Blue Pine Garage Cabinets: Build

[iamnothim]

Beautiful!  From the pictures it looks like the colors changed a bit.  It's hard to tell from the photo, but do you still see the blue in the wood after finishing? 

OK, I know I'm setting myself up for some jokes, but this is not the dress on the internet!

Mike A.

Hey Mike
The florescent lights give the photo a color cast to yellow/green.  I removed some in Lightroom/Nik ColorEfx Pro.  The blue to blue gray is still there.  I think the end panel is the best representation.  The top coat brings out even more colors.  Whites, ambers, reds, greens, dark gray, blue.  If you look at the large double cabinet before coating at the top of the page and compare it to the bottom of the page you will see the cathedrals in the grain come to life. 

It's the plank on the far right three photos up from here.  It's really amazing.

Nice job. While I'm not a fan of stained pine, you pulled it off nicely. BTW I'm also looking at the PM 2800B. It doesn't have a stellar rep but its on sale for another two days and there's not a lot of alternatives.

Hi Charlie,
I didn't add any color, only clear coat.  I have a lot of the GF water lacquer (not my favorite) so I used up the gloss on the base coats with a plan to complete the coating with a GF water urethane satin.  Since all semi, satin, and flat are just the gloss product with flatteners added.  That said, I didn't think I'd like these cabinets with a gloss but it's growing on me.  I've got a lot of time to think about the final top coats.

I also tested a 4lb cut of shellac.  Naturally it amps up the ambers and oranges and is quite beautiful.  I didn't want to go in that direction.

Many thanks,

Luke

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I found a better board with shellac

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[mike_aa]

Luke,
I see what you mean about the colors and the grain popping after the finish.  The cabinets really look impressive and you did a great job of arranging the individual boards for the best overall effect.  Outstanding work!

Thanks, can't wait to see the bottoms.

Mike A.

 

[Carl Prentiss]

Sorry Luke, I meant to write blue stain. I saw pine lumber in the summer and it's a constant battle to avoid blue stain in warm weather.

 

[Iceclimber]

Maybe one of my favorite projects on the forum in quite some time.

I was considering treating the pine on my workshop walls with a finish much like this.

I think I'm better to leave it the way it is but for your project this is spot on!
 

 

[iamnothim]

Sorry Luke, I meant to write blue stain. I saw pine lumber in the summer and it's a constant battle to avoid blue stain in warm weather.

Charlie,
This is my first time working with this wood and I only know what a few others have told me.  The hardwood store called it "wormy blue pine".  I liked it and bought it.  I asked Charles Neil about it and he told me the "beetle kill" story.  Then a friend up in BC called it "blue stain" and how it doesn't get cold early enough to kill the beetle.  But this confuses me.  Is blue stain from the beetle or something else?

Maybe one of my favorite projects on the forum in quite some time.
I was considering treating the pine on my workshop walls with a finish much like this.
I think I'm better to leave it the way it is but for your project this is spot on!

Ice,
I am truly humbled by the number of folks following this thread.  I keep asking myself "I am posting too many pictures and mindless drivel?"  I guess not.  Who woulda thunk?

This project has a long way to go and the challenging part is up next.  Building the top.  More specifically a hybrid top that includes a traditional woodworkers tail vise and maybe a knee vise.  I am about to purchase Marc "Wood Whisperer" Spagnolo's  "Split-Top Roubo" plans.  That end of the bench will be quarter sawn white oak.  I know beech is traditional but I think it's harder to get and costs more.  I am going to the wood store tomorrow.  I'll use the Benchcrafted kit for the mechanism.

 

[iamnothim]

Nice job. While I'm not a fan of stained pine, you pulled it off nicely. BTW I'm also looking at the PM 2800B. It doesn't have a stellar rep but its on sale for another two days and there's not a lot of alternatives.

Charlie,
Thanks for letting me know about this sale.  I had no idea.  Anyway I just spent the Kapex Kitty on the PM2800B.
I had read a few negative things about the belts, but I'm a light user and don't expect (hope) that it will be an issue.
The machine has too many features for me to ignore.  I really like the fact that I don't have to upgrade the table.

Luke

 

[iamnothim]

Need some advice.

I've been doing great without a table saw.  Just me and my TS55 REQ and MFT's
I ordered the Roubo plans from Marc and printed out the cut list.
I had planned on quarter sawn oak white oak, but I didn't plan on $7.85 BF  So I followed Marc's lead in the species selection video and bought soft maple.  That was palatable at $4.20 BF  I got some great pieces.

Here's my concern.  All the wood is 8/4.  That's at the max cut depth of the 55.  I picked up a "panther" blade for all the ripping.
That said I'm going to laminate the 8/4 into a 4" top.

I guess I'll have to cut it twice.

This is new territory for me.
Speaking of new territory, I've never made a dovetail joint.  The end cap of this bench top has one mondo dove tail. [eek]

 

[bkharman]

Need some advice.

I've been doing great without a table saw.  Just me and my TS55 REQ and MFT's
I ordered the Roubo plans from Marc and printed out the cut list.
I had planned on quarter sawn oak white oak, but I didn't plan on $7.85 BF  So I followed Marc's lead in the species selection video and bought soft maple.  That was palatable at $4.20 BF  I got some great pieces.

Here's my concern.  All the wood is 8/4.  That's at the max cut depth of the 55.  I picked up a "panther" blade for all the ripping.
That said I'm going to laminate the 8/4 into a 4" top.

I guess I'll have to cut it twice.

This is new territory for me.
Speaking of new territory, I've never made a dovetail joint.  The end cap of this bench top has one mondo dove tail. [eek]

Five words.

