side table

[nabs]

thanks all! Here is it with the top on - I think I have got away with the proportions despite the aforementioned ****-up on the aprons!

to finish the top you create a 2'' deep taper on each edge of the underside, leaving about 1/4'' on the edge. Quite simple to do really, although while I was paying a lot of attention to the gauge lines on the edge I over ran the one of the lines showing where to stop at the top of the taper. I doubt it will never be noticed (apart from by me!) but a bit sloppy.


the next job is to do the ebonized finish on the legs.
todays top tip is via Cstanford of this forum - I used wood shavings to clean my hands after sharpening (it really works). With hindsight this is a more obvious solution than walking back to the house to wash my hands, but it never occurred to me

PS in preparation for ebonizing the legs I have left a handful of wire wool soaking in pickling vinegar for a week but rather than going black as per Mr Maquires video destructions it has gone sort of dirty brown colour. Am I doing it wrong!?

 

[Bm101]

Not sure Nabs. For derusting at least it's suggested you use white vinegar, don't know if this would make any difference? Vinegar purity? I'm straying into the unknown! Excellent work mate.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It will be brownish in a jar - until it hits tannin. I suspect citric acid might be better - I don't know, I'll try it next time. The acid content of some white vinegars is only 4% (they're often marked "not to be used for pickling" for this reason) - I don't know whether that makes much difference. Try it on scrap if you have doubts. I believe it was Custard who mentioned using tea or oak leaves (or oak apples) to up the tannin.

 

[custard]

in preparation for ebonizing the legs I have left a handful of wire wool soaking in pickling vinegar for a week but rather than going black as per Mr Maquires video destructions it has gone sort of dirty brown colour. Am I doing it wrong!?

No, that's okay. Leave it long enough to settle after filtering and it may well start to go clear, but it'll still do the job.

Incidentally, you may find the initial results are a browny-maroon colour rather than black, but when the finish is applied or even with heavy burnishing it goes black. Here's a piece I ebonised alongside a fully finished sample that shows that pre-finished colour you may get. I'm working outside not because of the staining process, but because the Oak was scorched with a blow torch immediately before ebonising.

 

[custard]

I believe it was Custard who mentioned using tea or oak leaves (or oak apples) to up the tannin.

It's ground up Oak Galls, they give a slightly deeper "blue-black" result than strong tea, but I've done it lots of different ways and tea is fine.

The key thing is that even with Oak you'll need to increase the tannin content of the wood. It's almost as if the tannin evaporates out from the surface of the wood, because freshly cut Oak ebonises well, but Oak that's been sitting around in your workshop is patchy at best.

 

[nabs]

here are the results of my first experiments with ebonizing:

This is with 3 application of the tannin 'tea' and shows the reaction after about 10 minutes (the two paler blotches are where I did not apply any tannin solution). On the bottom I used an iron solution based on apple cider vinegar and the top is based on 6% pickling vinegar. The apple cider reaction was much quicker (despite the wire wool only having had a couple of days to stew) which I suppose must indicate it is more acidic than the pickling vinegar (which had stewed for about 7 days).

Anyhow, although it was still getting darker I could tell it was not going to be good enough. A bit later on I applied a second coating of the tannin solution and while it was still wet added some more iron solution - things are much improved but still not the kind of deep black I hope to get. This is it after an hour (it is still getting darker, I think):

... so I have mixed the sediment from the pickling vinegar into the more promising apple cider concoction and plan to do 4 coats of tannin on the table legs before applying the iron solution. Hopefully this will be good enough, but if not I'll do a second coat.

 

[will1983]

That looks good, quite a transformation! Do you plan to then overcoat it with another product?
An oil over the top would help to darken the finish.

 

[nabs]

yes, the final step is to buff the surface and apply a hard wax oil.

 

[custard]

things are much improved but still not the kind of deep black I hope to get

It's astonishing the difference that a final finish coat (oil, wax, shellac, whatever you're planning) will make. It'll be a much more intense black when that final coat is on. Even burnishing with a coarse rag or a handful of shavings will make a difference.

 

[nabs]

this is what the legs looked like after I had applied 4 coats of tannin solution and then tannin followed by iron solution x2. The one on the right has had a quick rub with a cloth. We'll have to see how it looks with the oil finish on, but it does look quite a deep blue/black even at this stage.

 

[DTR]

That colour is amazing!

 

[nabs]

as predicted by Custard, applying the top coat makes it go a deeper jet black - will post the final result tomorrow when there is better light to take a pic

 

[SteveF]

that is going to look fantastic
looking forward to finished article
Steve

 

[nabs]

bit hard to tell with my crappy camera phone/lack of photographic abilities but following the application of a couple of layers of wax oil the legs are now jet black. Final pic of the finished table tomorrow...

 

[will1983]

Very impressive, just should be very proud.

 

[nabs]

thanks Will.

Here is the finished table - the ebonizing process shows up a few bumps and scratches that were not obvious when the wood was paler, but overall I am pleased with the result.

This is a good beginners project I think - it is straightforward but the simple design encourages you to work as precisely as you are able.

It was also very satisfying to be able to make a useful bit of furniture out of a single piece of rough sawn timber just using hand tools. A good fun project and I learned a lot doing it.

Here is the table next to the one it will replace - I think mine is better, although admittedly I have set myself a rather low bar to jump over

Finally, thanks again to Richard Maquire for the very good table design and excellent video instruction. For others learning on your own, please consider buying some of his videos - I am sure you won't be disappointed.

http://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/pre ... eo-series/

Before pic:

 

[MusicMan]

Very nice work and really well finished.

Keith

 

[DTR]

That looks great, very nicely done =D>

 

[galleywood]

A very nice job.
It looks good just on its own and is set off by your decor.
I have bought the plans from Richard, but not started yet - what you have done will spur me on.

 

[AndyT]

That looks marvellous!

=D> =D> =D>