I recently completed, well almost...the customer (aka my dear wife) wants me to make a set of doors to hide the TV when not in use, of a large wall unit/entertainment center and will share details of its design and construction, as well as the problems I encountered along the way, how I addressed them, and my suggestions for anyone who chooses to make a similar project.  The entertainment center comprises four separately constructed cases that are fully finished on 3 sides so they can be used together or separately or with other furniture pieces.  I say "almost completed" because doors to hide the TV when not in use are still under design considerations and location of suitable veneer and accent wood, and I need to make and install the dividers within the fully dovetailed drawers that are behind the glass doors.  Most of the major challenges I enountered were due to working alone in a small overcrowded single car garage/shop.

The cases are constructed of double sided red oak veneered plywood with solid oak edging, most of which was attached using dominos.  A few pocket screws were also used.  Each of the tops has xenon lamps flush mounted within.  Lacewood was used as an accent strip in the valences.

Construction involved use of TS 55 and multiple MFTs (old style), Domino, OF 1400, RO 125, ETS 125, LS 130, CT 22, LR 32 Hole Drilling set, Festool Side Stops and shopmade side stops with extended range, conventional router table, a spaced apart double MFT 800 table setup for routing with MFS template, Kreg pocket jig with shopmade dust collection hose adapter, and Fuji HVLP spray finish equipment.

Also described in detail the finishing schedule I used (including why), along with some unanticipated problems encountered and how I addresed them.  A combination of solvent and water-based materials were used.  The final finish coats are water-based lacquer from Target Coatings (Oxford brand).

Here are a few photos of the completed unit.




Closeup view of top lighting and valence of red oad and lacewood (aka Australian silky oak)


Effect with glass insert shelves


Effect with solid panel shelves


Close-up of valence surrounding tops of Bookcasea and TV Cabinet


And what my wife to rearrange those symmetrically arranged, adjustable shelves.  I guess I'll have to go build more bookcases!


Double MFT setup with MFS and bottom mounted dust collection for routing shelves for glass inserts.

Bottom mounted Dust Collection


To come later: a modern design coffee table with granite top.  The stone company called me yesterday to say the top is finished.  I'm still thinking about design ideas and alternatives, and how to deal with the weight of that top and the table which will be sitting near the middle of a room with 20ft clear span joists.  I think they are strong enough, but I am concerned about deflection, turning the floor into a large, shallow bowl.

January 4th, 2009...
Here's my first SketchUp Model of the Coffee Table.  I now have the [heavy] granite top.


February 11, 2010...
Here's the finished Coffee Table.



Dave R.

Thanks, Todd.  I just completed (well, almost) setting up a gallery on FOG from which I intend to continue writing a detailed description of my design and construction efforts.  Unfortunately, I do not know how to use SketchUp so my drawings and cut lists and notes are hand drawn on paper, and my HP 6110 all-in-one machine conked out recently.  I was hoping to be able to scan and post a PDF of the drawings and cut lists.  Maybe someone on FOG can teach me how to best do this.  The PC aspects of this project are proving much more of a challenge to me than the woodworking and finishing issues!

Dave R.

Great work!

Regards,

Rob

Well done!
Thanks for posting.
Roger

Dave,

Here is a source for 5/8" aluminum hex for you....and many other neat things as well....

http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=7983&step=4&showunits=inches&id=745&top_cat=60

Best,
Todd

That's a very well designed and built unit Dave.  I am enjoying reading your account of the construction and I look forward to reading more.

Based on what I have seen so far, I think that your project is a strong contender for this month's contest.

Very nice, Dave. And, I love those photos of the details! Keep em comin'.

Charles

Where are you finding the time to document all of this? Going for a contest win this month Dave?

You sure are on track as far as I am concerned!

I love the Kapex substitute!

I agree and am enjoying your read with my tea this morning.
I don't want to interrupt your flow but when you are done, and have the time, could you describe the fitting you used on the out flow end of your dust deputy.
Thanks,
Roger

Frank, you 're really English with a funny accent aren't you? First the fish and chips and beer and now tea, toast and marmalade.-I'm on to you!

Dave,

This is really great.  I'm in the process of designing my own entertainment center and will be using many of the same tools for construction, so your detail in how you're using the equipment is especially appreciated.

I'm curious about what you did for cable and power management?  I notice in your picture that you have an outlet behind the unit to the left and lighting above.  Did you install a strip anywhere and, if so, did you include channels to run the wires?  It may be too late now, but a few of the back of the unit would be great as well.

