October redwood update

As promised a new update on the outdoor redwood cabinet display.

The open space is for the under-counter refer. The picture does not do this product justice. I must say the epoxy top is a challenge. I'm not convinced it is the best way to go but it is a beautiful product. I'm still working on the best answer. The cabinets are a done deal with many possible options. They are no difference than a redwood deck with a quality deck finish.

Next step is the cabinet back & bar. It will attach to the cabinet backs and be 6" above the cabinet top with an 11" bar on top of it. A typical bar stool works perfectly.

Look for my next post

Jim

Wood Finishing Tips

First and foremost is material preparation. Always make the extra effort when you sand. I know it is not the fun part but it will determine the end result. Sanding has two to three stages depending on your starting and ending point. Most material comes with a planned surface. This is cut with knives to create a smooth surface but will create chips, rough spots and does not take a finish well.

With a planned surface I start with an 80 grit to create a flat surface. I use a drum sander to achieve this but a flat block can achieve the same. Next is a 100 grit to smooth out the surface. When I use an oil/ wax finish I may stop here. I usually stop at a 120 grit for a stained surface. There are some who will take it all the way up to a 180 grit for very fine finish products such as furniture.

Never use a palm sander for finish as it will leave little hook marks that will show up when a stain is applied. Use an orbital sander instead. Some confuse a palm and orbital sander. The motion is different and so is the finish. Palm sanders are light weight and easy to use just don’t finish with them. These sanders allow you to use lower grit paper. Same with a vibrating sander.

In the past kitchen cabinets were my main products. After an 80 and 100 grit on my drum sander I finished up with a 120 grit using a vibrating or orbital sander. The stains looked great on this surface. I would always finish up with a sealer coat of lacquer and two finish coats of lacquer. The customers were always very happy with this finish. Keep in mind lacquer is a finish of convenience. There are many, more durable finishes, most take 24 hours to dry between coats and usually must be applied with a brush.

Below are a few products I make for B2B sales. All these products are handmade with redwood. The orange oil/beeswax and patina lifetime finishes are easy to use, safe natural products. You only need a rag and or a bucket. Contact me for more information, I am always happy to share.

Orange Oil Beeswax Finish

Completed Cigar Box

Redwood Deck Stain 

Patina Water Base Finish 

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Keeter Manufacturing "the kee to quality"

It's a good thing we wised up and became an environmentally conscious nation. Protecting old growth timber was essential for so many reasons. Most importantly it would have been gone by now. In woodworking this did have a dramatic affect on the quality of lumber. Especially in redwood my primary material.

I have established a standard process for all lumber that comes into my shop. Clear lumber simply is not available today. The old saying "you don't see trees without limbs) is a fact. More importantly regrowth timber is not on the stump nearly long enough to generate clear lumber. It take hundreds of years to achieve this (old growth timber). Today's forest is more like a farm with a long term crop of about 50 years. My solution is as follows:

First is the inspection of the raw material (standard dimensional lumber from the mill)
Glue loose knots if they have a proper appearance
Run all lumber on every side through a drum sander shown next

A double drum sander uses a coarse sanding on the
 front roll and a finer sanding on the second roll. The
result is consistent sizing and surface

Feed the Beast

    

Consistent sizing and surface

Every edge is sanded

Lumber ready to be custom cut. All unacceptable defects are cut out.
When lumber is prepared in this manner the stain penetrates to
achieve a superior finish.

We stain each piece individually to assure every square inch
of the part is coated. We then assomble the components.

This is the basic process within our shop. Having worked with hundreds of thousands of lineal feet I know that lumber just is not sized consistently. My process assures proper fit and finish of everything we do. Gazebos, Pavilions, Decks or even our small products like a portable table.

As I mentioned in the beginning, The Process makes all the Difference.