Marc Spagnuolo's Blog, page 52

Joseph’s Walnut Bed with Storage

It’s funny how one home project often turns into many. My wife and I replaced old, mismatched carpeting in our bedrooms with beautiful 3/4″ American cherry hardwood flooring. After seeing how much better our bedroom looked without the faux oak dresser and chest of drawers, there was no way I could be convinced to move them back. After much discussion, we came to a compromise. I would make a bed and nightstands with storage as long as I built a closet organizer and we could keep the dresser and chest of drawers in the spare bedroom. It was a win win situation: I got more projects to work on and my wife got more storage. Best of all, the bedroom was no longer cramped with ugly furniture.

We visited many furniture stores to get ideas. I found that most storage beds didn’t utilize all the space under the bed. Most only had drawers on one side or at the foot. We finally found a bed with the look we wanted and I went to work using Sketchup to come up with a plan. The final design included 2 large drawers on either side and 3 smaller drawers at the foot.

I built the bed in pieces for easy portability. The main structure has 3 parts joined together at the top and bottom with long planks that fit into pegs and then get screwed down. The drawers are installed with full extension drawer slides. The apron that holds the mattress is attached to a plank on the back side which gets pegged and screwed to each section of the bed frame. The apron corners are also joined together with loose wooden dowels. The headboard is a friction fit that slides down into wood joints at the head of the bed. Two sheets of 1/2″ MDF provide full support for the mattress when placed on top of the frame. The fully assembled bed is very solid which is good because if it were to get out of square, the drawers wouldn’t function properly.

For the exterior I used 3/4″ walnut veneer plywood with walnut veneer edge banding. I also used our 3/4″ cherry hardwood flooring as an accent at the top of the drawer fronts and headboard. I purchased pre-finished birch drawer sides with a pre-cut 1/4″ groove and 1/4″ Baltic birch plywood to construct the drawers. I used a rabbet and dado to join all sides of the drawers keeping the Baltic birch bottom sitting loose in the 1/4″ groove. The walnut fronts were attached to the drawer boxes after everything was assembled. The internal structure was constructed with a combination of the pre-finished birch drawer sides and laminated pine project boards. The headboard uprights were made by laminating 3 pine 1×4’s then adding a walnut veneer to the faces.

Everything was sanded to 220 then I started with a coat of boiled linseed oil over just the walnut and cherry. I followed that up with 3 coats of wipe on poly, sanding with 320 then 400 between coats. After that I used a very fine scotch-bright pad and two coats of a beeswax and orange oil wood polish. So my clothes wouldn’t smell like an oil based finish, I used a couple coats of shellac on the interiors of the drawers. All other parts were given 2 coats of wipe-on poly just to protect against moisture. My wife and I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out. I love the feeling I get every morning when I wake up in something I designed and built from scratch.

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YouTube vs Books

Recently, I came across a post in the Wood Whisperer Community Facebook Page where a new woodworker asked for advice on beginner-friendly books. Several folks replied with something like, “Don’t waste your money and time, just go to YouTube.” Every time you say something like this, a tiny baby bookmark bursts into flames.

This video gives you a pretty clear idea of where I stand on this topic. Keep in mind I’m not advocating keeping a “dead” medium alive. If books go away because of new technology, then so be it. But it then becomes our responsibility as the craftspeople of today to get as much info as possible OUT of those books and into whatever new medium we’re responsible for. And while YouTube is indeed a fantastic resource, we’re not quite there yet. Not even close.

Here are a few books that I really enjoy and I think you will too. Please feel free to list your favorites in the comments.

Hybrid Woodworking
Understanding Wood
Understanding Wood Finishing
The Minimalist Woodworker
Greene & Greene – Design Elements For The Workshop
Workbenches
By Hand & Eye
The Unplugged Workshop
The Impractical Cabinetmaker
A Marquetry Odyssey

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Keith’s Guitar Wall Art

My interest in woodworking, guitar playing, and the desire to someday learn the skills of a luthier (guitar craftsman) were the catalysts that inspired me to build this wall art project. Playing the guitar and woodworking, for me, are very therapeutic, emotional, sometimes challenging, but ALWAYS relaxing past-times. The time I have spent working on this project has been a fun learning experience, and resulted in a lasting piece of visual art that will remind me of my love for music and many great memories of family and friends. To get the true feel of the finished product, see the brief video clip I created here.

