Thread: Finishing challenge

Hi Fumbler,

I line my boxes with suede, so I usually give the inside timber a sealing coat of dewaxed shellac and let it dry before finishing the outside. I finish the box in two pieces, i.e. take the hinges off. I then use a small stand (with a top plate smaller than the box) to put the box on and hold it down with my hand inside. The stand is tall enough that I can turn the box upside down and fit it over the stand without it touching the bench. A second stand for the top.

I normally use hard shellac, but if I use something like a poly I then put an upturned 55 litre storage box over the two stands to keep some of the dust away.

Brian

Originally Posted by Fumbler

then use double sided tape......

On a slight tangent, but where is the best place to get low-tack double sided tape?

Maybe that I am unorthodox but .... I finish the inside and outside of the box with fine sanding (400 grit) and shellac the pieces on the bench before assembly. I have used wipe on poly also with this process... it is a reasonable alternative to shellac but can make the feel a bit more plastic.

On some of the fine boxes I have used EEE paste after fine sanding and buff the wood on the mop buffer attached to the grinder ... finish off with fine furniture wax. The feel is much better than poly. Doing this on the bench before final assembly is easy ...and lets you get crisp finishes without runs or edge marks.

I use masking tape on the insides of the box to keep the glue from the surface. A fair bit of care is needed with the glue excess. I never use a damp cloth ... I prefer to take of any excess glue when it clots a bit with a plastic blade (trimmed and beveled old credit cards)

I generally use padded double french velvet on paper board to finish the insides ... mostly the bottoms but I have also done the sides, and under the lids. There are some great techniques on YouTube on how this is done.

If I am using shellac or poly I like to vacuum the workshop in the evening ... and apply the coating in the morning ... Brian's tip to use plastic boxes to cover the work while it dries is a great idea.

Regards

Rob