Lost Art Press

LAP Open Wire, Oct. 28, 2023

Posted on by fitz
The Berry Center Farm and Forest Institute (actually but a small part of it).

Have a great evening, and come back next week for more! (Comments are now closed.)

Chris and I are catching up after a fabulous field trip yesterday to the Berry Center in New Castle, Kentucky (highly recommended if you’re ever in the area and are a fan of Wendell Berry’s work, both literarily and as it relates to equitable and ecological farming). But that doesn’t mean we don’t have time for your woodworking questions!

You probably know by now how it works, but just in case: Leave your question (brevity appreciated) in a comment below, and we will do our best to answer. Comments will close at around 5 p.m.

– Fitz

127 thoughts on “LAP Open Wire, Oct. 28, 2023”

  1. I have a reasonably small basement shop (like many I suspect). Way back when, I started with a Saw Stop cabinet saw. I knew little and figured this was where you started. The problem is that I got a great deal on a floor model, which was bigger than what I needed. It takes up too much space in my shop, particularly given what I do. So, here is my question:

    If you don’t work with sheet goods (I don’t, and I have track saw if I did), could you live with just a bandsaw? I was thinking of selling the SawStop and getting the Jet 14 inch metal work saw. I use what I’d imagine is a similar set of tools to you both, meaning that I use machines to do the rough work, but no surface then isn’t touched by something else to clean it up. So, I’m thinking that even if a bandsaw left a rougher cut, would it really matter? Can you do longer rips effectively on bandsaw? This is a common cut for me, and the only thing that has really worried me about lowing the table saw.

    If you are willing to answer a second question…..how much worse is that bandsaw for dust collection? I know in your videos you have on in your shop that doesn’t appear to be connected to a collector. If you aren’t doing big work, is it likely to be an issue in my basement shop (I’m careful about dust for health reasons, both lungs and not having my wife hit me for messing up the house).

    Thanks to you both for your thoughts.

    1. My experience with this:

      About two years ago I rearranged my garage shop and moved the table saw against the back wall (with stuff in front of it). I have a 14” band saw which I use for roughing stock followed by hand work. I haven’t pulled the table saw back out in that time.

      As for band saw dust collection… it generally sucks. I work in the garage and keep my bandsaw by the door. I open the door and position a box fan to blow all the dust out the door. It works pretty well. But it won’t help you, unfortunately.

      1. I put my tablesaw in the cold garage a few years ago and never regretted it. Use an old Delta dust collector on 14in Rikon bandsaw and small lathe. The bandsaw runs pretty clean though I shopvac it a bit from time to time. Also hung a small Rikon air cleaner from the joists which I run when sanding and after sweeping up. This is not a perfect solution but it works pretty well.

    2. I could run my shop with a band saw as the only machine. The cut needs to be cleaned up. But so does the cut from the table saw. And as you get better with the machine, your cuts become very good. The JET metal/wood saw is a great choice. We love ours. For long rips, we use a fence (ours is a Kreg. It’s cheap and totally acceptable).

      As far as dust collection, we use the JET with a shop vacuum. That gets about half the debris. Which is about the same with a table saw in my opinion. The solution is to add a second port on the lower blade cover. We just haven’t gotten around to it.

  2. Working on Chris’ Monticello book case project. When it came to the mitered corner I used a Zona Fine Kerf Razor Saw. 24 tpi, 0.010 kerf. The kerf was too big and left me a gap to fill. Does Chris use a thinner saw and if so, which?

    thank you,
    Les

    1. I can’t remember what saw I used – sorry. How big a gap does the Zona leave? It should be less than .01″. You might be able to clamp that tight. Sorry I’m not much help here.

  3. Couple questions. Thank you!
    1) I believe you’ve mentioned washed linseed oil a few times but I can’t find any blog post about it. Can you share a bit about why you use washed over raw or boiled? Also any info on where you buy it/how you make it?

    2) Curious if you’ve found any new sources for Rivierre nails. Looks like Lee Valley has them for around $0.50 a nail. Still recommend over Tremont at that price?

    1. I just built back to back Dutch Tool chests, one with Tremont nails, and the second with Rivierre nails. I much prefer the Revierre over the Tremont; the Tremont have a bigger “swell” just below the head, while the Revierre are straight tapered. The Tremont nails are very prone to splitting, and took a much larger clearace hole at the entrance to prevent this splitting. Hope this helps.

