Wood Finishing

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WORKSHOP GUIDE CHOO'ING A BRUSH Whilea eeaeonedfiniaher can apply a atain or topcoat ekillfully with vir' tually any bruah, moat peopleare better off buyinqa qood-quality tool. Thebruah ahowncut away at riqht may coot more than a lower quality model,but it includeacerLain featurea that willenaureconaiatently 4ood reaulto. Thereare two kindaof bruaheaon the market: natural- and aynthetic' brietle ty pee. Natural - briatle brueheeare made from boar, aable, camel,ox or badqer hair, tsoarbriatle ("Chinahog") bruaheeare ideal for applyinqvarnieh.)ther natural-briatle bruaheaare beat auited to lacauer and ahellac, Theyare a po6r choice,however,for opreadin4 water- baeed fi nishee becauaethey may cauae the finiah to foam up. gynth dtic-fil a ment bruahea a re made of nylon or polyeeter, or both. Theaebruaheeare your beat bet for applying water- baaed prod ucta. Durableand flexible,they can alao be uaed with varniahand penetratin4 oil etains.

ANATOMY OFA PAINTBRUSH

Retaining pin Nailor rivet.that binde ferrule to handle Reaervoir A apace that holda finiahaa it ia beinq opread on by briatleo

Divider Taperedplu7 that eeparatee bdatlea_ into qroupo, forminq a reaervoir

Epoxyplug Bondaferrule-endof brietlee together with epoxyqlue

Bristles Natural bristlea or aynthetic filamente; tipe can be cut flat or tapered to a chiael tip

ANDSYNTHETIC BRISTTE TIPS NATURAL Tipped )traiqht-cut tipo recommendedfor water-baged finiahea

Ferrule A riqid, corroeionreaiatant metal band that holda brietlea and epoxyplug

Handle Can be made of plaatic or hardwood;balanced and deoi4nedfor comforb

Tapered Tipehonedto a fine point; ideal for oil-baaedproducto Itkevarnish

CHISEL-TIP BRISTTES

Flagged 1plit enda hold more finiah and epread it more omoothlythan tipped or tapered Lipe

T I P SO NB R U S HS E L E C T I O N . Paya littlemoreto geta superiorq u a l i t yb r u s ha; b e t t ebr r u s hw i l l yourresults. improve . Avoidbrushes with hollowbristles. o n e sd o U n l i k es o l i db r i s t l e sh,o l l o w n o ts p r i n gb a c kt o t h e i ro r i g i n aslh a p e whenbent. . Fora good-quality, all-purpose brush, choose a chiseltip modelwith long springybristles-softforthin waterbasedfinishes andstifffor heaw-

lacquer bodiedproducts suchasshellac, a n dv a r n i s h . o lf youwanta brushwithf laggedbrissplitends, tletips,checkforbranch-like . l f y o ua r el o o k i n fgo r a t a p e r e d b r i s t l eb r u s hm , a k es u r et h a tt h e b r i s t r easr et h i c k ear t t h ef e r r u l e e n dt h a na t t h et i o . . B u yb r u s h etsh a t h a v eg o o ds p r i n g . S q u e e zteh e b r i s t l ew s i t hy o u rh a n d

a n db e n dt h e m ;t h e ys h o u l df e e l f u l l a n ds p r i n gb a c kt o t h e i ro r i g i n a lp o s i t i o n s . . Confirm thatthe bristles arediff e r e nlte n g t hbsy r u n n i nygo u rh a n d fromthe downonesideof the bristles ferruleto thetip; the shorterbristles shnrrldsnrino rrn

r Makesurethatthe bristles aref irmly setin the ferrule,whichshouldbe fastened securely to the handle.

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THEARTOFWOODWORKING

WOOD FINISHING

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THE ART OF WOODWORKING

WOOD FINISHING

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TIME-LIFE BOOKS ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA ST.REMYPRESS MONTREAL. NEWYORK

THE ART OF WOODWORKING was produced by ST. REMYPRESS PUBLISHER KennethWinchester PRES/DENT PierreLdveilld SeriesEditor SeriesArt Director SeniorEditors

PierreHome-Douglas FrancineLemieux Marc Cassini(Text) HeatherMills (Research) Art Directors Normand Boudreault,SolangeLaberge Designer Luc Germain Research Editor Iim McRae PictureEditor ChristopherJackon Writers TamsinM. Douglas,Andrew lones ContributingWriter LauraTringali Bourgeois, Contr ibuting I llustrators Michel Blais,Jean-Pierre RonaldDurepos,SergeGuibord, RobertPaquet,facquesPerrault, JamesTh6rien,focelynVeillette Administrator NatalieWatanabe ProductionManager MichelleTurbide SystemCoordinator fean-LucRoy Photographer RobertChartier Index ChristineM. Iacobs Proofreader Iudith Yelon Time-Life Booksis a division of Time-Life Inc., a wholly ownedsubsidiaryof THE TIME INC. BOOK COMPANY

TIME-LIFEBOOKS President Publisher ManagingEditor Directorof EditorialResources

MaryN. Davis RobertH. Smith ThomasH. Flaherty EliseD. Ritter-Clough

Associate Publisher TrevorLunn MarketingDirector ReginaHall Editorial Director Donia Ann Steele ConsultingEditor Bob Doyle ProductionManager MarleneZack

THECONSUTTANTS Michael Dresdner is a former contributing editor to Fine Woodworkingmagazine.He cur"Just rently writes the Finishing"column for AmericanWoodworker magazine. Frank Klausz ownsand operatesFrank'sCabinet Shopin Pluckemin,New Jersey.He contributes to Fine Woodworkingmagazine and hasmade videotapeswith TauntonPress,including one on wood finishing. Paul McGoldrick ownsand operatesPianoforte Inc.,a pianorestorationcompanyin Montreal, for the maintenance Quebec.He is responsible and concertpreparationof the pianosusedby the Montreal SymphonyOrchestraand the National Arts CenterOrchestrain Ottawa,Ontario. Giles Miller-Mead hastaught advancedcabinetrnakingat Montrealtechnicalschoolsfor more than 10years.A nativeofNew Zealand,he previouslyworkedasa restorerof antiquefurniture. JosephTruini is SeniorEditor of Hoze Mechanixmagazine. A former Shopand Tools he hasworked as Editor of PopularMechanics, home improvementcontractor a cabinetmaker, and carpenter. Wood Finishing p. cm.-(The Art of Woodworking) Includesindex. (trade) ISBN0-8094-9912-6 rsBN 0-8094-e9 r3-4 (lib) l. Wood Finishing. I. Time- Life Books. II. Series TT325.W661992 684.1'043-dc20 92-32892 CIP For information about any Time-Life book, pleasecall I-800-621-7026,or write: ReaderInformation Time-Life CustomerService P.O.Box C-32068 Richmond,Virginia 2326t-2068 @ 1992Time-LifeBooksInc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedin any form or by any electronicor mechanical means,including information storageand retrievaldevicesor systems,without prior written permissionfrom the publisher,except may be quoted for reviews. that briefpassages First printing. Printed in U.S.A. Publishedsimultaneouslyin Canada. TIME-LIFE is a trademarkof Time Warner Inc. U.S.A.

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6 INTRODUCTION 12 SAFETY

20 22 24 30 35 43 50 51

PREPARINGTHE SURFACE Toolsand accessories Planing Scraping Sanding Repairingsurfacedamage Raisingthe grain Filling the grain

54 56 57 59 60 64 68 75 76 80

CHANGING THE COLOR Toolsand accessories Bleaching The varietiesof wood stains Dve stains Pigmentstains Stainingwood Pickling a wood surface Chemicalstains Fuming

PROTECTIVEFINISHES Toolsand accessories Choosinga protectivefinish Finishingby hand Settingup your sprayequipment Working with sprayequipment Anatomy of a sprayroom Identifting and avoiding sprayproblems 106 Frenchpolishing 82 84 86 91 93 97 I02 I04

IIO II2 113 118 122

DECORAIIVEFINISHES Toolsand accessories Stenciling Graining Marbling

126 I28 I29 130

FINISHING TOUCHES Toolsand accessories Preparingto rub out the finish Rubbingout a finish

136 CLEANING AND STORAGE

140 GrossARY I42 INDEX I44 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

PaulMcGoldrickdescribes

FINISHING APIANO y careerin restoringpianosbeganlike a lot of opportunitiesin life-by chance. When I was231 had a cabinetmakingshopin Montrdal;next door wasa

Parisian cabinetmaker, GillesJozon. wasa cabinetmaker oftheoldtradition Jean Jean andI spentmanyhoursin hisatelierleamingaboutdifferentfinishingmethods-techniquesthathaven't changed for generations. I laterfollowedhim to Parisandspent aworkingholidaythererestoring antiques. ThroughmutualfriendsI metapianotechnician namedGillesLosier, andI began doingfinishingworkonpianoshewasrestoring. In hisyouth,Gilleshada foreman whocouldselect thewoodfor apianocase, installthesoundboard, stringthepiano, cutthekeys,andassemble andregulate themechanism. Hecouldevensitdownand playa tune.Sadly, craftsmen withthatrangeof expertise in thepianotradehaveall butvanished. pianospresents Restoring manychallenges: Theinstrument mustnot onlylook great;it mustalsosoundsuperbandrespond wellmechanically. Theinstrument shown in thephotograph isa7-footChickering andSonsgrandpianobuiltin Bostonin 1875. I counted10differentwoodsusedin itsmaking,although theentiresurface isveneered with Brazilian rosewood. My firsttaskinvolvedfillingthegrainof thewoodwith a darkpastefiller.I then applieda coatofsandingsealer, andnextsprayed Tokeep oneightcoatsoflacquer. thefinalfinishthinandto levelanydepressions caused bythelargeporesoftherosewoodveneer, I cuteverysecond lacquer coatingwith 220-gritsandpaper. TheIegsdemanded special attention. Theywere madefromlargeblocksof poplar woodsoI hadto createmyownstain,blendingin justenoughyellowandredto simulaterosewood's hue.I sketched in gain linesusingacombination distinctive of feathersandbrushes, with thetop of thepianostandingnearbyasa guide.Thegrain patterns in rosewood cangetquitewild,soyoucantakeartisticliberties in tryingto it aslongasyourespect simulate a fewrules,suchaskeeping thegrainlinesrunning parallel. Thefinalcoatof finishwassanded with220-gritandthen400-gritpaper. All that remained at thetimethisphotowastakenwasto rub thefinishto a softglosswith 0000steelwool,buffwitha cottonclothandapplyacarnauba-based wax.

