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  • Contemporary Night-Table: Finishing Touches
    		•
    From "Wood Works"
    episode WWK-701


    PHOTO

    The finished night table.
    In this episode of Wood Works, David Marks fashions a night table, with a contemporary curved form, from English sycamore. In this final segment, he puts the finishing touches on the table.

    Materials used in this segment:

    320-grit sandpaper
    Furniture wax
    Tung-oil wood finish
    Paint brushes
    Rags

    Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses, and follow proper safety precautions, when working with wood, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc.

    Safety Alert: Always wear protective gloves, and ensure adequate ventilation, when working with wood stains, solvents and other toxic solutions. When working with some sprays and chemicals, a respirator mask may be required.


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    PHOTO

    Figure A
    PHOTO

    Figure B
    Finishing Touches

    Wood Works Tip: When fitting a drawer into a table or dresser, if the fit of the drawer is too tight even after sanding, you may want to try scraping and shaving the drawer-runners for a perfect fit. Once the fit is close, but still tight, you can apply a little wax to the runners (figure A). This will help ensure that the drawers slide smoothly.

    • To prep our table for the finish, we conducted a final sanding of the entire piece using 320-grit sandpaper.

    • We opted for a tung-oil finish. Tung oil soaks into the wood to highlight the grain pattern and provide a deep shine, high levels of chatoyance and a silky feel.

    Wood Works Factoid: Certain woods and grain patterns, treated with the right wood finish, can achieve an effect known as chatoyance. The word comes from a French expression meaning "like a cat's eye." Much like the semi-precious stone known as cat's eye, the wood grain and surface takes on a shimmering appearance and creates an illusion of depth accentuated by the alternating dark and light bands (figure B).


    A Final Word: English sycamore like that used for this project is a great-looking wood, but it may not be readily in your area. However, a wide variety of exotic hardwoods like this one may be found in specialty wood catalogs and websites.


    RESOURCES :

    The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
    Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
    Publisher: Taunton Press
    ISBN: 1561580619


    Woodworking Techniques: Best Methods for Building Furniture from Fine Woodworking
    Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking magazine
    Publisher: Taunton Press
    ISBN: 1561583456

    David Marks Website
    David Marks, DIY's Wood Works host, is a master woodworker. For more information on cut sizes and project details, please contact him via his Website at www.djmarks.com


    Woodworker's Guide to Wood: Softwoods, Hardwoods, Plywoods, Composite, Veneers
    Model: 080836878
    Author: Rick Peters
    (2000)
    Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
    Website: www.sterlingpub.com

    Fine Woodworking
    A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
    The Taunton Press Inc.
    Website: www.taunton.com

  • ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  		• Contemporary Night-Table: Leg Stock and Joinery
  		• Contemporary Night-Table: Shaped Top and Assembly
  		• Contemporary Night-Table: Drawer Assembly
  		• Contemporary Night-Table: Finishing Touches
  		• WEB-EXTRA: Sycamore Night-Stand -- Materials List and Cut-Sizes