Splinters
November 1996
Vol.11 /Issue 11 Tennessee Valley Woodworkers Editor, Richard Gullev
Apologies
It seems like a long time
since the last edition of Splinters. October was a bad month for this
newsletter. As much as I would like to blame the mail for late delivery, I’m
afraid it was me that delivered late. I had the letter ready to mail Wednesday
nite before the meeting but, if my wife had not asked me Saturday morning when
I was going to mail it, you probably would still be waiting for it.
And then there’s the
matter of the ‘updated’ membership list. Even I don’t know what happened that
led to that jumble of data gone bad. Probably the results of an ill fated sort
(of sorts).
At any rate, the best I
can do is to try to do better. This month’s newsletter features another attempt
at the membership list, minutes from meeting last, and hopefully, on-time delivery.
That last one is going to be the hardest because, according to my computer it’s
November 12, 1996 at 9:37 PM. Let’s get crackin’.
Thank’s to Ross for these
highlights of the October meeting.
Attendance was somewhat
smaller than usual though we have a new visitor, Jeremy Dunn. A note was read
from Lloyd Ackerman thanking the club for the gift to the American Cancer
Society in the name of Jean Ackerman.
The Christmas party was
scheduled for December the 7”’ with the 14”’ as an alternate.
Nominations for next
year’s officers include:
Doyle McConnell, President; Harold
Hewgley, Vice-President; Henry Davis, Treasurer; Richard GulIey, Secretary
&Splinters editor; and Jack Townsend, Publicity. Nominations will be
accepted and elections held at the November meeting.
Extended discussion was
held regarding the proposed furniture building project. (There will be more about this new project later in this issue.)
Skip Baker presented an
outstanding program about his construction methods for five different stringed
musical instruments. He discussed a variety of learning experiences and
experimental approaches to solving the structural, design, finishing, and tonal
quality problems. His mandolin, mandola, dulcimer were beautiful instruments in
visual and tonal quality.
By Ross Roepke
Here and Now
This month Tom Bailey will be with us to discuss his work with the Tennessee Valley Aerospace Region. Recently retired, one of Mr. Bailey’s last projects dealt with helping the wood products industries in our region deal with their waste materials problem. Through networking and the use of new technologies, the goal was to reduce waste products and or turn them into marketable products.
Come and join in the
discussion and maybe we can put some of these ideas into practice on a smaller
scale to better utilize our waste materials.
Long Ago and Far Away
It seems like ten years
ago that I started the ‘Ten Years Ago This Month’ article but, with just two
more to go, I think I’ll make it to the end.
November of 1986 was abuzz
with Toys for Tots. Of great interest was a tool survey among the club
membership. What tools are your favorites and what tools wouldn’t be yours if
you had it to do over. I think I’d be interested in hearing those replies
again.
Only one to go now!
An Update From Ross
At last month’s meeting we
discussed a club project where each member would build a piece to be included
in a club sponsored show at selected locations in our area. The project
committee met October the 29”’ to discuss guidelines and make plans. The goals
are to encourage member participation, to improve member’s woodworking skills,
and to gain club recognition in the communities represented. A broad range of
woodworking types are to be shown that reflect the club’s diverse range of
talent and to encourage member participation. New pieces are encouraged but
recently completed projects are acceptable. Multiple pieces may be submitted.
Showings will be planned for next May.
For planning purposes,
members that are interested in participating should fill out the form included
in this month’s newsletter. Please submit the form as soon as you can to:
Tom Cowan
4085 Williams Cove Road
Winchester, TN 37398
We also need your ideas
for a project name for this club project.
By Ross Roepke
News from the Net
I haven’t had a chance to
do a lot of surfing this past month (in fact the ol’ surfboard’s suffering from
severe neglect). I do have.a few unpublished goodies I’ve been holding back for
just such an occasion. Enjoy!
For you folks that enjoyed
Skip’s program you might want to visit this site:
http://www.connix.corn/~sjguitar.
The Guitar Building and The Rec.Music.Makers.Builders FAQs
are online. (For those new to the net, I will decode that if you’‘re interested)
The Ways of Wax Paper
It used to be whenever you
took a brown bag lunch to school or work, your sandwiches were
wrapped in wax paper. Then came along the
baggies and wax paper is no longer in favor.
Well, there are still some great uses for
wax paper. You can use it to shine up your countertops. If you rub a piece of
wax paper inside a skillet or iron pot it will leave a thin film around them to
keep them from rusting. If you have ice cube trays sticking to your freezer,
put down a piece of wax paper under them and they will no longer stick. If you
wrap a piece of it on your mop with a rubber band and rub it on your floor, it
will leave a nice shine.