PaulMcGoldrickfinishesand restores pianosin hisshopin Montrdal,Qudbec.

INTRODUCTION

ThomasMosertalksabout

LINSEEDOIL y introductionto the craftof buildingfurniturewaswith l9th-Century Americanantiquesandremnantsof antiques.I u'ouldbuy a chestof drawers withoutdrawers, for example, andthatwouldleadme to figuringout how drawers with olderpieces, I wasattractedto buttermilk weremade.Because of my fascination paint,earlyvarnishes andFrenchpolish. elegantfurnituremadeby the Graduallymy interestwasdrawnto theausterely and Shakers andoneof their favoritefinishes-boiledlinseedoil. I experimented cameup with my own wayof applyingthe oil andthenpastewaxto createa clear finishlikethe oneusedon thepiecein the photograph.Madeof cherry,it is what "Bob although I callthe Cratchetdesk."It'sa deskfor an accountant or schoolteacher, it canjust aswellbeusedasa lecternor telephone table.It hasa draweranda removableoencilrack. Linseedoil hasbeenusedto finishwoodfor centuries. Unlessit is appliedwith thewood ratherthancreatinga membrane a shellacor varnishbase,it penetrates the wood'sgrainand color,and overit. It is this penetrationthat I feelenhances of a naturalpatina,which is causedby exposureto accelerates the development I feel,is far richerandmorehonestthan sunlightandair.Thecolorthat is created, anypigmentthat comesout of a can.Youjust haveto be a little patient.Youalso polishedpiece.In manyshops,a finish haveto besureto startwith a well-prepared, before serves to concealflaws.I believethat a pieceshouldbevirtuallydefect-free youbeginto applya finish. Therearethreemajorrisksassociated with boiledlinseedoil. Thefirst involves Leftin a foldedrag,linseedoil cancombustspontaneously, becomingalmost safety. explosive. Second, the finishaffordsno protectionfor wood againstwaterandother Third,Iinkindsof stains.Thisiswhyweapplya pastewaxovertheoil asa sealant. seedoildoesnot sealwoodagainstmoisturepenetration thesamewaylacquers and morethanpaintvarnishes do.Oiledoiecestendto shrinkandswellwith theseasons pieiesdo.Soin designing furniture,thisexpansion hasto belaken edor lacquered into account. Theprincipaladvantage Scratches, burns of a finishlikelinseedoil is itsrepairability. andchipscanbesandedandpolishedwith theoil. In a shorttime,thecolorwill come backandyou won't evenknow it wasaffected.But if a membranefinish-especially oneappliedovera stain-is chipped,scratched or burned,moreoftenthannot it has to be entirelyrefinished.

ThomasMoserispresident andco-founder of Thomas MoserCabinetmakers, in Auburn,Maine. headquartered

INTRODUCTION

Prew Savoyon

THE, CRAFTETHIC hepieceI amworkingonin thephotograph isaSheraton-sryle, two-drawer work table,typicalof earlyl9th-CenturyAmerican furniturebuilding.Knowinghow to applytheappropriate finishtakesagoodappreciation of furniturestyle.Youhave to approximate theoriginalasclosely aspossible-incoloraswellasin topcoatcomposition.Thebestwayto getontotherighttrackisto studyfurniturestyles asthoroughlyasyoucan.Talkto people experienced withperiodpieces-museum curators, serious collectors andrestoration or conservation craftsmen. Theyareusuallyvery willingto sharetechnical information. Alsotry to seeasmanyoriginalexamples as possible. Forthispiece, I selected naturalandchemical dyesto makethecolorappropriate to itshistory.Thetableismadeof cherrywithafiguredveneer appliedto thedrawer fronts.Twodifferentcombinations wereused:logwoodextract(anaturaldye)and (achemical potassium dichromate mordant)ontheveneer; andlyeandwalnutcrystalson thecherry. Forthetopcoat, I padded a 3-pound-cut orange shellac onthewood.I likeusing apadmadeupof awoolinteriorandalinenexterior, butotherfinishers preferpolishingcloths-perhaps good-quality because linenishardto find.Thetechnique is polishing, calledFrench butthetermcanbemisleading. Thereareseveral waysto apply polish,someusingpumiceandoil to fill theporesof thewoodcompletely, a French providing a mirror-likefinish.Thatisnotalways pieces. appropriate for allAmerican I tracemyinterest in finefurniturebackto mychildhoodandmyparents whowere collectors themselves. AsanadultI spenttwosummers workinswithaboatbuilder. andmuchlaterstudiedwith George Frankin China.WhenI iarted collecting fine furniture,I couldn'taffordthepieces I liked,soI learned to buildreplicas instead. I believe thatcabinetmakers shouldconsider themselves ascaretakers of a sort. buildingsomething thatwillbepassed downfromgeneration to generation. Youneed to develop whatI calla"craftethic." Youhaveto lovewhatyoudo,notfor theresult or for awage,butsimplyfor thesakeof findingthefinestwayof doingeachstep.

PrewSavoyspecializes in furniturefinishingand restoration. He alsoteaches woodfinishingat the OldeMill CabinetShoppeinYork,Pennsylvania.

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SAFETY business f, inishingcanbea dangerous I' if vou are not well informedand properlyprepared.Fromwood fillersto waxes,polyurethane varnishes andtung oil, finishingproductsfrequentlydepend on toxic organicsolventsto do their work.Without thepropersafetygearand precautions, short-termexposure to these solventscan resultin irritation to the skin,eyesandthroat,aswellasdizziness, headache,nauseaand shortnessof

breath.Longer-termexposureposes morepotentialrisks;someeffectsmay not be apparentuntil you haveusedthe for monthsor evenyears. substances In additionto thehealthrisks,most of thesesolvents areflammable.Some oil-derived oroductslikelinseedoil can combustsDontaneouslv at room temperatureiithe vaporsaresufficiently concentrated. Whenvaporized in a small enoughconcentration of air, a small

Dual-caftridge reapirator Uae whenoprayin4 a finiah or workingwith chemicale;rnterchanqeable filtere and cartridqee ?rotect aqainet epecific hazarda, Cartridgea purify air contaminated with toxins ao they are inhaled,then expel them throu4h exhalationvalve;ftlter preventoinhalationof duat

Safety gogglea Uae wheneprayin4 a finieh; theae ventedgo7gleepre-vent finiahinqfumeafrom irritating the eyeo

Neoprene rubber glovea Uaeto protect the akin whenoprayin1 or mixinq cauatic finiahinqproducta; o n ug -fitti nq a urqeon'e gloveoare auitable for moat other finiehin4taeke

quantityoflacquerthinnercancausea life-threatening explosion. All thisis not to suggest that working with finishingproductshasto be dangerous-only that it canbe if you takea cavalierattitudetowardstherisks.If you sprayfinishes,considerbuyinga spray booth (page.13) or constructing a spray roomofyour own(page102).Asmostof the harm from organicsolventscomes from inhalation,weara dual-cartridge

Claaa ABC flre ertinguiaher For puttin4 out a small frre in the ehop

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9teel waate dispoaal container For temporary aafe diapooalof aolvent-eoaked raqa;dampenra7a with water firat

Rubberapron Frovideeprotection whenworkinqwiLh a wood bleachor chemicaletain

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respirator(page14),particularlyifyou or willbe exposed to fumes arespraying for morethan an hour.To Dreventeye goggles, unddonrubinjury wearsaiery bergloveswhenworkingwith causticor toxicfinishingproducts. possible, choose a product Whenever that combinesthefinishyou wantwith low volatility and toxicity (page19). Workwith thewindowsoDenandusea to keeptheair certified spark-prooffan moving.Thiswill helppreventthefumes in your work areafrom reachinga toxic or flammablelevel.If you experience fatigue,headache, blurred drowsiness, numbness, irritationof vision,weakness, ofbreath theeyes,skinor throat,shortness whilefinishing, or a lossof coordination stopimmediatelyand leavethe work areauntil the symptomsclear.Afterwards,ventilate theworkareathorougfrly andusea differentfinishingproduct.

SPRAYING SAFELY

SAFETY TIPS . D o n o t e a t ,d r i n ko r s m o k e w h e nu s i n gf i n i s h i n gp r o d u c t s . . K e e pf i n i s h i n gp r o d u c t sa w a y f r o mc h i l d r e n . r A v o i de x p o s u r e to organic s o l v e n t si f y o u a r e p r e g n a not r breast-feed i ng. o I n s t a l la t l e a s to n e s m o k e d e t e c t o ro n t h e c e i l i n go f y o u r s h o pa b o v ep o t e n t i af li r e h a z a r d s ; k e e pa f u l l y c h a r g e dA B Cf i r e e x t i n g u i s h en re a r b y . . N e v e sr t o r es o l v e n t os r c h e m i c a l si n u n m a r k e d containers. C h e m i c aslo l u t i o nssh o u l da l w a y s b e s t o r e di n d a r k g l a s sj a r s t o s h i e l dt h e mf r o m I i g h t ,w h i c h m a yc h a n g et h e i rc o m p o s i t i o n . r Do notflushusedsolvents down the drain.Consult the YellowPages t o f i n d o u t w h oh a n d l e cs h e m i c a l d i s p o s ai n l y o u ra r e a o , rcheck w i t h y o u rl o c a lf i r e d e p a r t m e n t .

