Creative Woodworks & crafts 2003-04, страница 19

Creative Woodworks & crafts 2003-04, страница 19

Step 7. Once the layers are dry and the color is right lightly sand them to remove the raised grain. Rit® recommends the use of steel wool; this is OK for most finishes, except those that are water based. Small fibers of steel wool can lodge in the grain of wood and will rust when exposed to water. Sand carefully so as to avoid going through the color. We use either 320 grit sandpaper, fine Scotch® Brite, or (as my wife Alice does when the grain is not too swollen) a piece of brown paper bag. The brown paper is slightly abrasive, but burnishes more than it abrades and thus does not remove the color. If your method has removed some color, touch it up and let it dry.

Step 8. Sand all the un dyed components of the projecl through 320 grit, and apply the finish cf your choice. We used ~Waico Natural Danish Oil as a pre coot, allowed it to cure for at least three days and then applied Minv/ax Wipe On Poly as a final coat to all the layers. If may take several coatings to get the des'red appearance. Note: I apply finish to fhe components of projects such as this before gluing Ihem together, which is contrary to conventional wood working practice. I do so because of the difficulty in applying a proper finish to all surfaces of a project thai is so uneven. Runs, sags and excessive buildup, plus an insufficient coating on the inside are typical problems tha' are eliminated by this method.

Step 9. Check to see if your dowels fil in their holes with slight resistance. If they do not, clean them out with your 1/4" drill bit. Hint: if your dowels are slill too tight, try the following method. Drill a hole in a piece of stee' with same bit you used -o drill for the dowels. File off the burrs, taper an end of the dowel and then drive it through the hole with a hammer and block of wood. This will trim and swage it to the proper size. Pay particular attention to the direction of the grain of the wooc. Select the straightest grain possible because, if the grain runs off to the side, it will shatter when struck.

Step 10. Cut the dowels to proper length and glue them into the base. Use Aiieen's Tacky Glue, Quick Bond or cyanoacrylate glue because they bond to nearly all finishes, they dry clear, and, except for Quick Bond, they do not tend to continue bieeding out after you clean up any excess the first time. Scrape a bit of finish off the areas of glue contact for a better bond. Glue and clamp each layer in position until Ihe glue sets before moving on. (Be sure to test fit the handle as you glue up the layers to ensure a good fit, but remove the handle before "he glue sets up and wipe it dean.) Once the basket is glued together, trim the handle to length and glue it in place, w v

Creative Woodworks S. Crafts April 2003 • 19