Smallpatch

Don't go by plans so as I get so far along my little mind starts to think... How to make this one a little different and it worked for it sold the first day of the sale. I had got so interested in putting hot rod wheels on this baby I almost forgot to add the hour hand.

Yes sir I even got so low to add some green color to my small router. Makes me feel so much better.

Hey Sherri. This guy was flying so fast I couldn't make out the other colors.

You can't have them cause we already got them for our state bird.

I think this will be a red bird when it is finished. Prepared the wood Sat. then the pattern went on Sunday then scroll sawed him out and today I have got this far and already changed some thoughts on what I want or don't? When I worked for the public the customers had to be happy. So I never had any extra time to build for me! Wife had me to enlarge the red bird for her stained glass making so that was the reason---- for me to do something for the house is dark and dreary when I am alone. First picture is after I had glued up some one inch maple and installed a backing board, put clear packing tape on the wood, sprayed the tape with contact cement and sawed him out. The backerboard comes off before I start sawing the bird apart? I like to use Scotch Brand shipping tape for it keeps the wood ready for the next step and I don't have to remove sticky glue here and there like Duck brand does. After I cut the bird out I then decided to use the big angle air grinder I normally use when working with metal and since I use a little oil to keep the grinder in good shape, I have to use a diaper on the exhaust so I don't get it on the wood..And if I kept my shop in perfect order I would know where I put the exhaust hose for the grinder. But I only use that when grinding wood with it. If a person gets sawdust all over his clothes that means he is getting something done with the wood and then I have to use the air compressor on my clothes or else wife won't let me in the house..And that reminds me I have read where guys won't use 0000 steel wool on their projects for after they put the clear finish on they are seeing steel wool trapped under the clear. Well duh!!!! This story reminds me If some ask me what I think a person needs before anything else if he wants to start woodworking I tell-um the very first thing they should get for their wood working shop is an air compressor and if they can't afford a compressor then take up sewing or knitting. I have learned over the years. So for this property I dug a few hundred feet of trenches and buried some pvc pipe so we have air from my shop to wife's shop and down to the dock.......And this was done before we had a house, her shop or the dock and as I was putting up the forms for the concrete floor for my shop I dug the ditches and all the pvc was ready for air. And also I put a hose line on a pole on the property line as my brother in law was moving from California and no, he did not own an air compressor This was not a spur of the moment brain storm for the was the fourth place we owned so I did lots of thinking before any kind building was started. But for someone just fixin to build a shop it has to have a commode and a sink and air lines under the concrete. And while he is spending money go ahead and put in some electrical plugs out in the middle in a few places. I have a big air compressor outside in a little shed which gives more room for me to roam around looking for something to build. After all the pieces are sawed out I number them so by the time I'm ready to put glue on I might remember where a few pieces go.. But a person don't have a lot of time to sit there and guess what goes where so after I have sawed the pieces apart I add the same numbers on the bottom. Also I use a marks- so- lot and mark all the bottoms or else one can start carving the wrong side, Which has happened a few times back yonder. A much faster way to lower the wood around the object is to use a band saw and slice off 1/4 to 1/2" off the top but my saw will only give me 10 inchs of clearance so the next best thing is a powerful grinder so I can hog the unwanted wood to the floor. And don't forget some wood is too soft for this kind of grinding. While I'm here, If I didn't have a sink in the shop putting all these colors on these Christmas thingies would take 10 times longer if I had to go in to the house and clean things so I could change colors. My sink goes out side to a climbing bush of some kind but the commode goes to the septic. I think I have few more days before the red goes on the bird!!!!

Thats great. Now explain step by step. People will be able to understand pictures. When you post all these words and charts most of us don't quite understand how things are done in the finishing and refinishing world. smallpatch

kmealy, show us some of your work .I like what someone said sometime ago, if there are no pictures, it didn't happen.

I think I can show how thin of a stain of dye can be put on the wood and I don't ever have to use anything else to prep the wood as some suggest. The air brush has lacquer thinner or acetone to be used with a small amount of stain or dye or what ever one wants to call it. I have never prepped the wood with shellac or any type of oil and don't have any idea why I would want to. The changing of color tones or darkness depends on the amount of stain or the many times I shoot the thinned down mixture on to the wood. Gerald the different tone I want the wood to be depends on how thin the mixture is in the air brush. My changing of the wood color takes different routes to accomplish my desire.. these clocks wood grains were used with kids water colors and the actual wood is the original color. This clock was air brushed using a light blue stain then when that dried I used 220 sand paper to take the blue off the high grounds with the original color of the wood to show through. I was wanting this clock to look like it had been cleaned many times and in the process the original finish has disappeared on the much rubbed areas. Next picture, this cabinet had a light wood color stain applied everywhere then to protect that from changing color I shot some clear gloss lacquer and let it dry. If this is not done the next step will darken the wood too much. Next day I mixed up some darker wood filler, oil base is all I will ever use and this time I did use a rag or a brush to put a coat on everything then rubbed most all of the filler off....Then with my bare hands I started rubbing the filler in to the ash open grains. I keep on rubbing with my hands and in a while I will get the open grain full of dark wood filler.. This is the only way to use a wood filler. When finished pushing the filler in and wiping my hands of excess filler I will have filled the open grain up where no deep open grain is showing.. Soon I will have the rest of the wood still the same shade but the grain will be much darker than original. Since I used the oil base wood filler I can not start spraying a clear Rustoelum 2X or Lacquer for a few days to give the wood filler a chance to dry. This cabinet is a perfect example of filling the grain and leaving the wood the exact color the customer wanted. I use no varnish, or shellac or any of the stuff that was used 100 years ago.. Science has moved woodworking up to now so why keep using what granddad use to use. The last picture is how I use some of the dyes or stains in very small amounts just to change tones but still lets the wood grain still show. I use maple and ash wood most of the time. Gordon I believe you saturated the wood with what ever and the excess had to go somewhere.

I forgot the frame that was used southern yellow pine

I kept adding flowers to this pole so I thought putting it on a turn table would make it easier to turn around for all the flowers are different !! I also think a person should use his own thoughts as to what he needs to build. Its still wet or else I would have it under the pole of flowers??

How are you putting it on the wood. I use an air brush and thin my stains where I can ease up on the darker shade I am after.. If it needs to be darker just keep adding more stain a little at time. If you are putting your stuff on with a rag or a brush then that is your problem. This is how finishing wood was done many moons ago. I am not telling anyone how to do things but I do believe most chores have gotten better with time and a person don't have to keep doing it the antique way. My way might not be the best way but check out some of my things here under smallpatch. Just remember you did ask for help.

More of the frame and finish.

I think the frame matches up to the famous painting. This is the load of yellow pine that came off of the neighbors new deck that warped badly in the 30 days or so. A die stain with 2 X over the wood....And like I said no blotching if applied right even if its yellow pine.

I just now put a couple of coats of clear on the frame and when it is about 30 degrees outside you need to be a little careful. I will add a few more coats after lunch.