Usinga spraybooth y x i co r f l a m m a b lvea p o r so, r S p r a y i nagn yf i n i s h i n g m a t e r i apl r o d u c epso t e n t i a l tl o b o t h .E v e nt h e f u m e sr e s u l t i nfgr o ms p r a y i nw g a t e r - b a s er e d s i n sw i t h l o w e ro r g a n i c s o l v e nct o u n t sc a n b e h a z a r d o uusn l e s st h e ya r ep r o p e r lvye n t i l a t e d . A s p r a yb o o t hm a k e ss p r a y i n cgl e a n ear n d s a f e r r, e d u c i n gh e a l t hh a z a r d bs y c o n t a i n i ntgh e o v e r s p r aayn df u m e s t, h e nf i l t e r i n ga n d e x h a u s t i nt h g e m .T h e r e a r ed i f f e r e nm t o d e l sd e s i g n e fdo r d i f f e r e nst p r a y i n a g p p l i c a t i o nTs h . e yr a n g ei n e o d e l sl i k et h e o n es h o w na b o v ew s i z ef r o mc o m p l e t e r o o m st o p o r t a b l m , h i c hm a y b e y o u rb e s tb e t i f s p a c ei s a p r i o r i t yi n y o u rw o r k s h o p o r i f y o u o n l ys p r a ys m a l l p i e c e so f f u r n i t u r e . B e c a u s oe f t h e t o x i ca n d v o l a t i l en a t u r eo f m o s tf i n i s h i n gp r o d u c t sa, l l s p r a y b o o t h sm u s tm e e tO c c u p a t i o nSaal f e t ya n d H e a l t hA s s o c i a t i o( 0n S H A ) g u i d e l i n e s I n s o m es t a t e ss, p r a y i nigs i l l e g ailn u r b a na r e a su n l e s ys o u h a v ea p r o p e r lby u i l t sprayroom(page102).

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I USINGA RESPIRATOR 'l

thecartridges lnstalling I W e aa r d u a l - c a r t r i drgees p i r a t o r Institute of bythe National approved Safety andHealth(NIOSH) Occupational youspraylacquers orvarnishes whenever t h a tc o n t a i vn o l a t i loer g a n isco l v e n t s , stainsor work orwhenyoumixchemical (lf youhavea beard, you withammonia. To install needa fullfacemaskor hood). thecartridges onthemodelof respirator screw themontotheinletvalves shown, (/eff).Always in pairs, buycartridges theyhave andkeeptrackof thehours beenused.

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.) lnstalling filters with L Usedustfiltersin conjunction if youaresanding respirator cartridges ind o o do r a p p l y i nf g c h e m i c a tl lrye a t ew i s h r nm g a t e r i asl us c ha ss h e l l a cl a, c q u e r Choose theapprostains. or nonwater-based priate filterforthetaskat hand,thenfit (rrghf). Snapthe a filterintoeachretainer retainer ontothecartrrdge.

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Testing therespirator P l a c et h e r e s p i r a t o rn y o u rf a c e , wtththe top strapoverthe crownof your h e a dP . u l lo n t h e s i d e s t r a pusn t i lt h e f a c e p i e coef t h e r e s p i r a t ofri t s s n u g l y . T e s t t h e d e v i c eb y b l o c k i n tgh eo u t l e t v a l v ew i t hy o u rh a n da n de x h a l i ngge n t l y (above). Thereshouldbe no air leakage a r o u n dt h e f a c e p i e c el f. t h e r ea r e a n y gapsa , d l u s t h e s t r a p sf o r a t i g h t e r fii

l f n p r p s s arrJ r' r ri vpr snv lv . a c pi h p f : e c n i p n p

according to themanufacturer's instructions,or replace therespirator.

llllillltllllll lllj]ll1 tl]ltlllljlJlil llutlllullljllllllttiillillllJ 1HO?TI? Storing reegirator cartridges Evenwaler vaVor can deVleteLhe purifyinq chemicals in reepira- ,/. Lor car._.,.;,

4ffi

tridqee. t-'.....*._-*\ ; To extend their life, et ore lhe

carlrid,qeein a d,ry,airliqhl -\ environmenN, suchas a plastricfreezer baq.KecordtrheamounN of Nimethe cartridgeehavebeenusedand replacethem afLereiqhthoursof uoeor ae eoona6 you can emellthe finiehinq producLthrouqhIhem.

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()RCHEMICAL SPILL CLEANING UPA TOXICSOLVENT Disposing ofsoiledrags andwindows, openall doors lmmediately of heatandturn anysources extinguish Wearing a rubber sources. offallelectrical rubbergloves, apron,rubberboots,heavy soakup anda respirator, safetygoggles towels; then thespillwithragsor paper olace t h e mi n a m e t acl a nd o u b l e - l i n e d garbage plastic bags.Add withheavy-duty spontato prevent of water a smallamount Youcanalsospread neous combustion. to andallowthesolvent theragsoutside ofthem.Clean before disposing evaporate solwiththeappropriate upanyresidue v e n tl i s t e di n t h e c h a r tb e l o wl.f t h e product or poisof lammable is extremely nousandmorethanonegallonhasbeen leave theworkareaandcallthe spilled, of the Otherwise, dispose firedepartment. theenvironmental soiledragsfollowing in effecttnyourcommunity. regulations

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FORA SPILL SOLVENT THERIGHT PRODUCT SPILLED

REQUIRED SOLVENT

M i n e r as lp i r i t s

andwater Household detergent

Turpenti ne

detergent andwater Household

Paintremover

spiritsor paintthinner, andwater; or mtneral Household detergent detergent andwater thenhousehold

Denatured alcohol

None

alcohol Methyl

None

Acetone

None

t hr i n n e r Lacque

None

Water-based stainor latexpaint

detergent andwater Household andwater deiergent thenhousehold Mineral spiritsor paintthinner,

stain 0il-based Urethane or polyurethane Varn ish

andwater detergent thenhousehold Mineral spiritsor paintthinner, andwater detergent thenhousehold Mineral spiritsor paintthinner,

Lacquer

t hr i n n e r Lacque

Sh el l a c L i n s e eodi l

(ethylalcohol) alcohol or methyl Denatured alcohol paint household detergent andwater thinner, then Mineral spiritsor

TungoiI

detergent andwater thenhousehold Mineral spiritsor paintthinner,

woodbleach acidortwo-part Oxalic

soda Water andbaking

Lye

mixedin equalparts Water andvinegar,

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BEINGPREPARED F()RA CHEMICAL FIRE Using a fireextinguisher T o c o n t r oal s m a l lc, o n t a i n ef idr e ,u s e a d r y - c h e m i cf iar e l e x t i n g u i s hr e a rt e d yourself ABC.Position safely awayfrom t h ef i r ew i t hy o u rb a c kt o t h e n e a r e s t e x i t .H o l di n gt h ee x t i n gi u s h eu r pright o n a l e v esl u r f a c ep ,u l lt h el o c kp i no u t (inseta ) ,n da i mt h en o z o f t h eh a n d l e zleat the baseof theflames.Squeeze the handleleverstogether andspray in a quick,side-to-side motion(right) u n t i lt h e f i r e i s e x t i n g u i s h e l fdt h. e flamesspread, leavethearearmmediately andcallthefiredepartment. Dispose of burned wastefollowrng theadvice of thef iredeoartment. Havetheextins r r i s . h p rr p c h : r o o d

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Checking a smoke detector A smokedetector is an essential safety feature in a finishing shop. Testthedevice onceeverymonth.First,press thetest button. Then,blowouta lit matchbelow a vent,letting smoke enterit, or holda flamebelowit (left).Replace thebattery if thealarmdoesnotsoundfor both t e s t s - o ri f i t e m i t sa c h i r p i nsgo u n d , indicating thebattery isworn.

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SAFETY

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DECIPHERING THELABELINFORMATI()N

lnhalation warnin4 lndtcaLee1,ha1, Lheproduc1;te exLremelyhaz' ardousdurinqprolonged e x p o e u r ec; a u t i o n e aqainef inLenLional ah"ae

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Directione for uee Detailed inel;ruct,ione on how Lo uee Lhe product, tncludin4 puiace preparat ion, mirinq 9"16quant triee. appltc2Ti611 niquee and clean-up

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9afety precautiona lneLruct;tonefor eafe handltn7 and etora7e ofthe product, incl ud inq praper venLilaLronand warntnq e,7ne of prol6n4ederpoeure 1;.ofumea

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Emergency/Firat aid proceduree 'gpectfiee immedtaLe acLion Lo be Laken in an emerqency involvinq ekin or eye conLacL,inhalation or inqeel,ion

Prod u ct identification The Lype of product and the brand name 7iven by 1,hemanufact.urer to idenLtfy Lhe producL

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VOC(Volatile Organic Compound)rating

Warning lndicaLeswheLherLhe

A meaEureof Lhe amounL of volaLtleorqantc compounda in Lhe producL, in percenl,, grame per liter or pounde per qallon

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flammable or Loxtc

Product i ncom patibility A ltat of frntehtnqproducto l;hat; are chemtcallytncom' pattble wt1;hthe product

Vapor preooure lndicaLee Lhe force exerted by evaporaLed vapo16 on the aLmoephere dtrectly above Lhe ltqutd, meaeured in milltmel;ereof mercury. The qreater Lhe vapor preeeure, Lhe more volattle Lhe producL

R e a d i nagp r o d u cl ta b e l T h el a b e o l n a c o n t a i n eorf f i n i s hi s m o r et h a nj u s ta t r a d e m a r k a n da s e to f i n s t r u c t i o n lst.i s b o t ht h e k e yt o c o m p a r i ntgh e f i n i s h ' sc h a r a c t e r i s t w i cist ht h o s eo f o t h e rp r o d u c tasn da g u i d e