There are also some workshop uses for wax paper. Put down a piece under furniture while finishing them and the paint won’t stick to them. Use the wax paper to lubricate your auto antennae. It is also great to use it on your table saw bench. Wood will just glide over the table easier.
(Hope it ‘s not too early to pass along this holiday
tip)
Picking a Fresh Christmas Tree
During the joyous Yuletide
season, it would be a shame to suffer a house fire.. .especially if you brought
the fire hazard into your house. A dry Christmas tree is a fire waiting to
happen.
First, you want to pick
out a fresh tree. After all, the trees on a lot could have been cut weeks
before and sitting outside or in a warehouse for a while. They could be pretty
well dried out.
There are several ways to
test the tree for freshness. The “flex-test” involves grabbing a small branch
in your hand and bending it back and forth. The too-dry tree will not have
flexible branches and might break off in your hand. Don’t grab a very large
branch or the owner of the tree lot may want to break your arm for breaking the
tree.
The “whole-test” involves
picking the tree up by the main trunk and then whacking it sharply down against
the ground. If a shower of needles fall off the tree, move on to another one.
My favorite test is the
“scratch-test”. It requires no breaking or lifting. You just reach into the
main trunk and scratch the bark with your thumbnail. The fresh tree will expose
a green area that is moist under the bark.
When you get the tree
home, saw off about a quarter inch from the bottom of the trunk. This removes
any caked over sap and opens fresh pores. Put the trunk into a container of
water. The tree will drink so you most refill the container regularly.
When it’s time to bring
the tree in, here’s a magic formula to help keep the tree fresh. Into a gallon
of hot water, add 4 tbs. of horticultural iron powder, available at nursery
stores. Then put in 4 tsp. of liquid laundry bleach. Next, pour in 2 cups of
Karo crystal clear corn syrup. After installing the tree in the stand, pour
this stuff into the stand reservoir. If you have any left over, use it daily as
the tree drinks the mix.
After the formula is all
gone, keep the stand filled with warm water. Don’t set the tree up where it’s
near any source of fire. Also, avoid putting it in the path of hot air from the
heating system as this speeds the drying out process. Decorate with the tiny
lights that don’t heat up very much.
Maybe that will keep the
tree fresh until Valentine’s Day.. .but the sooner the tree is removed after
Christmas, the better.
-MERRY CHRISTMAS
Making Your Own Oil Stain
By Sal Marino
Step By Step Instructions For Making Your
Own Quality Oil Stain
Sometimes it is impossible
to find a stain that is the exact color you need. This is especially true if
you are building a piece of furniture and want to match the color to an
existing piece. No matter how many colors stain manufactures offer, these
companies will never be able to supply us with the infinite number of color
combinations needed to suit every job. When I ran into this problem, I always
remember saying to myself, “If I only knew what was in this stain, I could make
it myself’. Over the years through research and a lot of experimentation, I
have come up with an excellent home brewed pigmented oil stain which I would
like to share with you.
Most commercial pigmented
oil stains contain a few basic ingredients. First I will list each of these
ingredients and give you a brief description of what purpose each serves in the
make up of the stain.
1 .Pigment (Color) The pigment is what
actually gives the stain its particular color. Toady most pigments are
synthetic finely ground powders. Years ago artists and cabinet makers made
their own pigments by drying and then grinding natural materials. For example:
to make a red pigment, an artist would take red rose petals, let them dry out
completely and then grind the petals to a fine red powder.
2.Vehicle. Something needs to be added to
the pigment in order to carry it onto the workpiece and distribute it evenly
across the surface. If you were to apply a dry powder, it would be impossible
to evenly apply it. The vehicle most commonly used in an oil stain is some type
of petroleum based solvent. In many cases this is a mineral spirits.
3 .Binder. If the stain just consisted of
pigment and vehicle, it will not work very well. You see because the vehicle is
a solvent it will evaporate shortly after the stain has been applied to the
surface. When that happens, the pigment will return to its powered form and
just blow off the surface. Therefore, we need to add something to the stain
formula to hold the pigment in the pores and on the surface of the wood after
the vehicle has evaporated. An oil is usually used to accomplish this task.
Most commercial manufactures use linseed oil, however some use tung oil and
market their stain as a tung oil stain. Linseed oil will never evaporate, thus
it will hold the powdered pigment in place. Also, because linseed oil is
thicker than a solvent, it will add more body to the stain.
