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You're either using way too much CA glue for the blue tape and CA glue trick, or your glue is too thick. I've been using this trick for years and never had it stick any more than the blue tape alone would. I found that thin glue (more liquidy) and a very small amount of it is all you need. Too thick or too much glue and it will spill outside of the tape area and stick to the wood. As for waiting for it to stick, it only takes 10-15 seconds without activator.
Most professionals utilize spray lacquer or shellac due to not requiring sanding between coats, quick cure times, ease of spray, and protection quality.
Finish there is always a choice but most common in my shop is oil finishes. Poly is hard to fix and maintain, oil and wax is best for quality furniture as maintenance is easy and they look and feel great. Other shops will make other items where my finishes wont make sense.
Just a comment on the CA glue and tape trick. As a luthier, I use a ton of custom router setups with very tight tolerances. Using the CA glue (medium) and tape trick, without the accelerator, gives me time to position the components that double stick tape does not.
Bold blanket statement there. "No professional does X." I'd like to hear your definition of professional then. I define it as someone that is consistently accomplished at their craft.
Avoid unnecessary gadget's is another great thing. I worked for a small busy cabinet shop and there were supplier reps that would come a few times a year to try to sell them gadgets often that didn't save time and could be made in under 5 minutes from scrap.
Congratulations on getting published! As an amateur woodworker, I have come to realize that there is a lot of information out there that is not necessarily "wrong," but misleading or only one option. I appreciate videos like these. I would definitely love to hear more about finishing. I feel that is one of my biggest weaknesses.
I will just say that the sawdust and woodglue thing is not a youtuber trick. My uncle and grandpa have been woodworking for a hundred years combined (also built 3 houses and all the millwork/cabinets/tables in them) and I saw them using the sawdust trick 30 years ago
@MrDaneBrammage , Re-cutting the joint is what you might call the "nuclear option". I can't speak for ENCurtis, nor can I speak to what professionals do, but depending on the situation you can often fill a small gap with small piece of wood- anything from a shaving on up. You may not be able to match the grain direction, but you _can_ often get to something that the eye just skips over. If you're anything like me, _you_ will see it, but nobody else will.
My dad had a refinishing - refurbishing shop when I was growing up. I worked in it for years. We did a lot of mahogany finishing for a local furniture factory. He always sprayed the materials we finished with. His stains were all hand blended to match the exact color the customer wanted. We sprayed glaze to bring out grain and filler to fill the grain for slick finishes. He used all low sheen to high sheen lacquer. Sometimes he would oil sand with up to 6000 grit paper between multiple coats. It was a fantastic way to grow up. Good video and I am now subscribed to your channel.
I worked in a professional shop and we definitely used stains. There were tints added to the lacquer depending on the finish, but stains were almost always used
The blue tape and ca glue trick is what I use 99% of the time over double stick tape - which I also have and use. However, for my CNC and what I’m doing on my CNC, the blue tape and ca glue has much more sheer strength for the material I am cutting than any of the double stick tapes I have. I do use double stick tape for other things - temporary stops for example. Each has its perfect spot in my shop!
Yes! Please do a video about finishing techniques! There's so much differing info out there that it's quite hard to grasp what's actually going on and what options I have, especially when adding color in finishing.
I already had a dislike for stain and only use it to match pre existing stuff for customers. I wasn't even aware that you could add color to a finish so I'm glad I watched this video.
Excellent video. I’ve never liked the glue and sawdust gap filler. Never looked clean to me. I do however use stain. Mostly because I’ve never learned how to use dyes properly. So, a video on this would be helpful.
All humour aside - Huge shout out. What an honor to be published in FineWoodworking. I started reading Fine Woodworking in the 80s when it was still a large format black and white publication. That magazine inspired me to become a professional woodworker. Well done.
I love this video... that's the one thing I really hate about social media, that some companies are obviously exploiting it to make their product seem like it's the one and only solution
Thanks for the video, very nice! As a french professional woodworker, I can tell you almost every modern french worshop uses the Rubio oil !!! I also know quite a lot of worshops that prefer using stain and then a clear finish since it highlights the grain and you lessen the risk of killing the contrast and definition of grain. I guess there’s a lot of other regional differences but I thought you would find it interesting. Good work and bravo for your publication!
Im a hobbyist that turned to building full time a few years back. I love all of this, and have found that I learned a lot of these as I moved to a production mindset. I would LOVE to see a video on toning. I have messed with mixing water-based dye with water based poly, but haven’t found a method that is up to my standard wet. Mixol was fine but I felt it ended up muddy. Congrats on FWW, thats a dream of mine, though Im a horrible writer.
Hey Michael, I noticed your comment/question. I do quite a bit of tinting of shellac, oils, waxes & other clear finishes etc., to adjust the tone & sometimes to color of a project. I do not see a lot of videos about this, not under this “woodworking” category. Many channels have adopted a “stain is a lie” attitude and so they avoid all dyes & tints too. Lol. I love the natural look of wood grain & the beauty of exotic wood too; however, I also think being able to alter a woods look, by fuming, ebonizing, or dyeing, just means the recipients of my projects can enjoy real wood furniture in more places, in their homes, and have my piece’s blend in with the furnishings they already have. I have also seen some amazing results from dyes on guitars and other instruments. You’ll never open a tree and see orange sunburst, Lol. but, a bright colorful finish like that, done well, on a lathe turned vase or handmade guitar, can be beautiful. That, brings me to my suggestions for you, for where you may find some videos you’ll enjoy , until Erik C, posts his finishing video and includes tinting and toning. (I just found and I am enjoying his channel). My first recommendation is to search, right here on YT, for Keda Aniline Dye, Keda Alcohol Dyes & TransTint for ideas, techniques and to see examples or dye tinting, toning, or coloring. Secondly, you may try searching homemade guitars and instrument videos, as I have found a lot of information on those kind of channels, tinting, dyeing etc, and also great ideas for pore & grain filing and hiding blemished and gaps. Hope that helps some. Good luck . ~Lisa ⚒️♿️ PS personally I love using a little tinted shellac- as a sanding sealer first, to see how my dye color mix is looking, and then layering it on a piece, until the surface has as much depth of color, as I like, before switching to clear shellac. This same trick works when you want to change a woods tone, like orange tinted shellac on walnut before finishing with a clear coat. Or, blue/purple tinted shellac on Purple Heart before a clear protective finish. 👍🏽
I am so glad you brought up shellac because it seems like no one knows about it or really uses shellac anymore. Shellac is an amazing and versatile finish!
Congratulations on your denominator!! 😂 You deserve it!! You’re videos are so helpful in my woodworking journey. You give invaluable advice and I love the attention to detail and the subtleties in your work that puts you a cut above many others that are there. Thank you for not being a typical RUclipsr!
I've actually used stain for quite a long time and have become quite consistent in color and mixing. As a hobbyist, my projects are becoming more intricate, and I'm thankful for the finishes episode.
#1 02:16 - CA Glue & Blue Tape #2 4:22 - Using C Channel to keep a slab flat #3 6:24 - Rubio Monocoat #4 11:00 - Yellow Glue & Sawdust Dust gap filling trick #5 13:25 - No professional furniture maker uses stain
This is a great video with a lot of honest discussion and very good points and explanation. I did have one minor dispute with the point about c channel. To be clear I am not a furniture maker and don’t think I have ever made a table for a customer. But I work as a cabinet maker and have for several decades in some very large shops as well as some small ones. I really dont do much solid stock work but do a ton of casework. Sometimes we would get roped into doing a slab for the island. We would always route in steel stock. But it was never there to keep the top flat which seems to be the public perception. It was to help pick up the load of the overhang on the back of the island. It gave us a point to bolt it down on the other side to prevent tipping. The top staying flat was more a factor of our grain selection. The steel was there to help pick up the load on the overhang which at time was hundreds of pounds for large tops . Usually there would be decorative or more functional brackets under the overhang but depending on the job and layout those brackets may not always be where the weight really needs them. Lots of times the back of the island is simply a finished panel which may not be very structural too. The steel was cheap insurance for when the over hang is piled with stuff and the kids decide to hang on it. Also nice that it made it less of an issue if a joint was going to fall right at the back of the case. It has been pretty common in my cabinet making career. That may be where the notion of it came from, but it was never about cupping, it is about attachment and structure. Not sure why it would be necessary for a table as you point out. Not sure why c channel is talked about so much either, most of the time we used square stock.
