I am a furniture maker. Finishing is the hard part, if you ask me. I can see that the grain on your project was not completely filled. For a humidor, most are lined with unfinished Spanish Cedar. The reason Spanish Cedar is used is because it is unique in that it does not expand with moisture. Because of the moisture, it is necessary to seal the inside of the box (under the liner) with a couple coats of shellac. It is also good practice to seal the outside of porous woods also. 10 to 15 coats of lacquer (sprayed) usually follows with sanding between every 3 or so coats. After the coats are cured (a couple of days, depending on environmental conditions). Sanding with a block with 800, then 1200, then 1500 grit paper, followed with rotten stone and oil on a rag, with give you a finish like glass, and just as reflective (like a piano). It gives the project a "wow" factor. It was hard to see in the video, but it looked like the hinge was well set in the mortise, A hard part for some. You did a good job on the box. I especially liked the perforated divider.
Great job on the box! I just rubbed out a laquer finish on a old Lane cedar chest i "refinished " and i totally agree the rub out is scary for me too lol im way more comfortable wetsanding and polishing automotive clear lol i do want to build a small booth to spray my future projects in .
Based solely on what we first see prior to rubbing out procedures, it appears you didn't use any filler prior to applying the finish. I'd be interested in finding out from you whether that's true or not, and also, is you did use a filler, what brand and type. Thanks for your courage in sharing your thoughts and procedures with us and all the best with your woodworking projects.
Ha!. I did not use a filler. Very nice catch! I should have...most definately but since that video I do use fillers in my finer projects. The finish is just so much nicer... it was my intent on this piece to leave the purple heart raw but in hind sight filler would not have affected it at all and would have just made the finish better. The fillers I use are varied but some here in my shop are crystalac, Timber Mate and I've even used sheet rock spackle. I'm working on another humidor currently made of African Mahogany and Lace Wood with a full Spanish Cedar interior. I am filling the grain on this one.. I'm decided now if I should enhance the mahogany grain with a dye or just leave it... Thanks for the question... and again...good eye... Sincerely, Steve - Timber Jacks Woodshop
You have to wet sand with 400 until you almost get to bare wood and put a couple more coats on and wet sand it again until you can't see any grain. Fill the grain. Wet sand up to 2000 then swirl mark remover than car wax.
doesnt the scratches from the rubbing (in direction of the grain) make the surface very scratch prone? ie if you run your fingernail over the surface, perpendicular to the rubbing direction, do you see a mark?
Have the same problem. Beautiful silky surface but every you touch leave marks. I’m wondering if I’m doin something wrong because everyone says that’s the perfect finish
Yeah, I'm always too scared... I stop at the 80%! Sure looks worth the effort to finish it off, though! I really like that humidor! Is it possible to make one 100% out of wild cedar? Got a few cedar trees in my back field!
Hello josvanr it is actually the scratches themselves that make the piece shiny and smooth. you must however, use a fine sandpaper when rubbing out the lacquer. No less than a 320 and even consecutively higher is better. The beauty of lacquer is that you don't have to sand with the grain however, sanding should create scratches in the surface not detectable groove. if you can feel them with a finger nail then I would suggest a higher grit sandpaper. 400, 600, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000. wet sand with water and a little liquid soap.
HI, may I make a suggestion? Why not use a cutting compound like G3. What I do is, I sand wet and dry with 2000 grit paper, when it is totally flat I use the G3, you will see a shine that will make your heart skip a beat! And then finish with a swirl remover. Greets from the UK
Hello Chris Thanks for viewing my video and for taking the time to leave a comment. Your suggestion on the liquid compound is a great one!!! and I have used them before and when done correctly, you are right, the look is fabulous. I think however, that the liquid compound science and technique is a little more advanced for basic wood working beginners. I was trying to keep my video as basic as possible for the novice. Most people don't even know that you can sand a finish. They think once you apply it that's it.... I appreciate the input and to all the novice wood workers out there Chris is right! I suggest you practice with liquid polishing compounds. And Yes, the automotive polishers are fine to use on wood that's what the G3 is..try it and experiment. You won't be disappointed. Thanks Chris...
Not sure whether I bought and use the 'right' lacquer. After applying a layer, the surface is very sticky. When I sandpaper it, the lacquer residue sticks to the sandpaper. Could anyone advice me what went wrong? Thanks.
Hello Patleo Right off the bat there are several factors that can apply to your situation. What type of lacquer did you use? Brush on or spray? How thick was the first coat. It should be very very thin. Did you apply a lacquer wood sealant prior to your first coat? How humid was the room in which you used the lacquer? How long did you wait before sanding? What grit sand paper did you use? And finally, did you wet sand the layer or dry sand it. All of these things can play a role in why your lacquer was tacky and why it stuck to the paper. Consider the answers to these questions and try and determine if any of your actions or conditions were counter to a good application. Let me know and I'll be glad to guide you through a successful application.
Lacquer us SUPER THICK!!!! it dries FAST! you MUST THIN ITi finally got a decent finish with an 80% thinner and 20% Lacquer. Temp was only around 65°F !!! ...if you need to take an edge off or a drip, just use straight thinner, but carefully.
I am a furniture maker. Finishing is the hard part, if you ask me. I can see that the grain on your project was not completely filled. For a humidor, most are lined with unfinished Spanish Cedar. The reason Spanish Cedar is used is because it is unique in that it does not expand with moisture. Because of the moisture, it is necessary to seal the inside of the box (under the liner) with a couple coats of shellac. It is also good practice to seal the outside of porous woods also. 10 to 15 coats of lacquer (sprayed) usually follows with sanding between every 3 or so coats. After the coats are cured (a couple of days, depending on environmental conditions). Sanding with a block with 800, then 1200, then 1500 grit paper, followed with rotten stone and oil on a rag, with give you a finish like glass, and just as reflective (like a piano). It gives the project a "wow" factor.
