# Woodworking



## Stellar P

*WOODWORKING​*
*Lets see some of your projects and learn from each other!​*
This post by @thompwa got me searching for a woodworking thread, and I didn't see one, so I'll be the first to start.



thompwa said:


> I used to be all into trapshooting. Made a lot of good friends traveling around to different shoots. I always seem to pick up the hobbies that require expensive toys...fancy shotguns, reel mowers, *woodworking tools*, etc. hah


I'm new to woodworking. I started gaining interest this winter and have gathered a few tools and made some standards/expectations for myself. I want to treat this as a craft and hobby, and not as something I can make for profit. For this reason, I want to stick with hand tools. I feel like this will create a more intimate process. I understand that I may utilize power tools in the future or find a more efficient way of doing things. My goal right now is to learn and enjoy the process. I've learned about some basic joints and common tools used in the trade. I've watched a lot of Paul Sellers videos. Youtube has been a great resource until I get down a rabbit hole of things way above my skillset. I've purchased "The Essential Woodworker" also. (edit - a word.)

I hit a wall this winter trying to use a hand plane (I think it's a # 4 1/2). I've got a corner of the iron digging into a 1x6 that i'm testing on. I've cambered the corners of the iron, set the iron all over the place to try and counter the problem, and still have it digging in. I'm thinking it is a problem with the sole of the plane (cheap $30 plane from HD to start) not being square. I plan to flatten it as best I can and see if that fixes the problem. Any suggestions on a type of stone to use? I've got (3) clay stones (#800, #1200, #6000) but I've heard that you shouldn't use those for flattening a plane sole.

I know it's not a very "technically" sound piece, but it's one of the first woodworking projects I did and I'm proud of it. Pallet wood used. Ocean is an "Ebony" stain and land masses are "Red Chestnut", from what I can remember.


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## Ware

Great topic idea!


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## Stellar P

Ware said:


> Great topic idea!


I needed something to do over the winter when everything went dormant. Now I'm set for all 4 seasons.


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## jabopy

. A couple of years ago I got my new bench cobbled together and fitted an old cleaned up vice. All ready to start little projects  of which I've not done many. :?


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## dfw_pilot

Stellar P said:


>





jabopy said:


>


These are both fantastic. Nice work, gents.


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## TN Hawkeye

I mostly build things we need around the house. I built my son an entertainment center for his room at our old house. Also built him a wall mounted drop down desk (space was limited). Built my youngest a bed. Made my wife a coat rack and shoe organizer. None of them were what I'd call professional quality but they were fun to make. I'll see if I can dig up some pictures of the projects.


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## mowww

Thanks for starting this thread, interested to see some of your projects.

I don't have enough room to do many projects at my interim home but here's a shelf I put together that I used to cover a large wall in the kitchen of my old house. 


Here's the last piece of furniture I made:


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## daniel3507

I'm not a woodworker by any means but I did use my father-in-law's woodshop to build a changing table before my son was born.


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## Tadow781

Ukulele


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## Cory

Used to do a lot of wood turning and a little bit of woodworking but haven't done any in about 5 years or so. I've considered pulling out all my tools a few times and getting back into it but making time is tough. I started a YouTube channel a long time ago too with it but got to busy with other stuff to continue with the channel, it was really fun making the videos though. Here's a few photos, the tap handles weren't my design, I just helped the guy who had the contact with the brewery make a few hundred of them.

Edited to add pictures of the hair sticks I used to make. Made a ton of those and sold them on Etsy.


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## TN Hawkeye

I managed to find some pictures of some of the stuff i did. No where near as good as some of the projects up above but they worked and no one was injured in the production.


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## TN Hawkeye

@Cory as if I needed another reason to hate you other than your lawn, now you break out these gems. Really starting to dislike you. 😀


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## Cory

TN Hawkeye said:


> @Cory as if I needed another reason to hate you other than your lawn, now you break out these gems. Really starting to dislike you. 😀


There are lot of things I'm not good at 😂


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## pennstater2005

TN Hawkeye said:


> I managed to find some pictures of some of the stuff i did. No where near as good as some of the projects up above but they worked and no one was injured in the production.


Ok. I love the shoe holder. Can you put them in if they're wet? I need something like that. There's 500 pair of shoes somehow at my house.


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## TN Hawkeye

Cory said:


> TN Hawkeye said:
> 
> 
> 
> @Cory as if I needed another reason to hate you other than your lawn, now you break out these gems. Really starting to dislike you. 😀
> 
> 
> 
> There are lot of things I'm not good at 😂
Click to expand...

Can you put some pictures of them on here? Because I'm getting tired of my wife asking how Cory is doing. 😂


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## jhealy748

Ive spent most of my time getting the new shop set up this winter but built a few shop quality cabinets and a mitre saw station. Built a bath tub tray sort of thing for the girlfriend for Valentine's Day but now the yard is consuming my mind again so I doubt I'll get a whole lot of other woodworking done! It's great to keep me busy in the winter though so I don't go crazy waiting for summer!


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## Shindoman

Lots of nice projects posted on here. Being that my father was a carpenter/cabinetmaker and I started working for him when I was 17 (44 yrs ago!) it's my profession as opposed to a hobby. I haven't been on the tools at work for almost 15 yrs now. But I still to this day always seem to have a woodworking project going at home. It's very rewarding actually creating something from scratch. 
I'll post this cabinet I built for my audio room. It's pretty cool because I incorporated some tricks to help with isolation of unwanted vibrations. Tube audio equipment can be quite susceptible to vibrations. 
The 3" thick top is actually 1 1/2" solid Walnut laminated with an acoustic caulking to 1 1/2" thick Baltic Birch plywood. In between the top and the cabinet is isolated with a closed cell foam to give a specified psi. Rating. The base and wall fasteners also incorporate isolation foam. The end result was a much improved sound to the room. Trickier to design than it was to build.