Would love a video on filling gaps, I've used the wood dust and glue method a lot and yes it does look crap after it dries and anything other than paint is applied. inb4 "just don't have gaps"
I would appreciate if you could do a segment on finishes including tints. I really enjoy your segments and thank you for taking the time to publish them. Also congratulations on making it in Fine Woodworking.
Tape residue. Especially the thin clear stuff. If done carefully, I have less issue with the ca during clean up and on finished surface. For Stick-It sandpaper and DST I'll use a thin coat of shellac on most surfaces to protect and aid the release.
I added brown trans tint to a waste ash slab turned into a primitive small bench. Holy cow did the grain turn into something amazing. Didn't use a lot, but the result was astounding! It got sucked into the grain where it should. Just enough to make it POP!!! Happy Father's Day to y'all.
Thank you for your comment on Rubio! My friend is just getting into woodworking and is of course touting Rubio. I showed him a 4 year old end table I did with Rubio then I showed him the matching table that a did in a conversion varnish ( little experiment I did for my own information) I didn’t tell him which was which or even what finishes I used and asked him to pick the one he liked the best. He picked the conversion varnish. It seems woodworkers are in a bit of an echo chamber about this stuff but most people seem to like the look and feel of a high quality spray finish almost every time.
Congratulations on your recognition by the Fine Woodworking magazine. You are a true artist! I enjoy watching you talk about not so obvious details like uneven spacing of the dovetails or not using the router for rounding the edges.
You've hit on a great point with the echo chamber of social media. I'm a beginner woodworker. I noticed it early on that social media lifestyle ad's have taken over so much so that Idk what's accurate anymore. I know a guy who gets paid to promote certain brands. They have a woodshop that they don't even use. It's just there to get paid to "use" the items that he gets for free or at an extreme discount. Then you see every popular woodworker using the same free tools.
Hobby luthier here. The problem with many kinds of double-sided tape is: sticky residue. I quickly abandoned carpet tape, went on to try a half dozen other brands that promised "no residue", and was disappointed. I resorted to the CA glue & blue tape trick, although I'm not in love with it. Recently I got a tip from a professional luthier on a brand of double sided tape that he uses, and it works without leaving a mess. In any case, there are many luthiers who make their living by building musical instruments, and who DO use the CA glue / blue tape trick.
I stumbled upon using extra double sided tape I had from those window insulation kits. It’s narrow, doesn’t leave residue, and is easy to roll up and remove from surfaces. It’s also very thin.
Wish I had a mate like you, I started woodworking about 3 months ago and consider myself serious hobbyist owning some festool and Milwaukee and made quite few nice tables and other small pieces like serving boards, tried to partner with a mate to try to turn it into a business but not everybody has love towards seeing the end product from the start and willing to get there through struggles of sanding, wood warps, other stuff haha really enjoy your videos, all the best from UK
I work in a high end cabinet makers shop. as for Rubio, we never use it for a clear/natural finish, however the Rubio colour finishes we use on some projects such as the ‘castle brown’ which is great with just 1 coat on most woods unless you’re trying to basically paint a wood a different colour
From Tage Frid on down... the contributing editors/authors of Fine Woodworking taught me how to do so much. Before Google and RUclips were around there was Tauton Press. Their books and of course Fine Woodworking was the benchmark. Congrats on making it. It for sure puts you in the league of Frank Klaus, Jim Toplin and ALL the other great woodworking educators.
Try Furniture and Cabinetmaking from the UK. I used to think Fine Woodworking was the pinnacle of wood magazines, but Furniture and Cabinetmaking is way more about professionals doing the work than articles targeting hobbyists.
Nice video bro. Thankfully a video by Tamar at 3x3 Customs got me onto double-stick tape (SpecTape) before I ever found out about the CA glue / tape combo. Double-stick tape is 💋 and yes I'm still using the same roll.
Agreed. He was so adamant that the glue/sawdust technique was ill advised that I was expecting a more thorough explanation of "adding wood fibers" to the gap. I can't picture what he means by this.
Great video , thank you, I agree on almost all your points here, but as a restorer of some 40 plus years stains are invaluable, I could not do my work without them, many of which I make or mix myself. Keep up the good work, have subscribed. Greetings from the UK
Thank you. Your comment is spot on. All good tips here, but simply can't agree with the stain point. Sometimes a stain can add a depth or lustre that just enlivens the grain, which could not be achieved with a tinted finish that sits on the surface...
I can tell you why the tape and superglue thing is sometimes better than double stick tape (though I don't know what blue tape is) Double stick tape is REALLY sticky and, depending on your wood, might tear out wood fibres... the tape I use is a lot less sticky and I never had that issue while using double stick tape I did
I've tried so many double side tapes and found only one that was strong enough for CNC holding, however the shop I found it from, stopped getting them, so I started using the CA and tape trick which has amazing hold power, never failed me on the CNC. (I'm not in the US, so we don't have everything within reach)
I've been so against staining some mahogany for a project I'm currently doing but the wife wants a darker color. I've thought about aniline dyes and would love to see a video about that and other options to showcase the wood and grain patterns instead of just staining over them. Especially with complimenting and changing the shades of the wood with unintuitive colors like green on mahogany to tone down the natural red.
I have a magazine rack that I built out of walnut and mahogany. The Mahogany is now darker than the Walnut. The Walnut has probably not darkened very much while the Mahogany Has darkened a lot.
Restoration and finisher here, I could not agree more with your choice of finish! I use many different blends with poly, varnish, spar and tung with turpentine or mineral spirits. I have found I cannot stand the smell of turpentine after years of exposure. So I use mainly mineral spirits now. A really great trick for your blend is to add a dash of Japan drier to a single coat portion and apply with foam brush. That shellac spray is my favorite also. It is dewaxed so you can use it under varnish or poly as a sanding sealer. Works great for sanding back to where only pores are filled and doing a really light coat of oil/varnish and polishing with plastic polish (trick I learned from guitar finishers) I use McGuires clear plastic cleaner/polish. Here is my personal recipe for oil varnish blend: 1 part Man O War spar varnish (gloss) 1 part pure Tung Oil 1 part Mineral Spirits 1 dash Japan Drier (only add to separate single use portion before application) Depending on your climate (I live Hawaii so I try to stretch the dry time) you can change the solvent. Paint thinner or acetone may be more desirable in a colder climate.
1. CA + tape is superior to double sided tape for sheer strength and precise positioning in some situations. 2. Along with proper management of timber acclimatisation and staged milling, C Channel 100% helps prevent cupping in thinner tops and some slabs by encouraging the wood to expand laterally. 3. Osmo is garbage with poor durability. I dont know a single pro who still uses it. 4. the idea that you ham-fistedly mixing poly, turps and oil in a jar is in the same league as companies who spend millions developing their product is adorable. 5. Glue and dust is a great option for hairline cracks on long grain and certain joints edges. Nobody is claiming its a fix-all solution. 6. LOTS of seriously high level makers use stain. wtf are you actually talking about? I understand the message you're trying to purvey here but you've really only succeeded in coming across as smarmy and delivering misinformation yourself.
"Senior hobbyist" woodworker here. (Think Norm Abram era.) Mostly furniture and turning in my rep. THANK YOU. Brilliant video . . . heh heh. Seriously, every tool has two edges. For all you can learn on RUclips, it also has no filter in terms of technique. You have to have enough proper experience to know when what you're seeing is suboptimal, leads to buried bodies, or is downright BS. This is just great--I hope you get a million views on this. ps: General Finishes tung oil and urethane is my favorite finish.
Recently discovered your channel and enjoy your conversational tone. I, for one, would enjoy seeing more finishing techniques - it's my woodworking weakness
Sage advice here. I've clicked the subscribe button. I haven't tried the Rubio Monocoat stuff, but have been seeing it a lot. I'm old, so stick with shellac (especially for things for the grandkids), thinned poly and tung oil varnish. These work well for me and are easily obtainable locally.
