Wood Movement on a Chess Board? – Viewer Question
This Viewer Question comes from Reggie who writes:
“Marc, first thanks for the wonderful website!!! Second, I am relatively new to woodworking and have a question about wood movement on a chess board I am building for my son. My choice of woods are 3/4″ hard maple with a very little curl, and walnut. My procedure so far was to face and edge joint, thickness plane, and saw 4 2″x 25″x 9/16″ sections of each wood. I then edge glued them to each other using Titebond II. Next was to cross cut the piece into 2 inch sections and flip every other section to give me the checkerboard pattern and re-glue. I have just finished hand planing one face perfectly flat. Now I want to edge/frame the board with mitered 3″ sections of walnut.”
“Now the problem. I currently live in Louisville, Ky but my son lives in Southern Louisiana. I know without a doubt that the climates are VERY different and I need to account for this, but how? He has taken to playing chess with his friends and I know that it would be very appreciated by him, so I don’t want to mess this up! The only advice I have been given is to glue the board I have made so far to some 1/4 inch plywood. Cut a slot in the mitered frame and let the board float in it. Would this work or do you have a better idea? Also, will Titebond II be good enough to hold the walnut through expansion when glued end grain to end grain on the corner miters (I don’t have a biscuit joiner and working for the military doesn’t allow me to afford one right now.) To sum up … HELP!!!!!!!!”
And my response was:
Hey Reggie. I am glad you emailed me BEFORE framing the board. I made a board almost exactly like this one. And I still have it today. I have it as an example of what NOT to do with your projects, lol. I didn’t know too much about wood movement at the time and surrounded the board with a frame anyway. Big mistake. I have posted a video that highlights my mistakes with this board.
Anyway, the idea about the plywood will work, but only if you glue the chess board to the ply at the center. If you glue the whole thing down, you aren’t allowing the wood to expand and contract. So a little glue at the center would be all you should do. Now this plywood trick is a slightly less elegant (but simpler) way to do what I would recommend. What I would do is cut a groove around the perimeter of the chess board. Cut a similar groove around the frame pieces. Then use strips of ply as splines that are cut just short enough to allow some movement all around the board (or at least the two sides that run with the grain). But the fit in terms of thickness of the strips and width of the groove is such that the board doesn’t wobble around. This will allow the chess board to move within the frame. Like I said, a different way of accomplishing the same thing that was recommended to you. But no big piece of ply involved.
And there aren’t many choices beyond that. One way or another, you need to allow the wood to move. And you could always get creative and suspend the board inside the frame using a dowel at each end, and cutting the holes a little extra deep to allow for movement. Kind of like the table top on my end table from a while back. But that completely changes the look. You could also cut your solid stock into veneer, and glue that down to a stable substrate as a method of eliminating wood movement. Something to consider. As for Titebond II, that should be strong enough assuming you have tight fitting joints and good pressure, and its a relatively light duty piece. Hope that helps and good luck!
80- Nicole’s Picture Frame
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About 4 days before Christmas, I started making a nice little picture frame for a custom piece of art I had made up for Nicole. A gift for a special girl requires some special wood. So I pulled out my best sheets of curly maple veneer and a couple of sheets of home-sawn afzelia wood (thanks for link Logan!) that I received from David Marks. You may find it odd that I decided to use solid maple as the substrate for the frame. I thought this would be a fun experiment, and when the rabbets are cut in the back, there won’t be any unsightly ply to look at (not that it matters that much). Small projects like this are just a great place to experiment with techniques and materials you might not normally use. All the extra effort pays off in the end when the finish hits the wood. KABLAM!!!! The wood just comes to life!
And here are a few still shots of the frame. Its on a yellow wall which isn’t exactly the best background. Some day I will take it down and get some really nice shots.
I didn’t really cover the finishing method in depth, but its the same wiping varnish system I always use. Specifically, its the one outlined in my DVD, A Simple Varnish Finish.
Blanket Chest – Viewer Project
This week’s project comes from Keith in Virginia. Let’s check it out:
“Hey Marc! I wanted to show you a few pictures of my first completed piece of what I guess you’d call “casework”. I made this blanket chest as a gift for my brother-in-law and his soon-to-be bride. It’s made out of rift sawn and quartersawn white oak. The dimensions are 42″L x 21″W x 20″D. This project was a first for me using many different techniques. It’s the first breadboard lid I’ve made, as well as the first time I’ve attempted a frame-and-panel case. I used aromatic red cedar planks, purchased from Home Depot as “closet liner”, to line the box. These were applied with 3/4″ brads.”
“I started the finishing process by applying a liberal coat of Transtint’s Dark Mission Brown, mixed in distilled water. After a light 320 grit sanding, I applied a coat of dewaxed shellac. From there, I wiped on a thick coat of General Finishes walnut gel stain. I let it sit for a couple of minutes, then wiped it off with a clean cloth. After another light sanding, I applied three coats of General’s Satin High Performance topcoat, rubbed with 0000 steel wool between coats. A couple of coats of paste wax later, and this is where it’s at.”
