A few of my current woodcraft projects

Someplace just to show that reel collectors do have a life
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Mike N
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A few of my current woodcraft projects

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1. My wife's best friend wanted a sushi serving table. I made her one with wood I cut with my Stihl chainsaw.






2. I'm working on a massive 11'x4' dining room table made from three rough cut sugar maple slabs. Two of the slabs show the holes from the sugar taps.



3. The project I finished today is a simple, but beautiful walnut slab bench built for a friend's pond.

Last edited by Mike N on Sat Sep 12, 2015 3:48 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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john elder
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Re: A few of my current woodcraft projects

Post by john elder »

Really nice, Mike! Love the looks of that spalted maple, although it can be a bear to work with. Were there any "spongy" areas you needed to epoxy or how did you finish it?

Ps....do you have a chainsaw mill or a buddy with one...or how did you make those big slabs?
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Mike N
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Re: A few of my current woodcraft projects

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Thanks, John.

My buddy has a chainsaw mill and cuts the slabs. You have to use a ripping chain.

After much trial and error, my finishes are always the same:

1. Sand to 220 grit.

2. Two coats of the most expensive Tung Oil I can find.

3. Sand lightly.

4. Finish with three coat of the best polyurethane I can find. Sand between each application. I like a high gloss finish and my wife likes the softer satin finish.

5. The key is to pay $5 more for pure tung oil, which I order on line.

One last thing: to keep the "live edge" on the slab (like the walnut bench) for some reason the tree must be felled in the dead of winter for the bark to stay on.
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Midway Tommy D
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Re: A few of my current woodcraft projects

Post by Midway Tommy D »

:cool Those are some neat finished projects, Mike. Thanks for letting us see them.

Years ago I stayed in a resort on Lake Of The Woods that had cut down a dozen or so big pine trees around 18" in diameter. They cut the trunks about 40" above the ground, then at around 15 -16" of the ground they cut horizontal, sloping slightly down toward the back about 2/3 of the way across. At that point they cut vertically at a slight angle back from the top down to the horizontal cut. End result being rooted natural chairs with sloped seats and backs on the ridge overlooking the lake. Neat looking! I never got back to see how long they lasted before the roots rotted away and they tipped over, though, but they were cool!

Tom
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Mike N
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Re: A few of my current woodcraft projects

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Here are a few updated photos of the 11'x4' sugar maple dining room table. After orbital sanding with 220 grit I applied one coat of high quality pure Tung oil (9 more to go). The small hole in the third picture is from a 50+ year sugar tap.

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Mike N
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Re: A few of my current woodcraft projects

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Maple flower vase with pure Tung oil finish.
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Mike N
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Re: A few of my current woodcraft projects

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For those that asked, here is the "pure" Tung oil I bought on line from Lee Valley. Takes a bit longer to cure, but it's worth the wait.
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john elder
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Re: A few of my current woodcraft projects

Post by john elder »

Love it! Nice vase, Mike!
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Re: A few of my current woodcraft projects

Post by RAM »

Nice work Mike. I used tung oil early in my doings and after 50years some pieces still retain a nice color and luster. Found that Johnson's paste wax is a good finish as well and seals nicely. I use lemon oil to freshen up pieces from time to time.

Keep up the work! Bad Bob
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