Congrats on the publication.... Full respect! 👍🏻 Im old school, but use all different types of finish on my projects, Danish oil, libberon finishing oil, linseed and shellac being the most common... Like I say old school... I love the process of French polishing, it's cathartic... no other finish that I've ever used gives such flexability in its ability to be restored or repaired the way shellac and French polishing does. It's a finish that so many people are scared of and I never understand why.... 🤷🏼♂️ Once you've French polished something that you've made, you've so much more affinity with it... Its like you've put a piece of your soul into it! Keep the vids coming my friend, TV never goes on any more in my house since discovering your RUclips channel.... 👍🏻 Love it 😉
As a contemporarily educated woodworker (meaning i learned from youtube) I am guilty of every one of these. I'd love to see a video of how you use dye in your finishing process
Thank you! I don’t stain, ever. Tint yes. TransTint and shellac make for great way to match color for repairs or to get the tone just the way you want.
Thank you for making this! I have a roll of double sided masking tape (not carpet tape) in my shop and can't see how blue tape and CA is better in any way. Glad someone finally called this out. Also congrats on 'Fine Woodworking', I'll keep an eye out for that one.
Thank you for the blue tape comment! I’ve been woodworking for around a year now and watching all these videos I was starting to question my sanity on why people don’t just use double sided tape?! Like isn’t that what it’s designed for? Great points!
Except, not all double sided tape is equal and some can be either too easy or too hard to remove, leave residue, etc. Nothing is perfect 100% of the time, but people develop bias and a bad experience can drive people to alternatives even when they're just trading off the compromises and issues for different ones...
Great video! You asked, so I’m answering: I’d love to see a video about using Mixol/tints with other finish instead of stains. I’ve not seen many good videos on RUclips describing these more professional grade finishing techniques. …although I may stick to Osmo and Rubio anyway because of how easy they can be and due to my lack of spray equipment. Who knows what the future holds though
Fwiw I like mixing TransTint dyes into first coat of Rubio (or any other finish), especially to level green/purple/yellow/brown variation of air dried Walnut. I used to mix with denatured alcohol and apply first, now I skip that additional step and just mix with first coat of finish in the interest of labor management. Works well for me.
Would 100% dig seeing an additional video finishes you suggest/use. Thanks for your videos, as a new I am not quite there yet, but I am getting things to shoot for.
I would definitely love a video on finishes - specifically dyes as colorants. I don't use stain. I work a lot with walnut, cherry and maple. I've tried using aniline dyes to pop the figure of maple, but have had ....limited.... success. I think it's something I'd very much like to have in my tool kit, so if you could do a video or two on how to use dyes I would love it! I am intrigued when you mentioned using a dye to stabilize the color of walnut. If you could expand on that, I would really appreciate it!
Thanks for the clarification and information. One thing I saw that I haven’t tried yet is burnishing very small, and I do mean very small gaps, in joinery. What are your thoughts in that? I would like to see a video on mixol and tinting. thanks
I've had burnishing go very well and very poorly. When its two pieces of end grain coming together, it only seems to make the problem worse; the grain doesn't really want to fit together. But for long miters parallel to the face grain, there it seems to fold together nicely.
A formula I've been working with a lot lately for walnut: Shellac, then red Glaze, then Tongue Oil. Takes a little time for it to dry between coats, but the results are absolutely stunning and rich...looks like museum quality furniture.
Aniline dyes are very versatile. I've mixed Transtint with blonde shellac and denatured alcohol to make a brush-on stain. This works very well on pine as it colors it with very little to no blotchiness. I've also mixed powdered dyes with water-based polyurethane for a spray-on toner.
First time I saw the blue tape and superglue trick was on a British guitarmaker's channel. If I recall correctly, the specific reason he had for doing it was that he had not been able to find double-stick tape that would release easily from the wood without leaving chunks of tape and residue behind. For him, at least back then, it wasn't about using what you have or saving money. Since then it has morphed into a ridiculous internet "miracle solution" thing.
Yes, that's Ben Crow of Crimson Guitars. Another UK guitar builder, Mark Bailey (a lot less well known, but he's been teaching people to build guitars longer than Ben has been building them) faced the same problem but the solution he found was double sided tape that is specifically certified for use on the floor in the National Exhibition Centre in the UK. It's formulated to keep things firmly in place for a week while a show is going on and then to be ripped up by workmen at high speed without damaging the floor or leaving residue... which it turns out also works for holding a routing template firmly in place and leaving a clean undamaged surface when you're done. It seems in the US suitable double sided tape is more common for some reason, so the "masking tape and superglue trick" (our standard masking tape is not blue) makes less sense over there.
Hey! I learned that from Crimson Guitars too! Ben said he picked it up from an apprentice. I also prefer this to double sided tape. No fiddling with separating the non-stick layer and no residue. Also holds better when surfaces are rough.
It's **absolutely** a marker of success. I remember the first time I had anything published; it felt great, and it got me my next job after that. Take the win.
You used WAAAAAY too much CA glue. And the best thing about that trick is that you get a second or two of wiggle time that the double sided tape does not. And the double sided tape is FAR more likely to leave residue than blue tape.
First of all, congratulations on being published...That's a GREAT achievement! Secondly, yes, I'd like to see a video on finishes...specifically on the colorant/tint methods. Thank you for the instructional videos. You share A LOT of helpful information, and you have a great attitude & character for doing it. Please keep it coming!
Hello, and congratulations! Can you please show us how you would fix the hypothetical gap you created in that screwed butt joint? Let's say it's glued up and for whatever reason you can't fully disassemble it. Perhaps a wafer thin shim whose grain runs the same direction as the skewed board so it blends in with it? Any help would be appreciated, because I am guilty of falling for the glue+dust wisdom, and have never been super satisfied with the results 🙂
Being published in Fine Woodworking, is in my opinion, a very major marker for a woodworker and a great lifetime accomplishment. I noticed your bio the other day as I eagerly devoured the new edition. Congratulations. I would really love to learn more about your technique for using the dyes (or whatever is the proper designation :) in your finishes. Thanks!
The way that I have found to avoid excessive adherence of the blue tape to the wood, is, by running my fingers along the sticky part. That tends to help with releasing the piece from the base. I have a good quality double-face tape. I must say that for CNC and Router operations it holds down the material very well. Blue tape and cyanoacrylate have worked the best for me. I never use it if it is delicate the piece. You could ruin the piece.
Please do a video about stain alternatives. I hate staining so much 🙏 Would also be great to see more videos like this where you debunk social media trends for woodworking.
Use dyes, like TransTint, General Finishes or Mohawk Finishes. They don't obscure grain like stains. You can mix TransTint powder dyes with distilled water or alcohol. Alcohol gives you the benefit of less grain raise than water. Not a huge deal either way. Plus, you mix dyes with finishes as a toner to even out the patina.
Congratulations on the FWW! Definitely well deserved! Good points throughout - the CA glue and blue tape is definitely irritating. I don’t think people realize they are spending just as much on doing that as they would double stick tape.
Thanks for another great thought provoking video Erik. I’ve always wondered myself why blue tape and CA when double sided exists! I’ve never come across ‘C’ channels but thanks for the heads up. I’ll definitely investigate fillers though even though I used the glue and sawdust method only yesterday on a garden bench repair. Please let’s have a video in colouring finishes. Have a great day and see you on the flip side 😂
I have to agree with you on the wood glue and saw dust filler. People need to keep that in their back pocket for those expensive hardwoods. I made a recipe card box out of purple heart and red heart and had to use the glue and dust trick to fill small gaps in the finger joints that way i had a harder to see fill
Congratulations on the publication in FWW. That’s a really special and well deserved milestone. Good points. I was chuckling about the blue tape. Yesterday I was teaching my nephew how to use double sided tape to drum sand small parts without launching them across the shop and I mentioned blue tape/CA glue as a less desirable alternative. Double sided tape is “old school”. 🤘🏼
I'm in both camps. There is one process in which the painter's tape + CA glue trick is the undisputed king, and it's pattern routing of very small pieces (star knobs, f.i.). If screws are not an option, it just can't be beat.
@@DrMackSplackem And, you're a Luthier? I attended Roberto-Venn in 2000. Yeah, on small items the adhesive can stretch causing the pattern to shift slightly out of alignment. Is that why you prefer tape and CA for the small parts?
