Day 79: Coat One Completed

I finished the final seven keys of the Tru-Oil first-coaters last night. I must admit, getting the shine off the keys after they've set up for a week was not easy and, as you know, sanding/buffing is not my favorite task, so it wasn't much fun. I took a break every couple of keys and fumbled around on other stuff, so it wasn't unbearable, just not particularly enjoyable.  Gotta take the good with the bad, right?

Regardless of whether I like a task or not, I still love being in the shop; it's where I'm meant to be. At all times.

On a couple of unrelated notes, I sold the Grizzly jointer I picked up a few weeks ago. After thinking about how much I actually use a jointer and talking it over with fellow woodworkers who use the table saw for much of their joining prep work, I decided the good, old Delta was good enough for me. Besides, how could I let all that elbow grease move out the door, right? The Grizzly went to another cool Craigslist dude who actually paid me more than my asking price. Bravo, cool dude!

As you can see in the second photo above, I tore it down and tuned it up before letting it go. The fence needed to be straightened and it needed some general clean up, so there it is.

We also have a visitor to Tortuga Early Instruments Worldwide Headquarters! A Facebook friend and fellow luthier, Darrel Wallen, caught wind of the electric cello side project and was kind enough to loan me an instrument he will be restoring so I could take some measurements and get a better feel for the instrument.

I appreciate Darrel's help with this because I've never owned a cello and only have drawings from which to work. Luthiers are some of the most helpful and generous people in the world and I'm thankful to have a few of them as friends. The instrument will return to its rightful home this coming Saturday. I shall miss it.

Until next time...

Day 78: Keyboard Progress

I've made a little more progress with "sanding" and smoothing down the naturals. The Tru-Oil hardens to a nice, shiny sheen that I then buff off and finish with #0000 steel wool. The process is tough on my delicate little fingies (the CTS surgery thing), so I've limited my progress to five to seven keys per night. Last night, it was seven - and I'm feeling it today.

In the photo above, you can see the before/during/after progress. The finish left after buffing is very hard and really quite nice. It doesn't surprise me that it's primarily used on gun stocks. Owen Daly recommended two coats and I'm working my way, slowly but surely, through the first application. I only have seven keys with the first coat remaining, which I'm hoping to finish up tonight. The second-coaters are patiently awaiting my attention.

On an unrelated note, someone on Facebook asked last night about the size of my workshop. I was surprised to realize that I really have no idea how big it is; it's a two-car garage that's pretty deep. My first shop was a single-car wonder with three-foot deep shelves on one side and my workbench on the other. Needless to say, I didn't have much room to navigate. My current shop feels cavernous by comparison and I'm so, so grateful to have it. So...here are some photos:

The first photo faces inward and you can see my table saw (as yet unnamed), Big Bertha (the 18" band saw) to the right and my workbench against the wall. The new lathe is hiding on the floor behind Big Bertha. The second faces out. You can catch the new jointer that's still in a state of disrepair - as I repair it. The third photo is a shot of Little Buddy (the 12" band saw) and The Terminator (the drill press). My next improvement(s) is centered on getting the planer, lathe and Ridgid oscillating spindle sander onto stands and getting all of them, as well as Little Buddy and the new jointer onto mobile bases.

As I set the seven keys I sanded up to dry after a coat of Tru-Oil, I was met with a dilemma: Do I choose the hobbit pipe or the wizard pipe to enjoy some Shireweed with a rip of Pusser's?

It was late, so the hobbit pipe won. I hadn't smoked with it in over a year and it was a pleasant experience indeed. Not at all like the wizard pipe, which is like having a second job just to keep it lit. I see more hobbit pipe and Shireweed in my future.

Until next time...

Day 77: Tru-Oil to the Rescue

I spent last night "sanding" more of the naturals using Scotch-Brite pads and #0000 steel wool. At one point, it occurred to me that I might need to apply more than one coat, so I emailed Owen Daly to ask him how many he goes with. Yep, he applies at least two coats, three if he has time. Oy. Since I can only do four or five keys per night, it's going to take the better part of a month to get the two coats completed, but I'm determined to make it happen.

