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cedar shelves

Started by metalspinner, September 19, 2008, 01:27:51 PM

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metalspinner

Here are some shelves my son and I built... smiley_smash





He needed some extra storage space for his growing fossil and rock collection.  Last night he helped me pick out the wood and carry it into the shop.  smiley_swinging_board  He helped in the shop by turning on the dust collector, removing cut away scraps, and supervising the planing operation.  He drilled some pocket screw joinery, screwed the frame together, and installed some cleats for the shelves to rest on.  Then it was his bedtime.  zzzz_smiley While he was resting, I planed the remaining shelf material.  Today while he was at school, I screwed the shelves to the cleats.  When he got home, I carried it upstairs to see how it would fit in his room. I turned around for just 2 minutes, which gave him enough time to get a good start at loading up the shelves... :)





As you can see, we have not finished it yet.  This is the first cedar project I will finish and have not considered what to use.  Any recommendations?
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Radar67

I used tung oil on a cedar bowl and it really brought out the grain. It darkened it up some too. I don't have a picture of that bowl in my gallery, but will get one before the weekend is over.

I really like the design of your shelves...I may have to borrow that idea. Looks good.
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

Dodgy Loner

Nice work!  I built a cedar chest a couple years ago that I planned to finish with a couple coats of boiled linseed oil and some polyurethane.  It looked so nice after just the oil that I never got around to applying the poly :).
"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." -John Ruskin

Any idiot can write a woodworking blog. Here's mine.

WDH

I like the way it tapers back from bottom to top.  Very stylish and perfectly designed for the intended use.  I use satin poly, however, that is after sanding to 220 grit, then polishing the final sanding with 0000 steel wool.  The oil may work better if the wood is only rough sanded.  If rough sanded, the poly may be blotchy.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

metalspinner

Because this project is kind of rough with lots of stringy bark still on and bark inclusions,  I pictured a no film type of finish to keep it very informal.  Will the natural oil or sap in cedar cause problems with film finishes?  Shellac works great with pine sap.  What about using it on cedar? Something that my son can help apply will be a bonus.  I am leaning towards BLO.  I will make up a couple of sample boards this weekend.

QuoteI really like the design of your shelves...I may have to borrow that idea.

No problem.  It is from my Design-on-the-Fly Series. :D  That taper is 5°.  The top board is about 10" and the bottom board is about 20". 
I will need to add some triangulation to it.  I picked up a couple of chain link fence tension bars today to add to the back tomorrow. That should lock it up pretty stiff in case he wants to store some books on it.

Quotethat is after sanding to 220 grit, then polishing the final sanding with 0000 steel wool.  The oil may work better if the wood is only rough sanded.  If rough sanded, the poly may be blotchy.

These boards are right off the planer.  I still need to put some time into sanding this up for a finish.  Having said that, the spiral head planer leaves a very good finish right out of the machine. A minute or two with the random orbit sander should get it in good enough shape.
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

WDH

I would definitely go with an oil finish.  Watco Danish Oil and Minwax Antique Oil are two that I have used.  They have driers added to them that makes them dry faster. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

tyb525

That looks real nice, I like the natural edges.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

HOOF-ER

We used to finish cedar chest with deft . I think it was water soluble poly? Can't remember. The one I gave to the wife before we were married. It has changed color very little over the years. I like the lighter natural, color of cedar rather than the dark.
Home built swing mill, 27hp Kawasaki

Radar67

Here are the pictures of the bowl I referenced earlier.





"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

WDH

That swirling grain is beautiful.  The tung oil gave it a nice shine too.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

tyb525

LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Radar67

It's really not that big. 5 inches wide by 3.5 inches high.

Danny, this was from close to a branch. You should see the grain dance in the light.  ;)







2200
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

SwampDonkey

You get that swirl a lot in stump wood of northern white cedar to. That's a great looking bowl Radar.  :)

I like your shelf to metalspinner. It's also a bonus when your son takes interest in it and helps out. Those sap inclusions look great with the natural edging. I bet no one else has a shelf like it.  Like I casually mention to anyone looking at my home made furniture: "You won't get that at Leon's Furniture". ;)  ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

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ljmathias

Wow, that looks just like the shelves I've been building for my barn....  The sloped design really helps stabilize the whole thing, I've found, plus it makes sense not to have a really wide shelve way up high that you can't reach the back of anyway.  I also did a variation for holding tools in the center of my mechanical work space- for cars and trucks on one side and lawnmowers and such on the other.  Left the shelves open so I can reach tools from either side, plus the slope in with height makes for a very stable stand-alone set of shelves.  Big mistake though- I also used live-edge for most of the shelves and I love the look, especially with spalted hickory and fresh-cut poplar (beautiful yellows, greens and oranges through out).  Problem is, it looks so nice I wish I had brought it in the house instead.  By the way, finish I used was tung oil- beautiful contrast and darkening of the grain plus just enough surface protection...

Lj
LT40, Long tractor with FEL and backhoe, lots of TF tools, beautiful wife of 50 years plus 4 kids, 5 grandsons AND TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS all healthy plus too many ideas and plans and not enough time and energy

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