Aative ingredients Indtcatea the common and/or chemtcal namee and proporl,rone of bol,h volatrle and non-volaLtlein4redienLetn 1,heproduct, euch ae reetne, eolvenLs.driers and flatLenere: aleo tndtcaLea wheLher Lhe eolvenLis aenattiveto liqht and phoLochemically reacLtve,whtch can crealie atrbarne polluLante

t i n n ss n e c i f i e nd n t h e l a h e tl o s e t r r nt h e n r o n e vr e n t i l a t i o n l f i t ht h ef i r s ta i d a n dw o r k i n cg o n d i t i o nas n , df a m i l i a r i zyeo u r s ew i n s t r u c t i o ni ns t h e e v e n o t f anaccident. t n r r s i n o i h p c , r r h c , l : n . ps . : f p l v n t h p s h n n T h e r ^ o m n n s i t el : h e l S o m es t a t e sa l l o wt h e u s eo f T r a d eS e c r e R t e g i s t rny u m h e r sf o r a n r o d r r cst i n p r e d i e nttos n r o t e cnt a t e n t ecdh e m i c a l s h o w na b o v ei n c l u d etsh e f e a t u r eyso us h o u l dl o o kf o r w h e n ^ ^ r ^ . , ; ^ ; + . -, ^ + , ^ ^ \ / ^ ^ - - + e h n n q r n o : f i n i c . .h. i. n. bg rn.r n- uf ,u, L.- L{ , ^) u. ,L^i fl d drf o r m u l a sl.f y o uf i n d t h e i n f o r m a t i oonn t h e l a b e lt o o v a g u e , ) L U T L T L ryd L i l 1 5 .v v u i n g ,v a p o rp r e s s u raen df l a m m a b i l i t R r e q u e sat l V l a t e r i S a la f e t yD a t aS h e e t( l v l S D Sf )r o m t h e y .e f e tro t h e c h a r to n n : o p l Q i n d p i p r m r n p t h p l n v i r - r l vn f : n r n d r r r ^ t ':sr ^ t i v pi n o r c d i m a n u f a c t u rief ro n e i s a v a i l a b l e A.n M S D Sw i l l e x p l i c i t l y sgrslignla t s w e l la s p r e c a u e n t sa n dc o m p a r teh e mw i t ht h o s eo f o t h e rs i m i l a rp r o d u c ttso d e t a r tl h e p r o d u c t 'hs a z a r d o ui n h e l py o uc h o o s e t h e l e a s t o x i cf i n i s h .F o l l o w t h e s a f e t yp r e c a u - t i o n sf o r s a f eh a n d l i nagn d u s e . '

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SAFETY

CHOOSING A SAFE FINISH F i n i s h i ncgh e m i s t hr ya sc h a n g erda d i c a lilny r e c e nyte a r s . Themostsignif icantadvance hasbeenthedevelopment of w a t e r - b a sfei ndi s h eisn r e s o o n st oe b o t ht h e h e a l t hr i s k s posed b ys o l v e n a t sn dc l e a n - alier g i s l a t i tohna tl i m i t st h e percentage of V0Cs,or volatile organic compounds, in solvent-based f inishes. Mostof theseregulations areprimarily intended forf urnituremakers whousemorethanonegallon predictthatbythe of finishperday,yet industry experts m i d - 1 9 9 0V s ,O C - c o m p l if ai nni ts h ewsi l lb et h er u l er a t h e r thantheexception foreveryone in the UnitedStates. I n h a l a t i oi snt h e m o s tc o m m ow n a yt h a ts o l v e n tasr e absorbed intothebloodstream, buttoxinscanalsobe ingested fromfoodandbeverages leftin theshop.Others canbe a b s o r b eddi r e c t ltyh r o u gthh es k i no r e v e nb ys w a l l o w i n g v a p o risn s a l i v a . ln theirmostpoisonous form,solvents cancausedamage nervous to thecentral system andrespiratory tract.Methylene

chloride f o, re x a m p l e i s,s u s p e c t eo df b e i n ga c a r c i n o g e n , whilesomeglycolethershavebeenlinkedto birthdefects. K e e pi n m i n d ,h o w e v etrh, a tt h e h e a l t hh a z a r dosf a n y f i n i s h i npgr o d u cdte p e n od n a n u m b eor f f a c t o r sM. o s t p r o d u c tosn t h e m a r k eat r ea c t u a l l b yenign w h e nu s e d o n l yo no c c a s i oann, dc o u l do n l yb ec o n s i d e r p eo di s o n o u s i f s w a l l o w eddi r e c t l yS. o m ec a ne v e nb e m a d en o n t o x i cs; h e l l aics c o m m o n ul ys e da sa n i n g r e d i e innt confectioners'glaze. W h e nc h o o s i nagf i n i s h i npgr o d u c bt ,e a w a r e ofthe combinatio a n dc o n c e n t r a t ioofno r g a n isco l v e n ti sn i t s m a k e u pp,a r t i c u l a ri fl yy o ui n t e n dt o u s et h es u b s t a n c e periods for extended of time;prolonged exposure maybe h a z a r d o uTsh.ec h a r b t e l o wl i s t st h es o l v e n ct so n t a i n ei n d a v a r i e toy f f i n i s h i n p g r o d u c tasn de v a l u a t et hse r e l a t i v e toxicityof eachone.Always choose thesafestproduct for j o b the athand.

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Toxtc sotvENTs FINISHING PRODUCT W o o fdi l l e r( p a s taen dl i q u i d ) e ,i p i n gN, G Rg, e la n dg l a z S t a i n(sa n i l i n w ingstains; colorpigments) (whiteandorange) Shellacs (spray Lacquers andbrush,sanding sealers) Lacque t hr i n n e r R u b b i nogi l s( D a n i sohi l ,a n t i q uoei l )

SOLVENT Petroleum naphtha*, mineral spirits*, acetone**, methylethylketone**, methyl isopropanol**, isobutyl ketone*** glycolethers*** Ethanol*, mineral spirits*, toluene***, xylene***, methanol***, Ethanol*, methanol*** Acetone**, glycol methyl ethylketone**, isopropanol**, methanol***, xylene***, ethers*** glycolethers***, Acetone**, methyl isopropanol**, ethylketone**, toluene*** VM&Pnaphtha*, turpentine**, toluene***

Drying oils(boiled linseed oil,polymerized t u n go i l ) (tungoilvarnish, Varnishes sparvarnish, varnish stain) (polyvarnish, Polyurethanes urethane starns)

Mineral spirits*, turpentine**

Lacquer/varnish removers (pastewax,furniturewax) Waxes

Acetone**, xylene***, methanol***, methylisobutyl ketone***, toluene***

M i n e r as lp i r i t s V * ,M & Pn a p h t h a * M i n e r as lo i r i t s t*o. l u e n e * * * Petroleum naphtha*, turpentine** * product Safest ** Mildlyhazardous product *** Product to beavoided if possible

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PREIARINGTHESre ld-timewoodfinisherssmoothed whichcanscratch enededge,however, wood with sharkskinand rush. thewoodasbadlyascoarse sandpaper. filled its poreswith plasterof Parisand Sanding with successively finergrits pulverizedbrick, coloredit with matepreparation. completes thesurface For rials such as iron filings and walnut hand-sanding a fairlysmoothsurface, a shells.and finishedit with secretcomtypicalprogression is 150grit,followed Modern binationsof oils and beeswax. by220andthen280grit.(lfyoudidnot finishingtechniquesaremundaneby smooththewoodwithacabinet scraper, comparison, but theobjectis thesame: youmightneedto startwith 80or 120 to bring out the beautyof the wood. grit.)Neverskipanintermediate gritor youwill leave Whetherthis meansa glassyfilm on the scratches in thewoodthat surfaceof thewood or a finishthat softAmongits manyuses,thehandscraper thefinishwill magnifr.With anorbital ly glowsfrom within dependson the plan canhelpclearawaydriedadhesive sander, usethesamegritsequence; typeofprotectionthewood needsand aftergluingup a carcase or drawer. on hand-sanding with thefinalgrit to the effectyou wish to achieve.Because remove anywhorls. Afterfinalsanding, "raise tasteis involved,thereis no singleright answerto everyfinishing you maywish to the grain"andthen resand,to remove question.But all professional-quality finisheshaveonething the whiskeryfibersthat might otherwisepop up throughthe in common:painstakingsurfacepreparation,which readies finishon thefirsthumid day.Thisstepis essential whenapplythewood to acceptthe finishingmaterials. ing anymaterialwith a water,ratherthan solvent,base. Theamountof time you spendon surfacepreparationand Whetheror not you fill the poresof the wood is againa the toolsyou usedependin'largepart on your'workhabits matterof taste.Ifyou like a natural-lookingfinishthat allows "read and your wood. Surfacesspeckledwith dried glueobviously you to thewood grain,"do not usefiller.Close-grained requiremore work to smooth.Looseknots,splitsand other speciessuchaspine and cherrydo not requirefilling in any defectsneedrepairprior to finishing;sodoeseverydent and case, but ifyou wanta glassy finishon anopen-grained species, chiselnick.Thewood probablyhasjointer andplanermarks, suchasoakor mahogany, you mustfill the wood. which you can removewith shallowcutsusinga smoothing A washcoatmaybe appliedto the wood beforeor after plane.Theplanemustbeproperlyadjusted andsharp,soit cuts staining-or not at all ifyou areapplyinga penetratingoil finwoodfibersratherthantearingthemandrougheningthesurish.A washcoatcanbe nothingmorethan a half-and-half face.Ifthe woodhasan irregularpattern,soyou cannotavoid solutionof your final finishandthesolventrecommended by tearingthe grain asit changesdirection,substitutea cabinet its manufacturer(for lacquer,usesandingsealer). Thepoint of scraper-athin, flat pieceof steelwitha burrededge.(Forultiusinga washcoatis to preventthewoodfrom unevenor excesmatesmoothnesof straight-grained wood,useboththesmooth- siveabsorptionof finishingmaterials.When appliedbefore ing planeandcabinetscraper.)Cabinetscraperstakepractice the final finish,thewashcoatkeepsthewood from drinking up to sharpenand use,but oncemasteredtheycansubstantially the finish,therebyreducingthe numberof coatsrequiredto reduceyour sandingtime. Bewareof an improperlysharp- build up theproperthickness.