Congrats on a great project!

Greg

Greg, I had planned to write more on that later, but here's some information you might be able to use.  Notice the ~3 inch high "toe kick" at the base?  If you could see a back elevational view, or a bottom view of the Console, you would see a network of ~1" x 3" boards forming a subbase and adding rigidity.  But there is not a continuous board extending across the rear like you see on the front.  Instead, in plan view, there is a U-shaped recess into which can be fitted the surge protector power strip.  The depth dimensions of the interior vertical panels and shelves of the Console are 1 inch less than the depth dimension of the sides, and I made some deeper cutouts at the rear edges of the fixed shelves on the left and right to provide space for cables.  Although hidden by the TV, the cabinet surrounding it that sits on the Console has a single board at its base that extends across to join the sides of the upper cabinet.  The bottom edge of that board has a large cutaway area near the center of it span so the cables can be fed over the top of the Consol and beneath the base of the upper cabinet that sits on the Console.

Dave R.

Chapter II continued

The mortices in the edges of the base panel and the short shelves were cut with the shelves clamped flat against the top of my MFT, with the base of the Domino referenced against the MFT top.  When morticing the ends of the base panel, the BOTTOM surface of the panel was placed in contact with the MFT top.  When morticing ends of the short shelves, the TOP surface of each shelf panel was placed in contact with the MFT top.  Because no other components are located immediately above or below these short shelves, the shelf pieces could have been flipped end for end upon installation and still fit perfectly horizontal, but the elevation would be slightly different and the chosen (better appearance) veneer face might not end up where it is desired.  For that reason, I also marked each panel so I could identify each face and edge, and whether it was to become part of the left or right side of the Console.  I put the better veneer face up on these short shelves, so that required the better face be placed down against the MFT top when cutting mortices.

I used the same template used to locate the mortices in the side edges of the bottom panel and short fixed shelf panels.  At first I used the template like a story stick to mark the centerline location of each mortice in the ends of the bottom panel and short shelves.  I lined up the reference line at the side edge of the template with the front edge of the panel and then used the lines on it to mark on the panel whose edge was to be morticed.  Then I removed the template and drew a series of lines on the face of the panel using a small square, and used those lines to line up my Domino for each mortice.

Then I realized that that additional marking using the template was not necessary.  All I had to do was place the panel with the correct face down against the MFT top, then position the template on top of the panel and lined up with the side edge of the panel and the front edge of the panel chosen as a reference, clamp down the template to the MFT and cut the mortices.

Use of Domino machine to cut mortises for application of solid wood edging strips to 3/4 inch plywood panels.

The front and back edges of the side panels have solid oak strips attached with glued 5mm dominos.  The front edge strip is 1 inch thick and 1 1/4 inches wide, and joined to the panel so that the edging overhangs both faces of the side panels by 1/4 inch.  I marked the top and bottom ends of the strips and the panels and their faces and also numbered them so I would know later which pieces should be joined and in what orientation.  I did not use the registering dowel pins or the Cross Stop (Item #493488).  I have had some problems in the past when using these with (Chinese) plywood due to some debris hanging within a previously cut mortice interfering with registry of the dowel pin.  At about US$85 per 4 ft x 8 ft x 3/4 inch sheet, I did not want to ruin any of that plain-sliced oak veneered plywood.  In my prior use of the dowel pins to register successive mortices along the workpiece, I found that I had to peer under the Domino after cutting a mortice to ensure that the dowel pin was fully engaged against the end of the mortice I had just made and not catching on some "chaff"; that seemed more work and risk of problems than I wanted to risk.  So, instead I used pencil marks and visually aligned the Domino machine for each mortice. 

To faciliate marking the mortice locations for adding edging to the panels, I placed the panel with the edge piece to be joined to it on the panel and lined up so their exposed edges were flush.  While holding them in this position, I drew a series of lines along their exposed long edges corresponding to the locations of the dominos, placing one about 2 inches from each end of the strip, and about every 6 inches therebetween.  I also marked one end to be the reference, so I could cut the first mortice nearest this end of the associated pair of workpieces was cut with the Domino on its narrowest setting.  For the remainder of the mortices, I either used a wider setting, or plunged using the narrowest setting, then moved the Domino slightly to a side of the centerline and plunged again.  By making the first plunge slightly to the left of the centerline and the second plunge slightly to the right of the centerline, you can quickly make a series of mortices that are just a little wider than the dominos yet narrower than the middle setting on the Domino machine.  I don't like having any more void area within my projects than is necessary to assemble them.  Then I used a small square to continue those marks onto the adjacent faces of the pieces to be morticed, so the marks would be visible when using the Domino machine.

