The rocking horse is a great project for new and experienced woodworkers alike so its perfect for our charity build. If you would like to build along, I suggest downloading the plan today while it is still free. You can also download full-size patterns here.

The second and final video in this series covers finishing and assembly. As with any project, you should always ask yourself if it might be better to pre-finish the parts. Since the rocking horse would be incredibly difficult to finish after assembly and all of our parts are screwed together, pre-finishing was a no-brainer.

I’ll show you some cool tricks for coloring the horses mane as well as how to effectively plug the counter-sink holes (after finishing). Here are some of the tools I used:

Tapered Plug Cutter
General Finishes Gel Stain
BullsEye Shellac

How the Charity Works

For each person who completes a rocking horse (one per person), I am donating $1 to Livestrong. We also have numerous corporate and individual sponsors who are matching my donation. With their help and yours, we are trying to reach our goal of $10,000! If you don’t want to build along you can always donate directly. And if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, please feel free to contact me. 100% of proceeds benefit Livestrong.

When you finish your rocking horse, simply send me a picture and your build will count toward our final tally. All pictures must be submitted by November 14th.

Our Sponsors

Special thanks to our individual sponsors: Erik Gilling, Joseph Buscemi, and Jason Small.

Technically, this is really Part 4 of our Wall-Hanging Tool Chest build, but because I focused so strongly on waterborne finishes and HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure spraying), it received its own stand-alone title.

When I made this project in the Guild, I asked our members what type of finish they would like to see me use. The votes came in and the majority of folks wanted to see a waterborne finish applied via HVLP. So my finish of choice was General Finishes High Performance. I used the Earlex HV6900 to do the spraying and I was thrilled with the results. Even after a couple of year of use in the shop, the finish is still holding up very nicely!

This video serves as a nice introduction to the chemistry behind waterborne finishes, HVLP techniques and spray gun maintenance.

Topics Covered:

• Waterborne finish chemistry
• Glycol ethers
• HVLP
• HVLP Gun assembly/anatomy
• Basic spraying technique
• HVLP gun maintenance
• Bringing more “life” to waterborne finishes

My mom’s house is full of cabinet doors that were made in a Southwestern style and its time for a change. Replacing the cabinets is certainly an option and just replacing the doors alone would work too. But what if we could use our woodworking skills to modify the doors instead. In our situation, this turned out to be the perfect solution. So join me as I show you how to carefully modify and refinish my mom’s hickory doors.

Its all about dye, “Wood Whisperer Style”. My goal with this video is to grossly simplify the confusing world of dyes, while also giving you the knowledge you need to determine the working characteristics of any dye just by looking at the ingredients list or MSDS. We’ll discuss the different types of dyes, how to apply them, and we’ll even get into the chemistry behind water-based finishes and a key family of solvents known as glycol ethers. Knowledge is power!

This video was pulled from the Guild Archive and was re-mastered for your viewing pleasure. If you want to see more DVD quality videos like this one, consider joining the Guild!

Products Used

General Finishes Water Based Stain, Reducer Add some life to your next project with these unique, water based, ultra penetrating stains. Designed to work like solvent-based stains, they feature deep rich tones that enhance the wood grain General Finishes Water Based Stain, Reducer

TransTint® Dyes Concentrated dye solution makes it easy to apply beautiful color to your projects. Dissolves in water, alcohol and oil! TransTint® Dyes

Homestead Powdered Dyes Soluble in water. 1 oz. Because these dyes contain no fillers or extenders, a one ounce packet of dye makes two quarts of stain. Can be applied with brush, cloth or spraying. Color steadfast. Homestead Powdered Dyes

In the final part of this series, I do the final work on the stretchers and then its time for the glueup! The table top gets a special profile as well as a few cable recesses for the monitor and mouse cables. The top is attached via screws in elongated slots, and the counter sink holes are hidden using tapered plugs. Of course, the desk needs a good finish and Arm-R-Seal Stain fits the bill nicely!

Topics Covered:

• Milling the cross-members
• Cross-member joinery
• Small knot repair
• Final leg sculpting
• Sanding methods for cross-grain situations
• Using a special table top router bit
• Attaching the top to the base
• Making elongated screw slots the easy way
• Creating tapered plugs
• The Glueup
• Finishing and Sanding Strategies
• Dust Safety
• Finishing Justification: Color and Sheen
• Pore-Filling Products

Other Parts in this Series
Part 1
Part 2

Resources:
Table Top Router Bit #174-4055
3m 7500 Respirator
A Simple Varnish Finish DVD

My Shop Journal articles for this project:
Trestle Table – Playing with Curves
Trestle Table – The Dreaded Prototype

The base for the advent calendar is made with 1/2″ ply, butt joints and brad nails. Doesn’t get simpler than that! Once the construction is complete, I embark on a journey into the world of faux finishing with a 2-part distressed paint job. Now I know my way around the finish cabinet, but one of my weak areas is acrylic paint. I just never work with the stuff, let alone creating faux finishes. So the best way to learn sometimes is to jump in and do it. And maybe its not too surprising that things aren’t exactly perfect. But with a little elbow grease, the Advent Calendar is now resting comfortable on the ledge in my entrance hallway.