      1. Terry, that’s curious – forgive my asking…but did you have the wedge-shaped part of the cut nail inserted with, not across the grain? I often drill clearance holes in the top boards for square nails; I haven’t found that to be necessary for cut nails. But “wood hates us,” so maybe yours was in a bad mood that day 😉

        1. I ordered the Tremont nails through Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005THUOAK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1), and you can see the swell in the picture. I did orient the taper with the grain, but had to drill a much larger clearance hole in the top board to keep it from splitting, it was the next larger tapered drill than I used for the clearance hole in the wood I was nailing to. (3/16 clearance hole in the top board and 9/64 tapered hole in the body). I did several of the test boards like you and Chris have shown in your posts before I found the right combination for success….

          1. Huh. Well, out near the ends (as on the DTC backboards), it’s easy to cause a split, as I know from experience!

    2. Boiled has chemical driers in it, and the raw (unrefined) still has some impurities that make it less clear and slower to dry. Washed linseed oil dries faster than raw, and has a little bit higher sheen. (But you could safely ingest both the raw and washed.)

      On the nails, square-shanked nails hold better than cut nails, but cut nails hold great. When I use Rivierre, it’s almost always partially for the look of them as well as the holding power. But I would rather use the square ones on the bottom of ATCs, because of the extra holding power – but cut nails work just fine there…that’s what Chris used on his OG ATC. Nail them at a sight angle (called dovetailing) for a little extra holding power.

      At 50 cents per, yes the Rivierre are a little dear. But quite reasonable in comparison to blacksmith-made nails. (I can rationalize almost anything!)

    3. 1) You have to make it. Steve Voigt at Black Dog is working on a book that will cover the process (https://blackdogswoodshop.blogspot.com/2022/09/interview-with-joe-robson-part-2.html). I am in the midst of making a batch. Steve sent me some he had made and it is amazing stuff. Very light and thin. Goes on beautifully. Dries quickly. Low odor. It’s raw. No toxic driers.

      2) You can buy them at Dictum or direct from the factory. The price has gone up. I still think they are worth the price.

  4. Good morning from MN.
    My question relates to using a shave horse to make chairs. Reading about the wide variety of methodology to chair-making, I see some using shave horses to make legs, arms, etc and some use band saws.
    My shop is, for the most part, in a basement room as doing anything outside in MN winters is always a challenge.
    Can a shave horse be an efficient and effective tool in chair making or would it make more sense to simply get a band saw set it up in the garage and get a heater for when I need to fashion legs, arms, etc
    The chair type I am drawn to are in the stick chair family, right now the Gibson chair is what I’m working towards.
    As always, thanks for your time and willingness to share your knowledge with us all.

    1. We don’t use shavehorses in our work, mostly because we don’t have the floor space. That’s why we use the carver’s vises attached to the benches.

      Band saws are essential to my work. It would be the machine I owned if I could have only one. I’d cut out the pieces on the saw (which I do now) and refine their shapes with the help of the carver’s vise (which I do now).

      1. Thanks. Doing a search here, you suggest the Carvers Vise from Grizzly. Since they no longer are making that item, is there another you would recommend? Infinity and Woodriver have a similar vise.

    1. Not now. Maybe next year. Interest and sales of the brass hammer were slow. So we have to find a time when we have some slack machine time and a place to store them as they trickle out of here. We have neither right now.

  7. Inspired by a comment at the end of ATC (“Whenever possible, make exactly what I need, instead of buying something that will suffice for now.”)

    I’m sure we would expect to find your homes full of chairs, tables, and bookcases made in your own shops. But what are the most unexpected things Chris and Megan have made in lieu of purchasing? And what have you set out to make, but then had to concede defeat and buy?

    1. I installed the tile in a bathroom (a small one…my knees can’t take that work for too long these days). But of things I’ve actually made? Nothing too unexpected – many wood things.

      I did a lot of my own staircase, but threw in the towel on the bottom steps, which curve on both ends.

    2. Unexpected: I made a cabinet that dispensed wash rags like tissue paper for our kids’ bathroom.

      The only projects I ever abandoned were because they would not survive – chairs with splits or too many errors.

  9. Just curious if either of you have used any of the HNT Gordon handplanes and if so what do you think of them?

    1. I have never owned one. But I have used them at shows and they were very nice. I use metal planes primarily (except for moulding planes). It’s how I learned and what I stick with. But if I were to switch to wooden bench planes etc., I’d likely give Gordon’s a try. Nice guy, too!

