Chris and I are both working on projects in the shop today – but we’ve reserved time in between chairmaking and dovetails (and both – Chris’s current chair features battens secured in sliding dovetails) to answer your burning Open Wire questions.
You know the drill: Post your woodworking queries below in the comments, and we will answer – and it is much appreciated if you keep the questions succinct. Comments close at around 5 p.m. Eastern.
Do you do anything special to keep sunlight from changing the color of project parts during the course of a build, especially on that may go unfinished for a time?
I don’t. The layer of cells affected by UV is very thin. It can be handplaned off (if necessary) with a smooth plane set for a fine cut. I usually do thgat anyway right before assembly.
Your sources for the antique looking nails you use on your projects?
We use Rivierre forged nails mostly. They are French and can be purchased from Lee Valley Tools, Dictum and directly from the source.
https://forgednails.com/
We also use Tremont cut nails.
https://tremontnail.com/
Good morning and thank you again for hosting this.
A question for Megan. A few weeks ago I think you asked about ScienceFiction stories featuring cats. As far as I can recall no one mentioned The Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith. If you haven’t read it it is well worth a download from Project Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org). I comes complete with the original illustrations from its first publication in Galaxy Magazine
I haven’t read that one –I’ll have a look!
Read it!
For that matter, read any of his work. It has an “epic classic literature” feel I think you’ll enjoy. He based some of his plots on ancient Chinese myth and literature.
–Liz, eternal novice woodworker, science fiction expert
Can Soft Wax go over shellac? I have a cherry table that I would like to add a little color with amber shellac but like the soft wax finish. How about over milk paint?
Thanks.
Shellac is film-building, so the oil won’t penetrate. If I were wanting to add wax to, say, adjust the sheen (dull it to more of a luster), I’d just use a paste wax. Or you can use the oil/wax, but it won’t look any different I don’t think than just buffed wax (’cause that’s all that will remain after buffing).
Milk paint, though – yes. But make sure it’s completely dry – like a week or more dry, not days, and test it first in an inconspicuous area (or better, do a test board if possible). I’ve found with blue milk paints, the oil in the oil/wax lifts out some of the pigment and makes it look a lot more green.
Soft wax contains a lot of oil. So it should be used on porous surfaces, such as raw wood or a milk paint or a stained or dyed surface.
On shellac, use a paste wax such as renaissance wax.
I am finishing out a space for a workshop. In the meantime, my tools will be exposed to varying temperatures and humidity swings. Any tips for minimizing rust or damage to hand tools in these conditions until I can run power and climate control the space? I am located in Kentucky and the humidity has consistently stayed between 70-80% for the last month or so. Thanks for in advance.
Wipe down the surfaces with a light oil. Then wrap them in VCI paper or VCI poly bags. That can keep them fresh for years.
In Campaign Furniture, you mention that Traveling Bookcases often featured wallpaper, felt, or cloth lining on the inside (I love the wallpaper on the bookcase you built, by the way). I haven’t been able to find any more examples of lined bookcases. Can you point me in the right direction? I’m looking for inspiration at the moment. Thanks!
I’m afraid I don’t have any examples in mind right now. Have you searched the archives at Christopher Clarke?
https://campaignfurniture.com/
That’s where most of the best pieces go.
I used linseed oil paint after having success twice before but this time had some flashing. Made the mistake of adding linseed oil (T&T Danish oil) too soon and it softened the paint and got rather gummy making it hard to get the very very thin coat I wanted. After two weeks of not drying I wiped it all off with mineral spirits. Any tips for evening the finish with linseed oil? Using Allback.
I’m afraid I haven’t yet found the magic formula for thinning the paint/thin coats (we’ve been busy with other stuff, so I’ve not painted anything in a while!). I know Heron Paints was trying to find a solution, too – but I don’t think they’ve found the magic bullet either, yet.
Sorry one more if you don’t mind. What are your favorite casters for an ATC? Don’t mind spending a little. Have tile floors. Thanks!!