Here’s the paint I used for this project:

General Finishes EF Milk Paints EF Milk Paints are classic interior/exterior acrylic paints suitable for furniture, crafts, cabinets, and outdoor furniture… General Finishes EF Milk Paints

Wanna build along with me? Download the free plans now:
Advent Calendar SketchUp Plan
Advent Calendar PDF Plan

Associated Shop Journal Posts:
Jig For the Advent Calendar
Tiny Door Hinges
More Tiny Door Hinges
Distressed Painted Finish

Other parts in this series:
Advent Calendar Part 1
Advent Calendar Part 2

I have heard countless times that you should never put polyurethane over waxed shellac. From books to magazine articles to forums to DVD’s, the message is always the same. Even the back of the shellac can itself says not to use polyurethane. Now I have always taken the “better safe than sorry” route, simply avoiding regular waxed shellac. But there have been so many occasions where I have heard of people accidentally using waxed shellac under polyurethane with no detrimental effects. And frankly, I have never heard a first hand account of a terrible finishing disaster using this combination of supposedly incompatible finishes. So what’s the deal?

To answer that question, I decided to do a little experiment for myself. I wanted to see if I could find any evidence of a weakened bond between polyurethane and waxed shellac, when the shellac is used in the typical manner as a sealer. My test is simple and completely non-scientific. There are just too many variables at play to answer this question with any real degree of certainty. But my results gave me enough confidence to say that if you are using the finish as a sealer coat (2lb cut or less), I see no reason not to use whatever shellac you have on hand, even if it has wax in it.

This is a topic that I will continue to watch. And hopefully we’ll hear from some folks who have had experiences, good and bad, with this finish combination.

**EDIT** It was immediately suggested that I do a Scotch Tape lift test. I still had the samples in the shop so I jumped in and did a few more tests. Using both duct tape and Scotch tape over a grid work of slices made with an X-acto knife, no lifting of the finish was observed on any of the boards. I even put tape over the area where the epoxy drops were and no lifting was observed there either. These finishes are holding on for dear life!

Products used in this episode:

Zinsser Bullseye® SealCoat™ This is the only sanding sealer you will ever need! It gives depth and beauty to wood grain, and won’t raise or swell the wood grain. 100% wax-free formula dries in minutes and sands easily. Zinsser Bullseye® SealCoat™

Bulls Eye® Shellac Trusted by generations of woodworkers, shellac is a traditional, quick-drying finish that is ideal for antiques and fine furniture. It is durable, non-yellowing and imparts a warm glow to all wood surfaces. Bulls Eye® Shellac

Minwax® Fast-Drying Polyurethane Among the most durable of protective coatings, Minwax® Fast-Drying Polyurethane offers long-lasting beauty on both finished and unfinished wood. Minwax® Fast-Drying Polyurethane

Here’s a great video I thought you guys might be interested in. Its from George Vondriska and the Woodworker’s Guild of America and shows you the basics of airless sprayers. Usually we talk about HVLP here, so getting some info on airless sprayers will give us a more well-rounded understanding of the spray gear we have access to. Hope you like it!

A deep red mahogany finish doesn’t have to be the result of a complicated process. I’ll show you how I use a simple two-step method to revitalize my mother in law’s old beat up rocking char. First, a coat of General Finishes Merlot Water-Based Dye. Second, a coat of General Finishes Brown Mahogany Gel Stain. Its all finished off with a nice satin lacquer topcoat.

Topics Covered:

• Application tips for water-based dyes
• Application tips for gel stains
• The concept of layering colors

Buy These Products and Support the Show:

General Finishes Water Based Stain Add some life to your next project with these easy to use, water based, ultra penetrating stains. General Finishes Water Based Stain

General Finishes Gel Stains Great for achieving clean, consistent color on your projects. General Finishes Gel Stains

The exciting conclusion to Rick’s adventure into the world of lutherie. Rick does an incredible job recovering from his previous, nearly disastrous mistake. He takes us through the final assembly as well as his finishing process, which involves a number of techniques including pore-filling, French polish, and wiping varnish. Congratulations to Rick and a huge thank you for letting me tear up your video footage. I know more than a few folks have been inspired to dive into the wonderful world of instrument-making.

Jump to another part in the series:
Birth of a Guitar Pt. 1
Birth of a Guitar Pt. 2

Music provided by MusicAlley.com:
Jack Jezzro