Popular Woodworking 2003-06 № 134, страница 36

In the assembly room you pass a rack full of clamps. Pipe, bar and C-clamps are organized and handy. While none are brand new, all are in good shape even after years of use.

says. "But I'd say 90 percent of it is hand work. You can't do it with a machine. There's no way. There isn't a machine made that would do the things that we do by hand. It's very time-consuming... but we don't let anything out of the shop that we don't like. We'd rather cut it up and throw it away."

With the pieces roughed, the rest is shaping. Wade explains this part of the process:

"There's a lot of detail work, a lot of shaping to get the hard lines established. And then sanding from there. We use pneumatics, files and Nicholson #49, 10" rasps. The Dynabrade's really helpful for sanding, and we use electric quarter-sheet sanders. (There's a) lot of hand sanding. We've made foam blocks in different shapes that we use to get into the curves."

Wade recommends Klingspor sanding products, saying they seem to cut better than any other papers they've used, last longer and don't load up as much. With all the sanding that goes on, they rely on air cleaners and attic fans to keep things clean. On Fridays the shop gets a thorough cleaning. Wade says he's even resorted to a yard blower.

Finishing Remarks

The last step is putting on the finish. Maloof developed a two-part finish 50 years ago and continues to use it on all his pieces. The first step is the poly-oil (one-third semi-gloss urethane, one-third raw tung oil and one-third boiled linseed oil). The second step is wax-oil (same as the first mix, but leaving out the urethane and adding a couple handfuls of shredded beeswax per gallon to the mixture. This is heated in a double-boiler until the wax melts).

You can buy Maloof's finishes pre-mixed from Rockler (rockler.com). That's what's on his shelves, and that's what they use.

"Four coats of the poly-oil, and one coat with the wax-oil and it gives it a nice sheen," Maloof says. "It's a friendly finish. It's real easy to apply, just rub it on and rub it off. No need for a spray booth. It's friendly down the road, too. If you do have a dent or a cup ring or something, it's easy to repair."

The Maloof team works a standard 40hour week, but the guys also help out with Maloof's Saturday workshop lectures.

"I know a lot of people, very good friends of mine, that just think I'm crazy doing what I do, as far as giving workshops," Maloof says. "They say, 'You don't owe anybody anything, you've been doing it for so long.' But I still enjoy giving workshops, I like to share what I do. I don't have any secrets."

Maloof's past is all around him, with many pieces coming back to his shop for repairs or on their way to museums. Though Maloof has a lifetime of experiences already, his zest for life has not decreased. He remarried a lit-

In the fitting room, Johnson (at left) and White use a variety of hand sanding and sculpting tools to final-fit the pieces.A 14" band saw stands handy, and a large and small lathe are available for any turning needs. The photo above shows the lathe tools and some spindles ready to be fit into the back splat.

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Popular Woodworking June 2003