Despitea modernbladeadjustmentmechanism that enables thetoolto sliceoffpaperplaneretainsthehandcrafted qualityof a traditional thin shavings, thissmoothing handtool.Producingsmoothsurfaces is a crucialstepin finishingfurniture.

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TOOLSAND ACCESSORIES

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Honing guide and anglejig For honinqplane bladee.Deviceholda bladeat appropnaLe anqlefor honinqa bevel;rotatinq the wheelon Lop of the ji4 eete angleo bef,ween15oand 35o

9moothing plane For smooLhinqwoodaurfacee with the grain, ueuallyprior to scrapin4and oandinq.Blade muELbe aharpenedand properly adjuated before uee

Grinding jig For holdin4planebladea in aliqnmentwith grindin4 wheeldurinq aharpeninq

File alamp HoldE file perpendicula r to cutting edqeof ocraper durtnqeharpeninqof ocraper, enaurinq atra i7ht and square eaqe

Tri-burniaher Uaedto form amall burr, or hook,on cuLtrn4edqeoof ecraperafter honin4; combtnesround,trianqular and oval burnisherain one tool

Mill baetard file For equartnqcuttin4 ed4eo of ecraperoprior Lo honin7 and burniehinqthem

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Block plane For omoothin4end 4rain and chamfered aur-facea;ueuallyueed with onehand

Abraaive pade An alternattveto eandpaperfor smoothinqwoodaur-faceeand abradinq inf,ermediatefinieh coata by hand; abraaiveparticlee of aluminumoxtde and etliconcarbtdeare bondedto evnLheLicfiber pade. Laat lonqerthan sandpaper;can be waehedand reused

Combination aharpeningatone For eharpentn4planebladea. Coaraeside removeemetal quickly;fine atde createg emoof,hed4e.Lubricated wtth water or orldepending on the type of stone

Hand ecrapere Kecta ngula r acraper amootha flaL aurfacea:curvedmoaele workwellon contouredeurfacea,moldinqaand epindlee

Cabinet scraper For amooLhinqwood aur-facea,typically afLer planing;wellauited far levelinqknote and cuLtingawaydried qlue.Elade ocrapea a paper-Lhinehavtngfrom aurface:has twin handleafor 4reater convenience and control than hand acraper

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Eelt eander Towereander ueed to remove atock and eliminateflawa from wood aurfacea. and for amoothinq.Iandinq belta availablein qrite from coarae to fine

Random-orbit sander Fowersander uaedfor fine amooLhinq and removinqawirlmarka left by belt or orbital aander; ideal for contouredaurfacea

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5t'eel wool 9pectally made woodworkinqeteel woolia oil-freeand featurea lonqeretrande than etandard varietiea: leeo likelyto

Cont'ouredeanding bloak Holda aandpaperfor amoothinqcurvedand irreqularly ahaped eurfacea by hand: featurea a narrowardefor reachin7 into nqht epota

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FIat aanding block Holds aandpaoerto smooth flat aurfacea by hand

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Alcohol lamp and burn-in knife Uaedto apply ehellacatick to damagedareag on woodaurfacea; flame from lamp heato knife, which rn Lurn melLEahellac,drippin4it. onto aurface

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Grinder tharpenin4 wheel Ganbe uaedto regrind bevelaon planebladee

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Orbital palm eander Fowereander for omoothinq aurfaceethat are difficult to reach with 6rqer 9anaer

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PLANING f hoosingthebestwayto smootha \-r woodsurface is a matterof individualpreference. Therearenoordained stepsor prescribed rules.Somewoodworkersplaneandthensand;others planeandscrape beforesanding. Whicheversequence you decideto follow,theobjectisto producea surface thatisassmoothasglassandjustasflat. Thissectionof thebookexplains the useof a smoothingplaneto beginthe process of preparing a woodsurface to accept a finish. A well-sharpened bladein a properly adjusted planecanshearofffineshavingsof wood.Youcanmakeall the adjustments with only a screwdriver, despitetheplane'sapparently complicateddesign(below). Planebladesrequireregularsharpening.Althoughyoucanhonea blade byhand(page 26),a grinderisthebest

toolto bringacuttingedgeto peakper- square its end(page 25,step1).Fora formance. Fora nickedbladeor anold newbladeor onethathashaditsbevel out-of-square oneyouwishto salvage, wornaway, honeanewbevelonthecutting edge(step2). Tomaintaina keen edge,honethebladefrequently on a sharpening stone(step3). Before usinga plane,setthedepthof cut to removeonly a thin shavingon eachstroke.Because anexcessive depth gouges settingmayproduce in thework piece,youshouldtestyoursettingfirst on a scrapboard.Forbestresultson a largesurfaceusea longplane;a short onewill bemorelikelvto followexist ingcontours. Setaplaneon itsbottomwhenstorPlaningtheedgesof a workpiecewith a ingthetooltopreventtheironfromgetsmoothingplane-alsoknownasedge tingnickedbyothertools.Occasionally jointing-is usuallydonebeforeplanrub a thin film of light machineoil on ing thefaces.Thisallowsyou to remove thebladeto preventrust.Onceayear, any blemishes or depending ontheamountof use,take from thefacesleft by thejaws of a clampor a vise. thetoolapartfor a general cleaning.

ANATOMY OFA SMOOTHING PTANE Cap iron aarew Adjuete offaet diatance between cutting edqe of blade and end of cap iron; to avoid blade chatter, 'la inch io ideal 6ap Leveraap acrew )ecures levercap, cap iron and blade to fro4

Levercap Allowaquick removalof cap iron and blade

Late ra I a dj uati ng lever Centera the blade in the mouth of the plane by aettin7 the lateral, or aide-to-aide, poaition of the blade

Cap lock Holda lever cap in place

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BIade Alao knownaa olane iron. lnstalled beveldown on fro4; for beat reeulta, ahould barely probrudefrom mouth

Frog adjuetin7 earew Turnedto alide frog back and forth; poeitioned to eet cuttinq edge of blade about 1/azinch from front edae of mouth

Frog 9upporbe blade

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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE

SHARPENING A PLANE BTADE WITHA MACHINE theendoftheblade 1 Squaring whether I Usea trvsouare to check the cuttine g d g eo f t h eb l a d ei s s q u a r el f. i t is not,square it ona grinder witha rough positioned wheel. Withtheguardproperly a n dt h eb l a d e c l e aor f t h ew h e e sl ,w i t c h onthemachine. Holding thebladebetween theindexfingerandthumbof yourright hand,setit beveluponthegrinder's tool it toward restandadvance thewheeluntil yourindexfingercontacts thetoolrest (right).Slidethe bladeside-to-side across pressing thewheel, lightly whilekeeping yourfingeronthetoolrest.Thetip of the l at rh e b l a d es h o u l sdt a yp e r p e n d i c ut o wheelthroughout theoperation. Dipthe it bladein wateroccasionally to prevent fromoverheating. Check thebladefor regurany. square

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r) Creating a hollow-ground bevel Z . S h a r p e n ian pg l a n eb l a d ei n v o l v e s threesteps: creating a bevel ontheblade's cuttingedge,honing another bevelon partof thef irstone-calleda microbevel-thenremoving theburrthatresults fromthehoningprocess. Tocreate the f irstbevel, clamptheblade topfaceup jigsetto create grinding in a commercial a 30" bevel. Runthecutting edgeacross thewheel asyouwouldforsquaring the b l a d et h ; ej i gw i l lk e e pt h eb l a d e square to the wheel(left).Checkthe cutting edgeperiodically andstopgrinding when thebevel forms(lnsef). Asa ruleof thumb, thebeveliscorrect whenmost of thesparks showering trom t h eg r i n d ef ra l lo n t h et o p faceof theblade, rather than belowit.

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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE

themicrobevel Q Honing r-,f Place a combination sharpening stone finesideuDona worksurface. Nailcleats to thetableagainst thestoneto keepit frommoving. Oneof thecleats should be thesameheightasthestoneand4 to 5 inches Iong; thiswillallowyouto usethe full length of theabrasive surface. Clamp thebladein a commercial angle-setting h o n i n g u i d ew i t ht h eb e v et lo u c h i n g the stone.Saturate thestonewiththe appropriate Iubricant-either wateror a lightoil-untilit pools onthesurface. guide, Then,holding thehoning slidethe b l a d eb a c ka n df o r t hf r o me n dt o e n d alongthestone(lefil,applying moderate pressure untila microbevel forms(insef). Continue untila burr-athinridge of metal-forms onthef latface o f t h eb l a d eT. h e nl a pt h e b u r r a sy o uw o u l dw h e ns h a r p e n ian g planeby hand(sfepbelow).

SHARPENING A PTANE BTADE BYHAND [apping thebun guide Clamp thebladein a commercial (stepabove) andgrinda 30" bevelusing thecoarse sideof thestone. Thenreoositionthebladein theguideandturnthe stoneoverto honethe microbevel. To remove the burrfromthe blade-a process woodworkers call"lapping" the burr-remove the bladefromthe honing guideandsaturate thestoneonceagain. Holding thebladeflushonthestone,bevpatiern el sideup,moveit in a circular on (righil the stone unlilthe flat sideof the cuttingedgeis smooth to thetouch.A fewstrokes shouldsufficeto eliminate theburr.Testthesharpness of thecuttingedgeon a pieceof paper; a sharp blade willslicea sliver fromtheedse.

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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE

Assessing a planeblade's cutting edge Nomatter howwellit is adjusted, a dullor poorly sharpenedplanebladewilldoa poorjobof smoothing thewood surfaces of yourfurniture. Moreover, itscondition willonly deteriorate if youpersist in usingit, losingits beveled cutting edgeandpossibly evengoingout-of-square, as in the bladeshown(far/eft).Sucha bladewouldneed to besquared andsharpened ona grinder. A well-sharpenedblade(nearleft)hasa vrsible bevelandmicrobevel, making iI a razor-sharp cuttingimplement. Thisblade needs onlyanoccasional honing ona sharpening stone.