I must say, the Tru-Oil is really, really good stuff. Thanks again, Owen. I'm going to stick with it until these things are done. Hey, I only have 50 to go, right (not counting the sharps)?

Until next time...

Day 76: Buffing out the Naturals

Now that the naturals have had plenty of time to dry, I've started the process of buffing them out using Heavy Duty Scotch-Brite pads and #0000 steel wool. I'm using the pads because the initial removal of the Tru-Oil takes some work that results in a gooey, icky mess that develops into a dull finish that I then buff into a beautiful satin sheen.

I should have taken a photo of the intermediate, sticky part of the process, but it's pretty underwhelming. As you can see in the photo above, the one on the left is the dried Tru-Oil and the other is the final buffed out product. Owen was right, the Tru-Oil is perfect for the naturals.

In an unrelated matter, I was looking at the new jointer and noticed the fence was off by about one centimeter from left to right. I also noticed the previous owner had started to wire brush some of the rusted parts and probably decided it just wasn't worth the trouble. Hey, he listed it for $75 on Craigslist, right? So, I'll pick up where he left off and get them brushed up and repainted black. When I'm done with it, it will be shiny and new - just like Madonna.

It also needs new knives and the knife wheel could stand a good wire brushing. This mini-project suits me because I will need to use the jointer soon for the case parts and I can only sand four or five keys per night due to my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome surgery issue. My hands just hurt too much to sand more than that every night.

I also got the new Ridgid oscillating spindle sander and the lathe cleaned up and oiled where necessary. The next mini-project will be to either add a large outfeed/assembly table to the table saw or start adding mobile bases to the 12" Delta band saw, jointer and drill press, as well as adding stands to the Ridgid sander, the lathe and the 12" planer, all of which will also need mobile bases.

No rest for the wicked.

Until next time...

Project Update: Look What Just Showed Up

New tools and machines keep showing up at Tortuga Early Instruments Worldwide Headquarters. Yesterday, I walked into the shop and what might I see? Why, a Ridgid oscillating spindle sander sitting there looking back at me. Sure, a couple of its parts were missing (quickly ordered from eReplacementParts.com) and it's a little dusty, but it works great. The dude who sold it to me knocked $25 off his asking price of $125 so I could order the missing 1 1/2" and 2" rubber spindles it so badly needed. Another good guy meetup via Craigslist.

The beauty of this sander is that it not only bobs vertically while the spindles roll the sandpaper horizontally, it can switch from an edge sander (the configuration in the photo above) to a single spindle in an array of sizes - 1/2", 3/4", 1", 1 1/2" and 2" in a jiffy and the bed pointing at you in the photo can tilt up to 45 degrees. This will be helpful when sanding intricate parts for the harpsichord, as well as other instruments such as the electric cello I may or may not be building for my youngest son's upcoming birthday or the Baroque guitar that will be started soon after the cello is completed.

That was yesterday. Today, I stepped across the threshold into my sacred space only to discover a 40"/14" wood lathe sitting on the workbench! It's a monster that came into the shop for only $50. It needs some cleaning and TLC, but a lathe is a very simple machine and will be easy to restore to good health. This one is a 4-speeder and the measurements above are the maximum length and width of items it can turn. While I'm not an overly enthusiastic woodturning kinda guy, I'm going to have to be eventually, especially when I need to make harpsichord stand and bench legs, cello and guitar pegs, etc.

It does need a stand, but so does the Ridgid. I'll put both of them on wheels to make them more accessible over time. And I need to do the same for the new jointer.

This concludes our tool acquisition program at Tortuga Early Instruments for some time to come. I was just saying to Owen Daly the other day that all I need to complete the shop buildout are a Ridgid oscillating spindle sander and a wood lathe and, voila!, here they are within a couple of days. I guess I should be more careful moving forward about what I put out to the Universe.

Until next time...

Day 75: Finishing the Tests and Preparing the Naturals

The tests of the Tru-Oil on key 51 and my friend's walking stick were nothing short of a complete success.  The finished key 51 next to a key not yet oiled and the buffed out stick are below (the oiled key is on the right in the first photo).