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## dfw_pilot

I love the HiFi as much as the cabinet.


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## Shindoman

dfw_pilot said:


> I love the HiFi as much as the cabinet.


The tube gear is very special.


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## bp2878

My first woodworking project, I've got some more in work currently. 6/4 maple top on this one. Currently building sofa table and end tables.


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## jpos34

I built this bed for my 4 year old son. Needless to say he loves it.


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## dfw_pilot

jpos34 said:


> I built this bed for my 4 year old son. Needless to say he loves it.


He and I both!


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## Shindoman

@jpos34 very cool!


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## TN Hawkeye

jpos34 said:
 

> I built this bed for my 4 year old son. Needless to say he loves it.


That is absolutely awesome. I bet he loves sleeping in there.


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## drenglish

I need to get back into woodworking but the lawn commands all of my free time. Maybe I need to increase the PGR rate. Hah.

Here's a desk/nightstand that I made for my daughter:


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## PNW_George

I've built a few speakers.


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## dfw_pilot

PNW_George said:


> I've built a few speakers.


Gorgeous. What speaker wire is that from the bookshelf speaker?


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## PNW_George

dfw_pilot said:


> PNW_George said:
> 
> 
> 
> I've built a few speakers.
> 
> 
> 
> Gorgeous. What speaker wire is that from the bookshelf speaker?
Click to expand...

I don't remember, some decent copper cable, 10 or 12 GA.

I have standardized on Belden 5000 series; the 10-gauge 5T00UP and the 12-gauge 5000UE. I buy in bulk from MarkerTek and dress up with TechFlex and shrink wrap if I feel motivated and the wire is in plain view. Thanks.


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## dfw_pilot

Awesome, thanks.


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## smurg

Moved up from a jobsite saw this year and woodworking is overtaking the lawn moving forward. Have the lawn process in place and it's on autopilot now.

Jet 10" Hybrid supersaw ($900) and North State 8" jointer ($400) are my recent additions:


















Still just working with pine but built a little computer desk utilizing castle joints and working on a small bench now:


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## bpitts2

Just saw this thread. Got bored during the winter without any lawn work to do, so started messing around in the garage and found a new hobby with woodwork. Here's my dining room table I made for my wife that I finished up not too long ago.


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## Shindoman

Some nice work being done by everyone here.


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## macrophylla

Shindoman said:


> Lots of nice projects posted on here. Being that my father was a carpenter/cabinetmaker and I started working for him when I was 17 (44 yrs ago!) it's my profession as opposed to a hobby. I haven't been on the tools at work for almost 15 yrs now. But I still to this day always seem to have a woodworking project going at home. It's very rewarding actually creating something from scratch.
> I'll post this cabinet I built for my audio room. It's pretty cool because I incorporated some tricks to help with isolation of unwanted vibrations. Tube audio equipment can be quite susceptible to vibrations.
> The 3" thick top is actually 1 1/2" solid Walnut laminated with an acoustic caulking to 1 1/2" thick Baltic Birch plywood. In between the top and the cabinet is isolated with a closed cell foam to give a specified psi. Rating. The base and wall fasteners also incorporate isolation foam. The end result was a much improved sound to the room. Trickier to design than it was to build.


Wow! That is an amazing cabinet and those tubes!!!!!


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## macrophylla

Built this a few years back after my cigar addiction er... hobby exceeded the small desktop humidor. Its been great and so far I haven't needed to build a second one!


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## NJ-lawn

Built this arbor in 2013..... I just disassembled it to refinish.


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## Shindoman

macrophylla said:


> Shindoman said:
> 
> 
> 
> Lots of nice projects posted on here. Being that my father was a carpenter/cabinetmaker and I started working for him when I was 17 (44 yrs ago!) it's my profession as opposed to a hobby. I haven't been on the tools at work for almost 15 yrs now. But I still to this day always seem to have a woodworking project going at home. It's very rewarding actually creating something from scratch.
> I'll post this cabinet I built for my audio room. It's pretty cool because I incorporated some tricks to help with isolation of unwanted vibrations. Tube audio equipment can be quite susceptible to vibrations.
> The 3" thick top is actually 1 1/2" solid Walnut laminated with an acoustic caulking to 1 1/2" thick Baltic Birch plywood. In between the top and the cabinet is isolated with a closed cell foam to give a specified psi. Rating. The base and wall fasteners also incorporate isolation foam. The end result was a much improved sound to the room. Trickier to design than it was to build.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wow! That is an amazing cabinet and those tubes!!!!!
Click to expand...

Thank You
If you know about Shindo Labs Audio Gear, you will understand how lucky I am to own some.


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## Shindoman

Does this count as Woodworking? Even though I am a professional carpenter, I'm quite proud of my own home because I did all the design and construction myself on weekends and evenings over the 25 yrs that we have owned this home. It was originally built in 1929 and although it was it decent shape, it was all original and looked nothing like what it does now. 
No sense having a nice lawn if your home looks lousy. Here's a couple pics.


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## NJ-lawn

^^^^^^ WOW looks amazing. Beautiful home


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## BobLovesGrass

So I am a professional woodworker of sorts, I say of sorts because I have advanced to an engineering position and now use a CNC rather than hand tools. Do basically nothing for home though.

What you folks have done is really impressive, beautiful work and wonderful creativity. Creativity is where I would really struggle.


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## Pezking7p

@Stellar P Did you ever fix your gouging plane? Usually it's a burr on the sole or in the mouth. Go around the outside edge with a file, then do the same in the mouth. Flattening is hard, and you will need some rough grits if you really want to do it. I would start with 120 of 220 grit sand paper on a piece of granite something else you know is pretty flat.