@@whitepawwoodworks You could say so. I think with small parts, it's mostly a matter of being able to vary the amount of adhesive by intuition; I have a jig with a clear acrylic top that has a bolt running through it from above. The star knob (or knobs) is/are bolted underneath, with the pattern on top. It seems any double-sided tape that would work for this, and not spin the parts off-kilter while being processed, is more destructive upon removal than the painter's tape trick (aided by a dull kitchen knife). Oh, also, I have built a few guitars but wouldn't call myself a luthier. I hope that helps!
Have to agree with the double sticky tape.. been a user and a fan since 1980. Caution here: if you buy thick foam tape there are instances where you will struggle to the foam/adhesive off cleanly when you separate your pieces.. MAKE SURE you buy the "flat" versions! Interesting on the other items.. I didn't know about colorant.. because I don't do custom matches.. customer gets what they get.. as close as commercial finishes will allow. Thanks for the video.
In the 1980's when I was in high school, I mostly used walnut stain on oak and most other light woods. In the 90's I used the (much easier to use) gel stains to the same effect. But at the turn of the century where I now had a family and was making furniture for it, I stopped using stains entirely. Besides being less expensive, I figured: Why not just showcase the original wood color, whatever it actually is?
I agree with just choosing wood but it's color for the desired outlook you want. I'll never understand people saying they have cherry kitchen cabinets when we all know it's actually maple stained cherry. Why? I use cherry very often, just make it from cherry.
I agree, but I also have chairs made from beech wood from the Sixties, and they’re stained or tint-finished or whatever to match the rest of my parents’ dining room, which had a walnut vibe. Technically the chairs are German knock-offs of Danish mid century design pieces, but the quality is excellent, and they look great. I don’t like beech for furniture, that means I’m going to go for walnut when I will finally find the time for a much needed refinish. So while I’m generally not a fan, coloured wood does have its place.
I have to make an observation about your C- channel part. The C-channel can stop a piece of wood from cupping. I think what needs to be mentioned though is how it is attached. For instance, I have made many tables in the past and have learned that with angle iron (c-channel included) if you use coach bolts through the wood and a nut under, the wood usually won’t cup or bow. However if you use just screws from underneath, then yes you are correct as the pressure applied by the wood is greater than the strength of the screws. The pressure that wood can apply is seldom stronger than a bolt (depending on the bolt size). Keeping that in mind, I have seen a few table using c-channels with nuts and bolts to keep the wood from moving and then they have either put an inch (roughly 30mm) plug of a contrasting wood over the bolt head. I do believe that this is where the internet has gotten confused about the use of the c-channel.
Congratulations on getting published! And a big thank you for dunking on RUclips today. As an echo chamber, it really leaves hobbyists like me wondering what is good advice. So I appreciate and welcome your perspective. Cheers!
As a new subscriber, let me say congratulations on being published, and don't sell it short. It's a marker of your skill and progression in woodworking. I am in the process of building out my shop, small as it is, and beginning my own journey into fine woodworking. Yes, I've built things over the past 40 or so years, but I want to build pieces that will stand the test of time, and that's why I concentrate on finding content such as yours. Looking forward to viewing more from your channel as time permits.
Obligatory, and sincere, congratulations on the FWW recognition. Was pleased to see you as part of the group. Several years ago when I was picking up turning a finish similar to yours, but with shellac instead of varnish, was pushed as the only way to properly finish bowls. It works, but like anything else, when it starts to turn cult-ish it removes the knowledge from the process. "Do this, you don't need to know why!" Keep including the why, it creates a better class of people.
Great video on getting your point across while not being negative. Something that is sorely lacking in this world. Agree with all - especially the blue tape/CA glue trick. Spectra double stick tape is faster, cleaner, and easier to remove with zero residue left. I also avoid stain like the plaque unless it's absolutely necessary. Something I tried recently on a wall hanging for my daughter was mixing Transtint dye with shellac as a finish. Turned out really nice and dried pretty much instantly.
Unfortunately 90 percent of the tips on RUclips are purely about money . Unfortunately RUclipsrs have become pushers of tools and accessories purely because of money . I get it making money is what this country is about . But unfortunately it has gone so commercial that new woodworkers are overwhelmed and buy all this crap because someone with several thousand subs says you need it .
One of the markers I really hold on to is another wood worker having enough confidence in me telling someone else "Oh yea Mike can do that for you no problem". It seems simple and off the cuff but at the time it meant a lot to me and huge confidence boost I needed.
It is so much more expensive to use CA glue and tape vs Double stick tape. I would love to see the mix all/tint video so I can learn to steer away from staining.
Congratulations man :) its pretty awesome to be recognised! i expirienced it my self, as i was nominated and won best colleague by a coworker :) it feels good to be recognised for something that you care about! Awesome video, i really enjoyed it
For the most part when someone says “ this is the only way” to do anything, or “this is THE best way” Or “how to do ( insert anything here) like a pro” I pretty much dismiss it. Like you have pointed out there are multiple ways of doing almost everything. Except stoping wood from moving. You have a new subscriber.
Please don't listen to this person. Just because he is in some magazine for old people doesn't mean he knows how to do anything better than anyone else at the same skill level."youtube" doesn't teach anything. Good people who have a lot of knowledge use youtube to teach people. Stop worrying about how everyone else isn't doing things the way this person thinks they should be done.
Some riposte for the algorithm: Glue and sanding dust: Use 40 or 80 grit max for your sanding dust+glue filler. Mix outside of the joint then push it in. It blends much better than fine dust. Rubio: It fills its niche nicely and is well marketed. Hardwax oils are pretty expensive and people want to grab the 'good stuff' or rather the 'safe bet' before they branch out.
Spray shellac is fantastic for the inside of a drawer or cabinet. Dries fast, seals the wood and won’t smell or gas off when someone opens the door or drawer. It easily reaches all the corners a rag won’t get into.
This video was a valuable source of information. Only problem I had was the comparison of tree root growth breaking concrete sidewalks to seasonal movement of wood. Not the same thing at all.
Good stuff - first ENCurtis video I've seen (and I subscribed) - would love to see a video on using analine dyes (or other tints) in finishes, especially to make figured wood grain stand out
The blue tape for woodworking, I never really used before for anything than a CNC hold down and that was only because it was thinner than the double sided tape I could get and if you go too deep and cut into the tape, it doesn't gum the flutes of the cutter like the thicker stronger double sided tape. But love your explanations. I've always viewed any tips or tricks more as a if you don't have x, y will work in a pinch Recently came across your channel and already picked up a lot of info and love your humor and presentational style
The only thing with osmo is the curing time, that rubio hardener tho... I'm trying out the Blackforest wood co oil on my next project, the say it's somewhere between the osmo and rubio with no hardener, curious to see how it goes
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the rubio monocoat bit sounds like paid shills on social media.
You're either using way too much CA glue for the blue tape and CA glue trick, or your glue is too thick. I've been using this trick for years and never had it stick any more than the blue tape alone would. I found that thin glue (more liquidy) and a very small amount of it is all you need. Too thick or too much glue and it will spill outside of the tape area and stick to the wood. As for waiting for it to stick, it only takes 10-15 seconds without activator.
I would love to see a video on the different finishes that professionals actually use. I already use your finish and it looks and feels great.
I agree. But in actuality; all finishes are the same; grain sealer, stain, polyurethane.
@@steveschultz300 I don’t follow. How are all finishes the same? 🤨
Most professionals utilize spray lacquer or shellac due to not requiring sanding between coats, quick cure times, ease of spray, and protection quality.
Finish there is always a choice but most common in my shop is oil finishes. Poly is hard to fix and maintain, oil and wax is best for quality furniture as maintenance is easy and they look and feel great. Other shops will make other items where my finishes wont make sense.
@@steveschultz300😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
Don't you love RUclipsrs that say "So, without any further ado, lets get started" 2 minutes in.
Just a comment on the CA glue and tape trick. As a luthier, I use a ton of custom router setups with very tight tolerances. Using the CA glue (medium) and tape trick, without the accelerator, gives me time to position the components that double stick tape does not.
Good point, yes I can see how that would make things easier for you.
100% - I'm also a luthier, I also don't use accelerator & never had any of the problems mentioned here honestly
Bold blanket statement there. "No professional does X." I'd like to hear your definition of professional then. I define it as someone that is consistently accomplished at their craft.
Fair point. Perhaps I should have stated that there are simply other options available. Not intending to yuck anyone's yum over here.
