Rope Added to Shoe Cabinet

[SandBuoy]

Well the CC is on its way to LHR for a new Z pack and other repairs. So I didn't miss it to much I decided to finish some projects. here is the Shoe cabinet I made with the rope moulding applied to it yesterday. I am very pleased with everything on the cabinet but the shelves. I am either going to replace them with wood ones or veneer these one and stain to match. We thought maybe the of color would go with the carvings but it look terrible to me.

[Skyhawk]

I agree Sandbouy, the project looks great but the coloring on the shelvs seem a little out of place...Maybe a little rope moulding on the front edge of the shelves to help them blend in?

[Jvicaretti]

I also agree with you and Skyhawk, the project does look great except for the shelf color. Maybe the rope molding would do the trick or if you replace them you have 4 shelves for your next project.

[swhitney]

I think the project looks great!!, including the shelves. (even if you do not like the different wood, remember, it is a shelf which will have items on it!!)

Nice Job!

[FINGERS]

the two tone looks good nice job

[mtylerfl]

Sandbouy,

The project looks great - love the molding addition. (I probably would go with a matching shelf color too, like what you have planned.)

Say, I've been asking a lot of folks about their finishing techniques and materials.

I've done a few larger projects and I'm always battling dust on the large flat areas. Of course, I'll either use 0000 steel wool or sand with very fine sandpaper between coats, depending on what type of clear coat I'm using. I've also done "French polishing" with shellac on some items (two antique pianos I restored, for example).

Could you share what you did to achieve your beautiful clear coat finish on those large surfaces, and how you handled any dust problems?

[SandBuoy]

Micheal, I am probably the last person to ask about finishing buddy. I fight with the same things. I never was a good finisher although I have really tried hard to accomplish a nice finish.

The finish of my choice so far out of about 8-9 I have tried has been one I accidently picked up at a store 100 miles away. The hardware store owner told us about it after we asked about an outside clear gloss sealer. he was out at the time and we found it once in HD. Since they dropped the can but its still available in a spray can.

Its called RustOleum Painters Touch clear gloss paint. Its a water base that I thinned down a little and went on super thin. Its dry within 15 minutes and can be recoated in an hour. I out on 3 coats, sanded with 0000 steel wool and applied a few more coast over a couple of days. Now i can't find it in the can anywhere and i would put it up against the Varathanes, Urathanes, shellacs and varishes for a nice finish. I did the litho boxes and rope moulding with it.

I just talked to the manager at Home depot and if I buy a case of $24 cans he will order the can stuff for me at $5.99 a can. I am seriously considering it as I do Koi pond signs and features that need to be weather proofed. Its held up great in the rain for 3 months now on the things I have done so far. I would suggest you try it in the spray but the can stuff thinned down 1-3 is great. Easy clean up and easy on those $20-30 brushes that never come clean in oil bases.

The shoe cabinet I used a Varathane, doamond Uerathane. Its a water base also but if you look close you can see where the 0000 steel wool didn't clean off the brush stroke well. While I was putting on the rope moulding I almost sanded off the top of the cabinet and reapplied a finish. It the direct light it stinks and shows a lot fo brush stroke marks.

I could probably accomplished a better finish by useing a sealed room but I don;t have the room or time for setting one up and tearing it down. i also hate spraying for the little size stuff I do. But I may have to come up with something if I want to better my finish jobs.

I did try ones of the processes I believe Ken Massengale said he used on a project. I used a Bullseye shellac with 2 coats, sanding, 2 coat, steel wool and then shot two coast of the RO painter touch clear paint ober it. It came out remarkable but I didn't get a pitcure of it becuase the guy came to get it the next morning. But the finish sure came out nice using shellac and a rattle can.

[mtylerfl]

Thank you for all the tips and finishing ideas! I need to start hunting for some of those products you mentioned.

Thanks again.

[Don Butler]

I hadn't heard about the Rustoleum spray, and I'll look for it. Good outdoors, you say? Great!

Here's what I do for a really nice (not weatherproof) finish without spraying.
Very carefully flow on water soluable urethane with a top quality brush, being generous with the material. Tip it off with very ends of the brush to eliminate brush marks and bubbles.

After its dry, sand very lightly with 120 grit paper just to knock off the dust nits (yes, I get dust nits, I don't have a dedicated finishing room like The Norm). Recoat as with the first. Repeat to get three or four good coats. Don't worry about building up color. The water-borne urethane is extremely clear.

Let this build cure very well. a day or two, at least. Then start to sand, first with the 120 paper to knock off the nits. no heavy sanding. Then go to successively finer papers all the way to 1000 grade automotive paper. You won't find it at most big box store, but Walmart has it in their automotive section. While you're there pick up a small can of automotive rubbing compound. Use that with a clean, soft cloth, preferably cotton, like an old fashioned diaper. Polish until there is no sign of brush marks and the surface is as smooth as a good piano! Complete by taking all the rubbing compound off and apply a wax with another clean cloth, and polish it lightly.

You will fall in love with this surface despite the labor intensive technique. Obviously, this is the routine for flat surfaces. For carved detail you'll need to use four-aught steel wool for sanding, skip the rubbing compound and go right to the wax, applied with the steel wool. Polish it to a good, smooth feel.

By the way, I use a sanding mop for cleaning up a freshly carved object. It doesn't obliterate detail but smooths out the small rough edges that almost always result from the CW.

I'm very interested in the Rustoleum clear finish because I'd like to offer weather resistant signage.

Don

[SandBuoy]

Thanks for the tips Don. My wife says I am to picky with my finishing work and I have been know to completely remove it to the wood and start over. I was a kitchen and bath designer for some high end cabinets shop for about 15 years. Try duplicating some of their finishes. Some are as nice as piano greade.

A lot have converted to the catilized finishes which are very very harmful to breathe in. Had a freind that broke into catilized finishes in his custom cabinet shop. You would have swore he was in a HazMat suit. he took no chamces of breathing it in after talking to the supplier. The stuff is so hard you can't break it down with most removers also. A bear to refinish anything with it on it. Sanding is the best way and pains taking.

Not sure why they pulled that Clear water based Rust Oleum off the shelves. I think its just comes down to no or little advertising on a fantastic product. I am heading for HD now and going to see if I can order a case of quarts. 24 cans is a lot, but I seem some finishes that run that for 2 quarts.