I'm into making furniture. Some recent projects:

Built in cabinets and shelves:










Breakfast nook table:










Lounge chair and ottoman:


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## Stellar P

Pezking7p said:


> @Stellar P Did you ever fix your gouging plane?


No. I mostly abandoned it because I've put a lot of elbow grease into flattening the sole and it was still digging in. See picture for current sole status.



Pezking7p said:


> Usually it's a burr on the sole or in the mouth. Go around the outside edge with a file, then do the same in the mouth.


I'll try that and see if I get any better results. When I adjust the blade to the other side I don't get any digging or cutting, so my initial impression is "no burr on the sole". But I have no idea what I'm doing, so I'll try the file out.


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## Pezking7p

If you can get it to go away by adjusting the blade, then I think it's probably the blade.

It might be that you're blade is a bit crooked on the frog and you don't have enough adjustment to get it straight, you might try taking the blade off, setting the adjuster to center, then re-bed the blade getting it visually as close to square as you can before putting the cap iron back on.

If all else fails, get an old Stanley. Hell, I'll sell you an old #4 if you want.


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## Stellar P

Pezking7p said:


> If all else fails, get an old Stanley. Hell, I'll sell you an old #4 if you want.


I think my plane is just a POS. It's a cheap big box store plane, and I'm paying for the low quality now. A better quality plane is definetly going to be considered. Message me price and some photos and I'll definetly consider it. Thanks for the opportunity. Your projects look very nice too. I like the minimal style of that table...very clean!


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## Ware

macrophylla said:


> Built this a few years back after my cigar addiction er... hobby exceeded the small desktop humidor. Its been great and so far I haven't needed to build a second one!


Holy smokes! :bandit:


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## hsvtoolfool

Stellar P said:


> I think my plane is just a POS. It's a cheap big box store plane....


Oh yeah, those really stink. They're probably okay as a door stop.

You can find decent pre-WWII Stanley #4 and #5 planes at local flea markets for $30. It will be dirty and perhaps a little rusty, but just a little attention will bring it back.


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## Captquin

Kitchen Island. Quarter sawn mahogany top with maple base.





Porch and Deck





Porch "Bed Swing" 

Treehouse


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## NJ-lawn

@Captquin WOW nice work. Kitchen island is amazing!


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## Trent161

I agree that island is bomb. The marine cleats for hooks is a nice touch.


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## Captquin

Thanks y'all. Appreciate the kind words. Someone gave me that mahogany a long time ago and it was in an old shop before that. Brought it along for two moved from Louisiana to Virginia. Didn't have enough for a big piece of furniture so I was happy when the wife commissioned the island.

I keep my favorite cast iron skillets upside down in the pipe handles, and the cleats hold everything from hand towels to book sacks. The bottle opener has a fleur de lis to remind us of home.

Thanks again.


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## PNW_George

Wrapping up another Covid project; a pair of 1.5 cu. ft. sealed enclosures for Scan-Speak Revelator 32W 4878T 00 sub-woofer drivers. The direct sun makes them look more golden brown than they are, I used the same stain my wife picked for her hardwood floors. She might even let me put them in the family room. Still need to apply a finish coat.


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## gm560

PNW_George said:


> Wrapping up another Covid project; a pair of 1.5 cu. ft. sealed enclosures for Scan-Speak Revelator 32W 4878T 00 sub-woofer drivers. The direct sun makes them look more golden brown than they are, I used the same stain my wife picked for her hardwood floors. She might even let me put them in the family room. Still need to apply a finish coat.


Very cool. Is that a mix of plywood, mdf and solid hardwoods? Also what are you using for joinery? Biscuits and glue?

I have made plenty of things out of wood, but never speakers. Seems like something I would enjoy.


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## pennstater2005

I put poly acrylic over my Penn State logos on corn hole boards. 3 coats. I did this so to not yellow the white in the decals. Then, like an idiot evidently, I put spar urethane over that. I was hoping that it wouldn't seep through 3 coats of acrylic but it did.

My question is if I do say 5 coats of poly acrylic and then top it with a light spray of spar urethane does anyone think that will seep through as well? I am wanting to use the spar in case they get left out by accident and they have a little weather proof ability.


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## pennstater2005

^ 
Anybody?


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## PNW_George

gm560 said:


> PNW_George said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wrapping up another Covid project; a pair of 1.5 cu. ft. sealed enclosures for Scan-Speak Revelator 32W 4878T 00 sub-woofer drivers. The direct sun makes them look more golden brown than they are, I used the same stain my wife picked for her hardwood floors. She might even let me put them in the family room. Still need to apply a finish coat.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Very cool. Is that a mix of plywood, mdf and solid hardwoods? Also what are you using for joinery? Biscuits and glue?
> 
> I have made plenty of things out of wood, but never speakers. Seems like something I would enjoy.
Click to expand...

No Biscuits, just glue. I usually put a wood screw near every corner to keep the pieces from slipping while they are clamped but back them out after the glue dries.

I like to laminate the front and back by gluing 3/4 inch MDF and BB. I use MDF for the sides, top and bottom and use BB for bracing. These are relatively small enclosures so I only used one layer of bracing plus a couple pieces to tie to the back and sides. I then glued 6" x 1/4 " inch red oak boards on all the sides and milled 5" x 1 5/16" red oak boards for the fascia. No screws on the oak boards, I cut them a little big and then flush trim with a router. They are for cosmetics but also add strength and seal all the seams.

Thanks.


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## Jgourley124

Enjoyed making this last winter for the wife


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## Trent161

Jgourley124 said:


> Enjoyed making this last winter for the wife


Very nice! I need to make one for our home sooner than later. Thanks for the inspiration.


