Welcome to the July edition of John’s Jaunt! If you read no further, please make note that the July meeting is July 11th, not July 4th. I am looking forward to the July meeting, as it is our Show and Tell meeting. Every year you and your fellow woodworkers bring interesting projects, jigs and/or techniques. If you have something to show, give Tom Shuppe a call so he can get an idea of how many people are showing, or if it is last minute, bring something anyways. We will fit it in.
At the most recent board meeting it was noted that a number of the recent workshops had to be canceled due to low sign ups. We discussed what the reasons might be but I would like to hear it from you. Is it a matter of topics, timing, cost, etc.? Let us know.
I have made some progress, albeit slight, on my current project. I have started gluing up the segments for an octagon shaped patio table. You may recall that our previous glass table was destroyed in a wind storm. Hopefully I will get to make some significant progress now that summer is here; I need to since my kids are rapidly adding to the list of projects!
Happy woodworking!
John
Summer’s upon us!!! At our June meeting Matt Bohlmann provided an excellent presentation about the intricacies of spraying equipment. Our members were very interested and asked Matt many questions. The members thought the combination of both contribute a successful event. We changed the date for the Matt Bohlmann hands-on spraying workshop: Due to the regular meeting-date changing without much notice we decided to change the date for the spraying workshop to sometime in November. This will give more members an opportunity to sign-up. At the November Spray Gun workshop: you will learn not only how to spray, but you will be given techniques to complete your home projects. You’ll be able to compare different types of spray guns. You can also bring your own spray gun to show off or to practice with. Lastly, we’d like to hear about your failures and successes. July 11th, Membership Meeting The July meeting program is Show & Tell, so bring your project to brag about. Also, Bill Smeaton will demonstrate Timber Framing techniques, and large mortise and tendon joinery July 14th, Timber Faming Workshop This workshop will be Timber Framing at Bill Smeaton’s home workshop You will actually cut joints and time permitting install the piece.
We were lucky to have Matt Bohlman give a talk on techniques for using spraying as the method of applying a finish to a piece of work. Matt has his own business where they spray different finishes to complete projects. Matt talked about the different types of spray techniques he uses: a high pressure spray gun; a high volume low pressure (HVLP) turbine; and a paint pump style of applying the finishes.
Each type has its own features. But all types have similar considerations. All types of sprayers use a nozzle that controls the amount of liquid coming out. You need to practice spraying onto a piece of cardboard or other disposable material to be sure the nozzle is adjusted correctly and you can spray without creating drips, globs, or runs. You usually spray 9 to 12 inches away from your project. The viscosity of the material you are spraying determines the size of the orifice in the nozzle. With a lacquer use a size 7 nozzle, with a glaze a size 10 – 14 nozzle, and with latex use a larger nozzle. The thickness of the liquid being sprayed determines the viscosity, with latex being the most viscous.
The simplest and cheapest type of spray equipment is a high pressure cup type spray gun and a high pressure air compressor, available at a store like Menard’s. It sprays at 45 pounds per square inch with 60% coverage. The biggest problem with this type of spray gun is the limit on the amount of material that fits in the cup. It is not effective when doing a larger project.
Another type of spray equipment is the HVLP turbine. It has a bigger can and can spray thicker, more viscous material. It is not compressing the air so the air is dryer when spraying and the project dries faster. You can get 80% coverage compared to the 60% with the high pressure type sprayer. However these are more expensive to purchase. The paint pump method pressurizes the liquid itself. It uses a smaller quantity of the material to bring it up to 2300 to 3000 pressure per inch. The pump systems are less flexible and can be exhausting and tricky to maneuver. The good thing about them is they can spray a lot in a short time. You can change the pressure you run at by starting at a low pressure and increase it as needed. One other caution when using this style of application technique is that an injection wound from latex product can cause a very serious problem, because latex contains a huge amount of bacteria.
Finally, Matt talked about finishing the projects before applying the finishing coat. He said the more steps you take the nicer the piece will be. He prepares the wood by sanding heavily through grits to 220 on bare wood. He uses up to 150 grit sandpaper on oak. He recommends using pore filler on porous wood and using dark color pore filler on dark wood. He said you can use a colorant to make the wood a consistent color after using the pore filler. He said you could use a dye color to brush on. He said glazes and oil based stain sit on top of the wood and do not give you the same depth as a dye brushed on*. He stressed that you should always make a sample with scraps of your project before applying a finish to your completed project. * When asked what you put on top of your project as a final finish, Matt said that is entirely up to you. A lacquer product dries the fastest. A water based product can be hard, strong and beautiful. A vinyl, lacquer based product seals and sands easily. And, finally he says shellac makes a great finish. The final finish is a personal decision depending on the use and needs of the project.
Henry Yun and Kevin Wandtke were the winners of the March raffle. There will be three winners in April when Jerry Smaglik will be your raffle host. The prizes will be wooden screw clamps donated by Rockler. Rockler Woodworking and Hardware is located at 845 North Mayfair Road, 414-774-1882.
Thomas Petkovek, manager of Rockler Woodworking and Hardware located at 845 N. Mayfair Road Wauwatosa, WI has recently donated the following books to the Guild library: The Woodsmith Collection: Desks, Tables and Chairs, 1997. August Home Publishing Wacky Toys, Whirligigs and Whatchamacallits, 2002. by Rodney Frost, Sterling Publishing Classics from the New Yankee Workshop, 1990, by Norm Abrams, Little Brown and Company How to Build Outdoor Structure, 1987. by Deborah Morgan and Nick Engler, Sterling Publishing Please let Rockler know of your appreciation, the next time you visit the store.
The following members have items due back to the Guild Library:
Please return these items at the next WWG meeting or contact Pat Kashmerick, WWG Librarian, at 262-827-0495 to arrange for drop off or mailing.