time it's curing. and Danish isn't 100% tung at all, it's a mix of tung varnish and mineral spirits I thought which adds more durability over pure tung... correct me if I'm wrong here.
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Aug 26, 2011 00:25
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MMD3 posted:I'm a little confused about what you're saying, from the reading I've done Tung Oil takes months to cure and smells the whole time it's curing. and Danish isn't 100% tung at all, it's a mix of tung varnish and mineral spirits I thought which adds more durability over pure tung... Danish may not even have tung oil in it. They can write whatever they want on the can, it's just marketing. To really figure out what's in a finish you have to look at the MSDS sheet, and that takes a little experience too. I looked up the MSDS for one variety of Watco Danish oil and it states 55% mineral spirits, and 5% each of 3 other chemicals that look like thinners. Obviously that doesn't add up to 100%. Towards the end it also shows "among the top 5 ingredients" are raw linseed oil, vegetable oil, resin (the "varnish" part) and gilsonite (maybe coloring as far as I understand it from wikipedia). Sometimes it's easier to just try them out on scrap and see how it looks and works. I envy your local hardwood dealer. The closest one to me is a 1.5 hour drive each way.
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Aug 26, 2011 01:59
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Cpt.Wacky posted:Danish may not even have tung oil in it. They can write whatever they want on the can, it's just marketing. To really figure out what's in a finish you have to look at the MSDS sheet, and that takes a little experience too. I looked up the MSDS for one variety of Watco Danish oil and it states 55% mineral spirits, and 5% each of 3 other chemicals that look like thinners. Obviously that doesn't add up to 100%. Towards the end it also shows "among the top 5 ingredients" are raw linseed oil, vegetable oil, resin (the "varnish" part) and gilsonite (maybe coloring as far as I understand it from wikipedia). rad, good to know... well I'm happy with the results of the natural watco danish oil I applied to the first piece so I'm definitely sticking with it for the aquarium stand doors, assuming I'm happy with the results there I'll go ahead and use it for the coffee table too I think. That's just one of our hardwood shops, we've got at least a few more large ones. those guys specialize in recovered black walnut specifically, this one stocks the really exotic stuff http://www.gilmerwood.com/
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Aug 26, 2011 02:37
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MMD3 posted:awesome, thanks... I guess I'll probably try going with just the danish oil for now then and see how it holds up. how would I go about repairing the finish if it gets some water rings or something from people not using coasters, would it just be as easy as sanding the area down a bit and then reapplying the danish oil? Repairing lacquer or shellac is fairly simple, everything else can be complicated if you get water rings which is why I recommended lacquer or varnish (poly), either will eliminate the problem. Shellac isn't great for tables if you ever anticipate alcoholic drinks being set on them as alcohol will instantly dissolve shellac. The other issue with tables is that people sometimes write on paper and if they are heavy handed, those marks can leave impressions if you use a soft finish like oil or wiping varnish (danish oil) don't ask how I know.
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Aug 26, 2011 04:46
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Not an Anthem posted:That is just straight up nice black walnut, not distressed/aged. Distressing and aging in my opinion give it a cheap look. Find a source of nice wood (like barns) and get the pieces square, then finish them well. Tung oil is a perfectly good finish that won't reek or hurt anything and you can build enough layers to suit the finish you like, all the way to glassy. It looks wood-y and real, and dries in ~15 hrs in my experience. Yeah I've heard so many different opinions about this...some people say Tung oil is fine if you use enough coats (like 5-8), even for dining tables, and others say it's crap and all that. This is actually something I'm trying to figure out too...as a finish for a dining table. I worry that a straight tung oil finish just wouldn't be durable enough, so at the moment I'm wondering if a couple coats of tung oil followed by a poly finish or something would work well. I hear great things about how tung oil looks...I just don't want to have to deal with damage because it's not a great protector. I think we don't want a real shiny/glossy finish though, but I assume that can be handled with getting the right kind of poly finish
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Aug 26, 2011 12:37
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Levitate posted:I think we don't want a real shiny/glossy finish though, but I assume that can be handled with getting the right kind of poly finish If you do poly it use a satin finish and then just go over the last coat with some 220 grit sandpaper. That will take a bit of the gloss off of it.
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Aug 26, 2011 16:40
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Levitate posted:Yeah I've heard so many different opinions about this...some people say Tung oil is fine if you use enough coats (like 5-8), even for dining tables, and others say it's crap and all that. I often use an oil/varathane mix. I mix up 40% Danish oil or Tung oil, 40% oil based varathane (usually satin finish), and 20% mineral spirits. I start by applying a flood coat over the whole piece, letting it sit for a few minutes and then wiping the piece as dry as I can get it. Then I will leave it to dry overnight and flood the piece again the next morning. This time I will use some 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper and give the piece a good sanding with the finish still wet. This sands down any grain that will be raised by the flood coats. Then I'll wipe it dry again, wait until the end of the day, and apply another flood coat. Again, I'll wipe it dry and leave it over night. Typically I will repeat the flood/dry process about 6 or 7 times. I like this finishing process for two reasons: first, the result is a beautiful, rich, protective film finish. Second, the finish is always even and beautifully smooth. Since I started woodworking, I've found finishing to be one of the most difficult aspects of the job. It is a real art, and one should never rush through it.
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Aug 26, 2011 19:26
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