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## Pezking7p

pennstater2005 said:


> I put poly acrylic over my Penn State logos on corn hole boards. 3 coats. I did this so to not yellow the white in the decals. Then, like an idiot evidently, I put spar urethane over that. I was hoping that it wouldn't seep through 3 coats of acrylic but it did.
> 
> My question is if I do say 5 coats of poly acrylic and then top it with a light spray of spar urethane does anyone think that will seep through as well? I am wanting to use the spar in case they get left out by accident and they have a little weather proof ability.


The problem isn't that the spar urethane is seeping through, the problem is that spar urethane is yellow and turns yellow. It has UV absorbers in it, which impacts color after application and as it ages. It doesn't matter how many coats you put underneath, once the spar urethane goes on it will turn yellow.

Honestly if you want the nice white color from the PA, then just keep them indoors when not in use. The other option is to re-do the decals in an outdoor white paint.


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## pennstater2005

Pezking7p said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I put poly acrylic over my Penn State logos on corn hole boards. 3 coats. I did this so to not yellow the white in the decals. Then, like an idiot evidently, I put spar urethane over that. I was hoping that it wouldn't seep through 3 coats of acrylic but it did.
> 
> My question is if I do say 5 coats of poly acrylic and then top it with a light spray of spar urethane does anyone think that will seep through as well? I am wanting to use the spar in case they get left out by accident and they have a little weather proof ability.
> 
> 
> 
> The problem isn't that the spar urethane is seeping through, the problem is that spar urethane is yellow and turns yellow. It has UV absorbers in it, which impacts color after application and as it ages. It doesn't matter how many coats you put underneath, once the spar urethane goes on it will turn yellow.
> 
> Honestly if you want the nice white color from the PA, then just keep them indoors when not in use. The other option is to re-do the decals in an outdoor white paint.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I did 5 coats of poly acrylic and then did 2 light coats of water based spar urethane exterior spray. That was a couple weeks ago. It is still white :thumbup:


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## Pezking7p

pennstater2005 said:


> Pezking7p said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I put poly acrylic over my Penn State logos on corn hole boards. 3 coats. I did this so to not yellow the white in the decals. Then, like an idiot evidently, I put spar urethane over that. I was hoping that it wouldn't seep through 3 coats of acrylic but it did.
> 
> My question is if I do say 5 coats of poly acrylic and then top it with a light spray of spar urethane does anyone think that will seep through as well? I am wanting to use the spar in case they get left out by accident and they have a little weather proof ability.
> 
> 
> 
> The problem isn't that the spar urethane is seeping through, the problem is that spar urethane is yellow and turns yellow. It has UV absorbers in it, which impacts color after application and as it ages. It doesn't matter how many coats you put underneath, once the spar urethane goes on it will turn yellow.
> 
> Honestly if you want the nice white color from the PA, then just keep them indoors when not in use. The other option is to re-do the decals in an outdoor white paint.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Thanks! I did 5 coats of poly acrylic and then did 2 light coats of water based spar urethane exterior spray. That was a couple weeks ago. It is still white :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Ahhh, right. I hadn't thought about water-based spar urethane. I would still make sure to put these away when not in use, though, as this kind of urethane is not recommended for permanent outdoor use or water resistance. :thumbup:


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## pennstater2005

Pezking7p said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Pezking7p said:
> 
> 
> 
> The problem isn't that the spar urethane is seeping through, the problem is that spar urethane is yellow and turns yellow. It has UV absorbers in it, which impacts color after application and as it ages. It doesn't matter how many coats you put underneath, once the spar urethane goes on it will turn yellow.
> 
> Honestly if you want the nice white color from the PA, then just keep them indoors when not in use. The other option is to re-do the decals in an outdoor white paint.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks! I did 5 coats of poly acrylic and then did 2 light coats of water based spar urethane exterior spray. That was a couple weeks ago. It is still white :thumbup:
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Ahhh, right. I hadn't thought about water-based spar urethane. I would still make sure to put these away when not in use, though, as this kind of urethane is not recommended for permanent outdoor use or water resistance. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

I didn't even know it was water based when I bought it. I was using it to coat the bottom. I won't be leaving these outside but if I do by accident I want to make sure they're ok. Thanks again.


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## gonefishn2010

Little buck wasn't worth getting mounted but I hated to see it just sitting in the corner collecting dust so I made a little mount for it.


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## DFWdude

Here are some of my projects


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## Kallgren

Nice thread, great projects, thanks for starting it and contributing!


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## Pezking7p

@DFWdude

A lot of people would poo-poo your arcade cabinet because "it's just MDF", but that is a serious project. Tons of edge banding, Lots of parts. Did you wrap the whole thing or paint some of it?


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## DFWdude

Pezking7p said:


> @DFWdude
> 
> A lot of people would poo-poo your arcade cabinet because "it's just MDF", but that is a serious project. Tons of edge banding, Lots of parts. Did you wrap the whole thing or paint some of it?


I painted the entire cabinet first, for better adhesion. Then put the decals on the front and sides. The hardest part was wiring up all those dang buttons!


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## MJR12284

A Pikler I made for my 1 yo son (climbing apparatus)


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## raymond

I'm newer to woodworking.

Recently I build red oak floating shelves for a powder room I recently remodeled. I used a cleat system to hang off the wall... luckily placement with studs was spot on to center above the toilet. The bathroom has marble floors but I used a Jacobean stain which matches our hardwoods in the hall.





Any recommendations on a table saw that is high quality that won't break the bank?


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## The_Beast

I teach wood working at a high school level, here are some of the projects I've done over the years. I'm sure I could make a post a mile long, but here is the highlights.






























A lot of lathe work, a smattering of CNC work and a couple large items and décor


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## bhutchinson87

raymond said:


> I'm newer to woodworking.
> 
> Recently I build red oak floating shelves for a powder room I recently remodeled. I used a cleat system to hang off the wall... luckily placement with studs was spot on to center above the toilet. The bathroom has marble floors but I used a Jacobean stain which matches our hardwoods in the hall.
> 
> Any recommendations on a table saw that is high quality that won't break the bank?