It was hard to see in the video, but it looked like the hinge was well set in the mortise, A hard part for some.
You did a good job on the box. I especially liked the perforated divider.
Great job on the box! I just rubbed out a laquer finish on a old Lane cedar chest i "refinished " and i totally agree the rub out is scary for me too lol im way more comfortable wetsanding and polishing automotive clear lol i do want to build a small booth to spray my future projects in .
Very nice demonstration . Thank you.
Hey Steve. Thanks for the question. No stain at all. It's made from Purple Heart and Mora and Spanish Cedar interior.
Based solely on what we first see prior to rubbing out procedures, it appears you didn't use any filler prior to applying the finish. I'd be interested in finding out from you whether that's true or not, and also, is you did use a filler, what brand and type. Thanks for your courage in sharing your thoughts and procedures with us and all the best with your woodworking projects.
Ha!. I did not use a filler. Very nice catch! I should have...most definately but since that video I do use fillers in my finer projects. The finish is just so much nicer... it was my intent on this piece to leave the purple heart raw but in hind sight filler would not have affected it at all and would have just made the finish better.
The fillers I use are varied but some here in my shop are crystalac, Timber Mate and I've even used sheet rock spackle.
I'm working on another humidor currently made of African Mahogany and Lace Wood with a full Spanish Cedar interior. I am filling the grain on this one.. I'm decided now if I should enhance the mahogany grain with a dye or just leave it...
Thanks for the question... and again...good eye...
Sincerely,
Steve - Timber Jacks Woodshop
Can you use the 0000 steel wool with the soapy water instead of sand paper for a curvier surface?
You have to wet sand with 400 until you almost get to bare wood and put a couple more coats on and wet sand it again until you can't see any grain. Fill the grain. Wet sand up to 2000 then swirl mark remover than car wax.
doesnt the scratches from the rubbing (in direction of the grain) make the surface very scratch prone? ie if you run your fingernail over the surface, perpendicular to the rubbing direction, do you see a mark?
Have the same problem. Beautiful silky surface but every you touch leave marks. I’m wondering if I’m doin something wrong because everyone says that’s the perfect finish
You can use a brown paper bag instead of the sandpaper and get the same, or better results, without the risk of burning through your finish.
well done. I am going to try this. I agree with you, the fishing part usually causes me to get a twitchy eye like Inspector Dreyfus.
Yeah, I'm always too scared... I stop at the 80%! Sure looks worth the effort to finish it off, though! I really like that humidor! Is it possible to make one 100% out of wild cedar? Got a few cedar trees in my back field!
Hello josvanr
it is actually the scratches themselves that make the piece shiny and smooth. you must however, use a fine sandpaper when rubbing out the lacquer. No less than a 320 and even consecutively higher is better. The beauty of lacquer is that you don't have to sand with the grain however, sanding should create scratches in the surface not detectable groove. if you can feel them with a finger nail then I would suggest a higher grit sandpaper. 400, 600, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000. wet sand with water and a little liquid soap.
HI, may I make a suggestion? Why not use a cutting compound like G3. What I do is, I sand wet and dry with 2000 grit paper, when it is totally flat I use the G3, you will see a shine that will make your heart skip a beat! And then finish with a swirl remover. Greets from the UK
Hello Chris
Thanks for viewing my video and for taking the time to leave a comment. Your suggestion on the liquid compound is a great one!!! and I have used them before and when done correctly, you are right, the look is fabulous. I think however, that the liquid compound science and technique is a little more advanced for basic wood working beginners. I was trying to keep my video as basic as possible for the novice. Most people don't even know that you can sand a finish. They think once you apply it that's it.... I appreciate the input and to all the novice wood workers out there Chris is right! I suggest you practice with liquid polishing compounds. And Yes, the automotive polishers are fine to use on wood that's what the G3 is..try it and experiment. You won't be disappointed. Thanks Chris...
Your welcome m8. Great video btw
Not sure whether I bought and use the 'right' lacquer. After applying a layer, the surface is very sticky. When I sandpaper it, the lacquer residue sticks to the sandpaper. Could anyone advice me what went wrong? Thanks.
patleo123 it wasn’t dry for what ever reason
Hello Patleo
Right off the bat there are several factors that can apply to your situation. What type of lacquer did you use? Brush on or spray? How thick was the first coat. It should be very very thin. Did you apply a lacquer wood sealant prior to your first coat? How humid was the room in which you used the lacquer? How long did you wait before sanding? What grit sand paper did you use? And finally, did you wet sand the layer or dry sand it. All of these things can play a role in why your lacquer was tacky and why it stuck to the paper. Consider the answers to these questions and try and determine if any of your actions or conditions were counter to a good application. Let me know and I'll be glad to guide you through a successful application.
Thanks man, nice work
More volume please. I had the volume all the way up on an external speaker and could barely hear you. Nice project. 👍🏽
Lacquer us SUPER THICK!!!!
it dries FAST!
you MUST THIN ITi finally got a decent finish with an 80% thinner and 20% Lacquer. Temp was only around 65°F !!!
...if you need to take an edge off or a drip, just use straight thinner, but carefully.
oil stain ??
Purple Heart can actually be buffed with no finish cause it's very hard.
Thanks. Interesting.
Claude Debussy
so you like "rubbing it out" haha lol. great job though