    2. I have used them, but I’m so used to my Bailey-style planes that any different kind of plane is going to feel weird to me. I know lots of people who use HNTs and like them…and they probably think my planes feel weird.

  10. Good morning. A couple of weeks ago someone asked what band saw blade you used for your everyday work. You recommended the Wood Slicer. I’m sure that blade is great for ripping and resawing but how about when sawing out, for example, curved chair parts?

    1. We use the 1/2″ Wood Slicer for almost everything in chairmaking – straight cuts and curves. For very tight scrollwork, we use a 1/4″ band saw blade from Highland Woodworking. It’s OK. Wish it didn’t have that black coating, which marks the work..

  11. I have a question regarding using linseed oil wax for a table top. Do you use coasters and placemats? Are rings an issue?

    Also, this might be a dumb question but have you ever applied it over an oil/varnish blend?

    Thanks!
    Corey

    1. Almost any finish over wood will show white rings as the finish ages. Yes, you will develop white rings. But they are easy to avoid and repair – just apply more finish. I do it once a year on heavily used tabletops.

      1. Sorry I forgot the second part of your question. Oil over varnish doesn’t usually work out. The oil sits on top of the film and just gets sticky.

        Sometimes it works OK if the film from the varnish isn’t thick.

  12. Hey Chris & Megan. I made up a batch of soft wax 2.0 last weekend. I followed your instructions from the stick chair book and ingredients from the same suppliers. It came out a bit more liquid-y than the stuff Katherine makes. Is that a symptom of too much limonene?

  13. Hey guys! Are you using and kind of microbevel on your smoothing plane chipbreaker nowadays? Thanks!

  14. I am building an ATC. The aim is to use 100% reclaimed wood. For the internal drawers, I am planning to use plywood. Is it feasible to use plywood as material for the drawers to slide on, too?

    2. If you’re using it for the slides, I might add a strip of UHWM tape to it before fitting the till bottoms. Or know that you can do that if (when?) the veneer wears through.

  15. Good Morning Chris, How do you determine the length of the long sticks on the 6 stick comb back ? In your first stick chair video ( episode 16 ) you said they are different lengths due to the chairs back slope and comb radius , You set the outside sticks to a nominal length where you want the comb to be followed by cutting the next two sticks moving inward from each side by 1/4 inch and the the center sticks trimmed by 1/2 inch . Is there a way to calculate these lengths / or do the layout if you change the slope or comb dimensions ? I am not clear where the 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch reductions come from ? I am sure there is an obvious answer but it has eluded me .. Thanks !

    1. Hi Peter,

      Sorry for the delay in responding. This question got pushed down and I missed it.

      There isn’t a simple formula that I know of to calculate the sticks’ final lengths beforehand. And even if there were, I wouldn’t use it because chairs have minds of their own.

      The best way to determine the final length for a chair is via direct measurement. Decide how long the center stick(s) will be. Mark the shoulder on the stick.

      Now show the comb to the sticks. Hold it against the shoulder line you just marked. Make sure the comb is parallel to the arm. Now use the comb to mark the shoulder locations on the other sticks. Remove the comb and you’ll have your answer.

      Hope this helps.

  16. Hello! I remember reading a while back about easing a chisel edge to prevent cutting yourself and your woodworking instructor. I haven’t been able to find it again. Is there a best practice to avoid affecting the functionality of the tool (low profile edge/cutting width/etc)? My memory thinks it’s a lighter weight application of the technique to ease the edges of a plane sole, and stick to the back half of the chisel. But my memory has been wrong before. Thanks!

    1. I sand down not only the sharp lands/sides of my own new chisels, but any new ones students bring to classes. I’ve been sliced open many times when I’ve forgotten to ask if the chisels are new. I use whatever sanding disk is handy, and take a few passes (that’s all you need) down the sharp edges. A cheap chisel is the worst…because not only are the edges sharp, but there are little bits of metal still attached to the sharp edges – great fun simultaneously cutting oneself and embedding shards in the cuts.

  17. I am looking at my life expectancy and my list of projects and realize that I need to sub out some shop tasks. The task in mind is stationary power tool maintenance. Have you ever found or heard of a service that will do on site routine maintenance for Powermatic, Sawstop, and Delta tools? I am talking about recommended cleaning, lubrication, and adjustment, nothing major but it would take a day or two.

    1. I have never heard of such a service I’m afraid. There might be people in your local woodworking club who might want to make some extra money…..

      1. You’re invited! As a long-standing member of the Lost Art Book Club (my only affiliation), you are my only hope to finish my wife’s kitchen cabinets before I die.