I have to give credit to a few people who helped me with this project. My wife Lucy is one of my favorite creative people and she was encouraging and a great help in thinking through color designs for stains and paints used on the project. My good friend “Mike,” a master woodworker, who offered me advice and the use of some sophisticated equipment. And then there’s “Mark,” a very talented artist and luthier who performed the laser engraving of the songs on the front of the guitar.

Fifty of my favorite guitar songs that I have learned to play over the years are engraved on the face of this piece. The shape of the body mimics that of my newest guitar, a Cole Clark Angel 6-string, which I purchased in 2015. The grain of the cherry wood caught my eye when choosing wood for the guitar body and neck. I wanted to use some unconventional materials to make it “artsy,” including use of guitar pics for the tuning heads, thumb pics on the bridge, and bronze, metal nuts supporting the tuning heads. The walnut sound hole cover is a design element that I bought years ago to use on my Alvarez 12-string guitar. It never got much use on the actual guitar, so I decided to add it to this project because of its unique lasered design and walnut color. It is the only pre-fab piece of wood used on the project. Wanting something unique for the shape of the bridge, I came up with the wing shape fashioned originally after the phoenix bird that was the hood emblem for the Smokey and the Bandit Pontiac Trans-Am my brother bought in high school. That was back in the 70’s and it was probably the coolest car in town when we were growing up.

I chose a very simple solution for the guitar strings, which is cloth twine. The concept for incorporating the weathered cherry wood bark on the bottom half of the body and neck was that the older, earlier songs would be engraved on the lower section, and newer songs on the top section. I used cedar for the bridge/saddle, the head, and the nut to add some variety of wood textures.  The two-tone color of the head was inspired by a similar color design on the head of my Cole Clark 6-string guitar. The LED lights were added to emit an ambient, halo-lighting effect from the back of the guitar. The rotating RGB colors are somewhat reminiscent of those crazy disco lights from back in the 70’s. The LEDs are run using a remote control which offers some fun flexibility.

If you look closely at the top and bottom edges of the guitar body, you will see a subtle curved design in the edge of the wood. This is actually an “accidental” design element that was added while using a router to cut out and smooth the top edge of the guitar. The router slipped during the cutting process and created this erroneous curve. I thought it looked cool and decided to make a matching cut in the bottom edge to make it look symmetrical. I thought it would be cool to personalize the piece even more by adding the sculptured hands which are casts of my own hands. The copper color was chosen simply to make them not look too realistic (creepy), and because the color blended well with the warm brown and golden tones of the cherry wood.

In total it cost me around $460 and probably 75 hours of time to build this piece. There was a lot of “cranial energy” put into the design conception, with a fair amount of trial-and-error as the build work happened.

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Using a Miter Saw & Stationary Sanders

Today we’ll talk about the proper way to use a miter saw as well as my favorite stationary sanders. Of course we also have the usual Q&A. Here’s the rundown:

2:10 – New Patreon supporters
3:10 – New Patreon supporter goal – https://www.patreon.com/woodwhisperer
6:02 – Guild chair project update
6:58 – Marc and Nicole are going to be at AWFS
7:23 – Should I get a 2″ or 1.25″ spiral flush trim bit? What about up or down cut?
9:34 – Is it a bad idea to use water based polyurethane indoors?
11:14 – Nicole did some turning last week
13:35 – What kind of power sanders do you use the most often?
16:14 – Should I buy a trim or plunge router first? What about cordless vs corded.
19:00 – What’s the best way to paint MDF?
20:38 – How can I get dust and particles off plywood before painting?
22:15 – What’s the best way to make a crosscut when the piece is too wide to use a miter gauge?
24:28 – Am I supposed to pull the saw through a cut using a sliding miter saw or only push through the cut?
27:47 – What is a good finish for an exterior planter?
29:47 – Would you use teak oil in an outdoor project again?
30:29 – Have you ever seen a need for zero clearance band saw inserts?
32:17 – Do I want plywood or solid lumber for a counter top?
35:00 – How do you do super chats?
35:20 – Do you have a video for thinning finish for wiping?
36:47 – What is the maximum thickness you can expect from 4/4, 5/4, 6/4 material?
38:19 – Will wood counters still be high maintenance if you used an Epifanes finish and didn’t cut on them?
40:32 – How hard would it be to adjust the gaming table dimensions in the guild?
41:46 – Have you made any jigs you continue to use often?
42:19 – Do you clean your brushes or toss them?
42:42 – Should I start with loose or traditional mortise and tenons?
43:35 – Do I need three phase power in my shop?
43:51 – How do you overcome glue up anxiety?
45:06 – Would you consider doing a guitar build for the guild?
47:40 – Guild project winner