I like vintage iron ones, like those often found here: https://www.instagram.com/iconicironandoddities/
But if you want a softer wheel, so as not to scratch up the tile, I’ve used these recently, and they seem nice: https://dhcasters.com/3-swivel-caster-w-brake-polyurethane-wheel.html (But I don’t have any long-term use to report)
I found 2 boxes of Tremont 8d clinch rosehead nails at a flea market. Can they be used in place of regular 8d nails or are only good for clinching applications?
I hope so…because I’ve used them a lot! (And nothing has yet exploded.)
Hi Chris. For the Bad Axe panel saw that you recently wrote about, what filing did you choose and what was the reasoning behind the choice? Thank you.
PS. I am guessing that the sliding dovetails mentioned above for your chair setup were done with that saw?
9 ppi crosscut. It’s the most common filing for furniture work.
Good Morning! I finally made it here, with one question.
I have a set of cherry Shaker dining chairs I made from kits, 25 years ago. [Shaker Workshops. They only sell maple now.] They all have tape woven seats. Several of the chairs have wobbly joints — alas! I knew no better and used PVA glue.
Chris said Miller dowels would be good for repair, but I never found details. Could Chris, Megan, or a Helpful Reader tell me a bit more about the process: where to drill, do I need to un-weave the seats, et c.?
Thanks!
I don’t use Miller Dowels to repair wobbly chairs. I usually use them to reinforce a tenon. For repairing wobbly chairs, the only fix I have found is disassembly and cleaning off the majority of the PVA. Don’t remove any wood. Then rough up the tenons with #120-grit sandpaper and reglue with PVA if the joints will go together tightly. If the joints are loose, you can glue shavings around the tenons to beef up the joints.
Sorry I don’t have an easy answer.
I have seen you have a veritas sharpening device ( with the platens and adhesive papers.) I use mine for lapping chisel and plane blades and I’m pretty happy with it, but I don’t think I have seen you do it—is there a down side I haven’t figured out yet or something to watch out for?
(Yes, yes, I know , it it works for me, use it, but I was curious)
We use it occasionally for grinding chores that require a lot of precision, especially for skewed plane blades. It allows us to easily jig up an operation and make it repeatable. I’m sure we could also do this on our dry grinder, but it’s mounted on a post (not a table) so jigging is no fun.
If anyone is looking for a new spoke pointer at a reasonable price you might want to try Pine Creek Industries – https://www.pinecreekindustries.com/wheelwright-tools. I just got one and it seems to work fine. The only caution is it that it is made for a electric drill or drill press and may not work in a brace because of the hexagonal shaft. Price is very reasonable at $38 for a 2 inch model.
Thank you for hosting. I submitted this question in the wrong blog/location a few minutes ago- sorry.
Is there a structural or design reason not to make a stick dinning room table with wedge tenons exposed on the top of dinning tables surface? Simply 4 legs and the top- similar to the base of your stick chairs. Some parameters I was considering 8/4 top 32” wide x 84” long (or shorter) with legs sized to hold the weight etc. I have not found many examples of this so i was wondering if table aprons or some other bracing is necessary for stability? Or am I missing some design/structural element that should also be considered?
Thank you
Staked tables were made like this for centuries in Europe, especially during the middle ages. Typically they would affix battens to the underside of the top to thicken the area where the tenons were. Check out “The Anarchist’s Design Book” (a free download here) for details.
I’m working on my first chair based on the book and videos which I’ve read. I’ve made a few live edge benches for practice using the tapered reamer and tenon like Chris demonstrates and have had good results. However, with my chair seat, the tops of the legs seem too small for the mortise. Should I not sweat it at this point and expect that once I scoop the seat and wedge the leg tenons they will expand enough to fill the mortises? For reference, I’m working from the chair plans the “Build a Stick Chair” video. Keep up the great, inspiring work—I hope to return to my hometown of Cincinnati for a chair class as soon as I can get enrolled in the next one!