  18. I’m planning on building a set of stick chairs for our dining room table. I’d like to make 4 with arms and 4 without. So they match I’d like to use the same design and just leave out the short sticks, shoe and armbow. The question is how thick should the long sticks be to be strong enough without the supporting parts?

    Thanks very much for these sessions.
    Cliff

    1. I’d use 3/4” dead straight grain sticks and you’ll be fine.

      Other option: for the side chairs use 1-1/4” posts at the ends of the backrest. Then 5/8” sticks.

  19. Do you have any high-resolution, full-color images of the Mule Chest from the ADB? I’m planning to build one myself and I’d love to see what color scheme you chose. I’ve looked through your blog posts and found a color photo of a boarded bookcase, but I’m specifically interested in the Mule Chest. Thanks!

  20. You both have been so prolific making furniture over the years.

    I know Chris is a big proponent of lunchbox planers & bandsaws to help save time.

    Megan, last Open Wire you mentioned jointers as your number one machine. This is usually not brought up by hand-tool users. Any particular reason you mentioned it (besides the obvious)?

    Any other power-tools come to mind as useful for creating more time to enjoy the hand-tool experience?

    (I’m making some half-laps by hand right now and it seems to be taking forever…!)

    1. A cordless drill is a huge time saver in chair making. And home repair. We recommend the USA made DeWalt 20v drill with a metal chuck. If I had only one drill, that would be the one.

    2. Did I say jointer? Well shit. I meant planer. I can easily joint one face, then run it through the planer to thickness. It the taking off of lots of thickness that I want the help with!

  21. I’m building a workbench and the AWB convinced me to try holdfasts. How many holdfasts do you find yourself using simultaneously? Is 2 enough, or will I regret not ordering more?
    Thanks for sharing your time!

    2. Chris likely has a diff answer (I suspect he might say you need only 1?), but I think 2 is the right number. I typically need only 1 to hold down my work (esp. when used in conjunction w/a doe’s foot and planing stop), but I like 2 so I can use them to hold my Moxon vise in place.

  22. A question about gelatin glue. If you don’t add the salt do you have the equivalent of hot hide glue? Can you do rub joints with it?

    So if I make 2 batchs, one with salt and one without I can have the best of both worlds?

    Thanks
    Cliff

  23. If I could buy only one saw between tenon and carcass, which one would you recommend? I am leaning towards a tenon saw because it tends to have larger depth of cut. And if I could buy only rip or cross-cut, which one would you recommend? I do have a dovetail saw already. Thanks!

    1. If you plan to do lots of mortise-and-tenon work, a rip tenon saw is invaluable. If your plans are for more dovetailed items, then a carcase saw is the way to go. Honestly, most people end up with a dovetail, rip tenon and crosscut carcase. They all work in tandem beautifully.

  24. If rounding the corners on a box or even more simply on a cutting board, how would you do it eith hand tools? Thank you.

    1. If wanting a large roundover, I’d probably clip the corner with a saw first to get rid of some waste, then use a finely set plane (block plane, likely) to plane a series of flats, tilting the blade at a sightly diff angle each time, until the work looks round. Or use a jack plane to remove the bulk, then a finely set plane to finish. (And don’t forget to first plane or cut a chamfer on the exit side of any cross-grain work).
      This might help: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2021/05/03/thumb-molding-by-hand

  25. Hi Chris and Fitz,

    I asked earlier about switching from table saw to bandsaw. The answer inspired me to do it, and as I was looking to place and order I see that Jet has heavily discounted their 14inch Deluxe model (from something like 1600 to 999). I assume this may be to make room for new version or something. Anyhow, if you’ll allow a second question today…..any reason not to pull trigger on this? I know the metal working machine is better, but given the heavy discount, this seems like a really great option. Thoughts?

    James

    1. Sure. That’s a great saw. I wouldn’t install the riser block unless you are going to be doing a lot of resawing. The riser block adds vibration to the blade.

  26. Good morning. As always thanks for doing this. I just wanted to let you know that I love the vest that I purchased from you. It is the best garment I own! If any other readers out there are on the fence I highly recommend it. Just a gratuitous plug for your excellent product.
    Quick question for Chris. I’m thinking of building the outdoor garden bench you built for your sister in law many years ago. It is holding up well? Any changes you would suggest? I’m thinking of angling the back legs slightly to make a bit more comfortable for sitting.

    1. That was more than 20 years ago. To be honest, I don’t know how it has held up. I haven’t been in her backyard in a while.