There are at least three different techniques to mortice the edging and its associated panel to assure they line up as desired when assembled.  One is to reference off the bottom surfaces of the Domino and workpiece.  A second technique is to reference off the top surfaces of the workpieces and not worry about getting the mortices exactly in the middle of the thickness of the workpieces.  A third technique is similar to the second technique, but care is taken to set the height of the Domino fence so that the mortices are very near the midpoint of the thickness of the workpieces.

The first technique is shown in the photo immediately following.  Although the following photo depicts use of the Domino machine to mortice a rear edging strip for either the TV Cabinet or a Bookcase section of the Entertainment Center, the same technique was used to mortice the edging for the sides of the Console.  The setup shown in the photo will cause the front and rear edging strips to stand proud of the panel by the thickness (1/4 inch in this project construction) of the shim boards placed under the panel and base of the Domino.  If you look across upside surface of the panel (which will be the inside surface in the finished construction), you can see that the edging on the opposite (which is the front) edge of the panel stands proud of the panel.  The face of the panel that is up in the photo is the inside face and the back edge of the panel is in the foreground just behind the edging strip.  Both the Domino machine base and the panel behind the edging are being supported on strips of 1/4 inch wood, and what will become the outside-facing face of the edging is clamped down in contact with the MFT top as needed. 



I used the technique shown in the above photo for application of some of the edging strips, but I also used a seond Domino morticing technique in which the mortice elevation is referenced off the top surface of the workpiece to be morticed.  This second technique is much preferred when you want a surface of the edging to be flush with the panel to which the edging will be joined with dominos.  In this technique the fence of the Domino machine is set at 90 degrees and is pressed down onto the reference surface of the workpiece to be morticed.  If you go to the Gallery and enter "domino" in the search box, you will find among the "hits" a photo (IMG_7390.JPG) by Bill Wyko that shows a mortice being made using this technique into the edge of a sheet / panel he created.  Referring to my photo above, if the Domino machine is reset to have its fence at 90 degrees (so face of the fence which is its registration surface defines a plane parallel to the axis of the cutter) as shown in Bill's photo and is pressed down by the forward handle on the fence onto the surface defined by the top surfaces of both the edging strip to be morticed and the panel surface behind the strip, the inside surfaces of the edging strip and the panel will line up flush when the parts are joined.  Note how the top surface of the edge strip being morticed is flush with the surface of the panel.  This second technique is the one I most recommend for applying edging where the joined surfaces must be very near to flush and you don't want to have to use a flush trim router bit after joining them, and you don't dare risk sanding through the thin face veneer of the plywood.  For me, this technique produced elevation matched pieces that needed only some scraping and light sanding which did mostly with my ETS 125 and LS 130 using 120 grit and higher abrasives.  I made certain that none of the shim boards shown in my photo used in the first technique were positioned under the base of the Domino so it could not rest on them instead of registering only through the Domino fence.  When using this second or the third technique, either elevate the workpiece relative to the top of the MFT to provide clearance under the bottom of the Domino or positon the workpiece so it is cantilevered out beyond the edge of the MFT.

I also used a third technique in some of the construction.  If I wanted the mortices to be very near to the center of the thickness of both the plywood panels and the front edging strips, I found that, too, was not hard to do.  I also used this technique to cut mortices into the side edges and ends of the edging strips to form a face frame upon assembly of some of the front frame pieces of the Entertainment Center.  I did not get to this confidence level until construction of the TV Cabinet which I made last.  I measured the actual thickness my plywood using a digital caliper (available from Woodcraft and others for about US$40), then set the height of the fence of the Domino to one half the measured amount.  Perfect centering was not needed for this operation.  As I progressed through construction of this Entertainment Center and experimenting with use of the Domino machine, I realized that I could come very close to the center of the thickness of the plywood or wood edging strips by simply marking the centerline of the wood piece then eyeballing the location of the Domino pins as I adjusted the height of the Domino fence.  I also noticed on my Domino machine, when viewed at front quarter angle from either side, there is a highly visible horizontal mold partition line in the aluminum housing adjacent the bosses into which the dowel pins are fitted that appears to closely correspond to the centerline in elevation of the dowel pins.  I don't know if every Domino machine has these visible features, but I would expect them to.  Sometimes I used that flashing/parting line to make the fence height setting when I wanted to center the mortices relative to the thickness of the workpiece.  The dowel pins appear to be at the same elevation as the centerline of the Domino Cutter, so if the dowel pins and that mold parting line appear to be on the thickness centerline of the workpiece to be morticed, so will be the mortice.  I also found I could easily visually check the elevation setting of the Domino fence, especially in plywood because the veneer layers serve as a guide.  I drew a pencil line corresponding the the thickness centerline of the 1 inch edging strips and used this to confirm the height setting of the Domino fence.  I needed to do this several times while assembling the TV Cabinet with its fully dominoed frame.  Checking this visual technique against actual mortices and the thickness of the plywood and other components I was making indicated I could usually get within 1/2 mm of center of thickness with little trial and error.  That is close enough most of the time, but not if working with thin veneered plywood onto which you are trying to apply a flush edging strip.