TS 75 and practice, practice, practice.

I was a TS 55r for a while and once I left sheet goods, I stepped up and love that saw.

A giant dovetail sounds a lot less daunting than a bunch of small tails. I have only played around with small tails for drawer boxes and have done it with a router table and my Incra fence.

Good luck!

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[iamnothim]

Five words.

TS 75 and practice, practice, practice.
Good luck!

Cheers. Bryan.

Bryan,
What's the old saying.  Never ask a question you don't know the answer to.
I should have guessed ... 75

Looks like my 55 will be listed soon.

But then, I still have a problem with the guy operating the saw.

 

[bkharman]

You get the 75 into hardwood and it moves like butter!

I still have my 55, I just use it on sheet goods as that is where it excels.

I bought my 75 during the recon sale, check the classifieds if you want to save a buck or two.

 

[iamnothim]

Finished under-cabinet lights.
Started loading the pegboard cabinet.  Waiting on brackets and such from Wall Control.  I still have two more panels for other doors.  I'm going to make pull out trays for the bottom of those cabinets...I think.

Waiting on the soft maple to be delivered.
Elm veneer for the backsplash arrives today.  [smile]

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[iamnothim]

You get the 75 into hardwood and it moves like butter!

I still have my 55, I just use it on sheet goods as that is where it excels.

I bought my 75 during the recon sale, check the classifieds if you want to save a buck or two.

Bryan,

I sold my TS55 and I am ordering a TS75.

The 75 comes with a 36 tooth blade.  That seems a bit large for sheet goods like 3/4 maple ply.
The TS55 came with a 48 tooth blade on a smaller diameter blade and it was great on sheet goods.

The only 3rd party blade I found is a Forrest 70 tooth veneer blade.  It's priced equivalent to the Festool 495381 52 tooth blade.
Do you have any experience with these blades?  Do I need one?

Next question will the stock 36 tooth handle ripping 8/4 soft maple?

 

[wow]

You get the 75 into hardwood and it moves like butter!

I still have my 55, I just use it on sheet goods as that is where it excels.

I bought my 75 during the recon sale, check the classifieds if you want to save a buck or two.

Bryan,

I sold my TS55 and I am ordering a TS75.

The 75 comes with a 36 tooth blade.  That seems a bit large for sheet goods like 3/4 maple ply.
The TS55 came with a 48 tooth blade on a smaller diameter blade and it was great on sheet goods.

The only 3rd party blade I found is a Forrest 70 tooth veneer blade.  It's priced equivalent to the Festool 495381 52 tooth blade.
Do you have any experience with these blades?  Do I need one?

Next question will the stock 36 tooth handle ripping 8/4 soft maple?

I'm not Brian, but I also have the TS75 - plus at least one of every blade Festool makes for it.

I find the standard 36-tooth blade to be great for MOST of what I do. I have cut 6/4 red oak with no problem and ended up with an excellent glue-joint-ready edge. Although I have the Panther blade, to me it wasn't worth the time it would have taken to swap it out.

I don't have any experience cutting 8/4 soft maple, but I think the answer depends on how much you need to cut. If you only need to cut a few feet, I'd certainly try it with the standard blade. If that doesn't work - or if you need to rip a bunch of it - you can always pick up the Panther blade.

Hope that helps?

 

[iamnothim]

I'm not Brian, but I also have the TS75 - plus at least one of every blade Festool makes for it.

I find the standard 36-tooth blade to be great for MOST of what I do. I have cut 6/4 red oak with no problem and ended up with an excellent glue-joint-ready edge. Although I have the Panther blade, to me it wasn't worth the time it would have taken to swap it out.

I don't have any experience cutting 8/4 soft maple, but I think the answer depends on how much you need to cut. If you only need to cut a few feet, I'd certainly try it with the standard blade. If that doesn't work - or if you need to rip a bunch of it - you can always pick up the Panther blade.

Hope that helps?

Indeed it does help.  Tom Bellemare at Tool-Home also said I should try the Universal Blade before I buy anything else.  That's good advice as i tend to dive into stuff.  Tom didn't think the 8/4 soft maple would be a problem.  If that's true I might get the 70 tooth Forrest for fine veneer.... if necessary.  I have a lot of 3/4 maple ply sheets to test the Universal blade cut quality.

Ripping?  About ripping...

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[bkharman]

Sorry for the late replay!

I use the 36 tooth and the 36 universal. Both are good blades and should go through that maple with no issues. It does look like you are going to rip through quite a few feet there, make sure you clean the blade quite often... Soft maple will put resin on the teeth and will burn like the dickens if you leave it be!

Look forward to the results.

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[iamnothim]

Sorry for the late replay!

I use the 36 tooth and the 36 universal. Both are good blades and should go through that maple with no issues. It does look like you are going to rip through quite a few feet there, make sure you clean the blade quite often... Soft maple will put resin on the teeth and will burn like the dickens if you leave it be!

Look forward to the results.

Cheers. Bryan.

Gotcha
I have the CMT cleaner.

It's a hefty benchtop.  Here's A Link to the Concept.  I'll work the top onto a couple lower boxes.  I will use the Crisscross Leg Vise

 

[iamnothim]

It's Here !!

The PSA backed Elm Veneer for the backsplash.
Photo from different directions.

Kinda got a Deadhead thing going on!

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[peter halle]

That is WILD!  The sheer number of creature "faces" is unreal.  Makes my collection of waterfall bubbling look bad.

Good score!

Peter

 

[Billedis]

That is some awesome looking veneer!  Bill

 

[Stephen B]

[size=14pt]

Anything look familiar? Just add the sunglasses!  [smile]

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