We had some serious trouble with Ustream and almost canned the show. But just as we were about to log off, Ustream started working again. So the result is an abbreviated show featuring voicemails, audio segments, and Sweet Deals. Enjoy!

Sweet Deals:
Earlex SprayStation 5000 – $269 at Highland Woodworking

Digital Protractor at Lee Valley $13.99

Peachtree USA: 15% off any internet order with the code wood09. Expires 10/31

Woodworkers Source: use coupon code WOOD448 to get $10 off your first order.
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It Came from the Forum:
Comfort Wipe: Why Didn’t I Thing of That?

Voicemail:
We receive a ton of voicemail this week. Listen to hear them all!

Tom’s Tip (TomsWorkbench.com): Ask your lumber dealer to show you his shorts!
Kari’s Tip: (Village Carpenter): A use for those little magnifying glasses.

This video is from a live demo I did on Wed. Nov 19th, 2008. The topic was staining blotchy woods. After the demo, I’ve included a portion of the Q&A from the chat room. Thanks to everyone who participated!

I am trying to finish maple to a brown appearance. I am using a dewaxed shelac as a sanding sealer and this imparts a slightly amber tone to the wood and when I apply the col. maple gel stain I get an orange tone wood instead of the brown I would like. Is there a method that you use to obtain a brown tone finish instead of the orange one I am getting.

And here was my reply:
“Hey Darin. What cut of shellac are you using? You just might be sealing the surface a bit too much, so you aren’t getting the color change you should be. Also, be sure to use a blonde shellac since that emparts little to no color at all. Do a few tests on scrap to find what works for you. I would probably recommend a 1/2lb cut to a 1 lb cut. Now if that stain still isnt dark enough, then you might want to move to a darker gel stain. The gel stain will sit on the surface more and will allow you to more effectively change the color without depending on stain absorption. Rockler has a great selection of gel stains that I use frequently. Also, if you have a spray setup, you could always use a dye mixture to get a nice even brown color. Let me know if you need more info on that method. ”

For those of you who don’t know, maple is a tricky wood to stain. It tend to absorb stain unevenly which leads to a blotchy look. By pre-sealing the wood with shellac, you can even out the color absorption. This is exactly what Darin was trying to do.