Blog, Video
TIPS: Give cherry a suntan; and make your own buttons
July 4, 2008 by Al Navas (Sandal Woods) · 5 Comments
Download Quicktime (*.mov)
In this episode I show:
- Why you should give cherry a good suntan, followed by a gorgeous and easy finish (I prefer to use Waterlox, either wiped on or brushed on),
and
- How to make your own buttons, to attach a stool top or a table top to the base
Why suntan cherry?
I love working with cherry, because it machines beautifully, and it is plentiful here in the Mid-West. But it also takes on a gorgeous color as it ages -even if it takes a long time to develop the deep color we normally associate with antique pieces. However, we can help Nature do its thing on cherry, by simply exposing our work piece to the sun for a several hours over the span of several days. Follow that with a nice protective finish, and you have a wonderful piece to show!
Make your own buttons
I did not have figure 8s to attach the top to the base of the little stool I made for Sierra. But I was anxious to let her use it as soon as I completed it, so her instructor could assess whether the 16-inch height was suitable. If it was, it would allow her to spend 30 minutes during her lesson as comfortable as possible. What to do to attach the stool top to the base, while allowing for the cross-grain expansion of the top without problems? Make my own buttons! In this episode I show the machining of the buttons with tongue & groove router bits, and discuss the advantages of using height-matched bits to do the job easily, and quickly.
I wish everyone a wonderful 4th of July. And may everyone have a safe Independence day with your families and loved ones!
Relevant links:
A-beading I will go, in which I show how I made the bead on the stool aprons
Hi. My name is Al Navas, Owner of Sandal Woods - Fine Woodworking. Welcome to my site - I hope you will enjoy your stay! While you are here, I invite you to support my sponsors by clicking on their links and buying "stuff" from them. Disclosure: I receive a small commission from your purchases through my Affiliates only (Amazon.com, Woodcraft, and Rockler); these help defray my costs a little. I also sometimes receive tools from my sponsors, for evaluation purposes. I thank you for your support of my effort!
Thanks, Kari!
I am making progress with my hand tool work. And Sierra is very happy with her new stool, which she showed off to her guitar teacher. Later she told me she was really comfortable for the entire 30-minute lesson.
Great job on the stool, Al! I’m sure Sierra will love it. : )
I also like the bead detail along the edge….
Hi, Donna.
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If I create only one long groove, and it is near one of the edges, some (greater?) moisture pickup and loss will take place near to this edge. By creating the second groove near the other edge, the entire length of the apron is “balanced”, from a moisture pickup and loss viewpoint.
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In this case, as with larger projects, I could have made very short grooves, one for each button, and I could have avoided making the second groove. But I wanted the stool to “look OK”, even when looking at it from the bottom. And the second groove also made sense from this standpoint.
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This whole thing might not be as critical in this little stool, but it may become critical for a larger surface, such as for a long apron attached to a large table top. In fact, you might have seen table tops attached to the base using only partial, short grooves in the apron; the grooves are usually just a little longer than the buttons themselves. This does two things: 1) Less machining is required, and 2) It minimizes the water loss and uptake in the aprons, thereby making the apron itself more stable.
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I am totally paranoid, and tend to over-design certain things, in the pursuit (sometimes fruitless) of maximizing stability. If someone can show me that I am over-doing it, I will change my ways
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Thanks for a terrific question!
Just curious, but why make two grooves in the aprons? I heard you comment it was to balance the aprons. What do you mean by this? I’ve seen buttons used for attaching tops before, but this is the first time I have ever seen this done.
Thanks!