Search the Community

Was looking to buy some more GF Enduro-Var and remember that Wal*mart is carrying their finishes now and is both closer and might be less expensive. Not so fast. (all have free shipping) Walmart Gal Gloss Enduro-Var Current Price $99.95 (but I could have sworn it was $120 a couple of days ago!) Rockler $99.99 Gallon RocklerPro $89.99 Gallon Woodcraft $102.50 Amazon $89.99

Well for several weeks I have posted some pictures of this chest and I am happy to report to you that it is finished. Just a recap. Started with a visit to the Wood Stash and hand picked some of the best looking Cherry Boards from the stack. Cut them to size, ran them across the jointer and then through the planner. I then took the cherry boards and edge glued them together to make the panels for the front, back and both ends of the chest. Then I put two of these panels together to make a four board panel. Then I put the two four board panels together to make one large panel. Actually one of the panels had five boards.. Using my 50" Bessey clamps to hold the two panels together. So I had two long panels for the front and back and two short panels for the ends. Then I started working on a sample for the trim or molding to go around the top and bottom. After a few adjustments to the bits, I settled on the way I wanted to make the trim and started routing the pieces. First a couple of passes with the curved bit in the router and the with the round top bit and then a 1/2" round over bit. So I sanded the trim and then started on the feet for the chest. They are double boards so the chest actually sits on one board and the trim sits on the other board. There are blocks behind the feet to attach them to the plywood bottom. So everything is now trimmed up, miters cut and ready to put together. Now it is time to move it to the spray booth and put the water based dye on. I purchased an Antique Cherry dye and I really love the look it gave the chest. I sprayed it on and then took a damp paper towel and smoothed out the finish. If you get a bit much in a spot it is okay, you still have time to smooth it out. I put two coats on and then sprayed on five coats of General Finishes Enduro Var. It was them rubbed out with 0000 steel wool and Johnson's paste wax.. So there you have the Cherry Blanket Chest from start to finish.

I was trying to find a color chart for General Finishes stains for a current project. Googled it and lo and behold, many, if not all, General Finishes products are available at Walmart. Now 1) I hate Walmart 2) Their in-store pickup used to really suck. But for those of you who are not near a Woodcraft or Rockler (the usual places to find them),this may be a good way. It seems that all of them have free shipping or free ship to store. The customer service at Walmart's in store pick up desk used to be dreadful. But at my local store, now have a giant orange box at the front of the store. You enter your order number and an internal robot brings your order to a niche in the front. IF it's too big for the robot, there are a bunch of lockers to the side that apparently unlock for your order. As an aside, I was in a Kroger this week and about half the shoppers there were store employees doing a pick and pay online ordering. A couple months ago, I went to a different store and accidentally walked into the order pick up area for this and it was about 800 sq ft room of boxes sitting there ready for pickup. A friend of my wife does the orders for Meijer (another grocery/hardgoods discount store) that not only shops for you but brings your order to your door. Good to know that when I get old and decrepit, I can still eat and have clothes to wear.