Shit you built with your own two hands (picture thread)

tgapp, I'd go for Rubio Monocoat. Feels like an oil finish, looks great, durable, and easily touched up which is a plus for high contact and wear surfaces. Used it on several of my projects and I'd honestly consider refinishing my big entertainment console if removing 4 coats of lacquer wasn't such a PITA because the pre-cat lacquer I used looks... meh.

Don't let the high price per oz. fool you, $ per sqft. is excellent when you consider you only need to put down one coat, vs. 3-5 coats for other oils. And you don't have to do multiple coats.

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Originally Posted by Not DJSapp

tgapp, I'd go for Rubio Monocoat. Feels like an oil finish, looks great, durable, and easily touched up which is a plus for high contact and wear surfaces. Used it on several of my projects and I'd honestly consider refinishing my big entertainment console if removing 4 coats of lacquer wasn't such a PITA because the pre-cat lacquer I used looks... meh.

Don't let the high price per oz. fool you, $ per sqft. is excellent when you consider you only need to put down one coat, vs. 3-5 coats for other oils. And you don't have to do multiple coats.

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We have the Rubio stuff on our walnut kitchen island top; monocoat and the whatever the tougher stuff you can add on top is. Agree that monocoat could be a good finish for that book cover. Very simple to touch up in the future if needed too.

I assume you are using red oak--not white oak with the prominent rays ("tiger stripes"). For a project of this nature I would experiment--try different finishes and see which gives you what you're looking for. Try water based and oil based finishes to see which gives you the color you prefer. For a natural look--with visible pores--you don't need a sanding sealer or grain filler. I'm concerned about how the finish would react with the pages. I would be inclinec to use a polymerizing film finish--like satin or even matte water or oil based polyurethane, rather than a Danish oil or tung oil finish--but this is a technical issue that's over my head. You might be better off reaching out to the book-making community.

I have no experience with Rubio Monocoat--so I can't say anything about it.

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Originally Posted by tgapp

No, books. Like this

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d40e5a8754.jpg

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FWIW that's rift sawn WO, which I prefer to quarter sawn.

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Originally Posted by I Skied Bandini Mountain

FWIW that's rift sawn WO, which I prefer to quarter sawn.

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Yeah so fun tgapp fact I used to be a professionally trained (with full apprenticeship) fine bookbinder, I can find pictures of my work and post up if interested, but I have spent a ton of time working on 15th century quarter sawn book replicas (hand planed quarter sawn boards split from the round, leather I tanned by hand, etc), finishing mostly with beeswax and pine tar. It's been years since I've done that, and I'm just doing a super basic project with the girlfriend for Christmas gifts.

Rubio monocoat looks great but fuck me that is pricey shit. My god.

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Rubio rocks. This stuff goes a long way. I have one of the 275 ml jars and have used it to finish both sides of a 4x8 walnut countertop a dining room table and still have only used about half the jar. It is like nothing else I’ve used before


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bought some of it after seeing the results from the Blacktail Studio guy

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Originally Posted by tgapp

Yeah so fun tgapp fact I used to be a professionally trained (with full apprenticeship) fine bookbinder, I can find pictures of my work and post up if interested, but I have spent a ton of time working on 15th century quarter sawn book replicas (hand planed quarter sawn boards split from the round, leather I tanned by hand, etc), finishing mostly with beeswax and pine tar. It's been years since I've done that, and I'm just doing a super basic project with the girlfriend for Christmas gifts.

Rubio monocoat looks great but fuck me that is pricey shit. My god.

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I have no advice for finishes but I gotta say that the tgrz never ceases to amaze me. Tgapp, you are one diverse motherfucker. I for one would enjoy some pics if you dig some up.

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Originally Posted by tgapp

Yeah so fun tgapp fact I used to be a professionally trained (with full apprenticeship) fine bookbinder, I can find pictures of my work and post up if interested, but I have spent a ton of time working on 15th century quarter sawn book replicas (hand planed quarter sawn boards split from the round, leather I tanned by hand, etc), finishing mostly with beeswax and pine tar. It's been years since I've done that, and I'm just doing a super basic project with the girlfriend for Christmas gifts.

