Thread: How I hate gum wood, let me count the ways

Originally Posted by auscab

Looking closer to finished SD.
The Brass will do the trick. You can age it up to be dark if wanted. One way. You need strong ammonia. The type that will knock you over if you take a whiff of it. I wash pieces down with steel wool and detergent or ammonia then rest it above some ammonia soaked shavings in a bucket with a lid. 1/2 an hour later it'll be a dark Green. But if you leave it to long, like a day or two the Ammonia will eat out the Zinc and the piece will become very brittle.
Another better way for this probably is to heat it with a gas torch. Away from the woodwork of course. The brass goes a very dull dark brown bronze colour. First I'd be countersinking the brass for the screws as well.


This thread has had me doing a lot of searching the last couple of days. Its spiked my interest. Because of the quality of what you have done here with an Aussie wood that has been wasted on fencing and firewood when it has similarities to the look of some of the best timber used in the 18th century. I used the same on my workbench screws/threads and its been great. I did make one Cab leg from it years ago and had dreams of building a copy of an18th century armchair using the timber . I never started it though. To busy doing everything else. I have 2 x huge 50mm thick slabs of it in storage about 3.4 long x 1.1 wide. Maybe for a big dining table one day? Or maybe the chair I like x 2?


As for tradition with the Birdcage.
One thing I was trying to find in a search was a picture of how the tops pivot / hinge up.
Later Victorian period tables hinge on brass ended steel acme threaded table bolts.
With original tables like yours of the 18th century the top block grain was the other way around compared to yours and was longer so it could be cut back leaving stub axles that fitted holes in the rails.
I found a picture on a YT video of one .

Here at 1.35 mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ar5w7c9-s8



Red Arrow.
Attachment 538318Attachment 538319


Which is why you usually never see anything going through the rails on original ones.

Attachment 538321

What are you doing for a Banjo catch to hold the top closed? They can be bought.
Some early tables Ive seen pictures of had iron ones. Spring loaded and blacksmith made.
And then there are the user made versions sometimes seen.


Rob.

Edit . I just saw your post no 40 above after I posted this.
It looks fantastic.

Regarding the brass catch. I think you may know the fellow I bought mine off: GRAEME BROWN ANTIQUES. I fluked out and found their PDF and their operation is completely old school. Had to phone and give a CC over the phone! Fond memories LOL. For the most part this project, from the outset, was to be made to look new. I've done a lot of distressing, aging, antiquing... over the years but this wasn't going to be one of them. So I'm happy to leave it new and shiny.

Same with the table overall. I could pad on a black shellac to fill the voids and such to age it, and certainly was tempted to, but I'll stick with the plan... for now. It'll get a couple more coats of oil and after that, as I was asking you about, a nice coat of wax to finish it off.

Because I chose new over the appearance of old, I'm sticking with steel screws that are either blackened or look like brass. And something I've never done, or needed to do, because I don't normally work with organic granite (red gum), I force wax into the pilot holes before I drive the screw home. Works really well, actually!


I said: Never again. But! To be honest. You're right. The grain and colour are second to none. It's precisely why I bought the plank in the first place. I knew what I was going to make in about 30 seconds of seeing it. I'd probably stick with a more simple design though. I.e. No real detailed carving. I think the pic (below) of my first slant top would work well. It's devoid of any involved carvings that would be problematic.

Ya know what? Na, forget that! I can't imagine wanting to contend with the movement of the wood after it's been machined and trying to chop dovetails in it LOL. Once was enough.

It's something I've noticed in the birdcages - the pin often doesn't protrude through, but never thought to look into why. I don't think I would want to trust this gum wood with doing it that way. It's hard as rock, but also quite brittle and cracks easily. Not sure a gum spigot would hold up well. I used a brass threaded rod that goes all the way through and is capped off with brass slotted caps.

That was a good video. I tend to and have all my working life, worked in a vacuum for the most part. I should do more to see what everyone is doing out there. Would probably make my life a bit easier LOL.