Tank stand (woodworking)

[DonW]

I'm ready to start a new project, sorry no automation no gizmos. Ive never posted any woodwork on RF since Ive never done a tank stand or hood worthy of display. I'm not at all interestest in typical cabinet work, so I leave that to the cabinet shop. I only do high-end gallery woodworking. I never make something that can be duplicated. That being said this project should take 4 to 6 months from start this saturday to finish.

Every board is selected as the piece is being created, I dont like clear lumber stock and find it to be a waste of a perfectly good tree. As with anything I build there is usually some inspiration for the design. Below are the two pieces of material Ive chosen for the theme of this piece and two photos of the stock supplier. I aquire only small portions of stock at a time, usually fresh out of the kiln then store all pieces in my small storage kiln.

The framework will be highly figured and spalted maple. The panel work I'm still contemplating, probably some sort of contrasting burl or bubinga, Inlay work will be bolivian rose and/or purple heart.

Should be a interesting project for those that are interested in woodworking, long and boring for those that are not.

Don

 

[returnofsid]

Awesome!! Can't wait to see updates. I used to be very involved in wood working. I also worked at a lumber supply store where we sold hardwoods, including exotics. It's been ages since I've enjoyed working with wood. Just don't have the equipment anymore.

 

[Scooterman]

I've learned so much watching Norm over the years, I love these types of projects, I'll enjoy this.

 

[reedman]

That's what I love to see...real tools Really though, it should be great to see this project progress. Lots of pictures please Don.

 

[Krish]

Good luck Don! Sounds very interesting! Not something I would personally attempt...I change tanks too often

 

[spongebob lover]

keep the pictures coming dood .
i think this is an awesome project dood

 

[JoshF]

I only do high-end gallery woodworking.

We would expect nothing less!

Looks like a nice project. Those Lucas sawmills are fairly impressive with what they can do for a small rig. My father-in-law has been running one for the last year or so. Before that he ran one of the last big blades in Washington (literally something like a 4 foot wide blade on the saw! )

I'm just starting to get into woodworking, and I look forward to seeing how you go about this!

Josh

 

[DonW]

We would expect nothing less!

Looks like a nice project. Those Lucas sawmills are fairly impressive with what they can do for a small rig. My father-in-law has been running one for the last year or so. Before that he ran one of the last big blades in Washington (literally something like a 4 foot wide blade on the saw! )

I'm just starting to get into woodworking, and I look forward to seeing how you go about this!

Josh

I'm almost concidering building one for myself. I do have a chainsaw mill but sure waste alot of wood. Really just gets used to mooch fallen timber I see on the side of the road.

This piece will have a few spalted spheres and I havent touched any of my lathes for months. I decided to warm up my old hands on a 32" ash slugger for my grand son last night. He and I will be heading to the mill first thing saturday morning to get this piece rolling.

Don

 

[JoshF]

I was surprised at how nice ash is to work with. I just built an open stairway with 12/4 ash treads. The beams on either side are doug fir. Nice bat! I look forward to seeing what you have in mind for this...

 

[DonW]

I decided on the dark contrasting timber for my stand. Padauk was the final decision after spending alot of time staring aimlessly at my wood wall.
In the photos you can see the padauk with its red/orang tint as compared to brazillian mohagany, purple heart and maple.

 

[DonW]

A word on saw dust, most exotic wood is dangerous if you snort to much of the sawdust.
Now my simple sandpaper lesson. Simple dont use it on exotic woods use a cabinet scraper. If your making dust your tearing the timber if your making shaving your cutting it. Cutting will poduce a polished finish right off the bench, besides not having a dustbowl for a shop. In the photos you see unfinished Brazillian Mohagany, notice how its shiny and the pile of shaving instead of sawdust.
There is a bit of an art to cabinet scraper but once your figure it out you may never use sandpaper again.

 

[noteworthy]

I'll be tagging along for this one Don. A lot of work and thought into each piece... this will be a masterpiece when finished.

