Finishing

Today was spent finishing Ellen’s TV Tray Table set. I started off by doing what I call the Sit Steady Test… that is I place each table and the stand on the only guaranteed flat surface in my workshop – my table saw – and check to see if it sits steady. If it wobbles I mark the offending legs and sand just a little off of each until all four sit flat and solid on the table.

It is entirely possible that shipping these tables to a new environment will cause the wood in the legs to move a bit, and it may cause a wobble again, but at least when it went out my door it was right.

Then I got out some 180 grit sand paper and hand sanded everything. Done with that I vacuumed them, tack ragged them and set up my HVLP sprayer in the finishing room. Each of the three pieces of this set got two good coats of lacquer, scuff sanding in between.

When the second coat was dry I took them back out into the assembly room and looked them over carefully. There is one more step; to skim coat the tray tops with tung-oil polyurethane to improve their resistance to water marks, but I want to be sure the lacquer has cured out well before I apply a different kind of finish to them, so that will have to wait until tomorrow evening after I get back from Treasures. Then the poly can set up until Monday morning when I will package them up for shipment to Ellen.

One of the features I especially like about this set is the "curly" grain in the piece I selected for the handle. Pretty isn't it?

Hope you have a great weekend! Coming on Monday: Steamer Trunks!

Doug