I enjoy my hybrid Grizzly, it's the old G0771 that's been replaced by the G0771Z. If you have a budget in mind I'm sure we can help dial your choices in.

Shelves look great!


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## Phids

raymond said:


> I'm newer to woodworking.


I'm new to woodworking as well. Only really started when the pandemic came through. I recently finished staining some floating shelves made of 1x10s, and now I'm thinking of creating some smaller ones for a bathroom. What did you use for yours?



The_Beast said:


> A lot of lathe work, a smattering of CNC work and a couple large items and décor


Lathe work seems like a lot of fun. I'm planning on getting a drill press pretty soon, and I've seen people make poor man's lathes out of those.


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## bhutchinson87

Rockler has a pretty good coupon going right now:



Fine print: 20% OFF excludes sale items, power tools, gift cards, product bundles with gift cards or free products, Porter-Cable dovetail jigs, CNC machines, Leigh products, SawStop, Festool, Tormek, taxes, shipping charges, international orders and other promotions. Other exclusions may apply.


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## Cherokee_Bermuda

Updated the family room with built-ins around the fireplace. Before and after


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## Trent161

Cherokee_Bermuda said:


> Updated the family room with built-ins around the fireplace. Before and after


Very nice! :smile:


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## LegionLawn

I finished these maple built ins this year during COVID lockdowns last year. You can never have too many books!


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## raymond

LegionLawn said:


>


Beautiful!


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## NJ-lawn

LegionLawn said:


> I finished these maple built ins this year during COVID lockdowns last year. You can never have too many books!


Wow looks great!


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## bhutchinson87

LegionLawn said:


> I finished these maple built ins this year during COVID lockdowns last year. You can never have too many books!


Looks great! What stain did you use?


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## LegionLawn

bhutchinson87 said:


> LegionLawn said:
> 
> 
> 
> I finished these maple built ins this year during COVID lockdowns last year. You can never have too many books!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Looks great! What stain did you use?
Click to expand...

General Finishes Water Based dye. Top coat is untinted shellac. 10/10 recommend. The dye didn't blotch at all. And the shellac has held up very well with 3 kids. I didn't know if it would but as long as you keep any water off of it it should be good to go.

General Finishes Water Based Dye,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HDWJJEA?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


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## dpainter68

I've done a few projects but don't have my "shop" in order yet to really do much. Too busy with work and the yard I guess haha.

This is just a rather simple coat hanger my wife wanted. I couldn't see paying $40-50 for one at Kirkland's or Hobby Lobby so I talked her into letting me just make one. 


I built a new table top for an old table base and refinished the chairs and base. The table top was built out of 2" thick maple that I planed down to 1.25" thick (they didn't have any 6/4 maple...lot of waste in that project). I think the top is 54" diameter with a 16" leaf. I refinished some old chairs and the claw foot base using Sherwood white vinyl sealer with a chocolate glaze and topcoated with Sherwood Cab Acrylic Lacquer. 














And finally, a mud bench that my wife wanted for the entryway. It was built out of poplar.


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## Trent161

@dpainter68 That mud bench is money! One day I hope to build one very similar.


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## dpainter68

Trent161 said:


> @dpainter68 That mud bench is money! One day I hope to build one very similar.


Thanks! I leaned a lot doing it and enjoyed every minute of it. All I can say is go for it.


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## bhutchinson87

Built a dresser for my newborn son.


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## LegionLawn

bhutchinson87 said:


> Built a dresser for my newborn son.


Looks great! The drawers are very nicely evenly spaced. I know that's tough to do from experience. The finish looks very nicely applied too. Well done!


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## Ware

So here is my elementary contribution to this thread…

My wife has been wanting a "quilt ladder". Not impressed with most of the store bought options, I stumbled upon this ladder at sale where a guy was selling off a bunch of construction stuff. He was retiring as a contractor who remodeled Target stores for many years. Most of what he was selling was stuff like scaffolding, drywall carts, and power tools - but he also had this old wooden ladder leaned up against the wall in his shop. Most of the hardware was missing, but he said it was originally a rolling ladder he found in the stock room of an old Target store he had remodeled. The thing is massive. It has 2x6 side rails, 2" diameter rungs, and measured about 14.5 feet tall by 27 inches wide.

I removed what was left of the metal hardware and cut it into two pieces with my circular saw to make two "quilt ladders". I mitered the feet and tops at 15° so they will sit flush against the floor and wall. There was a crack near the top of one of the side rails that had been patched at some point with a piece of plywood and some wood screws. I removed that and glued it back together. Finally, I cleaned it up and added some adhesive felt padding to the contact points so it doesn't mar the wall.

It turned into a pretty neat project that has a little bit of history/character. It is made of real wood and clearly predates safety - you would never see something that dangerous in a big chain retail store nowadays. :lol:


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## jhealy748

I recently was asked to do a couple serving trays for a local restaurant that turned out pretty cool! I had to test one out once it was in use and the steak was amazing! Maybe similar to a cold beer after mowing the grass!


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## MarkV

Many talented people here.

A flag I made for a friend a while back.










And a sub box for my office.


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## NJ-lawn

jhealy748 said:


> I recently was asked to do a couple serving trays for a local restaurant that turned out pretty cool! I had to test one out once it was in use and the steak was amazing! Maybe similar to a cold beer after mowing the grass!


Wow……that steak looks good!


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## Phids

Anyone work with epoxy? I never have, but I've gotten curious about it after seeing a lot of Youtube videos on it and am hoping to do some small-scale projects with it (e.g. coasters, maybe a serving tray, etc.). As a noob, anyone have any tips for me?


