Needs Pictures: 0
Results 31 to 39 of 39
Thread: Ebony Macassar Box
-
27th August 2019, 08:18 PM #31Woodworking mechanic
- Join Date
- Jan 2014
- Location
- Sydney Upper North Shore
- Posts
- 4,469
When I’m using normal shellac I do as you do.
However, when reading up on hard shellac on ubeat’s site, it mentions problems with the brushes or rubbers setting hard when using hard shellac. As you mentioned you used hard shellac on this box top veneer, I was just wondering how you stopped your rubber setting hard between jobs.
Cheers
-
27th August 2019 08:18 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
27th August 2019, 11:15 PM #32GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2014
- Location
- Kew, Vic
- Posts
- 1,068
Hi Lappa,
Hard shellac acts like other shellac in the first instance, i.e. it dries very quickly and your brushes, rags, rubbers will harden in minutes if left exposed to the air. This is because the methylated spirits evaporates, leaving just the shellac behind. Hard shellac acts exactly like this in the short term, however, after about three weeks the cross-linking agent added during preparation starts to kick in. If your brush dries out in the short term you can reactivate it with methylated spirits. If your rubber dries out throw it away - it’s only rags.
Provided you keep your hard shellac rubber moist (not wet) in an airtight container where it cannot dry out it will last for ages. Mine certainly do. It is when you let it get dry the problems begin. As to brushes, I use a polishers mop which is very expensive so I wouldn’t ever leave this without cleaning immediately after use.
I do know someone who just leaves his (ordinary shellac) polishing mop in a jar of meths with the handle poking through the top of the lid. Claims he has never cleaned the brush in years. He’s a qualified furniture restorer and I’m constantly surprised how laid back he is about things we have been taught are ‘rules’.
Best regards,
Brian
-
14th September 2019, 04:37 PM #33GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2014
- Location
- Kew, Vic
- Posts
- 1,068
Apologies to those who’ve followed along this far. A bit of a delay as the love of my life has been bedridden with back pain for the past 3+ weeks so I’ve been distracted by other things.
OK, a big push to the finish.
Having fitted the hinges it is time to think about the internals of the box. After much thought I decided to go with simplicity. The box is slightly too small to be what I think of as a jewellery box so it will be a keepsake box. No trays, no lock.
Normally I use green or tan suede for lining, but somehow this box called for something different. I decided to use lavender ultrasuede. I’ve fallen in love with ultrasuede/alcantara which is a synthetic suede. Don’t get the idea this is cheap, though - it is far more expensive than real suede. It has the benefit of being extremely hard wearing and, unlike suede, it does not contain tannins that tarnish silver.
I use 1mm white art board from Eckersleys Art Supplies as the base. I use double sided tape to fix the ultrasuede to the card and the card to the box.
C7289881-4C75-46D4-B888-0E6833265A00.jpeg
One of the advantages of suede or ultrasuede over velvet or faux suede is that it is not woven. As a result the material can be cut without the edges fraying, so in the main it isn’t necessary to fold over every edge, just the visible edges. To these edges I add a little white PVA glue to ensure a good bond between box and lining.
EF646F45-8176-4E37-B206-6EA7E49DBC11.jpeg
Lining done, we are very close to the finish. It only remains to give the french polish a final shine with Festool Speed Gloss blue and a couple of coats of Liberon Black Bison Neutral paste wax:
3AACD9A6-3829-4AD1-8FF0-9485B7D11D9A.jpeg
Box complete. Macassar ebony over American Black Walnut. Hard shellac by U-beaut, Black Bison wax by Liberon, smartHinge by Andrew Crawford and blue Speed Gloss by Festool.
It’s a challenge to photograph this box due to its high-gloss finish. Reflections look like flaws in the box. Still, here it is:
77198A5E-CA13-491A-9096-4969B4A963F7.jpg
5EDC02A1-97A5-4E51-8BA6-082FA812C0FB.jpeg
88C0AFCA-A352-4CAB-84DC-EE1A70A909B9.jpeg
947DBAE2-B23C-434E-BD30-A053DC563669.jpeg
Thanks to everyone who came along on the journey. I’m happy with the result of the build although if I’d had more veneer I’d have preferred a bigger box which would have justified a lock and a tray. Next time.
Thanks, too, to Andrew Crawford who taught me how to get that extra shine on french polish.
Comments, suggestions, thoughts welcome.
Back to the woodpile.
Brian
-
14th September 2019, 05:46 PM #34GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2015
- Location
- Warragul Vic
- Posts
- 1,093
Bloody FANTASTIC is all I can say. I have enjoyed the ride and the destination.
Thank You ... its been worth it.
Euge
-
14th September 2019, 06:35 PM #35SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jan 2010
- Location
- Auckland New Zealand
- Posts
- 312
I absolutely love it Brian. One day I hope to achieve a shine similar to the one on this box.
Lovely work [emoji106]
-
14th September 2019, 07:31 PM #36
As others have said, the finished product looks fantastic. You say the gloss makes it look like there are faults but I certainly can't see any so it must be you being over critical of your own work.
I am interested in the Festool blue speed gloss. What is it as I have never heard of it.Dallas
-
14th September 2019, 08:21 PM #37GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2014
- Location
- Kew, Vic
- Posts
- 1,068
Thanks, guys - I really appreciate it.
Dallas - Festool Speed Gloss is part of Festool’s polishing range. They are similar to ‘cut and polish’ for a car. Essentially a cream with fine abrasive in it. Orange is the starting point, then blue, then white, the abrasive becoming finer as you go. I know there are people who use car products such as Meguire’s for this but I suspect it depends on what type of surface is being polished. I’ve never had any luck polishing shellac with auto products. Come to that I haven’t been able to master final polishing with talc or rottenstone, i.e. the traditional way. Something else to learn!
The shellac gave a finish more than good enough for a jewellery box but I wanted to give it a little extra. As it is, stopping at the blue product has given a very high gloss. Probably impractical for a jewellery box as it shows up every fingerprint, but looks good on a coffee table
Best,
Brian
-
16th September 2019, 04:38 PM #38GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2013
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 1,557
Brian, another beaut box there!! I used to love nothing but gloss, but then found the beauty of satins and oil finishes, but there on occasions the call for gloss, this sir is one of those times. Fantastic.
Hopefully SWMBO is ok and up and about. Back pain is nasty, I get my fair share of that.
Richard
-
16th September 2019, 06:26 PM #39
Similar Threads
-
Macassar ebony $$$$ ?
By artful bodger in forum WOODTURNING - GENERALReplies: 6Last Post: 7th May 2014, 08:40 PM -
Macassar Ebony
By Penpal in forum WOODTURNING - PEN TURNINGReplies: 10Last Post: 26th October 2009, 08:30 AM -
Macassar Ebony
By Simomatra in forum WOODTURNING - PEN TURNINGReplies: 22Last Post: 26th July 2008, 10:57 AM -
Macassar Ebony Box
By zenwood in forum WOODWORK PICSReplies: 27Last Post: 7th April 2006, 11:39 AM -
macassar ebony
By Zed in forum WOODWORK PICSReplies: 25Last Post: 9th May 2005, 11:21 AM