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Durable Outdoor Finish

Looking for a durable outdoor finish? You’ve come to the right place! Looking for an inexpensive solution that will never require any maintenance? This is not the finish for you. Good quality marine finishes are not cheap. In fact, I am pretty sure the finishing materials cost as much as the wood! And while they can produce one of the most durable and long-lasting finishes available to woodworkers, they will eventually require maintenance thanks to the unrelenting power of Mother Nature. My goal is to put off that maintenance for as long as possible. By the way, looking for a quick review of common outdoor finish types? Check this out!

A few years ago I built the Rustic Outdoor Table (download free plans here) and only gave it a coat or two of Watco Teak Oil. I then proceeded to let the table sit in the blazing Arizona sun, a veritable torture test for any wood or finish. The end result? A table and benches that were weathered beyond their years and were riddled with checks and cracks. Somewhere along the line I actually did refinish the benches, but it was a rushed job and I didn’t apply enough coats of varnish. However, the benches were in much better shape than the table by the time I decided to do a full-scale refinish here in Colorado.

The Finish

The finish is a 1-2 punch consisting of an epoxy sealer and a marine varnish. Because the wood was in such bad shape and I didn’t want a high gloss finish, two additional products were added to the lineup. In short, the goal is to use epoxy to seal the wood fibers and essentially make them impervious to liquids. This provides an excellent base on which to build numerous coats of varnish. The varnish has a lot of solids and is made with very flexible resins that should have no trouble stretching when the wood expands and contracts. The varnish also contains UV inhibitors which will slow down the breakdown of the finish itself while also protecting the underlying wood fibers.

Step 1 – Epoxy Fill

My product of choice for this step is West System Epoxy. I usually buy the gallon size Resin, the 205 Fast Hardener, and the pump set for convenient mixing. The epoxy is spread along the surface and driven into the cracks with a putty knife. You can then use something like an irrigation syringe to push more epoxy into the deepest holes. Quick tip: use masking tape on the underside if the cracks go all the way through. This will prevent the epoxy from simply pouring out onto the ground.

Step 2 – Epoxy Sealer

In the past, I used a product called Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (CPES). It worked incredibly well, seeping deep into the wood fibers and sealing them completely and providing a nice base for the varnish. But the stuff does have an incredibly noxious odor. For this project I did a little more research and came across a zero VOC product called Total Boat Penetrating Epoxy. It mixed and applied easy enough and the smell was not unpleasant at all. But I found that it didn’t seem to absorb as deeply as CPES though I might have gotten better absorption with further acetone dilution. The product also took 5-6 days to cure. But once cured, the surface can be sanded smooth in preparation for the varnish.

Step 3 – Marine Varnish

I’ve been using Epifanes Marine Varnish for years on my outdoor projects. I even experimented with mixing it with oil for an easily renewable desert-friendly outdoor finish. I used it again along with CPES on the Outdoor Sitting Bench. The stuff isn’t cheap, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a varnish better-suited for outdoor life. I apply a total of 4-5 coats, the first few diluted by 50% with mineral spirits. The last coat or two get diluted a little less at 25%. Application is done with either a foam brush or a good quality natural bristle brush.

Step 4 – Matte Varnish

The regular Epifanes product is high gloss. And after 4-5 coats we’re talking a seriously substantial film! To give the piece a little more of a “relaxed” look, I like to apply two additional coats of Epifanes Wood Finish Matte. This stuff is flat as flat can be and I love the appearance. I suppose if you want a little more gloss, you could always mix this stuff with the high gloss product to achieve some sort of happy medium. I only have to dilute it by about 10% to get the flow just right.

