Replies

1. 
   Jencar | Jan 13, 2003 06:06am | #1

   That is way too classy for a car dealership lounge!!!! Unless they sell 'Cedes or Beemers...

   What kind of finish did you put on that, by the way...? My knowledge is limited to Watco or Minwax...think it's time I move on up...

   Thanks, Jen 8]

1. 
   hammersparks | Jan 13, 2003 05:24pm | #5

   The finish is a Minwax water based semi gloss.  My wife - "The Finisher" must use waterbase or suffers the health consequences.  In the summer I spray oil based Minwax in the shed with a HVLP sprayer.   

2. 
   jet | Jan 13, 2003 08:32am | #2

   First welcome to the group.

   OOPS!  We are sharing the same nickname. This will truly get confusing and and troublesome for all on this site.

   Could we resolve this?  I've already changed mine back in July from Weekendwarrior as that was also very common.

   Mine was given to me by the great people of this site (suck up time) and stands for  Just Enough Talent.

1. 
   Qtrmeg | Jan 13, 2003 04:42pm | #3

   You're not kidding, Jet. I thought the other Jet was you, the Jet I see around here, not a new Jet.

   Just Expressing Thoughts...

   Ps. nice cabinet Jet, the new Jet, not the old Jet. Err, not that Jet, the old Jet, is old, or that the old Jet couldn't build a cabinet, oh forget it.

1. 
   jet | Jan 13, 2003 11:15pm | #6

   The old jet fixes airplanes, cabinets are just boxes right????

   Old Jet and getting older. Will be 40 on Jan 30th.I'm all here....... 'cause I'm not all there!

1. 
   CaroleG4 | Jan 14, 2003 01:44am | #9

   40, old????   You are just a youngin........

1. 
   JeffBuck | Jan 14, 2003 05:19am | #10

   well.....

   to some!

   JeffBuck Construction   Pittsburgh,PA

    Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite                  

2. 
   hammersparks | Jan 13, 2003 05:20pm | #4

   Jet - Fixed! Jeff the Jet.

1. 
   jet | Jan 13, 2003 11:16pm | #7

   Thanks a million (cdn). Hence not worth the milkbones.I'm all here....... 'cause I'm not all there!

3. 
   booch | Jan 14, 2003 12:12am | #8

   I really like the curved bottom. It gives the cabinet sinew and strength. Is there a kick plate behind the front face?

   How did you place the interior bottom shelf? Is it continuous thru all three doors? Or did you put a separate bottom in each door section?

   Nice work.

   Jack of all trades and master of none.
1. 
   xMikeSmith | Jan 14, 2003 05:25am | #11

   booch... you wax poetic .. "sinew and strength"...

   hmmmm... nice piece, jeffMike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

2. 
   hammersparks | Jan 14, 2003 06:08am | #12

   The bottom shelf runs continuous.  The lower hinge rests on the lower face frame.  Simple and fun to build.  No kick plate.  I wanted toe space for those stepping up close.  Kregg jig for pocket hole face frame jointery.

1. 
   Jencar | Jan 14, 2003 07:30am | #13

   Woo hoo! Pocket screws...On another thread (Face Frames vs Frameless) there's a great discussion about the virtues of using them instead of dowels...

   your wife puts the finish on...what a great set-up.

   Is the hardware from the Restoration Store?

   Jen 8)

1. 
   booch | Jan 14, 2003 10:30pm | #14

   The real trick would be to have her do the finish sanding too!

1. 
   Jencar | Jan 15, 2003 01:56am | #15

   True...that's the real pits. I have a belt sander with 120, one palm sander with 150, and one with 220. Do one side at a time, from med to fine.

   My boss at the District only used 80 grit...said that by the time you used it for a while, it became medium grit...and besides (he said) oak and birch plywood come already sanded, so why bother? bleargh...

   Jen 8)

2. 
   kennedy136 | Jan 15, 2003 05:16am | #16

   Jencar,

           As Piff would say, learn how to sharpen and use a scraper.  Beats the heck out of sanding.  Sometimes you can finish right after using it.  Otherwise you can start with a much finer grit like 180 or 220.  It's also a lot faster, not to mention quieter.

                                                mark

3. 
   Jencar | Jan 15, 2003 08:35am | #17

   My shop skills are still in their childhood...would greatly appreciate learning any technique that would cut down on sanding time! Wait a minute, is a scraper anything like a "smoke shifter"?

   Thanks, Jen 8}

4. 
   kennedy136 | Jan 15, 2003 11:08pm | #18

   Jen,

          A simple card scraper is nothing more than a piece of steel that is hard enough to hold an edge but still soft enough to file and burnish.   Most of them are about 2.5 by 6 inches.  They cost about 6 to 8 $ and are available from most of the major woodworking catalogs such as Woodcraft, Highland Hardware, Lee Valley and many others.  You will also need a burnisher which is available in several styles (look in the catalogs).  To sharpen you first file the edge of the scraper straight and square to the face and then lightly hone the face to get rid of any burrs created by the file.  If you are doing heavy stock removal then you can dispense with the honing step but it won't leave quite as fine a finish.  After you file the edge you must turn a burr on the edge as this is what does the cutting.  A scraper will handle the most ornery woods imaginable, unlike a plane.  To turn the burr you clamp the scraper in the vise and rub the burnisher in a back and forth motion(along the length of the blade) with medium pressure.  The first passes should be at about 90 degrees to the face and then suceeding passes you lift up on the handle  until you are at about 15 degrees off of 90 .  These passes will turn a minute burr that you can feel with your finger.  You can turn a burr on all 4 edges so you don't have to sharpen as often.

         In use you can either push or pull the scraper (I do both depending on the situation).  Either way you flex the scraper a little and lean it over until the hook starts to bite.  Properly sharpened it will take off small shavings not dust.  If you have to lean it over too far for it to cut then you burnished it at too much of an angle.

        You can also use a scraper with handles such as a Stanley no. 80 or the new Veritas model which is available from Lee Valley for about 40$.  It is a much superior tool to the stanley.  I have both.  This tool looks something like a spokeshave.  It is more difficult to push if you take a heavy cut but you can remove stock in a hurry.  I build a lot of reproduction furniture so it is one of the most used tools in my arsenal. It works for any type of woodwork though.  I HATE  SANDING so I try to do as little as possible.  This type of scraper is sharpened in much the same way as the card scraper except that the edge is filed at a 45 degree angle to the face and then burnished.  If you buy the Lee VAlley they send excellent instructions with the tool.  If not get a copy of the Handplane book by Garret Hack available from Taunton ( you should get a copy anyway there is a ton of information in it).

            One other thing, If you are using the card scraper you will want to either wear gloves or wrap your thumbs with tape.  This type of scraper is notorious for creating burned thumbs from the friction it generates.  Bugs me and I'm sure I probably have as tough callouses as anyone.   Piff might have some other thoughts here but I think I covered the basics for you.  Good luck.  A well tuned scraper is worth a lot of sandpaper.

                                                                   Mark