Woodworker's Journal 1982-6-6, страница 18

Woodworking Machining Center

EMCO-REX 2000

Circular Saw. Slot Mortising and Moulding attachments

The basic model is already a combined surface planing and thicknessing machine with automatic feed—with optional attachments you have a complete wood machining center

that's affordable. Ask for the free brochure.

Length of planing table—34"

planing width—IO'/j" Length of thicknessing table—18"

Thicknessing capacity— 6" x 10"

Auto, feed rate—

16'/?' /min. ' Weight—143 lbs.

EMCO-MAIER

Corporation • P.O. Box 07824 V^Columbus. OH 43207 » 614/445-8328

CORPORATION

FINISHING SUPPLIES!!

If you have been looking for professional wood finishing supplies you'll appreciate our new catalog. It contains everything for wood finishing including a special section devoted to time tested finishing information. Select from a complete line of fillers, sealers, touch-up items and specialty products including:

□ VARNISHES □ JAPAN COLORS

□ SHELLACS □ FRENCH POLISH

□ MUSICAL INSTRUMENT FINISH

□ BURN-IN STICKS □ LACQUERS

□ ANILINE DYE COLORS

We' re proud to offer these fine finishing products. Because as woodworkers ourselves, we appreciate the difference a fine finish can make.

To order your catalog, send $2.00 to

Wood Finishing Supply Co.

Department B 1267 Mary Drive, Macedon, N.Y. 14502

Restoring Antiques

by John W. Olson

More Finishing Tips

There is a basic woodfinishing rule that should always be kept in mind: the final finish that is obtained will be no better than the surface to which it is applied. This rule applies not only to furniture, but also to cars, boats and just about any other product to which a finish is applied. Surface preparation is the key to obtaining a really good finish.

When finishing furniture, surface preparation doesn't stop when you stain or apply filler, or add the first coat of clear finish or paint. It is something that must be kept in mind throughout the finishing process. Before, during, and after each step, every effort must be made to keep the surface as smooth and as blemish free as possible. Each layer of finish must be prepared to accept the next one.

The wood surface must be smoothed in steps using progressively finer grits of sandpaper. Most planed surfaces are fairly smooth, therefore the sanding process can usually begin with 100 grit aluminum oxide paper, then proceeding progressively through the finer grits: 120 - 150 - 180, etc. With soft woods, such as pine, final sanding can be with a 180 or 220 grit paper. Finer grits can be used, of course, but it is wasted effort to work beyond the limits of the material at hand. Nearly all wood species are too soft to be smoothed to the same degree as metal or plastic. However, some hardwoods can be smoothed to 300 or finer grit.

It is absolutely imperative to remove the scratches left by the previous grit. Any scratch or blemish left while smoothing the surface becomes immediately apparent when the first coat of clear finish is applied. There is no satisfactory way of correcting such scratches and blemishes, short of removing the finish that has been applied and starting all over again with sandpaper. Therefore, it is most important that the original surface be as smooth as possible before filing and/or staining.

If a filler is used, be sure to carefully wipe it off and rub down with a clean, soft cloth. Make sure all excess material is removed before proceeding to the next step. This cleaning of filler must be done with great care, so as not to drag the material from the pores of the wood. It must also be done before the filler sets up if the surface has been stained. A filled surface that has not been stained can be cleaned of excess filler by using sandpaper of a grit that is as fine, or finer, than that used in the last step of the original sanding. A surface that has been stained cannot be sanded. The only result will be blemishes that cannot be corrected satisfactorily.

Before going any further, I would like to say a word or two about my favorite finishing technique for really hard woods. Walnut, cherry, some oaks, the hickory family (among which is pecan), and many imported hardwoods have physically hard surfaces. By using progressively finer grits of sandpaper (as described above) through a 400 or finer grit, these wood species can actually be polished. This polishing can be carried even further by burnishing the surface with very fine (0000) steel wool.

Especially fine-polished surfaces can be obtained by burnishing pieces in the lathe. On flat surfaces, you can get the same results by using a rotary polishing machine with a 0000 steel wool pad. The polisher should not rotate at more than about 1500 rpm with a 7" pad. Larger pads will require slower (fewer) rpm's to prevent burning or otherwise harming the surface. These burnished surfaces are especially beautiful when waxed and polished. A very high degree of polish will result if the wax is applied and polished using the lathe and polishing machine.