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Dick Smith

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Thanks to Dave and Chris for the advice on making housing jigs - this is what I eventually made:

[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f338/dick_at_aulton/DSC_0011.jpg[/IMG]

Not happy with the finish - it's medium brown wax, and it looks a bit grubby, so I'm going to beeswax it, I think, over the top.

Don't ask any questions about the pots - I know nuzzing!

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Like it, like it!![:D] Nice one Dick.

The span will be fine because the honey pots are not heavy, but if it were filled with books? Looks like it could have been a bit wider looking at the honey pots on the table??[Www][:D]

I have not used bees wax so I am not sure what it will do over another type of wax, but the photo doesn't make it look 'grubby'. But if you aren't happy with the finish then it will probably come off easily with a cabinet scraper?

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I think it is very nice Dick.

I know nothing about wood work but if I could make a teeny constructive criticism ?

If it were for me, I would rather have had shorter shelves. The honey pots and the thing you made are both lovely but the lovely honeypots distract too much from your lovely woodwork.

I think the honeypots are such a good feature that they would, in my humble opinion, look really excellent in two identical but smaller wooden units where I think the balance would be right between the amount of pottery and the amount of wood. [:D]

 

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Ah! The cunning plan is to build a narrower unit as a bookshelf!

Actually, No 1 son has just come in and said exactly the same thing...

I'm afraid the space is what it is, the wall to the right goes round a corner, and people would take their eye out. So a compromise. Julie still has 2 boxes of pots, though, so further versions are likely if we ever free up any wall space.

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way to go Dick looks great ....

 if you are just using wax try the " le salvagers " trick   and spray it first with 1 teaspoon full of caustic soda mixed in 1 ltr of warm water .It lifts the grain on the wood and evens out the wax colour finnish , but you have to polish it out after with a hard brush in a drill to get it back smooth.

   but it looks ok to me........

       Dave

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Thanks, guys, appreciated.

I thought of the caustic idea, but I was under orders to keep it in a certain range of tones, otherwise it would just blend in with the pots. I preferred the lightest BriWax, but Julie wanted a bit darker. 

Next project will be making small cabinets for storage, I've done most of the practice, now I need to get something made, so it will be for me! Then a bookshelf for over my desk in France. Then a long, long list.....

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Newly learned techniques always feel a bit cumbersome to start with, time and repetition hone the skills to a point where you can pour the thoughts into the piece itself and not necessarily how it's constructed.

Talking about jigs, I picked up two trolley loads of  MDF and plywood offcuts from a brico the other week for 15 euros, loads of excellent template and jig material for next to nothing, keep your eyes peeled!

I'm working on something I want to do at the moment but herself is injecting the right amount of guilt!

Perhaps we should all adopt a 'one for you, one for me' policy?

 

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Chris - so you can see what we are up against here, have a look at my local hardwood supplier's website. Download the wood prices, then pick yourself up and have a stiff drink!

http://www.slhardwoods.co.uk/

Faced (Ash) 9mm MDF starting at £30 a sheet, superior grade £50, Birdseye Maple £168...

European Oak (5"x1") £10 per linear metre...

Oak flooring £30 per square metre... (min 25 m2)

American Cherry £50 per cubic foot...

They even sell the offcuts at £22 a bag. And these aren't cowboys, this is a sensible company, well respected.

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Ouch! That's a great website though.

I totally understand the prohibitive cost of UK timber prices and how they inhibit the growth of skills and projects...one of the main reasons for moving here was just that. I could fill your T5 with offcuts and probably not notice the loss Dick!

I'm sure you lot who are UK based could be really benefitting from the the availability and price of timber here....I can feel an idea coming on! Erm, I'm not selling my timber...just thinking how we could get a stock of really cheap, decent quality kiln dried Oak for you frustrated woodworkers out there. Hmmmm

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