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Levercap ecrew

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Froq eetecrew

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Positioning thecuttingedge I Loosenthe levercap screwand removethe bladeassemb l y - i n c l u d i n gt h e l e v e rc a p ,c a p i r o na n d b l a d e - f r o mt h e p l a n eT. h e nl o o s e tnh e c a p i r o ns c r e wa n ds l i d et h e c a p i r o n o n t h e f a c eo f t h e b l a d et o l e a v ea g a po f a b o u t% o i n c h b e t w e e tnh e e n do f t h e c a p i r o na n dt h e c u t t i n ge d g eo f t h e b l a d e .T i g h t e nt h e c a p i r o ns c r e w .N e x t ,p l a c et h e b l a d e

assembly in position onthefrog.Thegapbetween thefront edgeof thebladeandthefrontof themouthshouldbeabout t/rcinch.lf not,loosen bothfrogsetscrews about1Zturn, thenturnthefrogadjusting screwwitha screwdriver to set gap(above). theproper Lockthe bladeassembly in position.

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r) Centering thebladeand Z- setting thedepth of cut e ss h o w ns,h i f t h e H o l d i nt gh ep l a n a lateral adjusting lever to onesideorthe thecutting edgein the otherto center mouth. Tosetthecuttingdepth,turn adjustment knobso thedepth-of-cut thatnomorethanaboulrhzinchof the fromthemouth. cutting edgeprotrudes Checkthedepthof culby eye(right), t h e nc o n f i r m t h es e t t i nbgym a k i nag testcutona scrapboard. Theshavings bepaper-thin; thefinerthecut, should t h em o r et r a n s p a r et n h tes h a v i n g s . Adjust thecutting depth,if necessary.

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plane Usinga smoothing w i t hs m o o t he, v e n G u i d ea h a n dp l a n ea l o n ga w o o ds u r f a c e Alwayscut with the grainof the wood;planingagainst strokes. t h e g r a i nw i l l t e a rt h e w o o d ,r a t h e trh a ns h a v i n gi t o f f c l e a n l y . l f y o uc a n n o d t e t e r m i nteh e o r i e n t a t i oonf t h e g r a i n ,l i g h t l y s l i d et h e p l a n ep a r a l l e l taon e d g ei n o n ed i r e c t i o nt h, e n r e p e a itn t h e o p p o s i t d e i r e c t i o nT. h ec u t t i n ge d g ew i l l c h a t t e r o r c a t c ho n t h e w o o df i b e r sw h e ni t i s c u t t i n ga g a i n stth e g r a i n .l f t h e g r a i no r i e n t a t i ocnh a n g eosn t h e s u r f a c es,w i t c h . o s m o o t ha o f y o u rs t r o k et o f o l l o wt h e g r a i n T thedirection s u r f a c es u c ha s a t a b l e t o pm , o v et h e p l a n eb a c ka n d f o r t h as shown usinga seriesof straightpasses thatslightlyoverlap, inthediagram a t r i g h t .W h e np u l l i n gt h e p l a n eb a c ka f t e r e a c hf o r w a r ds t r o k et,i l t t h e t o o lt o o n es i d et o l i f t t h e c u t t i n g e d g ec l e a ro f t h e s u r f a c e .

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2B

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Smoothing a face faceupona work Secure theworkpiece s u r f a c e0.n c ey o uh a v eo r i e n t etdh e plane withthewoodgrain, lineupyour s h o u l daenr dh i pw i t ht h et o o tl o h e l p y o um a i n t a ifnu l l c o n t r ool f t h ec u t . withbothhands as Gripping theplane pushthetoolalong thesurface shown, awayfromyourbody.Applyf irmand s u s t a i n epdr e s s u dr eu r i n g t h es t r o k e , pressing downonthefrontof theplane at thestartof thepass.Oncetheplane iscompletely onthesurface, evenout thepressure to thepressure, shifting

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t h e r e a rn f t h e n l a n ea i t h e e n d o f t h e

Examine asyouwork stroke. theshavings andadjust thecufting depthif youwanta finercut.Keepplaning untilthesurface becomes shinyandsmooth to thetouch.

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endgrain Smoothing U s ea b l o c kp l a n et o s m o o t ht h e e n d so f a w o r k p i e c eT.h e r ea r et w ow a y so f p l a n i n g e n d g r a i n ,b o t h i n v o l v i n tgw o s t e p s c a l c u l a t etdo a v o i dt e a r o uat t t h e e d g e s . F o re i t h e rm e t h o ds, e c u r et h e w o r k p i e c e e n d u p . I n o n em e t h o db, e g i na s t r o k e a t o n ee d g eo f t h e b o a r dg, u i d i n gt h e p l a n ea l o n gt h e s u r f a c eu n t i l t h eb l a d e is abouthalfwayacrossthe end (left). R e p e atth e p r o c e s fsr o mt h e o p p o s i t e e d g e .I n t h e s e c o n dm e t h o ds, t a r tb y c u t t i n ga c h a m f ear t o n ee d g eo f t h e boardh , o l d i n gt h e p l a n e a t a n a n g l et o f l a t t e nt h e corner(inset).Then make a p a s sa c r o s tsh e e n t i r ee n d , b e g i n n i ntgh e s t r o k ea t t h e o t h e re d g e .

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29

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SCRAPING is an interQ crapingwoodsurfaces planingand stepbetween rJ mediate A sharpscraper canremove sanding. high spots,tearoutand glue lines, andcleanup marks smootha surface, leftby a plane.Thetool is inexpensive, simpleto sharpeasyto useandrelatively en.Tho commonlyusedtypesarethe handscraper-asinglebladeof steelablademountscraper, andthecabinet ed in a metal or wood body that Thisimplement resembles a spokeshave. for two-handfeatures wingedhandles edpushingor pulling. Scraper bladesaremadefrom thin to ofspringsteelandsharpened sheets forma cuttingedge.Theyareavailable on in differentthicknesses, depending theworkyouwantthemto perform. for heavycuts; aresuitable Thickscrapers areusedfor finerwork. light scrapers hasa Unlikea planeblade,thescraper hook-a smallflarealongthelengthof page32).The thecuttingedge(inset, hook'scuttingactionallowsthescraper in anydirection, to bepulledor pushed

andtightspots soyoucanreachcorners inaccessible to a plane. dullquickA scraper's cuitingedges which ly andrequireregularsharpening, filing,honingandburnishing. involves shavings signal Thesizeof thescraper's its condition:thedullertheblade,the

a scraper Properlysharpened, will producefiner andshorter shavingsthana plane.

I I theshavings, untilfinallythetool smaller produces onlysawdust. needto befiled Mostnewscrapers smoothbeforeuse.It mayhelpto apply alittlelubricatingoil onthecuttingedge beforeburnishing, butbe ofthescraper carefulwith theoil: If it getson your handsorbenchit couldendupstaining theworkpiece. thecutting Apartfrommaintaining keepin mindthatthe edges of ascraper, toolwill performwellonlyifyouholdit andpush atanangleto thewoodsurface or pull itwhileapplyingafairamountof Ifyou pressure closeto ttrecuttingedge. holdthescraper almostperpendicular to thesurface andapplyhealypressure, wood,but thetoolwill quicklyremove the it mayalsogouge, dentor scratch Heldat moreof anangle,the surface. removes lesswood,butproduces scraper asmoother surface. Onemethodof finding theright angleis to holdthetool almostparallelto theworksurface;begin gradually raisingtheangle scrapingwhile of thebladeuntilit bitesintothewood.

SHARPENING A SCRAPER square 1 Filingtheedges hookon a I Tofileofftheexisting scraper, clampthetoolin a visewith a onelongedgefacingup.Holding filefirmlywithboth sharpmillbastard passes handsasshown,makeseveral backandforthalongtheedgeof the ng moderate downward scraper, exerti pressure and untilthebundisappears filings, theedges areflat.Toremove periodically tapthefileona firmsurfaceor usea filecard.Turnthescraoer for the overandrepeatthe process otheredge.

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fiu|ltfilrililllttljJ llillliltl]J fillltJilllllltlll tllllll filtl]ll 5HO7Tt? Uoinga file clamp Deeiqned Noholda file perpendicular to the edge of a ocraVer, a fileclamp makesit, eaeytro remove hooksand fileoLraight edqeeon Ihe trool.To use the fileclamp,securethe ocra?erin a vieealong wilh a woodblockon one eideto keepit,riqid.lneerL I h e f i l ei n t h e c l a m pa n d f i x i t i n p l a c eu o i n q l h e Lhumbscrewe on Iop of the i m p le me n t . 7 oE i Loi n L he c la m p

on lhe edgeof the ecraVerand file lhe ocraVer'e ed4eunlil it, feelesharp,takinqcarenot Io cuXyouroelfwhenNeeLinq.

r) Honing theedges L Secure a combination sharpening stone finesideupto a worksurface with cleats andlubricate it asyouwouldwhen honing a planeblade(page 26) Holding thescraper flatagainst thestone, rubthe faceonthestone witha circular motion (left).Applymoderate pressure andconproduced tinueuntilanyroughness byfilingdisappears. Turnthescraper overand repeat fortheotherface.Tocomplete the honing, holdthescraper edgedownand slideit backandforthdiagonally across thestoneuntiltheedgeissmooth with sharpcorners. Repeat fortheotheredge.

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I I to starta hook theedges Q Burnishing r.,l Placethescraoer f laton a work withtheedgeto besharpened surface extending offthetable.Holding a burnisher at a slightangle to thescraper, passes makeseveral backandforth alongthe edge(left),applying strong pressure downward to startturning overtheedgeintoa hook.Burnish the edgethesameway;turn othercutting thescraper overandburnish theedges ontheotherface.

