Popular Woodworking 2004-04 № 140, страница 16

Letters

continued from page 12

Won't Moisture in Glue Cause a Workbench's Plywood Top to Warp?

I was impressed with your plans for the "24hour Workbench" (December 2003), but I have a question about the benchtop.

I'm concerned about using plywood for the top because I'm not sure if it will come out of the laminating process perfectly flat and if it will stay that way. Will the moisture in the glue cause it to warp even a little? I want to use my bench with lots of traditional hand tools, so I will need a flat surface. Many people seem to think that a benefit of a solid top is that it can be reflattened periodically if necessary. But plywood's top veneer layer has very little thickness to work with, so it really has to stay flat. Will it?

Dave Brown Jacksonville, Illinois

Editor's Note: I do a good deal of work by hand and have had no problems with the flatness of the top of this workbench. After two years, it's still dead flat. I don't think the glue moisture will introduce any problems.

If it does warp, you can flatten it with a hand plane with little difficulty. Sure, it may look a little odd once you get below the face veneer, but it is a workbench, after all.

- Christopher Schwarz, executive editor

'Workbench' was Interesting, but Reader Found Some Other Options

After going over your article about building the "24-hour Workbench," I came up with some suggestions for things that have worked better for me, and might even help some readers who want to build it:

• First, instead of using weights and cauls to glue the last piece that makes up the top, you can use screws and just turn the top over to hide the holes. The screws should then be removed after the glue sets.

• Second, drill clearance holes for the screws in the piece that's being screwed down. Countersink the bottom side of the holes so there's no "bulge" to keep the pieces apart. Put the first screw in the center and work outward to squeeze out any glue pockets.

• Third, you can put a piece of scrap behind the top when drilling the dog holes so the hole edges don't splinter or tear out.

Mike Turner Renton, Washington

Will Pledge Furniture Polish Cause Those Dreaded 'Fish Eyes'?

Bob Flexner recently wrote about myths and common errors of furniture finishing ("9 Myths of Finishing," December 2003). One of these was about why "fish eyes" appear when a table is refinished after years of "dusting" with a modern polish that contains sil-icone. Is Pledge in this silicone category? My wife uses non-aerosol Pledge and there is no mention on the container if silicone is in it. What is safe to use when dusting?

Don Esterberg Destin, Florida

Bob Flexner responds: Yes, Pledge contains silicone, a very slick oil that remains on the surface for a considerable time that creates the shine, depth and scratch-resistance. Other furniture polishes that contain silicone include Favor, Behold, Orange Glo, Klean & Shine and Old English in the aerosol can.

Silicone has gotten a bad reputation from re-finishers and conservators because the oil causes finish-repair and refinishingproblems. But silicone causes no damage to finishes or to wood. Silicone is a totally inert oil, like mineral oil.

If your wife has been using Pledge and likes it, I'd stay out of her way. The surface has already been contaminated, meaning that repair to the finish or refinishing will be more difficult, but no harm has been done - or will be done if she continues using the product.

If you should have to refinish the furniture at some time in the future, clean the bare wood surface thoroughly with mineral spirits or household ammonia and water, or seal the wood with shellac before applying the finish of your choice. The cleaning will remove the residue oil and the shellac will "seal in" the oil so your finish won't have any dreaded "fish eyes."

Another Option for Pine Finishers

I have to add another alternative to the stains Bob Flexner proposes to control blotching on pine ("The Pine Problem," November 2003): nothing. Leave it alone to age to its own color. No matter what shade you stain pine (or fir), it still looks like stained softwood, and I don't like it very much.

When I built the kitchen and bathroom cabinets for our log house, I used No. 3B Ponderosa pine, ripped and edge-glued for the cabinet ends, face frames and doors. I al

lowed a few tight knots. The hidden partitions and cabinet bottoms were particle-board; the backs were V4" pine plywood.

Ponderosa pine is photosensitive, so some of the glue-ups aged to varying shades and patterns of brown before I got around to finishing the cabinets. I found it quite attractive. After testing some stains, I decided they looked better with none; just four coats of an oil-based polyurethane varnish.

The pine continued to darken for about five years, and now the cabinets are much more attractive than if they had been stained.

Barney Howard Sisters, Oregon

Remember Why the Low-angle Jack Plane was Invented

It was with great interest that I read the review of the Lie-Nielsen Low-angle Jack Plane (Endurance Test, November 2003). I have owned one for some time and really love it. Despite some very good tips on how to make the plane more versatile, the author neglected to mention the original purpose for this plane - when designed by Stanley, it was intended for butcher-block makers to flatten and finish the exposed end-grain surface. Considering that butcher blocks are a very popular woodworking project, I feel this omission may have left out the largest user group for this plane.

Brian Blazer Ellison Bay, Wisconsin

Which of These Two Ways is Best to Clean Blades & Bits?

In your November 2003 issue, there were two references to cleaning carbide-tipped blades or router bits. In "Woodworking Essentials," you suggest using oven cleaner. I've heard that oven cleaner is corrosive of the silver solder used to attach carbide points. The source of that information suggested using automotive carburetor cleaner instead. The second cleaning reference was made in Paul Anthony's "Table Saw Tune-up," where he recommends using citrus-based cleaner.

John Wilson Charlotte, Michigan

Jim Brewer of Freud responds: Many people fear the cleaner they are using is harmful to the coatings or to the brazing compound. The clean-

14 Popular Woodworking April 2004