“My wife loves it and has mentioned a couple of times already that her brother will never know that they didn’t get their “original” gift. :-) I guess I’ll be making another one of these soon. Thanks for looking!”
Multi-Use Tablesaw Jig
I was in the chat room recently when FLWoodRat (AKA Bruce Somers) posted his multi-use tablesaw jig. I thought it was a great concept, and one that could be built upon for a woodworkers individual needs. Here’s what Bruce had to say about it:
This jig can be built to any size and out of any materials you have sitting around the shop. Be creative and personalize it with some special wood. I used some scrap TEAK for the right hand push block. The face of my jig is approximately 10 inches tall and 19 inches long. The back risers and base are approximately 6 inches wide. The gap between the base and the runner is sized to span my TS Fence with zero clearance.
Bruce has adapted the jig for cutting tenons, raised panels, and even splines. Seems like the jig is living up to its name. For a more detailed review of the jig and its construction and use, feel free to download Bruces original PowerPoint file: Multi-Use Tablesaw Jig. I am curious what things you guys might do with this jig to make it even more versatile.
Scott’s Basement – Shop Tour
Walking through the shop taking pics for a shop tour submission, I ended taking some video and threw them together as a quick shop tour. In the video I misspeak a couple of times and miss some details so I will include some of these details and corrections. The basic dimensions of the shop are 12′x24′. Power for the shop is a 30 Amp 220V (in the video I misspeak and say 30 Amp 220 Amp) this handles all the power for the shop except for lighting which is run from the main circuit box. Lighting is five 4′ fluorescent fixtures.
For dust collection I have a Harbor Freight ‘2HP’ dust collector and a box fan that I tape furnace filters on as a air cleaner.
I use flexible 4″ hose run one at a time to each machine, I hope sometime in the future to find a way to run some 5″ dedicated lines around the shop but the low ceilings are a problem with clearance.
The large tools in the shop are:
Craftsman Hybrid 10″ table saw
Harbor Freight 14″ band saw
Harbor Freight 12″x36″ lathe
Craftsman 12″ drill press
Dewalt 12″ chop saw
Harbor Freight mortising machine
Delta 12 1/2″ Planer (called it a 12″ in the video)
General International 6″ jointer.
I also have a fairly full complement of Craftsman, Makita, Milwaukee, and Porter Cable, power hand tools. As well as a smattering of older/cheaper hand tools.
My workbench is about 8 years old and needed some shoring up and I am always looking for add more storage to the shop, so I recently added some pegboard and some 1/4″ ply to the back to stiffen the frame up some. This lets me add places for extension cords, drills, air guns, etc…. On the back of the bench I have put my chisels and layout tools, we will see how well things stay there with me hammering on the bench.
Heating during the winter is handled by a kerosine heater and a couple of electric heaters. I will generally use the kerosine heater to get the shop up to a comfortable temp then rely on the electric heaters to maintain the temp. Cooling in the summer is shorts and a couple more box fans.
Mahogany Crib – Viewer Project
This week’s project is submitted by Dale in California. Let’s see what he has to say:
“Hi Marc, here are some pictures of a crib I built for my first grandson. I am very new to woodworking and this was my first woodworking project ever. It was very ambitious but when I volunteered to make one I couldn’t back out. It was a lot of fun and I learned tons. It is made of African Mahogany, my wife picked the wood, I wanted oak but am glad we used mahogany. Everyone who sees it just loves it. Thought you might like it too. I am doing some remodeling to our house and I am doing all the trim work and am even thinking of building all the cabinets and even some furniture. Thanks, I really enjoy your website and have learned quite a bit from it.”
Video Update 2/2/09
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A quick update on the latest products and services here at TheWoodWhisperer.com.
Our Schwarz shirts are in! These shirts feature a cool image of Popular Woodworking’s Chris Schwarz and the phrase, “May the Schwarz be with you.” The shirts also feature the Wood Whisperer logo on the back. We have the highest respect for Chris’s writing and craftsmanship. Fortunately, he also has a great sense of humor. So pick up your very own Schwarz shirt today!
We recently added some new features to our live page, including two new windows where you can choose from nearly 20 live stream shop cams. Check it out on our Live Page.
On Jan. 1st, The Wood Whisperer Guild officially launched and we are very pleased with the response so far. If you’re looking for more Wood Whisperer episodes and live demos, as well as great standing discounts with woodworking supply vendors, you have to check out The Wood Whisperer Guild.
We finally set up a video release schedule. You can find that and other important events listed in our new calendar. And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Filling Cracks When Turning? – Viewer Question
This week’s question comes from Skip who asks:
“I have some beautifully figured fruit wood (apricot) that I want to turn. There are a couple of cracks/checks in the piece. What should I use to fill the checks that will both look the same as the piece and not finish differently if I use oil? BTW- I believe the checks do not present a safety problem when turning.”