Also, when morticing these edging strips, it is important to first position each strip relative to the panel to which it is to be joined in the oriientation you want the pieces to be when assembled, and to make your pencil marks for the mortices while in this orientation.  After marking the edging, flip it end for end keeping the same edge surface up, position it against its associated panel and cut the mortices.  Again, it is very helpful to mark each piece of edging and panel so you know which pieces go togeher when you're ready to glue-up.  I did not glue on the edging until I completed several stages of dry fit checks and drilled the shelf pin holes using my LR 32 Guide Rail and Hole Drilling Set (Item #583290) with my OF 1400.

For morticing the ends of the edging strips, which I did as I progressed through several dry fit checks, I used Festool's Trim Stop (Item #493487).  In contrast to my experience with the Cross Stop (Item #493488), I had no problems using the Cross Stop.  I found it very easy to install on the Domino and very easy to setup to center the mortice in my 1 inch thick by 1 1/4 inch wide front edging stock, and surprisingly accurate.  [Based on this experience, making some chairs may be in my future!]  The Cross Stop was not used in construction of the Console, but was used in construction of the Bookcases and TV Cabinet which rests on top of the Console.

Mortising the Edging for the Top of of Console

The main panel of the top of the Console is a piece of 3/4 inch veneered plywood.  It is surrounded by a mitred three-piece frame of oak stock 1 inch thick by ~2 inches wide.  The mitred frame is attached to the plywood panel with dominos.  As you can see in the photos of the finished console, the mitred frame and center panel are flush on the exposed top surface, but offset 1/4 inch when viewed from the underside.



Here's a view of a the underside of a front corner of the Console top.


This was my first attempt at using the Domino machine for applying mitred edging, and also my attempt at cutting the mitre joints.  Unlike a picture frame whose center is hollow, there is no room for error here.  All of the cut edges must be straight and clean and the elevations, lengths and angles must be exact.  My approach to these issues was to always reference the Domino off the top surfaces I wanted to be flush when joined, then to machine the mortices into the edges of the plywood panel and framing pieces to be joined.  I first cut the framing stock to have a couple of inches of extra length, so I could tweak the mitres if needed.   Then I cut a mitre on one of the short frame pieces and on one end of the front frame piece.  Sorry, Festool, I made the mitres on my table saw; I did not want to clear my MFTs to do them with Festool equipment, and I don't have a Kapex or other quality mitre saw.  After I was satisfied with the fit of the mitred pieces for one corner to one another and the front and one side edge of the top panel, with them in position relative to the panel I marked out the locations of the mortices using a pencil.  I did not cut the other mitred corners until I was satisfied with the fitment of the first corner pieces to themselves and the center panel.  I did not have any extra 4/4 stock from which to cut new framing pieces, so I proceeded cautiously, incrementally working toward the final goal.

The first photo below shows the mortises in one of the side framing members.  The mortices adjacent the mitre were intentionally made extra wide to enable the pieces to be rotated somewhat into final positon as they are slid together.  If the mortices are tight relative to the width of the dominos, the mitred pieces with their dominos cannot be assembled to both themselves and to the center panel.  Note also the double tenons in the mitre joint.  To position these mortices, I simply laid a pair of 5mm dominos on to of the mitred pieces while they rested on the MFT top, and made a pencil mark corresponding to the approximate centerline of each domino.  That visual technique also assured I would not cut through the mitred frame pieces provided I kept the Domino machine set to plunge 15mm, which I did.  Then I removed dominos and extended my pencil marks using a try square postitioned against the cut edges of the mitres.  Then I cut the mortises with the Domino machine.  I did several dry fit attempts and extended the width of the mortices as needed to enable the joints to be brought fully together and the domino tenons to be fully seated in their mortices.  I could see where the mortices needed to be widened as rotated the framing pieces into position, and made pencil marks to help guide my placement of the Domino machine to widen the mortices.  This was easy to do with the Domino machine, all I had to do was simply move the machine laterally from my centerline by the amount I wanted to widen the mortice.