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Completing thehook Securethe scraperedgeup in a vise

perpendicular Holdtheburnisher almost to theedgeandrunit along theedgein onedirection untiltheedgeswells slightly,turningoutward on oneside(right). presForbestresults, applymoderate s u r eT. h e nh o l dt h eb u r n i s hseort h a t t h eh a n d liesa t a 1 0 ' t o 1 5 ' a n g l e abovethe edgeof thescraper andcont i n u eb u r n i s h i u nn g t itl h ee d g e turns over.Repeat theprocess to forma hook ontheothersideof theedge(inset), this timeholding thehandle withyourother youapply, hand.Thegreater thepressure iho hioopr thp hnnk

Turnthescraper over andburnish theopposiie edsp

Tpsi thp .r ri-

tino pdooc nn a nipnp

of scrap wood,burnishingthemagain, if necessary, untilyouhave thehookyouneedfor t h ej o ba t h a n d .

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flllllllllllllllllllrulll1 ililllllllllllltllllullilllllllllllllltlllt 1HO?TI? Using a variableburnisher l,oldinq a o l d t n qa O burnieher u r n t e na aL e tr tthe riqht. anglefor turnin4overa hookon a ocraVerie no eaoylaok. Oneanswer jiq Ihal ie a commercial provideoVrecioecontrol of the burniohing anqle. Theactual burnisher ie a carbiderod mounled wilhinLhe body;a knob o n N h e N oapd j u o t o N h e anqleof Nherod belweenOoand 15o.Iouse Nhe L ne a burnieher, u r n t ? n e r? oecure , e c u r eT the , n eS ecraVer c r a ? e rtin n a vviee t 6 ea and na

: f i I i t e b l a d e i n t h e b u r n i s h e r ' ee l o N :r u n n i n qt h e b u r n i e h e r back and f or\h alon4 the blade wilh moderale downward ?re6ourecreaLeea hook of NheapVropriaLean4le.

SMO()THING A SURFACE WITHA HANDSCRAPER Using a handscraper Secure thestockto a worksurface. Standing at oneendof theworkpiece, curlyourfingers around thefrontof the scraper andpress onthebackwithyour thumbs to makethetoolbowslightly outward. Tiltthescraper forward about 20'fromthevertical andscrape the in thedirection surface thatthebowis facing(left).lf thecuttingedgedoes notbiteintothewoodproperly, adjust theangleof thetoolslightly. Workat a s l i g hat n g l e t o t h eg r a i na, p p l y i n g pressure moderate andmakinglong, fluid,overlapping strokes. At theend of eachstroke, lift thescraper offthe surface before stopping. Youcanalso pullwiththescraper, butbesureto you. flexthe bowtoward

I PREPARINGTHE SURFACE

SCRAPER SMOOTHING WITHA CABINET

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theblade 1 Adjusting edge I lnstall withthehooked thebladein thescraper t/zzinchfromthesoleof the facingforward andprotruding Lockthebladein placebyturning thetwothumbscraper. (abovd. fhen clockwise screws onthefrontof thescraper b o wi t s l i g h t lbyyt u r n i n tgh et h u m b s c r et hwa tp r e s s e s against thecenter of thebladeattheback6f lls scr:ner

r) Using thescraper Then,standing at oneendof the Z Secure theworkpiece. withthe firmlywithbothhands stockandholding thescraper preshookfacingawayfromyou,pushthetoolwithmoderate (abovd. lift At theendof eachstroke, surealongthesurface io thescraper offthesurface andturnthetoolupside-down thebladefromclogging. dislodge theshavings andprevent

ltljulllllrl]l]llllllllllllllrllllllllllllllllfifillllr]l]llrlllllilIl 1HO?Tt? Uoingold oara?erblades to cut half-blind dovetaile Youcan aet eornemore mileage ou| of an old ocra?erby uoin7it Nocomplelelhe eaw cuNemadeto fashion half-blinddovelails. Tlacelhe bladein the kerl and tap il with a hammerunLilit, reachesthe shoulder lineof the ioinLThiewillmakeiN eaeierLo finiehNhecut with a chisel,

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SANDING Q andingis the final stagein smoothJ ing a pieceof furnitureand is also indispensable in eliminatinganyblemishesleft by planesand scrapers. Both toolssometimesleavemarksandridges Theycanalsocomon wood surfaces. presswood fibersandclosetheporesin thewood,inhibitingits capacity to properly accepta finish.Sandingasthe final stepopensclosedpores,allowingthe finish to penetratethe surface. A wide varietyof naturaland manmadesandpaperabrasives areavailable for thewoodworker, from naturalmaterials suchasflint, garnetand emeryto artificialoneslike aluminumoxideand you siliconcarbide.Formostapplications, needa sandpaperwith hard,sharp-edged particlesttratarenot easilydislodgedfrom their paperbacking.Garnet,siliconcarbideand aluminumoxidearethe abrasivesthat bestsatisfythesecriteria. A typical sandingsequence begins with a 120-or 150-gritpaper,depending on whetheror not you useda scraper (page30).Youmayfirst needan 8O-grit abrasiveto eliminatedefectsor irregularitiesfrom a surface. Continuesanding witha220-gritpaper,movingto increas-

ingly finer abrasives to removethe scratches leftby thepreceding operation. Fora surface thatis to receive a glossy finish,youwill needto useapaper atleastasfineas320grit.Howhighup thegrit scale youclimbdepends on the finishingproductyouintendto apply Keep andtheeffectyouwishto achieve. in mind,however, thatpolishinga surfaceto a highglosswith anultra-fine papermaykeep astainfrompenetrating evenly. Referto thecharton page37for

Combiningtheconvenience of a powertoolwith thefine touchof handsandinga palm sanderreadies a cabinetfor a finish.

informationon the differentsandpaper gradesandgritsandwhento usethem. Apart from selectingtheappropriate grit, you alsoneedto choosebetween paper.Theabraopen-andclosed-coat paperscovsiveparticleson closed-coat er almost the entire surfaceof the backing,and arebestsuitedto sanding hardwoods.Open-coatpapershave morewidelydispersedparticles,covering only 40o/oto 700/o of the backing. Theseareyour bestbet for softwoods because theyarelessproneto cloggingby moreresinouswood. fu shownon thefollowingpages, sanding canbe equallywellaccomplished by hand or with power tools.Although handsandingis laborious,it allowsyou greatercontroloverthe process, especiallywhenworkingon contouredsurfacesor in cornersandtight spots. Whichevermethodyou select,you canjudgewhetherthesurfaceis smooth enoughby pulling a pieceof fine nylon fabricoverthewood;the clothwill snag on roughspots.Thenexaminethewood undera beamoflight playedacrossthe surfaceat a low.angle.The^lightwill expose anyremalnmglmperfecuons.

SANDING FLAT SURFACES Using a beltsander Clamp theworkpiece downandinstall griton a sanding beltof theappropriate yourbeltsander. Holding thetoolabove thestockwithbothhands, switchit on andgentlylowerit flatontothesurface. Guidethesander fromoneendof the workoiece to theotherin smooth and passes straight overlapping thatfollow thegrainof thewood(/efil.Keepthe f latandmoving sander at alltimesuntil is uniformly Avoid thesurface smooth. leaving thetoolononespotwhileit is quickrunning; it cancutintothesurface ly,leaving a gouge. Cleanupthesand(page42)beforerepeating ingparticles withafiner-gritbelt.

35

PREPARINGTHE SURFACE

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r I I I I Handsanding Attacha pieceof sandpaper of the appro' p r i a t eg r i tt o a s a n d i n gb l o c k G . r i pt h e b l o c kf i r m l ya n d s a n dt h e s u r f a c e with s t r a i g h to, v e r l a p p i n g b ,a c k - a n d - f o r t h s t r o k e sa, p p l y i n gm o d e r a t ep r e s s u r e a n dw o r k i n g w i t ht h e g r a i no f t h e w o o d (above,left), Keepthe blockf lat on the s u r f a c ea t a l l t i m e s ,p a r t i c u l a r lwyh e n you reachan end or edge.To smootha s m a l lo r r e s t r i c t esdu r f a c es, u c ha s t h e a r e a sb e t w e etnh e s o i n d l e os f a c h a i r a s s h o w nu, s ea c o m m e r c i as la n d i n g ^+l^t, >LtL^

/^^^,,^ lauuvc,

-:^L+l r tBr tL,t.

I

lttlllllilllllilillll]lll]ltilllll[l]lllllllltllllilllilitilltruilfl 1HO?Tt? Shop-madeoandingblock CUIa woodblockthalyou can qrip comfortably.OnIhe top face of the block,cuLlwo narrowqrooveo, then cuI two wedqeehapedwoodobripo NhaI fit, in Lheqrooveeenuqly.To gluea fel| provideeveneandinq?reooure, or cork pad t o NheboLbomlace of the block. T ou s e t h e b l o c k , w r aa?p i e c eo f e a n d V a V e r aroundit,,inoertNheendeinNolhe qroovee, then tap in the wedgeoto holdNheVaVerin Vlace.

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ABRASIVE GRADES ANDGRITS SANDPAPER Grade

Grit

Medium

8 0 , 1 0 0 ,1 2 0

Uses Initial smoothing; removing shallow depressions and scratches

F in e

1 5 0 ,1 8 0

Intermed iatesmoothing

Veryfine

220,240

Finalsmoothing beforeapplyinga f inish

Extrafine

280,320

Removing dust particlesand air bubblesbetween finishcoats

360,400

F i n a sl a n d i n g b e f o r ef i n a lc o a to f f i n i s h ;i n i t i a l sandingfor highglossfinish

6 0 0 ,1 2 0 0

Rubbingdownthe final coatof highglossfinish

Medium

1

Lightremovalof particlesand raisedfibers; smoothing of shallowdepressions and scratches

Fine

00

Smoothing beforeapplyinga clearf inish

Extrafine

000

Smoothing betweencoatsof finish;lightcleaning and deglossing of a finishor polish

S u p efri n e

0000

Polishing; waxing

S u p efri n e STEEL W(lOL

lluljlJlllllll tllilltt]l]lllllllttllllljlltlll}ljltflltllllilltl]ll 1HO?TI? Makinga aandpaperauttingboard To cul sheeleof oandpaperquickly and accuraLely, ueea ohop-made cuttinq board.Screwa hacksaw bladeto a pieceof plywood with a washerundereach endto raiseit eliqhNly off the Vlywood.To cuTa sand?a?er sheet in half, ,./ .. elideiI under

1,r)r \

li.i';\ ;: rino'i'

.','*^*

t .-s-o d

,

"

c

ki**"*":

the blade. H o l d i n 4o n e end down,Near

\ the other part,of the eheetoff. Fora quarEersheel, marka lineparallel NoNheblade Nhat,isone-quarLer ofLhewidlhof a e h e e Xf r o m t h e l e e l h . T h e n a l i g nl h e e n d ol f,he eheet wilh lhe line and lear.