Avoid unnecessary gadget's is another great thing. I worked for a small busy cabinet shop and there were supplier reps that would come a few times a year to try to sell them gadgets often that didn't save time and could be made in under 5 minutes from scrap.
Congratulations on getting published! As an amateur woodworker, I have come to realize that there is a lot of information out there that is not necessarily "wrong," but misleading or only one option. I appreciate videos like these. I would definitely love to hear more about finishing. I feel that is one of my biggest weaknesses.
I will just say that the sawdust and woodglue thing is not a youtuber trick. My uncle and grandpa have been woodworking for a hundred years combined (also built 3 houses and all the millwork/cabinets/tables in them) and I saw them using the sawdust trick 30 years ago
I've been doing the sawdust and glue for 35 years and it works great.
Id love to see a video on using wood fiber to repair gaps. As a begginer I always tend to mis-cut something in my projects
Pretty sure he means re-cut the joint so it just fits properly.
@MrDaneBrammage , Re-cutting the joint is what you might call the "nuclear option". I can't speak for ENCurtis, nor can I speak to what professionals do, but depending on the situation you can often fill a small gap with small piece of wood- anything from a shaving on up. You may not be able to match the grain direction, but you _can_ often get to something that the eye just skips over. If you're anything like me, _you_ will see it, but nobody else will.
My dad had a refinishing - refurbishing shop when I was growing up. I worked in it for years. We did a lot of mahogany finishing for a local furniture factory. He always sprayed the materials we finished with. His stains were all hand blended to match the exact color the customer wanted. We sprayed glaze to bring out grain and filler to fill the grain for slick finishes. He used all low sheen to high sheen lacquer. Sometimes he would oil sand with up to 6000 grit paper between multiple coats. It was a fantastic way to grow up. Good video and I am now subscribed to your channel.
I worked in a professional shop and we definitely used stains. There were tints added to the lacquer depending on the finish, but stains were almost always used
The blue tape and ca glue trick is what I use 99% of the time over double stick tape - which I also have and use. However, for my CNC and what I’m doing on my CNC, the blue tape and ca glue has much more sheer strength for the material I am cutting than any of the double stick tapes I have. I do use double stick tape for other things - temporary stops for example. Each has its perfect spot in my shop!
Yes! Please do a video about finishing techniques! There's so much differing info out there that it's quite hard to grasp what's actually going on and what options I have, especially when adding color in finishing.
I already had a dislike for stain and only use it to match pre existing stuff for customers. I wasn't even aware that you could add color to a finish so I'm glad I watched this video.
Excellent video. I’ve never liked the glue and sawdust gap filler. Never looked clean to me. I do however use stain. Mostly because I’ve never learned how to use dyes properly. So, a video on this would be helpful.
yeah glue and sawdust is just a quick fix, i find it doesn't harden properly either and certainly doesn't add to the wood's strength.
All humour aside - Huge shout out. What an honor to be published in FineWoodworking. I started reading Fine Woodworking in the 80s when it was still a large format black and white publication. That magazine inspired me to become a professional woodworker. Well done.
I love this video... that's the one thing I really hate about social media, that some companies are obviously exploiting it to make their product seem like it's the one and only solution
Thanks for the video, very nice! As a french professional woodworker, I can tell you almost every modern french worshop uses the Rubio oil !!! I also know quite a lot of worshops that prefer using stain and then a clear finish since it highlights the grain and you lessen the risk of killing the contrast and definition of grain. I guess there’s a lot of other regional differences but I thought you would find it interesting. Good work and bravo for your publication!
Yes, I agree. Same here in England.
Im a hobbyist that turned to building full time a few years back. I love all of this, and have found that I learned a lot of these as I moved to a production mindset. I would LOVE to see a video on toning. I have messed with mixing water-based dye with water based poly, but haven’t found a method that is up to my standard wet. Mixol was fine but I felt it ended up muddy.
Congrats on FWW, thats a dream of mine, though Im a horrible writer.
Hey Michael, I noticed your comment/question. I do quite a bit of tinting of shellac, oils, waxes & other clear finishes etc., to adjust the tone & sometimes to color of a project. I do not see a lot of videos about this, not under this “woodworking” category. Many channels have adopted a “stain is a lie” attitude and so they avoid all dyes & tints too. Lol.
I love the natural look of wood grain & the beauty of exotic wood too; however, I also think being able to alter a woods look, by fuming, ebonizing, or dyeing, just means the recipients of my projects can enjoy real wood furniture in more places, in their homes, and have my piece’s blend in with the furnishings they already have.
I have also seen some amazing results from dyes on guitars and other instruments. You’ll never open a tree and see orange sunburst, Lol. but, a bright colorful finish like that, done well, on a lathe turned vase or handmade guitar, can be beautiful.
That, brings me to my suggestions for you, for where you may find some videos you’ll enjoy , until Erik C, posts his finishing video and includes tinting and toning. (I just found and I am enjoying his channel).
My first recommendation is to search, right here on YT, for Keda Aniline Dye, Keda Alcohol Dyes & TransTint for ideas, techniques and to see examples or dye tinting, toning, or coloring.
Secondly, you may try searching homemade guitars and instrument videos, as I have found a lot of information on those kind of channels, tinting, dyeing etc, and also great ideas for pore & grain filing and hiding blemished and gaps.
Hope that helps some. Good luck . ~Lisa ⚒️♿️
PS personally I love using a little tinted shellac- as a sanding sealer first, to see how my dye color mix is looking, and then layering it on a piece, until the surface has as much depth of color, as I like, before switching to clear shellac.
This same trick works when you want to change a woods tone, like orange tinted shellac on walnut before finishing with a clear coat. Or, blue/purple tinted shellac on Purple Heart before a clear protective finish. 👍🏽
I am so glad you brought up shellac because it seems like no one knows about it or really uses shellac anymore. Shellac is an amazing and versatile finish!
Congratulations on your denominator!! 😂
You deserve it!!
You’re videos are so helpful in my woodworking journey. You give invaluable advice and I love the attention to detail and the subtleties in your work that puts you a cut above many others that are there.
Thank you for not being a typical RUclipsr!
I've actually used stain for quite a long time and have become quite consistent in color and mixing. As a hobbyist, my projects are becoming more intricate, and I'm thankful for the finishes episode.
#1 02:16 - CA Glue & Blue Tape
#2 4:22 - Using C Channel to keep a slab flat
#3 6:24 - Rubio Monocoat
#4 11:00 - Yellow Glue & Sawdust Dust gap filling trick
#5 13:25 - No professional furniture maker uses stain
This is a great video with a lot of honest discussion and very good points and explanation. I did have one minor dispute with the point about c channel. To be clear I am not a furniture maker and don’t think I have ever made a table for a customer. But I work as a cabinet maker and have for several decades in some very large shops as well as some small ones. I really dont do much solid stock work but do a ton of casework. Sometimes we would get roped into doing a slab for the island. We would always route in steel stock. But it was never there to keep the top flat which seems to be the public perception. It was to help pick up the load of the overhang on the back of the island. It gave us a point to bolt it down on the other side to prevent tipping. The top staying flat was more a factor of our grain selection. The steel was there to help pick up the load on the overhang which at time was hundreds of pounds for large tops . Usually there would be decorative or more functional brackets under the overhang but depending on the job and layout those brackets may not always be where the weight really needs them. Lots of times the back of the island is simply a finished panel which may not be very structural too. The steel was cheap insurance for when the over hang is piled with stuff and the kids decide to hang on it. Also nice that it made it less of an issue if a joint was going to fall right at the back of the case. It has been pretty common in my cabinet making career. That may be where the notion of it came from, but it was never about cupping, it is about attachment and structure. Not sure why it would be necessary for a table as you point out. Not sure why c channel is talked about so much either, most of the time we used square stock.
Yoh! The internet is so bad a person can't celebrate and talk to us about an achievement without defending it?
Congrats dude, hope you get more awards
Thank you brother. I really appreciate that man.
Would love a video on filling gaps, I've used the wood dust and glue method a lot and yes it does look crap after it dries and anything other than paint is applied.
inb4 "just don't have gaps"
Same!
Same
I would appreciate if you could do a segment on finishes including tints. I really enjoy your segments and thank you for taking the time to publish them. Also congratulations on making it in Fine Woodworking.