Rubio monocoat looks great but fuck me that is pricey shit. My god.

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With your background not sure why you're asking us, but--I haven't done this but some people swear by pure wax finishes for lightly used art objects--which it sounds like these books will be. Liberon wax seems to be the product of choice. That would seem to be the penultimate natural finish, second only to no finish at all. Obviously not durable for regular use but easily repaired. And I just checked out the price . . .

As for your pine tar and wax finish--it used to work well on my old XC skis (Bonna 2000's).

As for the price of Rubio Monocoat--surprised you'd be shocked given the cost of your beans and espresso gear ; - )

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Originally Posted by old goat

With your background not sure why you're asking us, but--I haven't done this but some people swear by pure wax finishes for lightly used art objects--which it sounds like these books will be. Liberon wax seems to be the product of choice.

As for your pine tar and wax finish--it used to work well on my old XC skis (Bonna 2000's).

As for the price of Rubio Monocoat--surprised you'd be shocked given the cost of your beans and espresso gear ; - )

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Ahahaha well I need something easy and fast I can do before Christmas as a fun art project with the girlfriend.

I'll pick up some Rubio, why not. Looks amazing. If this is how I end up getting into woodworking and spending tens of thousands of dollars tho, so help me OG, I will curse your name as my dying breath.

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Originally Posted by tgapp

Rubio monocoat looks great but fuck me that is pricey shit. My god.

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Monocoat means MONOcoat. One coat and done, so the coverage area isn't divided by 3, 4 or 5+ like shellac, lacquer, poly, oils, etc. When you look at $/sqft of completely finished work, it isn't bad. And it's massively time saving since you don't need to wait between coats, sand between coats, etc. Buy some syringe droppers and tiny dixie cups because you're going to use 5ml at a time, if that much. A few drops goes a really, really long way with very little waste.

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Originally Posted by old goat

With your background not sure why you're asking us, but--I haven't done this but some people swear by pure wax finishes for lightly used art objects--which it sounds like these books will be. Liberon wax seems to be the product of choice. That would seem to be the penultimate natural finish, second only to no finish at all. Obviously not durable for regular use but easily repaired. And I just checked out the price . . .

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Rubio is a hard-wax oil finish. Best of both worlds. I've never done a pure wax finish, but the process and maintenance looks time consuming.

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Originally Posted by tgapp

I'll pick up some Rubio, why not. Looks amazing. If this is how I end up getting into woodworking and spending tens of thousands of dollars tho, so help me OG, I will curse your name as my dying breath.

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Fackbook marketplace is my drug of choice to keep the cost of this habit down. I picked up an old jet jointer last week for a song. And Bourbon Moth Woodworking on the youtubes uses a shitload of white oak + rubio, so you can get some more ideas of what it will look like.

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Originally Posted by tgapp

I'll pick up some Rubio, why not. Looks amazing. If this is how I end up getting into woodworking and spending tens of thousands of dollars tho, so help me OG, I will curse your name as my dying breath.

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Tgapp, just to jump on the Rubio bandwagon, I had it recommended to me at a salvage yard to finish a shiplap accent wall I was building. I got a little sample bottle, and it was enough product for 2 coats on an approx. 20 sq ft accent wall, with spare product left over. Easy to apply and hard (impossible?) to fuck up. Also, no noxious fumes -- you should follow their recs, but just from an odor perspective, I'd be happy to apply it indoors with the windows closed.

Looks like you're only covering a few square feet for your application, so a sample bottle should be all you need.

The Liberon wax is a bit in the softer side I think - it’s a beeswax/turpentine blend (or something to replicate one). Harder wax finishes might provide more luster and longevity. They are pretty easy and cheap to make, here’s some recipes https://www.marquetrycentre.com/wp-c...x-finishVD.pdf

unlike say, skis, if you buy good hand tools and take care of them they won’t depreciate much. Good power tools can last a very long time - my lathe is 100 years old.

