Joe Bottigliere

Roger,
When I first started using Watco, I contacted their customer service to see if I could apply water based poly as a topcoat. I wanted the Watco to deepen the color of a cherry table but wanted the poly for durability. They said I could topcoat it with anything provided the oil was thoroughly dried – 72 hours or more! Once cured, it was like any other solvent based finish requiring a light sanding for adhesion. So I would think you’re ok with lacquer. I do question sealing the wood before applying the Watco. My understanding is that this and similar products are formulated thin so they can penetrate the surface and add to the character of the wood as well as seal it. I would think the shellac will prevent this. I would use either/or not both. The shellac will add the depth and color you are looking for (especially if you tint it) and prevent blotching. Likewise, the Watco will add color and depth and seal the surface. You may experience some blotching but in my experience, that has always been minimal and helps to accentuate the figure.
Hope that helps.

… of course not!

Disappointing about July but we’ll have to get by. If Corey or Bill is reading this, you should be put on the presentation list. Otherwise, I will let them know you are available. Thanks, Charlie.

Not a bad idea. July is round-robin month. I would like to see how you do that voodoo that you do. I will also have a “demo” to present but I will make a point of it to check you out if you do present this! Please try.

As a matter of conversation, I will be demonstrating how to tune up and set up a bench plane (or whatever plane someone might like to work on) in preparation for the plane shaving contest this year. I will also have a shaving plank there so all interested members should bring in their smoothing planes to play. This is not a contest only a prep for it. We hope to have the contest at this year’s exhibit again. And I hope to have some valuable prizes as an incentive for all to join in. it’s easier than you think and I hope to prove that at the July meeting.

Now back to fillers. I have cut through veneer on some plywood and used matching veneer to cover it. Then I would use some PVA glue and an iron to bring it all together. Pretty reliable technique that Mario Rodriguez had shown us years ago.

What shapes are “irregular”? Seriously. Do you avoid straight lines? If so how do you transfer the shape to the board and cut out something so irregular efficiently – router; Dremel; gouges? I think the world may like to know.

Roger,
I’ve used colored epoxy, wood dust and varnish (poly, shellac) and shellac sticks (burn-in sticks). They all seem to work well. The epoxy will fill larger voids but will be obvious. The wood dust and varnish I’ve only used on smaller voids but is less conspicuous. It’s the same as using wood glue only nicer. the color is near perfect and it is certainly compatible with the top coat. The burn-in sticks fit in somewhere in between. I guess if I were better at it I could fill a larger void but I’ve never tried it. If you have a good hand and eye at painting in a grain figure, the burn-in stick would be my recommendation.

Another suggestion, if the voids are few (not in your case) and large enough, you could use Norm Abram’s favorite technique of routing out and inserting a Dutchman patch.

But then it wouldn’t be a CSP-FSR but rather an SP-FSR! But that is another market to conquer.

Yea, Bill. I made one of those last week. Problem was we have no room for it in the house so I put it out on the curb. Fortunately, someone took it.

I’ll buy one Charlie … at a club discount, of course. As the production work picks up, I invariably get more splinters. I just don’t have the time to stand there and pull them out. A nifty auto puller like yours just might do the trick. I heard the Dominys had a water powered one in their clock shop back in the day.

Come on, Charlie, don’t hold back. Let us know what you really think about toothing planes …