Hey, I never said the walking stick was an elegant project (I call it The Hammer). I knocked it out for my pal about three years ago when he needed it in a hurry. He likes it because he leans on it quite a bit when using it and the handle is wide enough that it doesn't hurt his hand. I also made him a bird feeder out of cedar, but we won't go there. I'm not sure the photo of the keys really portrays how awesome the finished key looks with the Tru-Oil applied; it's pretty great.

Based on how things looked after 24 hours of drying, wiping down with a shop towel and sanding up with #0000 steel wool, I decided to go ahead and prepare all of the naturals for an application of the Tru-Oil. I wanted to keep the oil away from the poplar and the white oak arcades, so I developed what I call the Green Diaper for each one.

Yeah, my wife rolled her eyes, too. Once I got all of the naturals all diapered up, I went ahead and coated them with Tru-Oil and left them on racks to dry. Given the fact it's Valentine's Day weekend, I probably won't get back to them until Sunday because, you know, wife.

Until next time...

Day 74: Epic Battle #2: Tru-Oil vs. Salad Bowl Finish

I spent a little time yesterday in Woodcrafters in NE Portland looking at finishes for the keys. They shelve an amazing and completely confusing array there of finishing products that run the spectrum from oils to varnishes to lacquers to general finishes that is a bit mind-boggling. This is not a good thing because Owen Daly had recommended Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil Gun Stock Finish and, frankly, at this stage of the game, I should be listening to everything he takes the time and effort to tell me. Instead, I chose to consider my options.

While fumbling my way around the finishes aisle at Woodcrafters, I started talking with a couple of dudes - one works there and I should know his name by now because I've chatted with him at least a dozen times and the other was John Hauser, a general contractor here in the Portland area. I had two issues they helped me with: 1) A general finish for the naturals and 2) a stain and finish for the sharps (remember, they're quarter sawn oak).

John highly recommended General Finishes' Salad Bowl Finish and I believed him when he said it would leave a highly durable, non-toxic finish that would last for years, yet I had Owen's recommendation in the back of my mind all the time. Fortunately, they sell Tru-Oil at Woodcrafters, so I decided to stick with my ostensible mentor's advice and went with the Tru-Oil. No disrespect for John's experience or advice was intended. When I arrived home, I went ahead and applied a layer of Tru-Oil to key 51 and set it aside to dry.

The first key above is without, the bottom with, and you can see how shiny the application left the key. Tonight, I will wipe it down with a towel and buff it with #0000 steel wool, which Owen tells me will leave a nice sheen that will last for many years, even under the abuse of my own marginally-talented fingers.

As for my second issue, choosing a stain, John Hauser recommended I go with an oil-based General Finishes stain for the quarter sawn oak anywhere on the instrument. This left me with yet another quandary - which color? Since I'm artistically challenged in this area, I've asked for my wife's help in choosing the stain. We'll visit Woodcrafters this weekend where she will point me in the right direction. Again.

As a further test of the Tru-Oil, I scraped and sanded a walking stick I had made for a buddy about three years ago before applying a layer of the Tru-Oil. The stick was a special order that included a "man-sized handle." Because he leans on it quite a bit, the larger, flatter handle is more comfortable for him. The woods are African mystery wood, padauk, and white oak, all from Woodcrafters scrap bins.

The real test will be tonight when I rub both the stick and key down with a towel and then burnish them with #0000 steel wool.

Speaking of burnish, I though I'd talk a bit about card scrapers. In the photo below, I've got the scraper set up in a vise to file and then burnish it using a fine file and a burnisher designed specifically for that task.

These scrapers have been used for a very long time by woodworkers who want a smooth-as-glass finish to their work. The process of resharpening a scraper involves using a file to remove any burr left (there shouldn't be much, which is why you needed to sharpen it in the first place) and adding one back using the burnishing tool. The burr left on the edge give the card a nice bite into the wood you're working on without removing too much per scrape. I love these darned things.

The next project steps will be to rub down the test stick and test key to see what kind of finish I can get out of the Tru-Oil. After that, it's staining the sharp key tops and arcades and getting some sort of finish on them, as well.

Until next time...