 

[james734]

This is going to be a fine work of art when finished.

 

[DonW]

Here is how wide boards are cut prefectly on the table saw. One of the most useful shop jigs invented, the crosscut sled.
And the first of four Padauk flitches ready to go.

 

[Scooterman]

I once made a bowl of Padauk & several other types of wood glued together & then turned down, it was my first ever project on the lathe about 27 years ago. I tried many times to find the proper spelling of Padauk over the years & now to my surprise it pops up here! Beautiful wood, I must get some!

 

[DonW]

Since I just ordered my glue supply for the year so I think its worth mentioning my opinion about glues.

Shelf life is usually exagerated much like skimmer ratings, its a pretty safe bet that 50% of the rating is closer to actual. Most are a year so I just buy about 6 months worth at a time and mark the container with the month purchased.
Yellow glue is carpenters glue. Carpenters usually dont build furniture, there are times when it is handy to use but they are few and far between.
Hide glue is what I used for years but it came time a few years ago to step into the new millenium and throw out the glue pot.
Then there is Gorilla / poly glue this has no place in furniture except maybe something that is going in your yard like a picnic table.
I use slow setting two part resin glues, there are two that Ive tried and either is excellent.
Urac 185 is what I use 90% of the time. Unibond 800 I use for very dark wood since it can be had with a dark catalyst. Both can be used on any type of wood for either joints or veneering. Both work well in the vacuum press but need a heat blanket in the winter. Both will adhere well to oily exotics the only advantage of the Urac 185 over Unibond 800 is its cheaper, otherwise they are both moisture proof modified formaldehyde resin adhesives.

Don

 

[DonW]

More wood pictures. The 1/8" resawn Padauk flitches are edge glued with resin glue in pairs. The two pairs pictured are hand scraped and ready to go onto the substrate. You wont see the line down the middle once they are on the substrate.
The other picture is a comparison between the timber that is just off the bandsaw and the scraped timber.
You can see how the scraping burnishes and polishes the wood. The reason this happens is sawing and sanding creates dust. The dust absorbs the surface oils leaving them dry. The scraper cuts the wood without dust leaving the oils in tact. This allows the woods fiber to be cut clean instead of being torn as it would be with sand paper. The scraper gets hot, hot enough to burn the callous on my thumbs and turn them burnt black. The heat combined with the oils in the wood burnishes/polishes the surface.
These will go into the press later this evening and applied to 3/4 birch marine plywood.

 

[JoshF]

So, once you've got the scraped wood, is that the final "smoothing" step (for lack of a better term)? If you were using rough-cut wood, the sequence would be planing, scraping, then finish with whatever you use to to finish it?

Looks good!

Are you using the substrate instead of solid planks because of stability? Also, what are you using for substrate?

Josh

 

[DonW]

So, once you've got the scraped wood, is that the final "smoothing" step (for lack of a better term)? If you were using rough-cut wood, the sequence would be planing, scraping, then finish with whatever you use to to finish it?

Looks good!

Are you using the substrate instead of solid planks because of stability? Also, what are you using for substrate?

Josh

Yes substrate is marine ply for stability. The end panels are going to be 1.5 thick. Solid that thick I'm afraid would move and or split after its been exposed to all the sump moisture.
That center 1/8 thick section (pictured) is right off the band saw after being resawn from 4/4. Learning how to resaw properly pretty much elimnates the need for a planer. None of those pieces were run through the planer. I only use it to prep boards that are cuped. If I have say a 4/4 board and want it 3/4 I dont plane off the 1/4 I resaw it and keep the 1/8 piece for another project. Yes I'm that frigging cheap. The maple will be real rough so I'll picture how to deal with that later.
The panel will get a coat laquer sanding sealer and a final scraping after it comes out of the press. Smooooth as a babys butt.

Don

 

[DonW]

Here is a fresh flitch shippment of birseye maple veneer. This will be used on the inside, back an bottom of the stand. Once pressed with resin and coated with laquer it should be beautiful and nearly waterproof.