With my French oak Roubo bench sitting in pieces in the back of the shop, I’ve spent the last couple days trying to complete this teak campaign chest and catch up on a month of e-mails, bills and administrative crap.
Getting these casework projects ready for finishing requires lots of tweaking inside and out. I had to patch a few minor areas where the teak splintered (big thanks to Carl Bilderback for honing my Dutchmen skills). And I had to remove some pencil marks, errant machine marks and chalk that had embedded itself in the pores. Oh, and install the drawer stops (the hide glue is curing as I type).
If the weather holds, this project will be finished finished on Friday. And I will drink a huge beer. Perhaps a growler of IPA. Then a nap.
Then I have to decide on the next project to tackle:
Another Roorkhee (I still have a few outstanding orders)
A folding officers’ desk a la William IV
A “riveted” campaign floor chest
Coaching table
My French oak workbench
Nail cabinet
That list makes me want to take a nap – no growler necessary.
— Christopher Schwarz
So how DO you go about removing pencil marks and/or chalk? There must be a cleverer way than scrubbing away with sandpaper. I tried alcohol-Soaked rags last time and that almost worked.
Solvents help. Try alcohol. Then lacquer thinner. Then a card scraper — the ultimate solvent.
In my very limited experience, an artists kneaded eraser (it’s like the putty used to hang up posters) can get a lot out of the wood. Kneaded erasers can be made gooier if you work a little vaseline into them. A white vinyl eraser sometimes does a pretty good job on pine.
Mineral Spirits is the established solvent for removing pencil marks. I can’t speak to chalk though.
That is a VERY handsome chest, good sir! I vote that you finish that FORP bench 🙂
As a small business owner myself I have learned to do the jobs for people with money in their hands first, ie roorkhee. Second stuff I will make money on but will take time to get. Stuff for myself has to fit in between the others, but there is always room for libations!
The nail cabinet gets my vote. And you know why.
You want to get nailed?
Sorry. Three beers.
2 cents worth department: Chalk? try an airhose up close and personal if you want to avoid removing material. Might be kinda stuck, though, on teak.( Oily waxiness tends to be a tad sticky.) Dulls a card scraper lickety split, don’t it?
Chris….this is easy….Roubo! Bench parts piled in the corner? That’s like a beautiful woman begging you for sex (as long as it is your wife of course)……their is only one answer. French oak is calling your name man! Everything else can wait a few days.
Will,
I’ll take your word for it. I have no experience of being begged for intercourse.
This has to be a top ten contender for best Lostartpress replies. I think I just gave myself an idea for a blog post. “You want to get nailed?” is also in the running.
Truthfully, it is usually me that has to do the begging….BUT…if I were in that situation I know precisely what I would do. Nevertheless, my vote is for the bench……when it’s done you can use it to build the rest of the projects…right?
Chris,
I would go with the paying customers first, then the Roubo. I always go with cash in hand!. Besides, wouldn’t a little extra be handy come August 16-17? Just my two cents worth. Had an awesome time at FORP with you and everyone!
Jon
Chris, do you plan to bring this piece to WIA?
Probably. If we can get it out of my shop.
Since you’ve mentioned building the Roubo bench is a several years old dream, I’d go ahead with any of the other projects BUT the Roubo. Up to the time the thought of anything else makes you want to take a nap. THEN no doubt lovingly dealing with the Roubo in all of its details, grease pot, drawer, the works… will keep you wide awake.
And when the bench is finally fully assembled the urge to use it will push you through further projects like a breeze. Or then again, like a storm.
I may be wrong, though. I often am.
My vote is to build a nail cabinet. I keep hearing about these and I can never find information or plans on them. They sound awesome.
Love, love, love the flush pulls. Worth the effort, I suspect.
Sean,
I have about 20 hours in filing, fitting and tweaking the pulls.
I would do it again.
My vote is to start a new, unrelated project of something that you don’t really need.
That’s what I’d do, anyway.
Just wondering why the drawers are inset in this photograph?
Cheers,
Burbidge.
Because I hadn’t installed the drawer stops.
The drawer fronts are now flush.
An excellent answer! You had me worried for a moment.