Choice

This project began as a germ of an idea. My wife took a picture of a rustic door mat she found that was made entirely out of sticks. I had never thought about wood doormats, so I looked online to find some precedent. Turns out, there are many.

Door mats are expensive!

But what caught my interest the most were the prices being charged: typically between $100 and $200 each.

I mulled it over a while to see if I could design something just as durable, yet easy and inexpensive to make. My first thought was to essentially make a miniature version of a deck. The problem here is that I didnt want to have to attach the individual planks with screws, which would look unpleasant. Plus, spacing the boards would be difficult: if they are even slightly askew, it would be blatantly apparent on such a small scale.

After many sketches, I finally came up with an elegant way to build this. It solves the problem of screwing in planks, and allows for expansion and contraction. But the best part: the board cost me $12. The only other supplies needed are two steel rods and 30 flat washers from the plumbing department. Total cost: $24. Ill bet you could sell these for over $100. If you use teak, you could double the price. Hey, why not try making some extra cash?

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kenneth_J_Ellis]Kenneth J Ellis
General Rules for Removing Old Finish
1. Do nothing that will harm the original surface unless the piece is to be painted.
2. If you plan to replace the old finish with a clear type, all old finish must be removed so the new will hold properly.
3. When removing old paint it is not only permissible but acceptable to most collectors that the marks of wear through the years, as well as traces of color from the old paint be allowed to remain so that they will show through the new finish. Traces of old paint add interest to the piece by their variations of color, and are evidence of age. Old paint however, should not be left on in thick patches or blotches.
4. For final cleaning, after using a remover, use a cabinet scraper or knife blade on joints, corners, and angles on flat surfaces. Use steel wool to clean out carvings, turnings, mouldings etc.
5. If the old finish is shellac, you dont need a paint and varnish remover. It can be taken off with denatured alcohol and steel wool.
Selecting Your Paint Remover
Commercial removers are solvents rather than corrosives. They act more slowly on older paints than on new, but they are the only materials that can be used safely. They attack the material such as linseed oils used in paint, or the resins in shellac, varnish, and lacquer. It wont injure a surface by burning it or leaving marks and wont be harmful to glue or raise the grain of the wood. They contain no water and may be used on veneered surfaces without causing the veneer to loosen. When used properly and washed off, solvent-type paint removers leave the surface clean. Dislodging layers of old paint or varnish isnt difficult, but patience, time, and-following the directions on the container are required.
How to Remove Old Finishes
Dislodging layers of old paint or varnish isnt difficult, but it takes patience, time, ans perseverance. Here are some basic directions for using paint remover.
1. Place the piece to be worked on over layers of old newspaper in good strong light, and if possible, with the top surface in a horizontal position. Avoid working in cold temperatures below 68 degrees F--cold slows down the action of removers.
2. Shake the remover thoroughly, pour a small amount into a small can and apply thickly with a full brush in one direction. Do not rebrush.
3. Let the remover stand for a period of from 10 to 20 minutes, or until the paint or varnish lifts.This is indicated by a crinkling of the surface. Do not let the remover dry. If it begins to dry, apply an additional coat and wait for it to act.
4. When the surface covering has lifted, remove it with a dull putty knife that has the corners rounded off. Remove the accumulation of remover and finish and wipe the knife on a piece of old newspaper.
5. Wipe off as much of the remaining finish as possible using burlap squares.
6. Scrub the surface with a small brush dipped in denatured alcohol.
7. Wipe off with several clean cloths.
8. Rub the surface with steel wool dipped in denatured alcohol.
9. Wipe with cloths dipped in alcohol. This not only cleans the traces of remover from the surface but neutralizes its further action. Follow by wiping with clean cloths dipped in turpentine or paint thinner.Then wipe with dry rags. This will remove any remaining wax or silicone polish that may have been used on the finish in the past. 10. Allow to dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours.
Removing Deeply Buried Paints
A deeply buried paint can be removed entirely or partially by a simple procedure. This is paint usually left after you have removed the previous cotes with remover or light scraping. Because its so simple its worth trying.
1. Apply a liberal coat of shellac with a brush and let it dry for at least 24 hours.
2. Use the remover as previously directed. All or part of the buried paint will come off with the shellac. Be sure all traces of the remover is gone and the surface is completely dry before applying a new finish.
"visit http://www.kewoodworking.com "
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Remove-Old-Finish-From-Furniture&id=6687448] How to Remove Old Finish From Furniture

Mere Minutes:





Wow! Look at all the WWMM projects Dan has made:

• Drew Shorts mallet 
• Brian Grellas mallet
• John Heiszs mallet
• Jon Peters mallet

Heres a quick little jig that Bill Wilson (the Cajone king) made for centering dowel holes on the edge of a board. Just two dowels and a hole all lined up. Place the dowels on each side of an edge and drill through the center hole. Voilà!

If you are a Sketchup user (if you arent, you really should give it a try) heres a very detailed plan for the 10 Cent Labyrinth drawn up by Wood Chuck Bruce. Im always amazed at the work people are able to do with Sketchup. Thanks Bruce!

******

Speaking of puzzles, Timothy Sluder sent over this one. I am definitely going to make one of these. I think Ill need to actually build one before I can wrap my brain around how it works.


Not only that, heres a plan:

There is one week left to enter the Mere Mortals video contest. Lots of time to submit your video!

Take a look at the entries so far. If you see any you like, leave them a comment and "like" their videos. Everyone likes a little feedback!

*****
Mere Minutes

 

 

This past Sunday I spent like most Sundays.

Doing laundry. Then, doing more laundry. Oh, and also ironing. Lets not forget that.

However, in between all my domestic responsibities, I was also able to fit in one of the many tasks on my never ending to do list. I was able to finish lining the drawers of a furntiture piece I recently completed. Yay! Ok, this was not really an exciting task, but I got it done.

A couple of weeks ago, I finished a dresser/buffet in a finish I call Two-Toned Glam. The piece came out beautifully in the end, but it had given me little fits here and there. Just little things. For intstance, I talked in an earlier post about having to deal with water marks that had popped up.

Another minor, but nevertheless so very annoying, problem with this piece was a drawer which had a stain. From time to time, I will have a great piece to refinish that may have stains or marks inside the drawers. And, because most of my pieces I sell at my Etsy shop, I want to be sure they go to my customers in good shape. Sometimes, I can clean away marks. Other times, I may need to sand them away. On this piece, however, the stain was too deep and superficial sanding would not work.



So, my favorite, and by far the easiest, fix for imperfect drawers is lining them with adhesive cork.


This brand I purchase right at Home Depot.
It gives a clean and natural look and for drawers that could see a lot of wear, it is very durable. It also "naturally resists mold and mildew, as well as, cushions and protects"...that there is right off the label!

First, I measure the length and width of the drawer. Oh, and take out the drawer to make it easier...which I, of course, did not yet do in this picture.