Tape residue. Especially the thin clear stuff. If done carefully, I have less issue with the ca during clean up and on finished surface. For Stick-It sandpaper and DST I'll use a thin coat of shellac on most surfaces to protect and aid the release.
I added brown trans tint to a waste ash slab turned into a primitive small bench. Holy cow did the grain turn into something amazing. Didn't use a lot, but the result was astounding! It got sucked into the grain where it should. Just enough to make it POP!!! Happy Father's Day to y'all.
Going to try this on my stoop from my house to the garage since I’m using maple hardwood flooring.
Thank you for your comment on Rubio! My friend is just getting into woodworking and is of course touting Rubio. I showed him a 4 year old end table I did with Rubio then I showed him the matching table that a did in a conversion varnish ( little experiment I did for my own information) I didn’t tell him which was which or even what finishes I used and asked him to pick the one he liked the best. He picked the conversion varnish. It seems woodworkers are in a bit of an echo chamber about this stuff but most people seem to like the look and feel of a high quality spray finish almost every time.
Congratulations on your recognition by the Fine Woodworking magazine. You are a true artist! I enjoy watching you talk about not so obvious details like uneven spacing of the dovetails or not using the router for rounding the edges.
You've hit on a great point with the echo chamber of social media. I'm a beginner woodworker. I noticed it early on that social media lifestyle ad's have taken over so much so that Idk what's accurate anymore. I know a guy who gets paid to promote certain brands. They have a woodshop that they don't even use. It's just there to get paid to "use" the items that he gets for free or at an extreme discount. Then you see every popular woodworker using the same free tools.
Hobby luthier here. The problem with many kinds of double-sided tape is: sticky residue. I quickly abandoned carpet tape, went on to try a half dozen other brands that promised "no residue", and was disappointed. I resorted to the CA glue & blue tape trick, although I'm not in love with it. Recently I got a tip from a professional luthier on a brand of double sided tape that he uses, and it works without leaving a mess. In any case, there are many luthiers who make their living by building musical instruments, and who DO use the CA glue / blue tape trick.
I stumbled upon using extra double sided tape I had from those window insulation kits. It’s narrow, doesn’t leave residue, and is easy to roll up and remove from surfaces. It’s also very thin.
@@jimmer411 Mike Potvin of Potvin Guitars (Ottawa, Ontario) made me aware of this tape.
Wish I had a mate like you, I started woodworking about 3 months ago and consider myself serious hobbyist owning some festool and Milwaukee and made quite few nice tables and other small pieces like serving boards, tried to partner with a mate to try to turn it into a business but not everybody has love towards seeing the end product from the start and willing to get there through struggles of sanding, wood warps, other stuff haha really enjoy your videos, all the best from UK
Definitely would love a video on tinting/coloring wood.
And maybe an example of how they look or are used. Or results you can get.
I work in a high end cabinet makers shop. as for Rubio, we never use it for a clear/natural finish, however the Rubio colour finishes we use on some projects such as the ‘castle brown’ which is great with just 1 coat on most woods unless you’re trying to basically paint a wood a different colour
From Tage Frid on down... the contributing editors/authors of Fine Woodworking taught me how to do so much. Before Google and RUclips were around there was Tauton Press. Their books and of course Fine Woodworking was the benchmark. Congrats on making it. It for sure puts you in the league of Frank Klaus, Jim Toplin and ALL the other great woodworking educators.
Try Furniture and Cabinetmaking from the UK. I used to think Fine Woodworking was the pinnacle of wood magazines, but Furniture and Cabinetmaking is way more about professionals doing the work than articles targeting hobbyists.
Nice video bro. Thankfully a video by Tamar at 3x3 Customs got me onto double-stick tape (SpecTape) before I ever found out about the CA glue / tape combo. Double-stick tape is 💋 and yes I'm still using the same roll.
I would love to see a video on alternative methods to filling gaps and one on finishes. Those would be helpful videos.
Agreed. He was so adamant that the glue/sawdust technique was ill advised that I was expecting a more thorough explanation of "adding wood fibers" to the gap. I can't picture what he means by this.
Great video , thank you, I agree on almost all your points here, but as a restorer of some 40 plus years stains are invaluable, I could not do my work without them, many of which I make or mix myself. Keep up the good work, have subscribed. Greetings from the UK
Thank you. Your comment is spot on. All good tips here, but simply can't agree with the stain point. Sometimes a stain can add a depth or lustre that just enlivens the grain, which could not be achieved with a tinted finish that sits on the surface...
@@Lee-ot2uk Indeed a tinted finish would look wrong in so many applications, especially on antique furniture, have a great weekend sir
I can tell you why the tape and superglue thing is sometimes better than double stick tape (though I don't know what blue tape is) Double stick tape is REALLY sticky and, depending on your wood, might tear out wood fibres... the tape I use is a lot less sticky and I never had that issue while using double stick tape I did
And (depending on the tape) double-sided can be significantly thicker than two strips of masking tape!
I've tried so many double side tapes and found only one that was strong enough for CNC holding, however the shop I found it from, stopped getting them, so I started using the CA and tape trick which has amazing hold power, never failed me on the CNC. (I'm not in the US, so we don't have everything within reach)
I've been so against staining some mahogany for a project I'm currently doing but the wife wants a darker color. I've thought about aniline dyes and would love to see a video about that and other options to showcase the wood and grain patterns instead of just staining over them. Especially with complimenting and changing the shades of the wood with unintuitive colors like green on mahogany to tone down the natural red.
I have a magazine rack that I built out of walnut and mahogany. The Mahogany is now darker than the Walnut. The Walnut has probably not darkened very much while the Mahogany Has darkened a lot.
Restoration and finisher here, I could not agree more with your choice of finish! I use many different blends with poly, varnish, spar and tung with turpentine or mineral spirits. I have found I cannot stand the smell of turpentine after years of exposure. So I use mainly mineral spirits now. A really great trick for your blend is to add a dash of Japan drier to a single coat portion and apply with foam brush. That shellac spray is my favorite also. It is dewaxed so you can use it under varnish or poly as a sanding sealer. Works great for sanding back to where only pores are filled and doing a really light coat of oil/varnish and polishing with plastic polish (trick I learned from guitar finishers) I use McGuires clear plastic cleaner/polish.
Here is my personal recipe for oil varnish blend:
1 part Man O War spar varnish (gloss)
1 part pure Tung Oil
1 part Mineral Spirits
1 dash Japan Drier (only add to separate single use portion before application)
Depending on your climate (I live Hawaii so I try to stretch the dry time) you can change the solvent. Paint thinner or acetone may be more desirable in a colder climate.
1. CA + tape is superior to double sided tape for sheer strength and precise positioning in some situations.
2. Along with proper management of timber acclimatisation and staged milling, C Channel 100% helps prevent cupping in thinner tops and some slabs by encouraging the wood to expand laterally.
3. Osmo is garbage with poor durability. I dont know a single pro who still uses it.
4. the idea that you ham-fistedly mixing poly, turps and oil in a jar is in the same league as companies who spend millions developing their product is adorable.
5. Glue and dust is a great option for hairline cracks on long grain and certain joints edges. Nobody is claiming its a fix-all solution.
6. LOTS of seriously high level makers use stain. wtf are you actually talking about?
I understand the message you're trying to purvey here but you've really only succeeded in coming across as smarmy and delivering misinformation yourself.
I used a 100 x 100mm steel right angle 10mm thick between my slab table legs and it worked well keeping the sucker flat
Great video Erik, as someone who started picking up woodworking from social media this is really meaningful information for my journey.
"Senior hobbyist" woodworker here. (Think Norm Abram era.) Mostly furniture and turning in my rep. THANK YOU. Brilliant video . . . heh heh. Seriously, every tool has two edges. For all you can learn on RUclips, it also has no filter in terms of technique. You have to have enough proper experience to know when what you're seeing is suboptimal, leads to buried bodies, or is downright BS. This is just great--I hope you get a million views on this. ps: General Finishes tung oil and urethane is my favorite finish.
