Orange Agate Box
#19
(05-21-2020, 08:41 PM)JohnnyEgo Wrote: I hate shellac.  I used it here because it dries fast and doesn't stink, but there is an art to applying it, and I have not acquired that art yet.  I did better this time, though.  Thinned it out of the can by about 50%, then used a rag instead of a brush.  Far fewer streaks than I had on last year's box, though I still ended up with some build-up and runs at the board ends.  Not as bad as previous efforts, but it reminded me of why shellac always frustrates me.

Try buying some flakes and mixing your own.  You have a choice of color, e.g., amber, button, blonde, super blonde, etc.  It's always fresh. You can choose your cut and thin to your taste and means of application. Make your own sanding sealer spit coat.  Mix only what you need and keep the flakes in a refrigerator and they will last for decades, some of my flakes are 20 years old and still are fine.  I use mason jars for mixing and storage (2 month shelf life is my rule), has oz. marks on the side for measuring the DNA, and a cheap electronic scale from walmart/amazon adds precision.  I use shellac for so many finishes, and you can re-coat with virtually anything.  Highly recommended.
Credo Elvem ipsum etiam vivere
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
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#20
Very nice result on the box.  I've always liked spaulted woods, something to surprise you with each pass thru the planer.  We are sitting in an RV in southern OK waiting to close on the new farm, all our household goods still in the two trucks.  I miss my shop, but... It wont be long.
Jim in Okie
You can tell a lot about the character of a man -
By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
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#21
I mix my own shellac without any measuring but I know it is is close to a 1# cut, something fairly thin. And I only use a brush to reach areas that a rag cannot. 

So, thin coats, sanded between applications using a rag is my recipe. I like it.

Nice box. The kid does nice work!
Lumber Logs, domestic hardwoods at wholesale prices: http://www.woodfinder.com/listings/012869.php

Lumber Logs' blog: Follow the adventure
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#22
Thanks man! I'm proud of him. When I am not contemplating eating him.
I bought a can of Denatured Alcohol today, so the next time I mess with Shellac I will see if the appropriate thinning agent gives me better results than the isopropyl I used on this one. On the plus side, it dried fast and was fairly consistent on everything other than the corners of the box, so perhaps technique won't be as much of an issue with the appropriate solvent.
Math is tough. Let's go shopping!
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#23
Thanks for sharing lots of inspirining and informational items. Useful and enlightening!
How is this different from Osage orange?
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#24
I am not an expert by any means, but I have some familiarity with osage orange just because it is a domestic and I have a recurve bow made out of it. So going solely from what I know, I'd say the differences are that it is a lot more yellow, a lot more consistent in terms of grain pattern, and a lot more flexible than the orange agate. I don't think it has the strong color contrast between sapwood and heartwood, either. But I'd defer to people who knew more about either.
Math is tough. Let's go shopping!
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#25
Osage is quite hard and a vivid yellow when worked (with a cream colored sapwood). It darkens to a golden brown over time.

I use it for my chisel driving mallets. I see no correlation to this exotic other than "orange" is in the name.
Lumber Logs, domestic hardwoods at wholesale prices: http://www.woodfinder.com/listings/012869.php

Lumber Logs' blog: Follow the adventure
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#26
Love the box, love the contrast. I usually end up doing two different woods to get the contrast.

RonL
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