Thread: Some Cedar Boxes

............. and a little mixed silky oak and cedar one I made from scraps.
Barrie

Barrie

There is no such thing as scrap timber, the smaller it becomes the more exciting the challenge (to make a bandsawn box or boxes) !

Tony Ward
Bandsaw Box Plans

Just realised where Teven is. Not far north of where I live - go through there to bypass Ballina when going north.

You are right about Camphor being a weed. I have stacks of it. However I've found it tends to be too "busy" for small objects like bandsaw boxes.

I have used Jacaranda and Silky Oak and also English Plane successfully.

Glad you don't use polyurethrane. Have you tried something like FeastWatson Floor seal. It contains a fair proportion of tung oil. Paint it on then sand with 400 wet and dry. When dry use 600 W&D and dip in the oil and sand. Keep using finer W&D until you get the finish you want.

Don

Originally Posted by Barrie Restall

. I must confess to Stirlo (is that right?) that its not felt in the drawers it is flocking powder, very easy to use.

that is a good idea.....

Very nice boxes Barrie.

Don, you are not far away; if you drive thru Teven you would pass our place. If you wish drop in (phone first to make sure I'm there, number in the book).
I havent used the oil you mention as I'm not sure what exactly is in it. I bought a lot of decking oil from Organoil in Byron some time ago and got talking to their technicians. They use cold pressed tung oil, which is a bit better than the acid extracted stuff added to other products. So I sort of stuck with their products and cannot afford to experiment too much.

After wetting and sanding with 320, I start the oil with 400 and work up to 1200, as you describe. Depending on the wood I might use a couple of coats of Organoil woodsheen, or maybe my own wax/oil stuff, and buff with lambswool. So far it seems to be giving acceptable results. I like the way oil goes into the wood and gives that deep, soft look to a glassy touch.

Do you know any sources of "lumps" of interesting timber locally?

Kind regards,

Barrie

Thanks Barrie, will do that.

Re timber, I just keep my ears open. A few people know I am after wood and ask me if I want some when they cut down a tree.

Could be worth getting in touch with your local tree surgeons - some of them are willing to get rid of the wood, others may want to sell it.

If you hear of any good windstorms, that is the time to get moving with your chainsaw.

Re the FeastWatson, I did the Bandsaw Boxes course at Grafton Artsfest last year and Alan Williams used it with us on the course (Alan Williams is from Dorrigo and does magnificent boxes, most of which he sells overseas)

He said it was better than pure Tung as it has drying agents in it. I've done the top of a coffee table (Blue Gum) and a silky oak dining table with it and they have come up beautifully. I also do all my bandsaw boxes with it.

If the stuff you have has tung oil in it it should be OK. Tung Oil has a long history in furniture, especially in Asia. Very similar to Lindseed in Europe.

Regards
Don

That red cedar is just amazing. Some views I thought it was walnut. Isn't it interesting how our local woods can be so good- and over looked. Here in South Central Texas we have mesquite for a trash tree that makes great boxes. It often has voids that need to be filled. Black epoxy looks great in it. There is a small timber framing place nearby that has given me permission to raid its scrap pile. Our local cedar, really a juniper, is very fragrant and has wild figure with streaks of cream and red-purple. Very nice. Finishes up will with lacquer. It is so absorbent ,and it sucks up liquid so fast, that you need to apply coat after coat of material.
Donna Menke

Small world,

I drove through Tevan yesterday on my way to Alstonville to pick up Some cedar logs and a beautiful big cedar burl I bought on ebay.

Maybe Barry and Don (being local) or anyone else for that matter, may be interested as the guy is selling off many lots of seasoned slabs....cedar, camphor laurel, silky oak etc.

........confessed cedar addict.......

Hi Barry
I was interested in your comment about not using Estapol. We have just had a talk at our club about brush on wipe off Estapol, I have just started to try it out on one box made from Camphor Laurel and the finish to me is reasonable. I intend to try it on other woods before I decide to continue or not. Great work in your boxes, keep at it.
Don Mc.

Originally Posted by Don Mc.

Hi Barry
I was interested in your comment about not using Estapol. We have just had a talk at our club about brush on wipe off Estapol, I have just started to try it out on one box made from Camphor Laurel and the finish to me is reasonable. I intend to try it on other woods before I decide to continue or not. Great work in your boxes, keep at it.
Don Mc.

brush on wipe off estapol??? i had no idea there was such a product!!!

what brand? where did you get it?

i am a fan of an estapol finish but stopped using it because i found it too hard to brush on and i dont have any spraying facilities. i would be very interested in your results!

Hi gabacus
Just buy a can of Estapol clear, brush on the box and wipe off the surplus. I found that after four coats it had a nice satin sheen but I prefer a finish with more gloss so I thinned a small volume of Estapol and wiped this on with a soft cloth and did not wipe it off, this gave me the finish I prefer. I will try to attach the write up that was distributed when we had the talk about the method
Don Mc.

Originally Posted by Don Mc.

Hi gabacus
Just buy a can of Estapol clear, brush on the box and wipe off the surplus. I found that after four coats it had a nice satin sheen but I prefer a finish with more gloss so I thinned a small volume of Estapol and wiped this on with a soft cloth and did not wipe it off, this gave me the finish I prefer. I will try to attach the write up that was distributed when we had the talk about the method
Don Mc.

Thanks Don Mc.

i have a couple of litres of estapol clear at home that i have not used because i refuse to use a brush... it has caused me too much trouble in the past

i think i will try this on some scrap and see how it goes

come to think of it, my understanding was that while oil/urathane finishes soak into the timber fibres, a lacqure finish actually sits on top of the timber and for this reason it needs to be sprayed/brushed on rather than wiped on... i am very curious as to how this will work out...

Sorry gabacus the attachment has not worked, one of these days I will learn to use a computer. Lets try again,if it does not work I will type it out and post it later
Don Mc.

Brush on wipe off Estapol
This involves brushing or wiping on and then wiping off gloss or satin Estapol, depending on the amount of gloss required. As you loose some of the shine when rubbing off I prefer to use gloss. Step ! Sand the Item to a smooth finish down to 400 grit. The finish must be clear of tear out and scratches, no finish will cover these. Step 2 Wipe on Estapol with brush or soft cloth and then wipe off immediately. With the same cloth (if large enough) apply only light pressure until the surface is dry. If necessary use another cloth to polish it completely dry. I use a large cloth, hold the item in one corner and move it round until it's dry and smooth. This finish will be dust free, place aside for about six hours to harden. Step 3 You now have a smooth surface and it may only need a light rub with very fine soft paper (worn 400) Step 4 Apply another coat and let it dry as in step 1. Step 5 Light rub again with 400 grit and apply another coat, allow to dry and harden over night, if you feel another coat is necessary do so, but usually three coats is enough to give a smooth satin sheen.
Good luck, let me know how it goes with you Don Mc.