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Originally Posted by dan_pdx

Easy to apply and hard (impossible?) to fuck up.

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It can be fucked up. Applying too much and not getting the excess wiped off before it starts to set up can leave it rough. Work in small areas only and finish it 100% before moving on and forgetting about that spot. Ask me how I know this.

But it's far easier than just about everything else.

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Originally Posted by tgapp

Ahahaha well I need something easy and fast I can do before Christmas as a fun art project with the girlfriend.

I'll pick up some Rubio, why not. Looks amazing. If this is how I end up getting into woodworking and spending tens of thousands of dollars tho, so help me OG, I will curse your name as my dying breath.

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And if I ever drop 5 figures on an espresso machine--the same to you.

I don't usually pay much attention to how the manufacturer describes a product--especially when it's translated from French or Dutch (Belgium). I'm not sure what a "hard-wax oil finish" is, and MSDS is no help at all. I always look at those to get an idea of what I'm actually dealing with. But given the recommendations I should give it a try.

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Originally Posted by old goat

And if I ever drop 5 figures on an espresso machine--the same to you.

I don't usually pay much attention to how the manufacturer describes a product--especially when it's translated from French or Dutch (Belgium). I'm not sure what a "hard-wax oil finish" is, and MSDS is no help at all. I always look at those to get an idea of what I'm actually dealing with. But given the recommendations I should give it a try.

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Boiled linseed oil + some kind of suspended wax + accelerator + chemical magic

I’m a fan of the osmo polyx finishes. Learned the hard way not to over apply! But with thin coats and a polish after it dries it leaves a nice natural feeling finish. They have formulas with small amounts of white pigment added to maintain the light color of some species, and it definitely has worked in my experience (small sample size).

[URL]https://youtu.be/RMI8IPUlJig[/ URL]


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Originally Posted by old goat

Attachment 430781

Dining table for my son and DIL. 96 x 40 in. Seats 8, up to 12 in a pinch. Sapele. It comes apart so I can drive it to LV.

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Hey OG, really nice build. I've never heard of Sapele, but read it is mahogany like? What thickness is the table top? Seems like a lot of over hang on the ends, but I assume you know what you are doing. Also, where do you source your wood, and do you buy it in the rough? I lived in New England for too long and had a nice home shop, and buying wood in the rought was pretty easy. I'm now back and live down the hill from you and buying wood does not seem so easy.

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Originally Posted by Not DJSapp

Boiled linseed oil + some kind of suspended wax + accelerator + chemical magic

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So does it make the kind of film that would work on a high wear high moisture surface like a dining table top?
Sounds a little like a high tech, low effort version of a finish I used to do--Danish oil allowed to dry without wiping off, then wet sanded with nmore Danish oil and wiped off, then wax. Not good for high wear, high moisture. But then I didn't have an accelerator which I presume polymerizes the finish? (I had an uncle that knew about accelerants, but that was different.) I might see if Fine Woodworking or some other magazine does a test.

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Originally Posted by Bosco

Hey OG, really nice build. I've never heard of Sapele, but read it is mahogany like? What thickness is the table top? Seems like a lot of over hang on the ends, but I assume you know what you are doing. Also, where do you source your wood, and do you buy it in the rough? I lived in New England for too long and had a nice home shop, and buying wood in the rought was pretty easy. I'm now back and live down the hill from you and buying wood does not seem so easy.

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I get sapele from a couple of local hardwood dealers in Sacramento. I like Hughes. (Front area has thicker pieces in small quantities; the 4/4 stuff is at the far end. Took me years to figure that out.) Auburn Hardwoods has it. Unfortunately it's surfaced 3 sides. I would prefer it rough. It resembles mahogany in color, most pieces have a prominent ribbon figure and its grain is more open than mahogany. I would prefer mahogany if I could get it in a reasonable quality, quantity, and price. From what I've read Khaya is another African "mahogany" that might be preferable, but I haven't seen it around. I've sometimes found rough boards at Aura Hardwood in Sacramento. Macbeath Hardwood in the Bay area and Stockton might be worth a look for rough lumber. I used to be able to find rough lumber when I had to surface it with hand planes. Now that I have a jointer/planer I can't find it any more.