Maintenance

I’ll keep you posted on this. I now live in a very different climate with the full range of four seasons. I have the table sitting under an umbrella which should help minimize exposure but it won’t completely stop it. My goal and hope is that I won’t have to tend to this table more than every other year. But I’ll monitor the finish periodically and keep you posted on its condition. But for now, I have an easy to clean table and bench set that we don’t mind eating on. And with Spring in full force, that’s a very good thing!

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Mark’s Shaker Workbench

I’ve always loved the classic shaker workbench, this is my adaptation of one. Red oak, leg vise, tail vise, record style vise. Plane shelves, two small drawers, two large drawers for routers, sanders and other assorted power tools. 1/2 blind dovetailed sides, with through dovetails on the tail vise.  Other side houses tool tote for all my carving tools. Power is hidden underneath at two spots. The dead man is very handy.

My inspiration for this bench is rooted in the traditional Shaker cabinet style bench. It is constructed out of a small cache of immaculate milled 10 quarter, 15 inch wide and 12 foot long red oak boards I carried around for almost 25 years. My home is all white oak, so you get why it sat for many years. I first saw a true woodworker’s bench at a woodworking show here in Los Angeles. It was a piece done by the Cerritos College Woodworking program. I’d been woodworking for many years on a 4×8 sheet of plywood and decided it was time for a true upgrade. The most eye opening part of the class, was the vises. There were so many to choose from and what were my needs and wants?  I chose the Benchcrafted leg vise first. Along with a desire to dovetail my ends,  I had a vision for it and it was worth every penny to fulfill that image. The tail vise is my go to vise by Lie Nielsen, love it. The Wilton record style vise came from my old bench and basically is a general dirty work vise, since the jaws are replaceable.

The backside houses a tool tote from the first class I took at the college; it holds all my carving tools. I added two small drawers for pencils, rulers and other assorted small stuff. The two larger drawers house the routers, sanders and jig saws. The ends hold an assortment of hand planes. It even has a couple of secret compartments for giggles and grins. The skirt is 5 inches thick while the top is 3inches. Add a few hold downs and she’s ready to sail. I used no plans, only measurements representing the dimensions of material and space I was limited by. From my head the shop floor. My absolute most valuable tool.

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Metric Chisels & Fearful Woodworking – Friday Live!

Today we’re talking about why I think most woodworkers should buy Metric chisels and we’ll try to help someone work through their fears after a near-mishap in the shop. Of course we have the usual Q&A too. Here’s the rundown:

0:58 – Marc’s getting old tomorrow

1:52 – Wood Whisperer Community Page – https://www.facebook.com/groups/twwco...

3:25 – Wood Whisperer Newsletter – http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/newsl...

4:28 – Outdoor table refinishing update

6:06 – How do you keep your boards flat during glue ups?

7:49 – Would you prioritize F style or Parallel clamps first?

8:16 – Can you recommend a good moisture meter?

9:10 – Which chisel sizes would you start with when beginning?

12:29 – What the best sanding approach to sanding spindles or oddly shaped pieces?

14:28 – Any tips on getting over a close call in the shop?

15:58 – What’s your opinion on multi vs single use tools? What about one off jigs?

18:19 – Is there a reliable way to flatten an 8′ long bowed board?

20:24 – Can you tell Emily she needs to spend more time in the shop with Derek?

21:42 – How do you bend wood that’s too thick to laminate?

22:30 – Is Nicole ready to turn yet?

22:49 – Marc was on Reclaimed Audio – http://www.reclaimedaudiopodcast.com/

25:38 – How and how often do you clean your rasps?

27:36 – What’s a good way to cut rabbets without a tablesaw?

28:35 – Do you know any resources to learn about common furniture styles?

30:13 – Do you enjoy cooking? Who’s the better cook and what’s your favorite recipe?

34:16 – When using epoxy as a finish, should I expect an uneven surface?

35:47 – How can I make a chessboard with a mitered frame without worrying about wood movement splitting the frame?

38:08 – What do you think of pigging out BBQ?

40:20 – Opinion on Kobalt power tools?

40:58 – How often do you run your dust collector?

41:30 – Can you give some information on screws?