I think your next accolade is going to be an award for how amazing that impression of me was. 10/10. 👏
I practiced for days to get that just right 😂
Recently discovered your channel and enjoy your conversational tone. I, for one, would enjoy seeing more finishing techniques - it's my woodworking weakness
Sage advice here. I've clicked the subscribe button. I haven't tried the Rubio Monocoat stuff, but have been seeing it a lot. I'm old, so stick with shellac (especially for things for the grandkids), thinned poly and tung oil varnish. These work well for me and are easily obtainable locally.
Congrats on the publication.... Full respect! 👍🏻
Im old school, but use all different types of finish on my projects, Danish oil, libberon finishing oil, linseed and shellac being the most common... Like I say old school...
I love the process of French polishing, it's cathartic...
no other finish that I've ever used gives such flexability in its ability to be restored or repaired the way shellac and French polishing does.
It's a finish that so many people are scared of and I never understand why.... 🤷🏼♂️
Once you've French polished something that you've made, you've so much more affinity with it... Its like you've put a piece of your soul into it!
Keep the vids coming my friend, TV never goes on any more in my house since discovering your RUclips channel.... 👍🏻 Love it 😉
As a contemporarily educated woodworker (meaning i learned from youtube) I am guilty of every one of these. I'd love to see a video of how you use dye in your finishing process
Thank you! I don’t stain, ever. Tint yes. TransTint and shellac make for great way to match color for repairs or to get the tone just the way you want.
Thank you for making this! I have a roll of double sided masking tape (not carpet tape) in my shop and can't see how blue tape and CA is better in any way. Glad someone finally called this out. Also congrats on 'Fine Woodworking', I'll keep an eye out for that one.
Thank you for the blue tape comment! I’ve been woodworking for around a year now and watching all these videos I was starting to question my sanity on why people don’t just use double sided tape?! Like isn’t that what it’s designed for? Great points!
Except, not all double sided tape is equal and some can be either too easy or too hard to remove, leave residue, etc. Nothing is perfect 100% of the time, but people develop bias and a bad experience can drive people to alternatives even when they're just trading off the compromises and issues for different ones...
Great video! You asked, so I’m answering: I’d love to see a video about using Mixol/tints with other finish instead of stains. I’ve not seen many good videos on RUclips describing these more professional grade finishing techniques. …although I may stick to Osmo and Rubio anyway because of how easy they can be and due to my lack of spray equipment. Who knows what the future holds though
Fwiw I like mixing TransTint dyes into first coat of Rubio (or any other finish), especially to level green/purple/yellow/brown variation of air dried Walnut. I used to mix with denatured alcohol and apply first, now I skip that additional step and just mix with first coat of finish in the interest of labor management. Works well for me.
Would 100% dig seeing an additional video finishes you suggest/use. Thanks for your videos, as a new I am not quite there yet, but I am getting things to shoot for.
I would definitely love a video on finishes - specifically dyes as colorants. I don't use stain. I work a lot with walnut, cherry and maple. I've tried using aniline dyes to pop the figure of maple, but have had ....limited.... success. I think it's something I'd very much like to have in my tool kit, so if you could do a video or two on how to use dyes I would love it! I am intrigued when you mentioned using a dye to stabilize the color of walnut. If you could expand on that, I would really appreciate it!
Thanks for the clarification and information. One thing I saw that I haven’t tried yet is burnishing very small, and I do mean very small gaps, in joinery. What are your thoughts in that?
I would like to see a video on mixol and tinting.
thanks
I've had burnishing go very well and very poorly. When its two pieces of end grain coming together, it only seems to make the problem worse; the grain doesn't really want to fit together. But for long miters parallel to the face grain, there it seems to fold together nicely.
Would love a video on using the dyes and other finish techniques.
A hearty congratulations on FWW.
A formula I've been working with a lot lately for walnut: Shellac, then red Glaze, then Tongue Oil. Takes a little time for it to dry between coats, but the results are absolutely stunning and rich...looks like museum quality furniture.
Love the "new" ideas! Always great hearing different ideas instead of mirroring what everyone else is saying. Thanks!
Aniline dyes are very versatile. I've mixed Transtint with blonde shellac and denatured alcohol to make a brush-on stain. This works very well on pine as it colors it with very little to no blotchiness. I've also mixed powdered dyes with water-based polyurethane for a spray-on toner.
First time I saw the blue tape and superglue trick was on a British guitarmaker's channel. If I recall correctly, the specific reason he had for doing it was that he had not been able to find double-stick tape that would release easily from the wood without leaving chunks of tape and residue behind. For him, at least back then, it wasn't about using what you have or saving money. Since then it has morphed into a ridiculous internet "miracle solution" thing.
Yes, that's Ben Crow of Crimson Guitars.
Another UK guitar builder, Mark Bailey (a lot less well known, but he's been teaching people to build guitars longer than Ben has been building them) faced the same problem but the solution he found was double sided tape that is specifically certified for use on the floor in the National Exhibition Centre in the UK. It's formulated to keep things firmly in place for a week while a show is going on and then to be ripped up by workmen at high speed without damaging the floor or leaving residue... which it turns out also works for holding a routing template firmly in place and leaving a clean undamaged surface when you're done.
It seems in the US suitable double sided tape is more common for some reason, so the "masking tape and superglue trick" (our standard masking tape is not blue) makes less sense over there.
Hey! I learned that from Crimson Guitars too! Ben said he picked it up from an apprentice. I also prefer this to double sided tape. No fiddling with separating the non-stick layer and no residue. Also holds better when surfaces are rough.
It's **absolutely** a marker of success. I remember the first time I had anything published; it felt great, and it got me my next job after that. Take the win.
Yes man, a video on different finishes techniques would be great and congrats on the Fine Woodworking achievement 🤙
You used WAAAAAY too much CA glue. And the best thing about that trick is that you get a second or two of wiggle time that the double sided tape does not. And the double sided tape is FAR more likely to leave residue than blue tape.
First of all, congratulations on being published...That's a GREAT achievement! Secondly, yes, I'd like to see a video on finishes...specifically on the colorant/tint methods. Thank you for the instructional videos. You share A LOT of helpful information, and you have a great attitude & character for doing it. Please keep it coming!
Hello, and congratulations!
Can you please show us how you would fix the hypothetical gap you created in that screwed butt joint? Let's say it's glued up and for whatever reason you can't fully disassemble it. Perhaps a wafer thin shim whose grain runs the same direction as the skewed board so it blends in with it?
Any help would be appreciated, because I am guilty of falling for the glue+dust wisdom, and have never been super satisfied with the results 🙂
Being published in Fine Woodworking, is in my opinion, a very major marker for a woodworker and a great lifetime accomplishment. I noticed your bio the other day as I eagerly devoured the new edition. Congratulations. I would really love to learn more about your technique for using the dyes (or whatever is the proper designation :) in your finishes. Thanks!
Thank you! And noted!
@@ENCurtis I didn’t pay attention to the latest fww but now am going to reread it. Congratulations 👏
The way that I have found to avoid excessive adherence of the blue tape to the wood, is, by running my fingers along the sticky part. That tends to help with releasing the piece from the base. I have a good quality double-face tape. I must say that for CNC and Router operations it holds down the material very well. Blue tape and cyanoacrylate have worked the best for me. I never use it if it is delicate the piece. You could ruin the piece.
Please do a video about stain alternatives.
I hate staining so much 🙏 Would also be great to see more videos like this where you debunk social media trends for woodworking.
Use dyes, like TransTint, General Finishes or Mohawk Finishes. They don't obscure grain like stains. You can mix TransTint powder dyes with distilled water or alcohol. Alcohol gives you the benefit of less grain raise than water. Not a huge deal either way. Plus, you mix dyes with finishes as a toner to even out the patina.
having to use -tan some visiting by brother in law and him needing help on a project. he had nothing to measure angles with... still came out great
Congratulations on the FWW! Definitely well deserved! Good points throughout - the CA glue and blue tape is definitely irritating. I don’t think people realize they are spending just as much on doing that as they would double stick tape.
Thanks brother! And yes, CA glue is not cheap, especially with accelerator. But for some reason the thought pattern continues.
I’ve had DS tape break apart during a CNC carve but never CA glue. Just saying
@@banjerlegs3051 I’ve used both and had different issues with both. I prefer just clamping it
@@NewmanSpecialsWoodwork clamping is the best!
I got a wooden table but need to add some scrach resistant coating - what's best to consider? Any videos on finishes ?
Thanks for another great thought provoking video Erik.
