Mission style coffee table

[SARGE..g-47]

Sarge, we did it last February, so it has gone through four seasons.
I think there was a bit of luck involved though. WE figured what the heck, if it
separated we would make another top(s), as this was all scraps that we scrounged
together from our workshop. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Joann

Excellent results, Joann. I agree with the attitude as I often will gamble in a case as such. It takes one afternoon to build another top so.. why not. If I followed every rule that is out there on movement.. it would highly limit the way you have to design. So.. in some cases as you guys.. I take a shot in the dark knowing I can replace with little effort really.

Again... nice job and very creative because you decided to "Just do it" as Nike suggest.

[SARGE..g-47]

E-mail out at 22:30 hours, Iansaws. I just came up from the shop.

Regards and catch you on the land line.. whenever.

[Two Much]

LOL Sarge, everything we do is a shot in the dark, as you say!

Ian, I love the coffee table that you chose. That is exactly what I would have picked.
It has drawers (for the remotes) and a bottom shelf for stuff! In my archives, I have a photo of a coffee table I copied and saved. I tried to post it yesterday for you, and messed it up. Anyhow, it looks exactly the same as the one you picked.

I think you said you are making it out of quarter sawn white oak, right? If so do you know what color you want to stain it? If you want the color that is shown, I can tell you how we achieved that color, as we did all the furniture in our family room that color.

and yes, we made the chess board. That is how I came up with the idea to do the table tops in the sepia color and clad it in walnut to match the edge of the chess board (QS white oak)...Like that commercial, did you ever see it?...The woman goes to the architect and places a kitchen faucet on his desk and says, "Build me a house around this"

Here is another link for Van Dyke Restorers...I have ordered hardware from them, they have some wonderful mission hardware that is reasonable in price.

http://www.vandykes.com/search/1/cab...binet+hardware

Good luck with your first big piece, your adventures are just beginning!

[Iansaws]

Joann,
I am planing on staining the table to match the Mission funiture that I already have. Currently I have a Morris chair, a futon and a dining table a chairs. (all purchased separatly over the years). While they all certainly do not match exactly, they are all pretty close to a dark walnut. I have already purchased a Minwax dark walnut stain as well as a satin poly finsh, but I am open to suggestions. I have been wondering if I needed to use a sealer on the wood before I stain it. I have seen some recommendations for filler/sealer use on oak. Any thoughts on this?

[SARGE..g-47]

Joann,
I am planing on staining the table to match the Mission funiture that I already have. Currently I have a Morris chair, a futon and a dining table a chairs. (all purchased separatly over the years). While they all certainly do not match exactly, they are all pretty close to a dark walnut. I have already purchased a Minwax dark walnut stain as well as a satin poly finsh, but I am open to suggestions. I have been wondering if I needed to use a sealer on the wood before I stain it. I have seen some recommendations for filler/sealer use on oak. Any thoughts on this?

I realize you directed this to Joanne but... I will add a comment in addition to what she might tell you. Sealer is not generally used on oak before staining. It is more common on softwood which allows very deep pore penetration, especially with oil stain. Gel stain helps with that as it doesn't penetrate deep but sits more evenly on the surface to avoid blotch which is somewhat common in soft-wood if you don't take preventive measures.

So.. no realy reason IMO for sealer unless you use filler which is not the same thing. Oak is open pore and if you desire to do a finish such as French Polish.. you must fill the open pores or you will never achieve it. Shellac gets in those pores and you end up with little white spots if not tediously takenm out as you go.

But.. in the case of A & C leaving the pores open is the norm. It gives it a more hearty look IMO and not the refined look of period furniture. And BTW... the poly will fill the pores to some degree also. I let my poly cure until it hardens (cures) which takes about a week or so. Then I rub out with Liberon (any brand will work) wax applying with 0000 steel wool which dulls the plastic poly look more of a satin which I'm shooting for.

Good luck and I hope I didn't step on Joanne's toes here. She may take a totally opposite approach to my methods. The bottom line is just getting there regardless of how you arrive.

[Two Much]

Ian, can you post a photo of the furniture you are trying to match?

I have a little different approach than Sarge, here is how I do my finishing...
I have stained a lot of white QS oak as well as red oak.
Flat sawn oak has a lot of dark spots -- the characteristic cathedrals --that
darker wood is soft and absorbs more stain, and look very dark in the finished piece.
In QS oak and Rift sawn oak there is less darker spots, however they are there.

This is how I do a ot of our cabinets and furniture -- After sanding, I wipe on with a rag
BLO (boiled linseed oil) The BLO fills in all the wood and the stain will take on evenly.
Then you have to wait 3 to 5 days for the BLO to dry.
Then give it a light sanding with 000steel wool, wipe clean with a tact cloth and then apply the stain. I wait at least 24 hours (depending on the weather) for the stain to dry before applying either polyurethane or Waterlox.
I used waterlox on our kitchen and bath cabinets and on some furniture as well...Waterlox allows you to re-coat the piece without sanding the cabinet in between coats.
That's why I used it in our kitchen and bathroom. Down the road I can just re-coat it with
Waterlox without having to sand down everything.

Lately on the recent furniture we did I used Minwax gloss poly. There are no additives in the gloss poly, like there are in semi-gloss. I rather use gloss poly and take the finish down to the soft luster I desire with sandpaper and steel wool. I think the additives in semi-gloss poly compromise (slightly cloud) the details in the wood.

I also do hand rubbed finishes with a mix of Poly, Linseed oil, and turpentine...Those are my favorite finishes. However, I always use BLO first.

I've used mostly a mix of Minwax English chestnut and Minwax provential on our darker furniture in the family room, and Minwax English chestnut and Minwax Golden Pecan in the Kitchen.
If you post a photo of your existing furniture it would be helpful.
Joann

[Two Much]

Ian, Here is a secretary unit we made last March. I stained it to match my roll top desk, that is old. I used the English chestnut and Provincial stain. Also gloss Minwax varnish, sanded down to the desired finish.

This cabinet is mostly white Rift sawn oak, only the drawers are QS white oak. Notice the molding on top of the center doors, as well as the doors -- how many dark areas of wood is flowing through? Without the BLO applied first, this softer dark wood would have taken on the stain much darker, and in my opinion, would have changed the overall look of the entire piece. We also integrated two thin strips on walnut in the top molding.

BTW, I purchased the pulls (on the doors) at the link I gave you for Van Dykes, I think they were only about 3.50 each. The knobs on the drawers I got at Home depot and antiqued them to match the pulls.

Study the close up photo, you'll see how the darker wood is more even toned because of the BLO.

[Iansaws]

Very nice

Thanks for everyones advice. I will try to take some pictures of my current furniture tomorrow. They are stained much darker than what you have here. It is not my favorite finish and it does make the room much darker I think, but I have become use to it now. If the pics turn out decent showing the finish as it really is, I will post them.

My experience with finishing is limited to staining with what I find retail, usually not even wiping the stain, accepting what I get, and then applying poly. I want this project to look like I did it, but like I did a really great job. If that makes sense.