42:25 – Have you ever tried Schwarz’s soap finishing technique?

42:44 – How do you properly setup a Byrd Shelix cutterhead?

43:25 – Should I sharpen jointer blades or buy new ones?

43:50 – Is a card scraper essential? What shape should I get?

44:40 – Should I sell my power tools while I’m deployed or just put them in storage?

46:12 – Where do you pick up hardware for a curved drawer front?

46:57 – Why don’t you wear your shop apron in your videos?

51:00 – Address for Marc and Nicole Mail: 5856 S Lowell Blvd. Unit #32 #107 Littleton, CO 80123

51:30 – Project Winner

52:25 – VSC Tools Giveaway – http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/givea...

52:50 – Patreon Supporters

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Pavel’s Tetris Style Cabinet

Hello, TWW community! This is my first furniture project. I usually make jewelry boxes and wooden logos. But one day one of my clients asked for a cabinet. I had a sketch with dimensions and basic design but during the process I had to change some things. I used locally sourced  types of wood  that I could find.  Oak, Ash for the shelves, and Walnut and Pine for facades. I had my doubts about using Pine but I couldn’t find Maple in my country.

I used jigs and techniques I was good at, so I chose finger joint for sides, which was a key issue, but I think I did it pretty well. For the facades I came up with a tetris brick style idea I liked a lot. I really wanted to make it look like tetris bricks. So 400 bricks were cut and then cut again on each side at a 30 degree angle. The shelves were made on a box joint jig and glued to the facades.

I used shellac for finishing. I am very happy how it turned out since this was the first time I ever used it. I am pleased with the end result and welcome any comments, advice or just your thoughts on this project. Thank you!

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Rasps, Security, and VerySuperCool Tools

Help support the show on Patreon!

Today’s show is mostly an infomercial, but for good reason. This month’s giveaway is a massive package of goodies from VerySuperCool Tools. Enter here! We also discuss my favorite rasps as well as shop security. Here’s the topic rundown:

1:46 – Patreon Level Update- Hybrid Woodworking Book
4:27 – Guild Dining Chair project. Save 50% with the bundle!
7:23 – WW Thread Tap design update
7:49 – Marc’s shop door notification system- SmartThings Hub– SmartThings Sensor
10:38 – April Giveaway
12:52 – Very Super Cool Tools Fence System
23:52 – Nicole’s newest challenge coin
25:12 – What should I look for in a good rasp?
28:21 – Shoutout to guild members.
28:58 – When is it time to upgrade to serious dust collection?
30:12 – Is it okay to send wood through the planer perpendicular to the grain direction?
31:21 – What kind of wood and joinery would you suggest for drawers?
32:22 – What would you have done different with your Arizona shop if you could build it again?
33:57 – What’s the best joint to join two live edge slabs? Should I flatten before glueup or try to do it after it’s one piece?
35:58 – What workflow would you use to rip repeatable sized parts without a bandsaw?
37:37 – Have you set the lathe up for Nicole yet?
37:55 – Titebond I, II, or III?
38:29 – What upcoming guild project are you most excited about?
39:03 – What have you experienced with wood movement after milling?
40:47 – Do you have a student discount in the guild?
41:31 – Do you have any tips for sharpening a card scraper?
43:25 – Is the dining chair project going to be set up for a batch build?
45:02 – Do you have recommendations for tools from Japan? Piedmont Japanese Carpentry Club
47:02 – Guild project winner
48:03 – New Patreon supporters

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Phillip’s Wedding Card Box

I wanted to make a gift card box for my wedding, something special for our special day. I watched the video of Marc making the wooden woven hamper and it sparked an idea. As I work in a sheet metal company, I decided to combine wood and metal (I get the metal cheap at scrap prices). I used the same type of panel glue up as the hamper, I just used stainless steel strips for the weave. I used 1in wide, 20ga stainless steel for the panels, eastern cherry for the rest of the box, finished with polyurethane. The top was cut out of 12ga stainless steel. I was able to utilize the industrial laser to cut and engrave the top panel. One of the difficult portions was cutting the grooves for the thin metal to set the panels in. I had to dado the slot, insert the panel, then glue in a strip of wood to capture the panel. It turned out really nice. Thanks Marc for the inspiration!

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