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Choosing sandpaper gritsin the Therange of sandpaper chartat leftwillserve foralmost any f i ni s hi n gj o b .W h e nb u y i nsga n p da p e r ,c o n s i d ei trsc o m p o s i t i oAnl u. minumoxidepaperworksbestwith a beltsander. Choose silicon carbide p a p eirn g r i t sa b o v 2 e 2 0f o rf i n i s h s a n d i nwgi t ha no r b i t asla n d e r .

PREPARING THE SURFACE

SANDING CURVED SURFACES Using a random-orbit sander Withitscompact andpliable sanding pad,therandom-orbit is ideal sander forsanding contours suchasa cabriole leg(left).Clampdowntheworkp i e c ea n df a s t e n a s a n d i ndgi s kt o pad.Withthetoolclear thesander's of thestock,switchit onandlower thepadontothesurface. Applying pressure, moderate workalongthe length of theworkpiece in back-andf o r t hp a s s eusn t rtl h es u r f a cies s m o o t hR. e p o s i t i o t hne p i e c ei n theclampas necessary to smooth ^:i^^^-+ ^,,"+-^^^ duldutrrrL)ur iduc).

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Hand sanding Smoothing contoured surfaces usingonlysandpaper risks creating blemishes onthewoodorf lattening outthecurves pressure. padthat withexcessive Fora shop-made sanding canfollowcontours withoutoversanding, wrapa sheetof sandpaper around a thicksponge thatyoucancomfortably grip.Holdthepaper around thesponge andsandalong the length of thesurface withf irmpressure.

U s i n ga s a n d i nbgl o c k S e c u r et h e w o r k p i e caen d a t t a c ha p i e c eo f s a n d p a p et or a c o m m e r c i ac lo n t o u sr a n d i n gb l o c k .O n t h e t y p es h o w n , t h e e n d so f t h e p a p e ra r e p i n c h e dt o g e t h ear n d h e l d i n a s l o to n t h e n a r r o ws i d eo f t h e b l o c k .F o rm o s tc o n t o u r s , s a n dw i t h t h e c i r c u l a sr i d eo f t h e b l o c ka g a i n stth e w o o d ( a b o v e )F. o rc r e v i c e sa n d o t h e rt i g h t s p o t s ,w r a pa s h e e t o f s a n d p a p earr o u n dt h e b l o c k ,h o l di t i n p l a c ea n d s a n d w i t h t h e n a r r o ws i d e .

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BLOCK CONTOURED SANDING Smoothing thecontours of a pieceoI its molding evenly without damaging is a difficulttaskwithonly contours sanding sandpaper or a conventional youcanusea short block.However, your sample of themolding to shape ownsanding blockthatcorresponds exactlyto the surfaceof the workpiece. Fashioning theblockrequires bodyfilleror modeling rubber, used to makea moldof theorofile. To prepare themold,nailtogether a smallboxslightly longer andwider thanthesample molding andabout r/qinchdeeper thanthethickestpart of themolding. Prepare thefillerfollowing themanufacturer's instrucfill about half the boxwith tions,then it. Laya single ihickness of plastic wraDoverthebox.Whilethefiller themolding samis stillsoft,press pleintotheboxandclampit firmly against thefiller.Letthefillerhardremove en,ihencarefully themoldingsample fromthebox.Sawoff theendsof thebox. Totransform theboxintoa sandingblock,stretch a pieceof sandpaperabrasive sideup across the molded sideof thebox.Usethe thepaper molding sample to press filler,then against the hardened staoletheendsto the sidesof thebox. Tousetheblock,clamptheworkoiecedownandslidetheblockback (/eff). andforthalongthemolding

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grooves Smoothing andturnings grooves Tosandnarrow in turnedpieces suchaschairspindles, usecommercial abrasive cord.Cuta pieceof cordlongenough to extend a fewinches on eachsideandwrapit around the groove. Pulloneendandthentheotherrepeatedly to sandhalf (above, left).Workfromthe thecircumference of thegroove

opposite sideto smooth theotherhalf.Tosandturnings or largergrooves, useabrasive tape(above, right),whichis wider thanabrasive cordbuthandled identically. Smooth intricate pads. turnings andmoldings usingsteelwoolorabrasive

r]llilI1 illlltllltlilllfilltllllll}ulli]IlultllllilIlil1j ilutjllfit1 ?HO?TI? Shop-madeabraaivetape 1andingbelNeare an excellenl oourceof abraeiveLapeo.The belbereadilyNearin parallel ebripe,makinqiL eaeyto obtaina lenqthof abrasive of Yhewidthyou need.)ince uoinqabraoiveNapeinvolvee crooo-qrain oandinq, uoeonly slrios from fine-aritbells. Coalrserabrasivis may leave ecrabchee and makeabraded area6?roneNoabeorbinqmore slain Nhansurroundina areao.

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IN TIGHTSP()TS SANDING

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r[ IltlfiIlllllllllijllltlillrilllllrrlltiltrinllllilI]illlllltlll] 1HO?TI?

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.$o. Findingflawo O o m e b t e m i e hoener h e \2" eurtaceof a Vieceof furni' Lure may noNbe aVVarent, to ./, ,; LheLouchor underordinary l i q h t , b u t b e c o moeb v i o u e t in a floodof light.Tocheck your workafLereandinqa workpiece,cleanoff the eandinqVarLiclee (paqe42),then aim a beamfromaflaehlightaNIhe eurface,bouncing il otr LhewoodaNan oblique angle.griqhl directeunliqhtworkoequallywell.Clooely examine Nheeuryour headup and downolowlyIo benefiLfrom f ace,bobbinq everyanqle.Takenole of any flawoyou miesedearlier.

panel's Smoothing a raised edges jobscallfora certain Somesanding degree of improvisation. Forexample, to smooth the beveled edges of a panel(above) raised without rounding thesquare edges of theframe, use a piece of sandpaper folded inthirds to aboutthewidthof the beveled section. Holdthepaper in a U shape andplaceonefingerbehind it; the your foldedpaper cannot slipagainst finger. Sandtheedges, applying even pressure parallel andworking to the woodgrarn,

PREPARINGTHE SURFACE

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CLEANING SANDING PARTICLES

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Removing sanding dustfrom a woodsurface Cleanparticles offwoodsurfaces after everystageof sanding before moving onto a f inergritabrasive or applying . e m o vaesm u c hd u s ta n d a f i n i s hR gritaspossible witha vacuum cleaner, ragor benchbrush(above, /eff).Then w i p et h es u r f a ccel e a nw i t ha t a c k yourhand clolh(above, nghf).Sweep across thesurface to checkforany particles. remaining Wipeagainwith thetackclothif necessarv.

ilIllluillIllrilllllrllr1 tlllfillllltltflfiIlllllilltltljlllllltllI] 9HO7Tt? Makingataak aloth Makea tack clothNomatchthe tiniehinqproducLyou inhendt o uee.Fora water-basedfinieh, oimVlydamVena cleanVieceof cheeeeclothwilh waten Fora eo l ven I - ba eed f i n i s hd, a m pe n trhecloth wiNhmineralspiiits, then workina fewdropsof varnioh.?queeze Ihe cloLhre?eatedlyunbiliNbeginoIo feelobicky. Add varnishwhenit,loeesits Nackyfeel.)tore a tack cloth in a plaelic bagwith a labelidentityingit as eilher waNer-or solvent-based,

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REPAIRINGSURFACEDAMAGE canshow Tl lawson a woodsurface .F throughalmostanyfinish.In fact,a clearfinishlikelacquermaymagnify Beforeyouapplya finimperfections. ishto a pieceof furniture,youneedto find and mendanysurfacedamage. Mostdefects stickout,but youneedto thelessobvious blemfindandeliminate ishesaswell.Tiy runningahandacross thewoodandfeelingfor them.Youcan withlowanglelight alsowashthesurface (page 4) andlookfor them. to a repairand Thebestapproach requireddependon the thematerials repair A suitable natureof thedamage. isto lift it with for a dent,for example, if thewood steam(page4).However, ratherthansimply fibersaresevered crushed, steamwill not work;a wood Forsmall fillermaybethebestremedy. waxor shellac stick canproblemishes, ducea virtuallyinvisiblefix. Bothare in.avarietyof colorsto match available manywooospecres. Youcanbuy specialburn-inkits for applyingshellacsticks.Thetypiincludesa burn-inknife calpackage stainless steelblade; with a gentlybent, an alcohollampfor heatingtheknife; a felt anda special solutionfor soaking therepairwiththesurblockthatlevels roundingsurface. arebestconMostlargerblemishes withwoodfiller.Althoughmany cealed

you cantint filler tfpes arepre-colored, yourselffor a perfectmatch.Testthe filler on a scrapof the targetwood beforecommittingyourselfto a particularformulation.In situationswhere the a filler is inappropriate-because damagedareais too largeor the filler would be conspicuous-youcanmend the defectwith a shop-madepatch fashionedfrom a wood scrapof the samespecies(page47).

stickremainsoneof thebest A traditionalshellac methodsof repairingminordamagein wood. Heatedby thellamefrom an alcohollamp,a burn-in knifemeltsa small bit of theshellac sticl