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## raymond

Phids said:


> Anyone work with epoxy? I never have, but I've gotten curious about it after seeing a lot of Youtube videos on it and am hoping to do some small-scale projects with it (e.g. coasters, maybe a serving tray, etc.). As a noob, anyone have any tips for me?


I haven't worked with my epoxy. I've seen a ton of YouTube / Facebook videos of people using it. My understanding is that it's kinda like liquid plastic. I can see certain applications of it that make sense, but not my thing. When I see people sanding/shaving epoxy I get the willies… I just think of all this crap going into our waterways. Just my 2c


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## jpos34

jpos34 said:


> I built this bed for my 4 year old son. Needless to say he loves it.


Now I've just recently finished this up for my almost 4 year old daughter, only if I could just convince her to stay in it all night instead of hopping in mine and my wife bed midway through the night.


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## Trent161

@jpos34 Looks great! How did you go about applying the finish?


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## jpos34

Trent161 said:


> @jpos34 Looks great! How did you go about applying the finish?


I used this sprayer that I borrowed from a friend. It worked perfectly although it is quite easy to use a whole lot of paint. I would recommend practicing on some scrap lumber first to make sure you figure out how to prevent runs. I had one big one that I had to sand back down and redo.


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## gm560

A little off topic, but anyone out there able to ID the species of wood for this cabinet? I inherited it several years ago and it is one of my favorite pieces in the house. I love the unique look to it with the primitive construction, but also probably due to the fond memories of it in my grandmothers dining room.

I always assumed it was pine, but really not sure. It weighs an absolute ton and I would think pine would be relatively light... Anyone got any idea? I can post more detailed pictures if you tell me what to focus on (assuming knots and grain patterns are primary tell).


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## rockwalltxguy

Built these ceiling beams a few weeks back.



Next up is a new bed for my daughter. Will use my jet lathe to make the legs probably gonna use maple or white oak.


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## smurg

gm560 said:


> A little off topic, but anyone out there able to ID the species of wood for this cabinet? I inherited it several years ago and it is one of my favorite pieces in the house. I love the unique look to it with the primitive construction, but also probably due to the fond memories of it in my grandmothers dining room.
> 
> I always assumed it was pine, but really not sure. It weighs an absolute ton and I would think pine would be relatively light... Anyone got any idea? I can post more detailed pictures if you tell me what to focus on (assuming knots and grain patterns are primary tell).


Looks like Cherry to me.


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## Phids

gm560 said:


> A little off topic, but anyone out there able to ID the species of wood for this cabinet? I inherited it several years ago and it is one of my favorite pieces in the house. I love the unique look to it with the primitive construction, but also probably due to the fond memories of it in my grandmothers dining room.
> 
> I always assumed it was pine, but really not sure. It weighs an absolute ton and I would think pine would be relatively light... Anyone got any idea? I can post more detailed pictures if you tell me what to focus on (assuming knots and grain patterns are primary tell).


Looks like an Arts and Crafts style piece of furniture, which was popular in the late-19th/early 20th centuries. That kind of furniture was typically made with American hardwood, so a softwood like pine would not work here. My guess is either maple or cherry.


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## gm560

Thanks @smurg and @Phids. Its funny bc I have some Ethan Allen solid cherry bedroom furniture and was comparing the 2. I definately noticed the similarity in the tone of the wood, but the china cabinet definitely has a golden undertone which the Ethan Allen stuff does not. I think why i discounted cherry is the other pieces I have in my house are totally clear of knots or defects so ultimately look very different.

Thanks again!


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## jayhawk

jpos34 said:


> Trent161 said:
> 
> 
> 
> @jpos34 Looks great! How did you go about applying the finish?
> 
> 
> 
> I used this sprayer that I borrowed from a friend. It worked perfectly although it is quite easy to use a whole lot of paint. I would recommend practicing on some scrap lumber first to make sure you figure out how to prevent runs. I had one big one that I had to sand back down and redo.
Click to expand...

I just borrowed the same (variable but no battery), worked nice on thinner paint. The thicker (aura) was a fail with the baseline tip
Blew though a qt on a window trim finish 🤣


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## jpos34

jayhawk said:


> jpos34 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Trent161 said:
> 
> 
> 
> @jpos34 Looks great! How did you go about applying the finish?
> 
> 
> 
> I used this sprayer that I borrowed from a friend. It worked perfectly although it is quite easy to use a whole lot of paint. I would recommend practicing on some scrap lumber first to make sure you figure out how to prevent runs. I had one big one that I had to sand back down and redo.
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I just borrowed the same (variable but no battery), worked nice on thinner paint. The thicker (aura) was a fail with the baseline tip
> Blew though a qt on a window trim finish 🤣
Click to expand...

I had the same problem, that thing will drink some paint up


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## Stellar P

jpos34 said:


> I had the same problem, that thing will drink some paint up.


You know that saying "never buy your wife/GF a vaccum for her birthday/christmas. Well... I basically did that in the paint sprayer version.

My [email protected]$$ did the perfect Tim The Toolman Taylor impression and thought "bigger is better". She could have used a 1 qt minimal sprayer for small arts and crafts projects. Instead I got her a industrial paint sprayer. 1st use was attempting to paint a living room wall. Intake went into 1 gallon of paint. Paint went bye bye in like 5 seconds. I made a big... huge mistake.

I got lucky 5 months ago when my neighbor was painting his exterior. I told him If he translated and negotiated the deal with the crew , i'd give him 20% of the sale. Luckily he's in sales.
Sold it at 75% of retail, but it was just collecting dust. Just gave my wife the cash and said to buy some thing nice.