I’ve always wondered myself why blue tape and CA when double sided exists!
I’ve never come across ‘C’ channels but thanks for the heads up.
I’ll definitely investigate fillers though even though I used the glue and sawdust method only yesterday on a garden bench repair.
Please let’s have a video in colouring finishes.
Have a great day and see you on the flip side 😂
I have to agree with you on the wood glue and saw dust filler. People need to keep that in their back pocket for those expensive hardwoods. I made a recipe card box out of purple heart and red heart and had to use the glue and dust trick to fill small gaps in the finger joints that way i had a harder to see fill
Congratulations on the publication in FWW. That’s a really special and well deserved milestone.
Good points. I was chuckling about the blue tape. Yesterday I was teaching my nephew how to use double sided tape to drum sand small parts without launching them across the shop and I mentioned blue tape/CA glue as a less desirable alternative. Double sided tape is “old school”. 🤘🏼
I'm in both camps. There is one process in which the painter's tape + CA glue trick is the undisputed king, and it's pattern routing of very small pieces (star knobs, f.i.). If screws are not an option, it just can't be beat.
@@DrMackSplackem And, you're a Luthier? I attended Roberto-Venn in 2000. Yeah, on small items the adhesive can stretch causing the pattern to shift slightly out of alignment. Is that why you prefer tape and CA for the small parts?
@@whitepawwoodworks You could say so. I think with small parts, it's mostly a matter of being able to vary the amount of adhesive by intuition; I have a jig with a clear acrylic top that has a bolt running through it from above. The star knob (or knobs) is/are bolted underneath, with the pattern on top. It seems any double-sided tape that would work for this, and not spin the parts off-kilter while being processed, is more destructive upon removal than the painter's tape trick (aided by a dull kitchen knife).
Oh, also, I have built a few guitars but wouldn't call myself a luthier. I hope that helps!
Have to agree with the double sticky tape.. been a user and a fan since 1980. Caution here: if you buy thick foam tape there are instances where you will struggle to the foam/adhesive off cleanly when you separate your pieces.. MAKE SURE you buy the "flat" versions! Interesting on the other items.. I didn't know about colorant.. because I don't do custom matches.. customer gets what they get.. as close as commercial finishes will allow. Thanks for the video.
In the 1980's when I was in high school, I mostly used walnut stain on oak and most other light woods. In the 90's I used the (much easier to use) gel stains to the same effect. But at the turn of the century where I now had a family and was making furniture for it, I stopped using stains entirely. Besides being less expensive, I figured: Why not just showcase the original wood color, whatever it actually is?
I agree with just choosing wood but it's color for the desired outlook you want. I'll never understand people saying they have cherry kitchen cabinets when we all know it's actually maple stained cherry. Why? I use cherry very often, just make it from cherry.
I agree, but I also have chairs made from beech wood from the Sixties, and they’re stained or tint-finished or whatever to match the rest of my parents’ dining room, which had a walnut vibe. Technically the chairs are German knock-offs of Danish mid century design pieces, but the quality is excellent, and they look great. I don’t like beech for furniture, that means I’m going to go for walnut when I will finally find the time for a much needed refinish. So while I’m generally not a fan, coloured wood does have its place.
I have to make an observation about your C- channel part. The C-channel can stop a piece of wood from cupping. I think what needs to be mentioned though is how it is attached. For instance, I have made many tables in the past and have learned that with angle iron (c-channel included) if you use coach bolts through the wood and a nut under, the wood usually won’t cup or bow. However if you use just screws from underneath, then yes you are correct as the pressure applied by the wood is greater than the strength of the screws. The pressure that wood can apply is seldom stronger than a bolt (depending on the bolt size). Keeping that in mind, I have seen a few table using c-channels with nuts and bolts to keep the wood from moving and then they have either put an inch (roughly 30mm) plug of a contrasting wood over the bolt head. I do believe that this is where the internet has gotten confused about the use of the c-channel.
Congratulations on getting published! And a big thank you for dunking on RUclips today. As an echo chamber, it really leaves hobbyists like me wondering what is good advice. So I appreciate and welcome your perspective. Cheers!
As a new subscriber, let me say congratulations on being published, and don't sell it short. It's a marker of your skill and progression in woodworking.
I am in the process of building out my shop, small as it is, and beginning my own journey into fine woodworking. Yes, I've built things over the past 40 or so years, but I want to build pieces that will stand the test of time, and that's why I concentrate on finding content such as yours.
Looking forward to viewing more from your channel as time permits.
Obligatory, and sincere, congratulations on the FWW recognition. Was pleased to see you as part of the group.
Several years ago when I was picking up turning a finish similar to yours, but with shellac instead of varnish, was pushed as the only way to properly finish bowls. It works, but like anything else, when it starts to turn cult-ish it removes the knowledge from the process. "Do this, you don't need to know why!" Keep including the why, it creates a better class of people.
Great video on getting your point across while not being negative. Something that is sorely lacking in this world. Agree with all - especially the blue tape/CA glue trick. Spectra double stick tape is faster, cleaner, and easier to remove with zero residue left. I also avoid stain like the plaque unless it's absolutely necessary. Something I tried recently on a wall hanging for my daughter was mixing Transtint dye with shellac as a finish. Turned out really nice and dried pretty much instantly.
Unfortunately 90 percent of the tips on RUclips are purely about money . Unfortunately RUclipsrs have become pushers of tools and accessories purely because of money . I get it making money is what this country is about . But unfortunately it has gone so commercial that new woodworkers are overwhelmed and buy all this crap because someone with several thousand subs says you need it .
One of the markers I really hold on to is another wood worker having enough confidence in me telling someone else "Oh yea Mike can do that for you no problem". It seems simple and off the cuff but at the time it meant a lot to me and huge confidence boost I needed.
It is so much more expensive to use CA glue and tape vs Double stick tape. I would love to see the mix all/tint video so I can learn to steer away from staining.
I would love to see a video on professional finishes. I use stain a lot as a hobbyist and I think finishing is my biggest weakness.
Congratulations man :) its pretty awesome to be recognised! i expirienced it my self, as i was nominated and won best colleague by a coworker :) it feels good to be recognised for something that you care about!
Awesome video, i really enjoyed it
Thank you!
For the most part when someone says “ this is the only way” to do anything, or “this is THE best way” Or “how to do ( insert anything here) like a pro” I pretty much dismiss it. Like you have pointed out there are multiple ways of doing almost everything. Except stoping wood from moving. You have a new subscriber.
Please don't listen to this person. Just because he is in some magazine for old people doesn't mean he knows how to do anything better than anyone else at the same skill level."youtube" doesn't teach anything. Good people who have a lot of knowledge use youtube to teach people. Stop worrying about how everyone else isn't doing things the way this person thinks they should be done.
You’re not wrong. I don’t know how to do anything better than someone of the same skill level. Can’t argue that point.
Some riposte for the algorithm:
Glue and sanding dust: Use 40 or 80 grit max for your sanding dust+glue filler. Mix outside of the joint then push it in. It blends much better than fine dust.
Rubio: It fills its niche nicely and is well marketed. Hardwax oils are pretty expensive and people want to grab the 'good stuff' or rather the 'safe bet' before they branch out.
Spray shellac is fantastic for the inside of a drawer or cabinet. Dries fast, seals the wood and won’t smell or gas off when someone opens the door or drawer. It easily reaches all the corners a rag won’t get into.
This video was a valuable source of information. Only problem I had was the comparison of tree root growth breaking concrete sidewalks to seasonal movement of wood. Not the same thing at all.
Good stuff - first ENCurtis video I've seen (and I subscribed) - would love to see a video on using analine dyes (or other tints) in finishes, especially to make figured wood grain stand out
The blue tape for woodworking, I never really used before for anything than a CNC hold down and that was only because it was thinner than the double sided tape I could get and if you go too deep and cut into the tape, it doesn't gum the flutes of the cutter like the thicker stronger double sided tape.
But love your explanations. I've always viewed any tips or tricks more as a if you don't have x, y will work in a pinch
Recently came across your channel and already picked up a lot of info and love your humor and presentational style
The only thing with osmo is the curing time, that rubio hardener tho... I'm trying out the Blackforest wood co oil on my next project, the say it's somewhere between the osmo and rubio with no hardener, curious to see how it goes