Several dry fit checks were made; the mortices were widened as needed to enable full closure of the mitre joint and contact along the full lengths of the framing members and the center panel.



Here is the final dry fit.  The glueup looks the same.  All of the pieces came fully together.  The joints have remained fully closed since the finished Console was brought from my garage into my house a few months ago, despite the lower humidity in the house.



More to come.

Dave R.

Thanks, Frank.  Re the Domino machine, I could almost say "I love my Domino"; in my opinion it is that good.  One feature it lacks that I wish it had is the ability to simply drill upon plunging without the sideways oscillation.  Then it could also be used to quickly and accurately bore holes perpendicular to any work surface, or at whatever angle the user chooses.  It would then become essentially a miniaturized, portable, precise drill press while retaining all of its present, unique capabilities.   Many times I have needed to precisely bore through something that cannot be brought it or loaded onto a drill press table, and the best I could do was to make a hardwood drill bit guide block (bushing) on my drill press for use with a handheld drill at the primary workpiece.  If the Domino had the ability to simply bore a cylindrical hole, it could also be used with dowels.  A single dowel can be used as a rotary joint, a domino joint cannot.

Dave R.

Chapter IV - Finish Schedule and Notes.

Finish System, Problems and Solutions

The finish schedule I followed for nearly all components of this Entertainment Center is listed below together with some notes based on what I learned making this Entertainment Center.  The finish system I used is a combination of solvent based and water based coating materials, applied using a combination of brushing, wiping and spraying.