      You can definitely angle the rear legs to add some comfort. Good idea!

  27. Hi. Will UV curing finish applied to all sides make a wooden kitchen countertop waterproof?
    Thanks.

  28. Not woodworking, but I’ve just recently started reading Wendell Berry. What’s your favorite book of his?

    1. For me, it’s “Hannah Coulter” (if we’re talking fiction). Non-fiction, “The Unsettling of America.” Poetry…I haven’t read all of his poetry, but among those I have, the Sabbath poems

  29. Does Lost Art Press have plans for a shave horse chair? I saw a used Lie Nielsen shave horse on ebay but it is quite expensive. I’d like to build one like it.

  30. Hello! Thanks for hosting these sessions! Would you have any thoughts on finishing oily tropical woods? A client has requested an item that will be handled a fair amount to be made from Bolivian rosewood. Typically I’d use GF arm-r-seal but it’s not drying even thought I thoroughly prewiped with acetone. A seal coat of shellac allows it to dry, but then I wonder why not just finish with shellac and call it done? Any recommendations? Thanks!

    1. Oily woods can be tricky sometimes. Wiping with acetone or lacquer thinner can help adhesion. Normally, I stick to oil/wax blends or shellac. You can always remove the General Finishes with mineral spirits and try again.

    1. 3″-long ones (each leg); I don’t see a brand on them; I assume they were from the local hardware store or big box store if the local store was out.

  32. You posted a link to cruicible tools ebay account for international customers. The link said does not ship to Israel.
    ?

    1. The engraving tools (now sold out) shipped worldwide. There was an error for the first 20 minutes and it did not allow shipping). We will put up another batch soon.

  33. ADB bookcase question:
    For back boards, would you plane down 3/4” pine to 1/2”? Can you buy 1/2” thick? I’ve not found it around me (Worcester MA).
    Thank you.

    1. If I wanted solid-wood backboards on which I cut the joinery myself, yes, I would plane it down to 1/2″. Unless I didn’t have a planer, in which case I’d make the shelves 1/4″ narrower (to leave 3/4″ at the back), and move the top rail accordingly, then simply use 3/4″-thick backboards. The case would end up a little heavier, but that’s not a bad thing.

      1. You could try wingscut paneling. That’s usually about a quarter of an inch thick and would probably work except for the final board which you would need to adjust the width with hand plane. Usually you can find them in Lowe’s or home Depot in probably about 36 or 48-in lengths.

  34. I was wondering if you had an online U.S. supplier for the Allback linseed oil paint (or an alternative brand). Lee Valley’s website states that the paint is not available to ship to Colorado. No idea why, but I am having trouble finding another source, especially in the U.S. Thanks.

  35. Thanks again for LAP Open Wire.

    You all have no doubt seen, studied and worked in quite a few wood shops run by highly skilled workers (your own shops included). Any wisdom on ideal flooring or other less obvious elements you have gleaned from your experiences?

    Thanks again.

    1. In my dream shop, the floor is cork. In my actual shop at home the floor is concrete (which sucks), with a horse mat on top of it (which helps). At LAP, it’s oak, which is pretty comfortable to stand on all day when teaching (as long as I’m wearing shoes with good insoles).

    3. My shop is in an old barn with concrete floors that were added later. After putting up with them (cold and hard!) for decades, I installed Dricore Subfloor R+. Very cost effective in my situation. Installation was very easy with the 2′ square panels – I could move equipment around and with anchoring just a few panels, it has stayed in place very well. I did finish the exposed OSB with water based polyurethane which is a bit slippery but not excessively so.

    4. A few years ago I finally replaced the poorly-laid tile with cracking grout in my kitchen. I contemplated cork, which is wonderful, but since I have lots of glass I was worried about the sun’s effect on what is the most-visited room of the house. I chose oak, instead, and am very happy. It has knocks and bumps and that just makes it better.

  36. Go morning/afternoon Chris and Megan,
    After seeing your method to boil/simmer wood in order to bend it, I’m planning to give it a try.
    Is there a formula for determining the radius in relation to the radius of the seat?

    Do you make different forms for different designs or just work with one standard form.
    I’m going to start with crest/combs and progress to arm bows.

    1. The radius for the back of the seat (10”) is the inside radius for the arm. The spring back opens the arms a bit. Every bent arm
      Is a little different.

