In The Workshop with Charles Neil

chpcrvr · Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 11:10 pm Post subject: Finished Vanity

Hi,

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I was working on a vanity for our master bathroom in the "What are you doing thread". I finished the vanity the end of last week. I thought I would post some pictures and a few comments.

Here it is:

The cabinet has a cherry face frame with crotch cherry panels in the doors. The crotch cherry panels were made up of three panels...the front is the crotch cherry (starting at about 1/4") and then two glued up cherry panels each about a 1/4" thick. After sanding, the crotch cherry and the back panel were about 1/16" thick. The back of the panel is beveled to fit into the groove in the rail and stiles. It is like a raised panel door in reverse. The cherry cabinet has Neil's equalizer stain and Honey Pine stain from Gemini. The cabinet has a sprayed pre-cat lacquer finish.

The top is bubinga....drum sanded, scraped, and hand sanded. I used General Finishes Arm-R-Seal oil & urathane finish on it. It has four coats of finish on it. The cabinet knobs are turned from pieces of the bubinga. Here is a view of the top.

Of course, 10 minutes after it was initially set up, the glass vessel sink was taken over by Lily!

It was a really interesting project to do. I came up with this design because the space is 6' across but the bubinga is only 5' wide. I thought about putting breadboard ends on the bubinga to make it longer and use it as the only top, but Neil and I agreed that 6" wide breadboard ends would look funny. After thinking about it, I came up with the floating top idea. It actually worked out quite well.

The style using rosettes, reeded pillars, and bun feet match a similar style from our bedroom set. That drove the design of the face frame and legs. The legs are actually only decorative because the cabinet rests on a toe kick about an inch behind the legs and is painted black so that you don't see it. I used Neil's router DVD to learn about doing the reeding.

Hope you like it!
Jeff

Ace HoleInOne · Master Joined: 06 Jan 2008 Posts: 921 Location: Michigan

WOW! WOW! WOW!

Beautiful work, just beautiful!!! Very Happy

-Ace-

cypresswoodworker · Master Joined: 30 Jan 2009 Posts: 149 Location: Louisiana

Great job Jeff
The floating top WORKS ! Beautiful finish.
Ron
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If at first you don't succeed..Go buy another tool

bigbob · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:31 am Post subject:

Great job Jeff. Nice design and great looking wood choices. bob

Mikega · Master Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 179 Location: York PA

Jeff
This is to beautiful to use.
SUPER JOB!!!

CharlesNeil · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:04 am Post subject:

looks great Jeff, it really looks even better in person guys...

Teen Age Woodworker · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:10 am Post subject:

wow jeff that looks amazing! i love the cherry crotch as well as the bubinga. it really adds a nice touch to it Very Happy

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Denis

Bop-bop · Journeyman Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 54

Jeff
Super job! Just love the finish, did you rub out the finish after spraying everything and if so, to what grit?
gf

chpcrvr · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:46 pm Post subject: finish rubout

Bop-bop asked about rubbing out the finish.

The bubinga had a very slight roughness to the touch and I was just ready to rub it out with some 1500 grit paper and then 2000 Aberlon pads when I remembered a comment that Neil made during the finishing class. He said to use a brown paper bag as a final rob-out. I really didn't want to start sanding and rubbing with the pads if I didn't need to so I used the brown bag and it worked great. I may put a coat of wax on the bubinga to make it slick for the cats and hopefully their back claws will slide and not dig into the finish. They are declawed on the front but still have back claws. I did not rub out the sprayed cherry...it didn't need it.
Jeff

Jersey Rebel · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:59 am Post subject:

Truly a classic!
Centering the fausets alone shows great craftsmanship.
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Muzzy

Mikega · Master Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 179 Location: York PA

Jeff
Where did you get the 1/4 inch crotch cherry for the door fronts?

chpcrvr · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:36 am Post subject: source for the crotch cherry

The crotch cherry came from:

Willow Run Custom Lumber
2225 Fort Lynne Road
Harrisonburg, VA 22802

Justin Schweitzer
540-433-0317
540-435- 9307 (cell)
willowrunlumber@aol.com

Bop-bop · Journeyman Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 54

Jeff
Thanks for the reply. I guess my question should have been phrased differently. (I know you have Charles to help with the spraying, just a little jealous, despite taking Charles class I still can't spray as smooth as that guy)
If I used a urathane finish on a project I am doing now could I rub out the urathane? Also did you spray the equalizer stain and the honey pine.
Sorry to ask so many questions but Charles likes for his students to help each other remember. Again thanks and keep up the great work you do and please continue to share the photo with us.
gf

chpcrvr · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:02 pm Post subject: more finishing details...

Hi,
I'm sure Neil with chime in with answers to these finishing questions!

You can rub out the urathane finish after it cures well. However, it may take more coats when applied by hand than what Neil applies when he sprays! You want to make sure you have enough finish applied so that you don't rub through. Use a 1000 or 1500 grit sandpaper to knock off the high spots followed by 1000, 1500, 2000 Abralon pads (depending on the sheen that you want).

Yes, it is nice to have Neil available to help with finishing guidance. I guess he trusts me more and more since I'm starting to do more of my own spraying! I did spray on the equalizer but I applied the Honey Pine with a rag. I'm getting better spraying horizontal surfaces but I avoid vertical surfaces at all costs!!

I probably should have mentioned that all the 'parts' on the front of the face frame (rosettes, reed posts, bottom moulding, bun legs) all come off and were finished separately. They are screwed on from the back of the face frame. One thing I have learned from Neil is to build things that can come apart as much as possible for finishing.
Jeff