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## Phids

Does anyone here know a good way to find places to buy hardwoods or premium softwoods for hobby/furniture projects? The big box stores don't seem to have a good selection of these at all, but I'm having trouble locating good sources of lumber.


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## bhutchinson87

Phids said:


> Does anyone here know a good way to find places to buy hardwoods or premium softwoods for hobby/furniture projects? The big box stores don't seem to have a good selection of these at all, but I'm having trouble locating good sources of lumber.


Have you tried searching for a lumber store on maps and looking through the results? You could also try and join a local woodworking group on facebook and ask there.


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## Phids

bhutchinson87 said:


> Have you tried searching for a lumber store on maps and looking through the results? You could also try and join a local woodworking group on facebook and ask there.


I have tried searching for lumber stores, but this typically leads me to flooring centers, or places that look like construction supply stores for commercial building. That's a good idea to find a local group that might have a go-to place for hardwood projects.


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## tommyboy

Don't know the species or sizes you need but Badger Hardwood will ship.
https://www.badgerwood.com/
Or google Rough sawn lumber, Atlanta GA. I see a lot of hits but not sure of the distance from you.


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## bhutchinson87

Phids said:


> I have tried searching for lumber stores, but this typically leads me to flooring centers, or places that look like construction supply stores for commercial building. That's a good idea to find a local group that might have a go-to place for hardwood projects.


Not sure what part of Atlanta you're in but I found a couple places

Suwanee Lumber Co - Google Maps

Peach State Lumber  - Google Maps


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## Phids

@Tommyb - Thanks; the "rough sawn lumber" search seems to bring up some better results than what I had been getting before searching for "hardwood dealer".

@bhutchinson87 - Thanks. Those places are on the other side of the city from me, but it's good to know they are around if I want to make the trip.


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## Phids

Question - as a novice woodworker, I make a lot of dumb mistakes, and then try to recover from them. While trying to stain a simple end table, I made the mistake of applying my pre-stain conditioner and then waiting a day before applying stain. I then put several coats of stain on over the next few days, but did not wipe off enough as I went along, so the stain became tacky on the surface. I couldn't get rid of the tackiness, so I decided to lightly sand it off the top of the table to avoid problems later on. The picture below is after taking lightly sanding it.

When I sanded it, though, I took off too much stain, resulting in an uneven appearance. I tried to restain those parts, but the stain didn't take and was still uneven. I decided to sand it off the top entirely (40 grit, 80, 120, 180), prestain again, and then apply additional stain coats. However, the table top is now not getting dark enough to match the legs that I had stained last week. What am I doing wrong? Can I recover from this?


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## tommyboy

Time for the belt sander, I think. Serious material needs to be removed. Be careful of the edges if you use one. Any woodshops near you that have a large drum sander? Pine sucks to stain.


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## Phids

@Tommyb So if I did have to use a belt sander, would I have to strip off just the layer of stain, or the layer below where the pre-stain conditioner got into the wood? My thinking is that I didn't sand off enough last time when I was using my orbital sander.

Incidentally, this evening I decided to go all in and stained the top again, and left it on for about two hours before wiping it off. It actually looked pretty nice, though not quite as dark to match the legs. We'll see if there's tackiness on the wood tomorrow.


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## gm560

tommyboy said:


> Pine sucks to stain.


Been my experience, too. The variation between top and legs could very well be due more to this than your other tribulations. Was the stock from the same source and purchased at the same time?

I have had more luck using higher solid pigments with pine (gel stains), or to preseal it with some shallac or another product like in this recipe for a vintage pine finish.

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/carving-pumpkin-pine-finish/


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## Phids

@gm560 Yes, the lumber for the legs was bought at the same time (all made from 2x4s). I had feared the stain might not be soaking in enough because of the double application of pre-stain conditioner. This is after I left the latest stain coat sit for two hours before wiping it off last night. I will probably try one more time to get it slightly darker.



By the way, I had heard from one Youtuber that gel stains were kind of pointless, and from another that gel stains were pretty good. Interesting to hear you like them, so I'll have to look into them some more.


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## gm560

Phids said:


> @gm560 Yes, the lumber for the legs was bought at the same time (all made from 2x4s). I had feared the stain might not be soaking in enough because of the double application of pre-stain conditioner. This is after I left the latest stain coat sit for two hours before wiping it off last night. I will probably try one more time to get it slightly darker.
> 
> 
> 
> By the way, I had heard from one Youtuber that gel stains were kind of pointless, and from another that gel stains were pretty good. Interesting to hear you like them, so I'll have to look into them some more.


I like them in some situations. They don't penetrate nearly as much as a traditional stain like minwax and I think this is an advantage when working with pine. Like anything, I think they have a purpose but are not a panacea.

The best thing about them is when using them to refinish, you don't need to strip to bare wood.


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## gm560

One more thing to consider @Phids, you mention you went to 180 grit on the top. Did you do the same on the legs? This will change the amount of stain the wood will accept.


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## Phids

@gm560 Before I did any staining, I sanded it all beginning with 40 and went in increments up to I think 240. I then applied the prestain conditioner and a few coats of stain. That's when I saw it was tacky in spots, so I tried to remove the tackiness with mineral spirits. That didn't work, so I lightly sanded the top (I believe with 240), but it ended up removing too much stain, and my problems were compounded.

After that, I sanded down the top completely starting with 40 grit, but left the legs alone. I thought I could just redo the top of the table without reworking the legs.

It's not that big of a deal if there's a slight color difference, but I would like to avoid any difference that stands out upon a casual glance.

Another thing is that recently I saw a Youtuber woodworker say he only sands up to about 150 grit, because with higher grit the wood becomes too "polished" and it doesn't take the stain as well. I did not know that beforehand, so sanding up to 240 grit might have been another mistake I made.