Thanks,
Josh
I wouldn’t worry about an imperfect fit as long as the tenons seat. Usually the wedging process fills up any cosmetic gaps. You might want to glue and wedge a test joint in scrap to be sure. Sometimes the gap is caused by the reamer and the tapered tenon cutter not making the same shape.
Hi I can get really straight Australian hardwood dowels for stick chairs in 16mm (5/8”) or 19mm (3/4”). For a 6 stick chair would it be best to get the bigger size and trim them down? Or would the 16mm be OK? It’s my first chair and I am cheating a bit! I have made masts with hand tools so I know I can make round things….
We’ve made lots of chairs with 5/8″ (16mm) dowels. The only reason to use 3/4″ is if you want the beefy look.
Good Morning LAP,
I’m about to build my first Roorkee chair and I’m seeing some “evolution” in the dimensions from the original PW article (October, 2010) through my copy of Campaign Furniture and into (I think I recall) some blog posts. Particularly the thickness of the stretchers. I think the latest was to make them 1 7/16″ thick and leave them as octagons for maximum strength yet you warned making them too thick could be an aesthetic blunder (“elephant trunk instead of the sexy aardvark snout”). Is the 1 7/16″ MOL figure still stand as the recommendation? If so, did you have to expand the width of the leather seat material to accommodate the new (beefier) stretcher? Also, do you still recommend still using leather 7 or 8 ounces in weight?
Thanks in advance,
Brian
Hi Brian,
1-7/16″ octagons are still my recommendation. The leather sizes don’t have to change because of the adjustment. The leather weight is a bit of a variable. Some leathers at 7 ounces are fine. Some are too flimsy. It’s a bit of “you’ll know it when you feel it.” This is what I use now:
https://wickett-craig.com/leathers/oiled-latigo/
In the 8-10 ounce range. Fantastic stuff.
Marie from Old Town said they are ceasing production at the end of the year. Because of that they aren’t taking on any new customers or orders. I missed my opportunity to snag one of their unity shirts. With Joyner coming in the future, would you ever consider making a similar over-shirt?
An overshirt is one of the first items on the list.
Labour & Wait still stocks the Old Town overshirt: https://labourandwait.co.uk/collections/clothing/products/utility-jacket-navy
I have a question on the AWB. I work in my basement in an old house with an undulating concrete floor. I am worries I won’t find a stretch of floor level enough to keep a full sized bench from wobbling. Do you recommend adjustable foot levelers in this situation? If so, what type?
Been there. I don’t have any recommendations on levelers. I’ve always used wedges and blocks of wood and I’ve never had a problem.
Good morning Chris and Megan. I noticed in American Peasant book that Chris used a carbide scraper to do the turning. I’ve had all of 5 classes (taking spindle class) for wood turning and we’ve been using HSS. Curious on your thoughts on carbide vs HSS. I’m too new to have an opinion. Many thanks.
The carbide tools are easier for beginners to use, but they don’t leave as nice a surface. We use them mostly for joinery or getting things to rough shape.
Good morning, Chris and Megan! Did (do) either of you have a preferred way of processing commission pieces? A particular form the client filled out, deposit, checklist of requests, etc.?
Best to you both,
Jake
I don’t really do commission work, other than an occasional tool chest, so it takes only an email to discuss interior wood, color and hardware. And I don’t require a deposit for those. But if I were doing full custom work, I’d ask for 50 percent up front, I think.
Thanks for doing the open wire! It is valuable info for me. I learn a lot just reading through it.
My question is : on the ATC how thick are the parts for the plinth and dust seal and lid? I’m using 7/8 thick pine for the carcass and bottom. Should I use 7/8 for everything?
Use what you can get. Anything between 3/4″ and 1″ will work great.
Hi Chris,
Another Q about clothing, from your old post about mid-century furniture:
Can you tell us about them? My goat-skin pair were second hand (living in Austria they’re commonly available), but I don’t think that is what you meant!
Fionn
I’m afraid that was a joke. There might be artificial lederhosen out there. But I don’t know of any brands to recommend.
Will do, thanks for the tips!!