4.Drier. Last, stain manufactures add a
drying agent to the formula to help it dry quicker. Usually this is some type
of metallic drier like cobalt. This is sold commercially under the name Japan
drier. It can be purchased in art supply stores, some paint stores and some
mail order woodworking supply houses.
The following formula
should yield about 1 quart of oil stain. You do not need to add Japan drier to
this formula because the Japan color and boiled linseed oil contain drier. If
you want the stain to dry a little quicker, you can add some
additional Japan drier, but no more than
½ounce. If you add too much drier, the stain will not work properly.
FORMULA
1.Vehicle. Quart of mineral spirits or
pure gum turpentine. This will be your vehicle that will carry the pigment onto
the surface. Either of the two solvents will work well, but if you want to
reduce the odor of the stain, use mineral spirits. 2.Binder. 7 Ounces of boiled
linseed oil. Boiled linseed oil will be your binder to help keep the pigment in
the pores and on the surface of the wood and also add body to the stain. Use
boiled linseed not raw linseed oil. Boiled linseed oil has Japan drier added to
it and will help the stain dry quicker. Raw linseed oil will never dry.
3.Pigment Max. of 4 ounces of Japan color(s). Japan colors are very similar to
the oil paints that artists use to paint pictures (the type that are sold in
tubes in art supply stores). The main difference between artists oil paints and
Japan colors is that Japan colors have driers added to it. Japan colors are
also finely ground pigments suspended in a linseed oil base. However, Japan
colors are too thick to use as a stain directly out of the can. They are
available in many colors including earth tones that will match the natural colors
of many woods, and are also available in brilliant colors like reds, greens,
yellows and more. Any of these colors can be intermixed, but you should not use
more than a total of 4 ounces of Japan colors to the formula. Adding more Japan
color will start to make the stain too thick and it will be hard to apply.
Remember, the Japan color
and boiled linseed oil already contain driers, therefore you do not need to add
any Japan drier. However, if the stain is not drying properly, or not quick
enough, you can add some Japan drier, but NO MORE THAN ‘A Ounce.
Sal
Marino is a woodworker and a finishing expert from New York. He works for
Constantine’s. He teaches woodworking classes at Constantine’s, offers private instruction, lectures around
the United States and is a finishing consultant to many woodworking and
restoration companies. He is also the author of numerous woodworking articles.
Sand
Our Sawdust Power sanding is a fast way to get any
sanding done. Be careful because it could
chew up your work due to it’s belt speed. There are three basic types of power
sanders that are easily available. A circular sander is ideal for removing
paint or sanding off edges. You don’t want to use this one for sanding a large
surface because it will cause swirl marks on the surface. The belt sander is
great for fast sanding on a larger surface. It can get a wall done in no time
at all. You need to be extra careful when using it because of its sanding
speed. The third type of power sander is called a palm or finishing sander. This
sander is the best for fine sanding or finishing up any project. With the right
sander and the right grit of sandpaper, you can end up with a great looking job
and not just a bunch of sawdust.
Sweeping Up
It’s time to wrap up
another Splinters. This issue has been put together rather rapidly so I hope
the errors aren’t gross (more than 144).
Don’t forget third Tuesday
at Duck River Electric. The Tennessee Valley Woodworkers will be getting
together for another great meeting. ‘Til the I’ll leave you with this:
My doctor would never
operate unless it was absolutely necessary. No, really, he’s just that kind of
guy. If he doesn’t need the money, he won’t lay a hand on you.
Watch out for SPLINTER’S.
Tennessee Valley Woodworkers
Name:
Address:
City/Post Office:
Phone Number:
Number of items you plan to
exhibit: ______________
Please provide a brief description of your
project(s): (You are asked for this information so that the committee can plan the
physical arrangements for the exhibit. You may choose at any time to change your mind. If you do, please
turn in a replacement form. If you plan more than one item, please describe
each.)
Estimated completion date:
Special display needs:
Exhibit support: We hope- to
have someone from the dub present at the exhibit at times to answer questions
about the exhibit and the club. It will be an excellent opportunity to meet people in your community, to
help recruit people for the club, and to add your
personal touch to the exhibit. Put a check mark here if you are willing to
participate in this way.
Name for the exhibit: We are looking for a good name to use in advertising and publications.
It needs to capture and keep a listener’s attention. If you have an idea for a
name, please write it here.
Extra forms are available from the committee. Please
turn in your completed forms as soon as possible to Tom Cowan.