And this was my response:
Let me preface this by saying that I am a self-confessed utilitarian turner. Wow, that’s a mouthful. In other words, I only turn when I need to. So this is my best advice and hopefully other people with more turning experience than I will chime in.
“Hey Skip. It kind of depends on the thickness of the cracks. Many times a little medium to thick CA glue will do the trick. But more substantial cracks will require more attention. Turning cracked/checked pieces always makes me a bit nervous. So don’t forget the face shield.” :)
“Now there are a couple issues. First, even if the cracks seem pretty stable, they may not be if you start turning them as is. So you might consider filling them ahead of time with something like epoxy. Epoxy will hold the piece together as it seeps down into the cracks. The problem here is that epoxy is not going to look like wood, right? So, the only thing I can see you doing is carefully turning the piece down to the near finished dimensions. Then proceed with the filling as one of your last steps. I recommend using a good quality stainable filler. Just about anything else will show itself when the oil finish is applied. There are fillers out there, however, that will take stain/finish very closely to the natural wood, and will do a decent job. Timbermate makes the best filler I have ever used and was recommended to me by Charles Neil.”
“Now keep in mind, the filler will never look perfect. So sometimes its best to embrace the cracks/checks as part of an unique turned item, instead of trying to hide them. Otherwise, they could very well be an eyesore forever. All this is assuming these checks and cracks are not just hairline. If they very small, you can usually just use a little CA glue and some sawdust as a filler. Again, not perfect, but decent. I hope that helps a little.”
Computer Table – Viewer Project
This week’s project is submitted by Dustin. Let’s see what he has to say:
“OK, so the story is I scored two great deals from two different guys and was able to stock a good amount of Maple and lots of other various wood. I put it aside and dreamed of lots of fun projects. We are expecting a baby, so this is the perfect opportunity to re-arrange everything. My wife decides we need the computer in the bedroom, not the living room, so the Ikea table won’t work anymore. She wants to get a desk from Target, and now that I have delved into the world of woodworking, badly connected particleboard is no longer a value for $120. So I say “I’ll build you a table” – she agrees. I begin to mill the stock and while I am admiring the beautiful grain (which was clearly visible only after planing and jointing the rough surface) my wife declares she wants the table to be painted black! I understand matching the other furniture, but to paint something so beautiful. Well, I allowed her to let me finish, and then see.”
“On to the actual construction details. I started by cutting the legs. They are double tapered, cut on the bandsaw, and then jointed and sanded. In hindsight, I’ll skip the jointer and tackle the tapers with just the sander. I did use my belt sander to finish the shaping. The construction of the frame is basic mortise and tenon for the aprons. One of the apron pieces had an interesting effect where a bug had bored a few holes, making what I thought was a beautiful accent. I decided to use this piece on the front, I figured that it added to the individuality. I cut the mortises first with a drill press followed by bench chisels. Then I cut the tenons with a dado blade on the table saw. I glued up the frame, sanded to 220, and started on the top. I had a rather large, wide (11.5″) piece of Walnut. Jointed the edges and glued it up. Used a scraper to clean up the glue line, and cut the top to size. I rounded the edge over with the router and a 1/4″ roundover bit. I sanded the top and then attached it to the frame with figure 8’s.
“The finish is two coats of tung oil followed by two coats of clear poly, all with steel wool sanding in between. Once I was done, the wife did not demand a black paint job. In fact she is now on my case about starting a matching dresser.”
Natural Looking Finish? – Viewer Question
This week’s question comes from Eric who asks:
“I’ve got a finishing question….I bet you get tired of hearing that! I have your Go-To Finish DVD and it is definitely top-notch…excellent work. I have started using the Arm-R-Seal and I agree that it is a great product. My question stems from the need for protection on wood furniture, especially on the table I am building, but I really prefer the way wood looks raw, right before putting on finish. As I understand, Arm-R-Seal is a pure wiping varnish, so it is technically a clear finish. However, there is no denying that even this clear finish really changes the look of the raw wood (makes it darker like when you wet the wood). Do you have any suggestions as to how I can provide some good protection for the wood without really making it much different than the light, soft look of the raw wood?”
And this was my response:
Hi there Eric. Thanks for the kind words. So we have two issue to discuss here: film thickness and color. Any oil-based product is going to give the wood some kind of an amber color. So if your goal is to keep the wood as natural-looking as possible, you might want to avoid oil-based products. What you want to go for is a finish that is known as “water-white”. This means that when it dries on the surface of the wood, it won’t bring any color to the party. Just about any water-based finish fits into this category. There are also water-white lacquers that work very well. One of my all-time favorite finishes is Sherwin Williams CAB-acrylic lacquer, which imparts little to no color to the wood.
But remember, if you put enough coats on, even a water-white finish can look “unnatural”. So you want to avoid a super thick film. Also, you will most definitely want a finish with flatteners in it, so a satin or matte finish would be appropriate. If it shines, it won’t look natural either. The key for you Eric is to experiment on scrap. There are a lot of variables at play here like the type of finish and the number of coats, so some experimentation is in order. Good luck!
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