My top is 3/4 thick. I beveled the edges to hide the end grain--the boards are oriented across the long axis which would have exposed a lot of end grain. I did it that way so I could make the top in 3 pieces, for ease of transportation. I attached the top with buttons along the side aprons, and in a slotted glue block at the ends to allow a full inch of expansion and contraction. We'll see how that big of a cross grain construction works.

The side rails attach to the legs with bed hardware and are then reinforced with corner blocks between the end and side rails, which are lag screwed into the legs.

I overhung the ends 12 in. The angle of the photo exxaggerates the overhang some, but if I made it again I would reduce the overhang some--mainly to make it easier to move, since you can only pick it up with the end rails--not easy for someone with short arms. Here is a pic that gives a better idea of the proportions. It seats 8 easily, you could cram 12.

Attachment 438825

not finished and not perfect but I'm making good progress https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8cb50201f9.jpg

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Very nice work, but how am I supposed to read that in the jacuzzi?

You know, you could advertise in KQ's xmas thread and sell a bunch of those.

Did I say very nice work. It is. Looks like you got the finish you were looking for.

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Originally Posted by tgapp

not finished and not perfect but I'm making good progress https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8cb50201f9.jpg

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I assume that's the kind of book that requires an incantation to open it and another to close it. Woe be unto thee if you do not close it. Plus all pages must be written in blood.

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Originally Posted by riser4

I assume that's the kind of book that requires an incantation to open it and another to close it. Woe be unto thee if you do not close it. Plus all pages must be written in blood.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn7hbghmd44

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Originally Posted by riser4

I assume that's the kind of book that requires an incantation to open it and another to close it. Woe be unto thee if you do not close it. Plus all pages must be written in blood.

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I think he said the title was "The Best of A Plea to Ullr".

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Originally Posted by old goat

So does it make the kind of film that would work on a high wear high moisture surface like a dining table top?
Sounds a little like a high tech, low effort version of a finish I used to do--Danish oil allowed to dry without wiping off, then wet sanded with nmore Danish oil and wiped off, then wax. Not good for high wear, high moisture. But then I didn't have an accelerator which I presume polymerizes the finish? (I had an uncle that knew about accelerants, but that was different.) I might see if Fine Woodworking or some other magazine does a test.


I get sapele from a couple of local hardwood dealers in Sacramento. I like Hughes. (Front area has thicker pieces in small quantities; the 4/4 stuff is at the far end. Took me years to figure that out.) Auburn Hardwoods has it. Unfortunately it's surfaced 3 sides. I would prefer it rough. It resembles mahogany in color, most pieces have a prominent ribbon figure and its grain is more open than mahogany. I would prefer mahogany if I could get it in a reasonable quality, quantity, and price. From what I've read Khaya is another African "mahogany" that might be preferable, but I haven't seen it around. I've sometimes found rough boards at Aura Hardwood in Sacramento. Macbeath Hardwood in the Bay area and Stockton might be worth a look for rough lumber. I used to be able to find rough lumber when I had to surface it with hand planes. Now that I have a jointer/planer I can't find it any more.

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https://www.finewoodworking.com/2019...ngled-finishes

Question #3 from has their discussion on rubio. As far as wear, my upstairs coffee/dining table is now a year old. High touch, high wear, medium moisture and it looks good as new.

Wood by Wright did a pretty detailed comparison to Boiled Linseed oil too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAYT...odByWrightHow2

If you're looking for rough boards in Sacramento, Urban wood rescue is a cool project that slabs out local fallen trees. Decent prices, but inventory is variable

https://www.urbanwoodrescue.com/