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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Tips for Applying Stain and Finish to your Woodworking Projects

Here are some useful tips regarding the staining and applying the
finishing coats on your woodworking projects.

Allow a day or so for the dust to settle after you have been sanding.
If your workshop has any type of dust removal or air cleaner be sure
they are turned on while sanding and when applying your finishing
coats.

Remove any dust that may be on your woodworking project prior to
staining it. You can use a vacuum cleaner to accomplish this or use a
tack cloth. The tack cloth generally will do a better job of removing
most of the dust.

Protect your hands from a long clean up! Get some decent gloves that
you can wear and then throw achoice when finished.

Cover the work area and floor with plastic to protect them from those
accidental spills and drips.

Stain is usually best applied with a high quality foam brush.

Let the stain penetrate for about 45 minutes and the using a lint free
cloth wipe it off. This will help give the wood a uniform color.

Allow the stain to dry for a day and then apply a second coat. Rub
this coat off after about 30 minutes. This will give the project a
richer finish.

After allowing the second coat to dry to a day you may apply a third
coat depending on the color you want to achieve.

Let the stain on your woodworking project dry for several days. It
should be completely dry before applying the finishing coat.

Take your vacuum cleaner or tack cloth and again remove any dust that
may have settled on your project.

Apply your fast drying polyurethane using a foam brush. I usually use
MinWax which takes about four hours to dry. Alchoices brush in one
direction. Make very light strokes down the entire length of the
project. Make sure the polyurethane is not drying while you are
applying it to your project. You will usually need two coats.

Now wait three days and apply a final finish. This will give your
woodworking project an incredible professional look.

If you follow these steps carefully you will end up with an incredible
looking item. So the next time you are ready to apply the final
touches to your woodworking project try out this method I outlined
above.

Monday, February 17, 2014

How to Build a Shed The Simple Steps to Consider When Building Outdoor Storage

Building My First Shed

When I was building my first shed, thats when I learned that the old saying was true... "If you can build a house, then you can build a shed." Leaning how to build a shed takes planning, a bit of patience, and some hard work. But, if you have the time, its a monumentally rewarding experience.

The first place that you have to start is with the government. Do they have local ordinances? Do you have to get a permit? Your local zoning and building codes may require certain things. Or, if you are like me, they may restrict the type of shed due to historical society stuff. Annoying, but manageable.

Steps To Build Shed

Once youre OK with the legal stuff, its time to get to planning. The biggest decision you will need to make is whether your shed will have a concrete foundation or a cement one. Since this was my first shed, we build a wood framed one. Since then, Ive learned that a cement floor can be more sturdy and durable. But, many people only build wood shed floors. So, the choice is really up to you.

The next things you need to do when you learn how to build a shed, is realize that you need to determine whether you live in a frost zone. If the ground freezes, youll need to put in a frost protected foundation. A frost protected foundation will help your shed withstand the winter environment better, and should strongly be considered before starting to build a shed.

In terms of lumber, always use treated wood. Treated wood will resist wood rot and wood eating insects. Pressure treated lumber is great as well. Using pressure treated lumber will keep the shed from being as susceptible to "warping" due to its dramatically different climates.

Another tip that I learned on building my first shed, is to reinforce the lips of the door, especially when building a wood framed building. The door will get a lot of wear and tear. Especially if you are using the shed to store outdoor items like lawn mowers, going in and out of a door will cause a lot of damage. So, install into your shed a small metal frame over the edge of the door. This will keep the door edge from getting damaged.

Another great how to build a shed tip is to make sure your roofing material is high quality. When we are building a shed, we often think of the inside, and even the sides, and skimp on the roof. But, the roof takes the brunt of the weather. So, make sure you install both flashing, underlayment, and the same roof materials you would install the roof of a house.

And, make sure you also cover the exterior of the walls and roof with asphalt felt paper. This material will help catch any leaks that are formed with age.

But, the most important tip when building a shed is learning to be safe. Take your time and be sure that youre not in danger of injury. If you are planning your shed to be built in a weekend, build it in 3 weekends. That way, youre not in a rush and can build the shed correctly and safely.

These tips are only a few of how to build a shed. With time, patience, and hard work, your shed will be a long testament to your handiness and a great addition to your home for many, many years to come.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Let Me Show You How To Get Your Flashing Bent

When Im not woodworking (or talking about woodworking or going to a woodworking conference) Im a project manager for Roof Services, a large roofing and waterproofing firm on Long Island. In that role Ive been lucky enough to connect with the nice folks at Fine Homebuilding to record a few of our recent residential projects. I had a full length article on residential flat roofs in the June/July 2012 issue (#228).

My Coworker Tom, during a video shoot at the Fine Homebuilding Project House.

A few weeks ago I shot a short video with Fine Homebuilding, explaining how to bend copper chimney flashing from sheet copper. The video was released yesterday on the Fine Homebuilding web site. Ive had a chance to watch it, and thanks mostly to their great editing ability, I think its pretty good. Im certainly proud of it.

If you like mixed media in your woodworking projects, there are bits in here you can pick up that will apply to any sheet metal you may fabricate with. If youre only into woodworking, then Im sorry youll have to wait for my next post. I was in the middle of writing a review of Maurice Pommiers Grandpas Workshop, but the release of this video was too exciting to pass up. The review will come next week, along with more woodworking.

A side trip to cabinetry

While working on the dollhouse, Ive taken a side venture on a cabinet face and door. This will be used to cover a set of breaker panels that is exposed. There are two panels that stick out from the wall by 1 1/4", so this is going to be a large frame and door. Im making this out of maple also so it can be stained...

Here I am making the door and panels. I am using mortise and tenon joinery. I like this joinery because it always tests my skills, and also makes for a very strong set of joints.

Ive made a frame thats 1 1/2" thick, and mounted the hardware and door to it to make sure everything is copasetic....

Perfect!

Ive taken the hinges off and started staining. Im using a warm cherry stain, and a few coats of high gloss poly to protect. Not bad for a two day project...

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

A Return To Siding

Ive been working on re-siding the front of my house for about two years. Between the white cedar perfections & PVC trim, its been slow going. With the coming of spring Ive been focusing on closing up the few open items before taking more down.
To that end, I installed half of my rake trim last weekend. Today, before I could install the second half of rake trim, I had to finish the last bit of cedar siding on the gable end.
I began by shingling up to the top of the window. I then I fit & soldered the window cap, allowing me to finish the shingles on the gable end.
Its not furniture making, but installing cedar perfections is one of the most relaxing forms of Woodworking I know of. Each piece is fit with a few passes of a block plane and attached with two hand driven nails.
Throughout the day I snuck into the shop and managed to install the jam extension for the first window. It was a good day. Both of my projects moved forward.

Friday, January 31, 2014

Guide How to design a home woodworking shop

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How To Design A Home Woodworking Shop

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