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## Phids

I made a few idiotic mistakes today, the first being that I tripped on my trim router's power cord, which made the router fall off my workbench and on the floor. There was only a slight ding in it, but it appears to still work.

However, when I was going to do some additional testing on it, I accidentally dropped the flush trim router bit I was holding onto the floor. I cannot see any visible damage at all to the bit, but I have heard that if this happens, you have to throw it away because you can't know whether or not there's a microscopic fracture that could cause it to explode. Can anyone confirm or deny this rule? Does it apply to all bits or just carbide bits?

The bit I dropped was a Whiteside bit, so it's not the cheapest thing to replace.


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## LegionLawn

Phids said:


> I made a few idiotic mistakes today, the first being that I tripped on my trim router's power cord, which made the router fall off my workbench and on the floor. There was only a slight ding in it, but it appears to still work.
> 
> However, when I was going to do some additional testing on it, I accidentally dropped the flush trim router bit I was holding onto the floor. I cannot see any visible damage at all to the bit, but I have heard that if this happens, you have to throw it away because you can't know whether or not there's a microscopic fracture that could cause it to explode. Can anyone confirm or deny this rule? Does it apply to all bits or just carbide bits?
> 
> The bit I dropped was a Whiteside bit, so it's not the cheapest thing to replace.


First, your miters look great and the table looks good too. Well done.

Second, every woodworker makes mistakes on EVERY project. No matter how experienced they are. So you are in good company. It's not about NOT making mistakes. What makes a great woodworker is how well you hide and recover from them.

Pine will always be blotchier than hardwood. It's just how it is. Even with conditioner, although it helps. Always put on light coats on stain to build up to the desired color. What you experienced with the tackiness is simply too aggressive of coats. Also, I would never use a gel stain. They usually are marketed as stain and top coat in one. But what they really are is terrible at both and hard and messy to apply.

Speaking to the #grit you should sand up to, you are correct in saying that if you sand with too high a grit it will be harder for the stain to absorb. I usually go up to 220. Also, use a damp rag to gently dampen my entire project before i stain. This will raise the grain and allow you to smooth it out so that when you apply the stain it will still be smooth. After each coat of stain gently sand with a high grit sand paper and use a tack cloth to remove the dust.

I think the only way to fix your mistake is to remove as much stain as possible on the top and prepare it again for staining. Apply conditioner again and then light coats of stain until it matches the legs and sides.

As far as the router but goes, I'm not sure.


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## Phids

@LegionLawn Thanks for the kind words and advice. I can echo your second point as it seems like (for me at least) woodworking is about making mistakes and trying to correct them while trying to finish a project. Sometimes I amaze myself with how stupid my mistakes are. However, the end results are usually satisfying enough that they help compensate for the frustrations along the way.


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## jhealy748

As far as the bits go if it is carbide it more than likely could have chipped. That can cause it to become brittle and possibly crack. you may be able to run your fingernail along the edge and see if you can feel any nicks as it may have landed on the shaft but to be on the safe side you may not want to use it. If it is steel you should be fine but you may see a slight ding in your finish if it did hit the cutting surface. As far as the stain is there any reason you can't sand the legs the same as the top and restain in the same process to get them to match? I agree pine stinks to stain!


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## NJlawnguy

I don't have close ups but I built all of furniture in the firepit that I dug out and put together.



Grill patio prep table/bar that I built


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## Phids

jhealy748 said:


> As far as the bits go if it is carbide it more than likely could have chipped. That can cause it to become brittle and possibly crack. you may be able to run your fingernail along the edge and see if you can feel any nicks as it may have landed on the shaft but to be on the safe side you may not want to use it. If it is steel you should be fine but you may see a slight ding in your finish if it did hit the cutting surface. As far as the stain is there any reason you can't sand the legs the same as the top and restain in the same process to get them to match? I agree pine stinks to stain!


I believe it's steel with some carbide. I have read some horror stories about people using bits that might be compromised, so I might just contact Whiteside to see what they tell me I should do. Would hate to throw it out since it's probably a $20-$30 bit.
https://www.whitesiderouterbits.com/products/2402?_pos=3&_sid=5d3e73dff&_ss=r

Oh, and in the end I was able to match the stain on the top of my end table by letting it sit for about 2 hours before wiping it off. I considered doing what you suggested (sanding down the legs and restaining it all) but felt I might just be digging myself into an even deeper hole than I was already in.



NJlawnguy said:


> I don't have close ups but I built all of furniture in the firepit that I dug out and put together.


Nice job. Did you make it all from scratch?


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## NJlawnguy

Phids said:


> jhealy748 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> NJlawnguy said:
> 
> 
> 
> I don't have close ups but I built all of furniture in the firepit that I dug out and put together.
> 
> 
> 
> Nice job. Did you make it all from scratch?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Thanks Phids. Purchased the PT lumber, then got after it. 2yrs going strong and have some nice outdoor cushions to go along with it.
> 
> Looks nice at night too with the umbrella opened up and the led lighting underneath it turned on, that or a rager of a fire burning.
Click to expand...


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## NJlawnguy

Phids said:


>


Beautiful work!


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## jlegs80

NJlawnguy said:


> Phids said:
> 
> 
> 
> Nice job. Did you make it all from scratch?
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Phids. Purchased the PT lumber, then got after it. 2yrs going strong and have some nice outdoor cushions to go along with it.
> 
> Looks nice at night too with the umbrella opened up and the led lighting underneath it turned on, that or a rager of a fire burning.
Click to expand...

Did you joint/plane the lumber at all? I'm building a set here soon and am trying to decide how much work I want to put into it.


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## Erickson89

I made these for my boys after seeing some on a trip. Didn't want to pay $25 each for what they were selling; box shaped, rough edges, etc.

Made with a jigsaw, orbital sander, and some elbow grease.


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## BobLovesGrass

That is pretty awesome


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