  37. Hi, is UR preferred finish for yellow pine workbench tops (5″ thick) still a homemade mixture of equal parts boiled linseed oil, paint thinner and spar varnish? Is spar urethane the same & oil based or water based? Thanks for silly newbie Qs . . .

  38. 1/2 inch plywood will work for a steam box I no it won’t last forever. Thanks Wordman, Eddie and the cruisers classic. Oh what about scratch stock profiles from the card scraper stock idk. Also had another thought what about some motivational blogs shit is kinda weird anymore and you’re the one that seems to get through to us. Anyways hope you guys are enjoying the day take care

  39. Hey folks! I saw an article Chris wrote, I’m pretty sure it was some time this year, where he talked about (I think) breaking an armbow during assembling and the process (including big deep breaths and walking away) to repair it. Can you remember what the title was or do you have a link to it?

  41. I’m taking delivery of a Stanley 45 plane from between 1900-1910, today. I’ve heard a vicious rumor that Veritas combination plane cutters will fit the 45.
    True?
    Thanks!

  42. Hi Chris and Megan! I appreciate you doing this. I made 3 of the staked back chair from ADB and am nearing completion. I notice when sitting on the chairs the back two legs have a small amount of flex. Seat is 8/4 poplar and legs are straight grain cherry 1 5/8 in tapered towards the seat and fit with 5/8 tapered tenon. There is no cracking just a little flex side to side. Have you seen this or should I worry something is wrong?

      1. Thank you! Peace of mind restored. Also many thanks for your ability to nudge so many into chair making, I think I am hooked!

  43. Hello to LAP
    The other day you posted that you would be selling the cruicible marking cutter on ebay internationally.
    I clicked the link but it is listed as wont ship to Israel.
    Any idea why?

  44. Just scored a vintage Baldor grinder for $45, have you tried the low heat wheels from Lee valley? I’m sceptical how much difference they make if they aren’t on a low speed grinder.

  45. I’m glueing up the 40” top for the Drinking Table, design book, with 6 or 7 cherry boards. Is it better to glue two or three boards at a time or the entire top at once. I’m inclined to do it in segements but there is occasional woodworking wisdom that escapes me.

    1. I’d probably do it in three steps. Glue up two halves of three boards. Then glue up the two halves. I have glued up bigger panels in one go many times. It’s not my favorite thing to do. Things can go bad quickly.

  46. Chris, I have purchased and watched your sharpening video several times and it is hard to discern just how much, if any, pressure is applied to your ceramic water stones on the up stroke (moving forward). It looks like you lift the chisel on the 1000 grit while moving to the top of the stone, but on the finer polishing stones it looks like you don’t bother and apply pressure in both directions. I put pressure once going forward on my 6000 King stone and gouged it pretty good. Do you ever recommend pressure, either with chisels or plane irons, while sharpening on your ceramic stones in the forward movement?

    1. I try to be sensitive to the medium I am using. Soft stones (like a King or Norton) will gouge if you press down on a corner. Diamond stones and oilstones and hard waterstones (Shaptons especially) don’t care. I am a little more careful on the 1,000 stone, just because I am removing so much material. So it’s more a way of slowing down the process so the secondary bevel doesn’t get huge.

  47. At what point do you consider a chair unsellable? My armbow cracked in two places but it glued up well, reinstalled fine, and with paint is now seamless. When mistakes happen, do you normally repair or remake if the chair’s going up for sale?

  48. I’m having some issues with the Allbäck paint and drying time. Is this just impatience on my part, or can I do something different to speed things up? Painting on kiln-dried white oak, I start with a light coat of boiled linseed and then apply a light coat. After three days the finish looks dry, but isn’t. I set fans nearby to keep air moving. Any other suggestions? Even lighter coats? Cut the paint somehow? Add driers?

    Thanks for the Open Line. This is a great service.

    1. Three days? It should still be tacky in October. Put it in a warm room. Sunshine helps (don’t put it outside in the sun). And wait four more days. I don’t touch mine for a week.

  49. I really enjoyed reading the section-by-section accounting of the Covington Mechanical Library. Did we get through the entire collection or is there more to look forward to? Thanks!

    1. There are a few more sections still to come…it takes me a long time to do those though, and the remaining sections will be challenging, so I need a day with less in it to do it!

    2. Chris’ table now has an oil/wax finish, and it looks a lot better than the lacquer that used to be on it. It needs maintenance, but that’s easy to do. My dining room table has poly on it, and while it still looks good from afar, it feels like plastic. Wish I’d used an oil/wax finish, but that was 20 years ago, so…

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