1.Sand through 220 grit.  I used Festool sanders and Festool Brilliant abrasives for 180 and 220 grit, for lower grit numbers I used Rubin interchangeably with Brilliant.
2.Vacuum all surfaces to be finished using the brush attachment on the shop vacuum.  I also vacuumed every surface I could reach in my garage / shop to reduce creation of airborne dust during later spray applications of coatings.  If possible, I recommend applying the finishes in a different room than was used for machining and sanding the pieces to be finished.  I did not have that option, although for some of the finish applications on some components of the Entertainment Center the weather permitted me to apply the spray coatings outside.  That has its own set of associated problems, in my setting including rain, very high humidity, insects landing in the wet finish coat, and due to my lot having many large trees that border my driveway, leaves and pine needles landing in the wet finish coat.
3.Wipe all surfaces to be finished with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.  I used the same gold-colored cloths I had purchased from Griot's Garage a few years ago for use when hand polishing my cars.  They are reusable indefinitely provided you properly wash them to remove accumulated dirt and dust.  There are differences in quality among brands of microfiber cloths and different fiber types, diameters, lengths and numbers of fibers per unit area.  Do not use fabric softeners when laundering them.
4.Apply wash coat of 1 lb cut alcohol base shellac.  I used Zinnser's Seal Coat and diluted it with denatured alcohol.  This was applied with a brush.
5.Apply oil-based stain.  I used General Finishes wiping stain, Pecan color.  This product is very slow drying even under ideal conditions of low humidity and temperatures around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  For the Console, I applied a second coat of the same stain a couple of days after the first.  There did not seem to be much effect on the depth of color, although it did turn out slightly darker in appearance in some lighting conditions than some of the Bookcase components on which only a single coat of stain was applied.
6. Apply wash coat of alcohol base shellac.  I used the same 1 lb cut Seal Coat as above.  This is where I ran into a major problem.  Do not brush this coat.   As I brushed on the shellac, the solvent apparently began to attack the binder used in the oil-base stain, and the stain started to smear with my brush strokes, being removed in some areas and deposited overly thick and dark in others.  Eventually, after some quick removal of the excess, and some quick restaining / touching up of the lighter areas and blending efforts, I repaired much of the blotchiness.  If you look carefully in the below photo which shows the top surface of the bottom panel, you will see what remained of the problem.
Insert Photo 089.
I entirely avoided this problem with the stain by spraying a light mist coat followed by a slightly wetter coat of the 1 lb cut Seal Coat when finishing the rest of the this Entertainment Center.
7.Apply wet coat of Target Coatings' Oxford Brand Amber color water based shellac.  No dilution was used.   I simply poured it through a paint strainer into the cup of my Fuji HVLP spray gun.
8.After the water based shellac is dry, inspect the surface.  Respray with water based shellac if coating appears rough or insufficient.  If the first spray coat felt roughtor appeared to entrapped sanding dust or raised wood fibers, I lightly sanded the coating with 320 grit wet or dry  (black silicon carbide) sandpaper to knock down these high spots.
9.If you sanded the shellac coating, wipe it down with a microfiber cloth.
10.Apply wet coat of Target Coatings Oxford brand vinyl sanding sealer.   This material was rather viscous as packaged by the manufacturer.  Generally I slightly diluted it using distilled water, or water collected by my basement dehumidifier.  Tap water is likely to contain minerals and chemicals which may chemically interact with Oxford's water based products.  The main reason for diluting this sealer is to help avoid the coating bridging over the pores of the red oak.  I wanted to partially fill them with the finishing coats.  I did not want them fully filled since other commercially manufactured oak furniture in my house does not have fully filled pores.  Let the coatin fully dry. Under good conditions of moderate temperatures and 50 ? 60% humidity will likely only take about one hour.
11.Inspect the dried coating and recoat if you think it necessary.  Again, you are looking for spot with defects compared to the areas immediately surrounding them.
12.After the sanding sealer coats have fully dried and hardened (I allowed at least a couple of hours), sand the surfaces with 320 or 400 grit wet / dry abrasive.  How far this coating is knocked down by sanding will significantly influence how much the pores appear to be filled in the final finish.  The more this seal coat is knocked down, the smoother and less open porous the final finish will be.
13.Wipe with microfiber cloths.
14.Apply wet coat of Oxford brand water based gloss lacquer and let dry.  Apply another wet coat if desired.  Whether or not this is advisable is dependent on many factors, a very important one of which is spray gun operator technique.  I have found that I can set a spray gun so that I get a good even but thin wet coat, then hand that gun to another person who will have problems achieving the same result due to holding the gun at a different distance from the surface being sprayed, holding the gun at a different angle or moving the gun at a faster or slower speed.  I recommend experimenting on the underside surfaces of a workpiece or some cardboard or a sheet of paper to get a feel for how operator technique and spray gun settings influence the result. 
15.Inspect finish. Knock down any dust bumps with 400 grit wet or dry sandpaper if the surface bumps can be felt with your bare hands.
16.Wipe with microfiber cloth.
17.Apply wet coat of Oxford brand water based semi-gloss lacquer.  Let dry.  Inspect finish.  If clean and smooth, proceed to next step.
18.Apply second wet coat of Oxford brand water based semi-gloss lacquer.  Let dry.  Inspect finish.  If smooth and free of defects., you are done.
19.Let the finish continue to dry and harden.  Several days are required before the finish fully dries and cures and reaches its full hardness and resistance to physical (abrasion) and chemical substances (spills).
20.Take a well-deserved rest and  Admire your hard work!
 
Notes regarding the above listed finishing schedule and materials.

A.  Red oak often contains significant amounts of tannins (tannic acid).  Many of Target Coatings water based products are highly alkaline, and potentially reactive with the tannic acid in the oak.  For this reason, Target Coatings website recommends using oil-based stain and sealing that stain with solvent base dewaxed shellac (which Seal Coat is) followed by a coating of Target Coatings water based shellac which they consider to be a universal sealer compatible with all of their other coating materials.

B.  If you realize you have applied too much finish, you can simply wipe it away with a dry cloth or even a paper towel, with any of these water based coatings.  A run on a vertical surface is obviously too much finish in a single coating.  So is an area in which the coating appears overly thick as evidenced by a thick wet, shiny layer that is milky in appearance.  After wiping the excess away, let the remaining finish dry, and later recoat.  This is an advantage of Target's water based coatings that does not exist with solvent based lacquers I have used in the past.

Next installment - building the Bookcases.

Dave R.

Thanks, Mark.  I bought my first Festool, an RO 125 about 3 years ago.  But I used a Shopsmith and other hand and power tools for many more years as a hobbyist and serious DIYer.  By serious, I mean projects like removing the main wooden beam of my house and replacing it with an iron beam to get rid of a centerpost, building a fireplace replacing most of the copper plumbing in my house, and cutting and threading the iron piping needed for installation of gas furnaces and fireplace gas lighter, installing foundation drains, making my own flooring starting with green lumber selected at the sawmill, harvesting and my own trees.  I don't mean to brag, I'm just stating some of my experiences gathered over 40 years.

Dave R.