Creative Woodworks & crafts 2003-08, страница 22

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INSTRUCTIONS

wood with spray adhesive, then cut the pieces with a blade you are comfortable with. In this case, we are using a Woodrunner No. 5R. Be sure to make your turns in the waste area: otherwise, you will leave a mark in a visible portion of the side.

— ______ ___.,your material to the design. If there is any variation, mark the pat tern with a fine ballpoinl pen.

Step 3. Drill a 1 /16"-Dia. hole in the ribs and cut the waste portion free, cutting to the line according to any adjustment marks you may have made on the pattern.

Step 4. Remove the pattern from the pieces. My wife, Alice, had a hard time getting an even color on this project; "he problem was the residue left by the spray glue. I soaked the paper with mineral spirits and let it become completely loosened before I removed it. Then I re-wiped them several times with fresh mineral spirits and a clean rag. All surfaces were sanded up to 320-grit, and we still had a problem with the residue. Do not use steel wool because any residue that remains in the wood will cause a rust mark. Besides that, sycamore will take on a gray colorcast when used with steel wool.

Step 5. Protect your work area with newspaper and/or plastic before you start the dying process. Wear protective gloves and use only glass or slainless steel containers for the eye. We usee liquid Rif dye, but the powderec dye works just as well. If you are not familiar with Rif" dye, order the free instructions they offer. Be sure to experiment on several pieces of scrap wood and understand thct, once the dye is on the wood, there will always be color there. You can mocify it by adding other colors over it, or reduce it by rinsing and even bleaching, but a little will always remain.

The dye can be applied by brushing, wiping or immersing. I have found thai il is more readily absorbed if you wet the wood before applying it. Yes, it will raise the grain and undo a planned tight fit on the joints you cut, but a little sanding will bring the fit back. The end grain will absorb far more coior than the edge grain and may necessitate wetting tho end grain first or using a sealer to reduce the absorption and yield an even color.

Deep, rich colors are more easily achieved by immersing the pieces; however, you can make repeated applications with a brush and get similar results. Heat the solution to 170T and try to hold it at that temperature while you are working with it. The beauty of Rif'' dye is the range of colors you car get by mixing or diluting various colors and the shading you can achieve by varying your application technique. The possibilities are limitless.

14 • Creative Woodworks S. Crafts August 2003