Chronotis Capsule

[tony farrell]

i need to treat the top panels as windows somehow....
fabricating the mullions for the windows out of a darker wood has crossed my mind...

I wondered if you'd considered using thin sheets of brass and cutting the windows from that? Or, even, making the mullions out of brass. This might look good when compared to the brass panels in your sign-boxes.

Your build is looking very good indeed 

Tony

[chronotis]

Absolutely.... Thanks Tony....
i am going to give this a whirl....
i think that a touch more brass will do well as window material....
and the window mullions made of the walnut will contrast nicely against it....
good eye Mang....

its raining here today... so i may have a minute to execute this....
hopefully i will have some photos to post by the end of the day....

Right On
Chronotis

[chronotis]

kk... progress...
window panels in brass with walnut mullions...
the front placard is shown now..

[chronotis]

still have some glue to clean up around the window mullions...

[chronotis]

next is to cobble the top lamp together...

[chronotis]

need to sort out the door handle... the lock set...
those funny little stays at the top of the doors...
the engraving of the top signs and front placard...
sanding/scraping for finish prep....
 

[Rassilons Rod]

Apparently I wasn't paying proper attention.... But your comment about the cloverleaf stays at the top of the doors made me look again and I see now that you're doing the Brachacki refit model. And very well I think, too!

[tony farrell]

I do like this box...What colour do you intend to finish it with? Mahogany, teak?

[Rassilons Rod]

Are you going to etch the signs?

[chronotis]

Apparently I wasn't paying proper attention.... But your comment about the cloverleaf stays at the top of the doors made me look again and I see now that you're doing the Brachacki refit model. And very well I think, too!

yes sir...
the Altered Brachacki is the Tardis that i fell in love with...
not that i have a dislike of any of the others...
its just that this was the Tardis that Pat, Jon and Tom rocked...
three of my favorite Doctors....

[chronotis]

I do like this box...What colour do you intend to finish it with? Mahogany, teak?

my plan for finishing?....
i have all of the finish sanding/scraping todo....
but after....
im thinking a few coats of a neutral penetrating oil....
burnished into the wood with steel wool...
and after that...
a top coat of either neutral wax (for a French Finish)...
or possibly a coat of shellac/lacquer...
 
i want to use neutral oils as opposed to a colored one....
i always felt that if one would like a Mahogany or a Teak finish (or any other color for that matter)...
then one should build from that material...
as opposed to trying to make Walnut (or any other species) look like some other species/color...
just easier to start with the material that will have the desired color from the on set of the project...

[Rassilons Rod]

If you use "penetrating oil" for this kind of project, what does the surface feel like afterwards?

I'm actually building a guitar at the moment, and while off topic for the boards, I'd be interested in what you can tell on these wood finishes you're talking about

[chronotis]

Are you going to etch the signs?

yes... for sure... but...
i need to examine whether the signage will be etched or engraved onto the brass...
either way....
the type setting for the top signs and front door placard are beyond my scope...
(well... thats not to say i couldn't do this... its just that there are other trades out there that this is their forte.... IE. i know enough about electricity to wire a light switch... but i also know that there are electricians who can do the job faster, more effectively and with less cussing...)
so....
i will be looking to farm-out the signs to an appropriate company...
i was thinking of finding a trophy shop...
they should have the equipment to handle this sort of thing....

[tony farrell]

A trophy shop sounds like a good idea. Alternatively, you might try a cobbler (shoe repairer). They tend to be able to engrave or etch lettering onto dog tags, so might be a good first 'port of call'.
Tony

[chronotis]

If you use "penetrating oil" for this kind of project, what does the surface feel like afterwards?

I'm actually building a guitar at the moment, and while off topic for the boards, I'd be interested in what you can tell on these wood finishes you're talking about

well...
with the French Finish (not to be confused with a French Polish.... a completely different type of finish)... one coat of oil is applied at a time.... the oil will penetrate the surface and raise the grain of the wood....in order to smooth the surface...
one needs to burnish the treated surfaces with a light grade of steel wool...
after it is burnished... another coat of oil... more burnishing....
a third coat of oil may or may not be needed... the top coat of a traditional French Finish is wax.... apply a coat of paste wax to the oiled surfaces... let it set up.... buff it out.... more wax... set it up...
buff it out...

I would not recommend an Oil and Wax Finish (French Finish) for a guitar....
too much work keeping the wax coat up...
(the wax coat is meant to collect everyday wear and tear an object would collect...
while the oil coat is meant to bring out the grain and color of the wood...)
for something that will be handled as much as a guitar...
i would recommend a modern hard finish...
something along the lines of a urethane....
applied with a HV/LP (high volume/ low pressure) sprayer...

modern hard HV/LP finishes (for the most part) set on the surface of the wood with very little of it actually penetrating the wood... therefore it doesn't cause the grain of the wood to raise as much as a penetrating oil would... it does raise the grain somewhat but it is negligible (in comparison to using oils)...
when doing a hard finish... the real trick to it is many thin coats of finish....
apply one thin coat of finish... let it set up....
then sand that coat to the point where it looks like you have almost completely removed all of the finish...
use a tack cloth to remove any debris from the surface.... (i like to use fabric softener sheets from the dryer (they must be used not un-used)...
apply another thin coat of finish... let it set up.... again sand the surface after it has set...
this time (and for the remainder of the coats you will be applying)....
sand the finish to a point where there is a bit more setting on the top of the wood....
keep repeating these steps until you have the desired finish....
many thin coats and elbow grease are the real trick to any righteous finish...

hope this helps....
Chronotis