Replies

1. 
   jharveyb | Jun 14, 2022 08:36pm | #1

   As usual, the first step is to make a sample(s) of your proposed finish routine(s) on a piece of scrap. I would do one with sanding and one without.

   Depending on what effect you desire, you make your choice of the two. If you were using a wiping stain, I know that the top would be too smooth coming off the plane. The stain would bounce off the dense parts of the wood. However, the dye/shellac isn't likely to have a problem in that way.

   I normally use the TransTint dye with alcohol first by itself, but I'm not using an alcohol based finish on top of it. My only concern with spraying a tinted finish on is getting an even thickness over the whole top/piece. Of course, applying a dye by itself can have the same challenge. I have very limited experience with spraying, so usually resort to other methods.

1. 
   jovogtmd | Jun 14, 2022 09:47pm | #3

   Thank you!! I have built 8 pieces of furniture over the winter and it is now FINALLY warm enough here in Maine to do the finishing in the garage. I have been playing with a Fuji Semi-Pro HVLP Sprayer given the amount of finishing needed.
   Once you get used to it and use very light passes, it seems to work quite well. You just have to make sure you are using the correct nozzle for the given viscosity.
   As for the finish, I found that embedding the transtint(Mission Brown) in the shellac gave the best results. You just have to be careful not to apply too much finish all at once with the sprayer.

2. 
   john_c2 | Jun 14, 2022 08:57pm | #2

   If the planed finish looks good, go for it. Put on a coat of Sealcoat or 2, and see what you think. Worst case scenario is you take a few more swipes with the plane and then sand.

1. 
   jovogtmd | Jun 14, 2022 09:47pm | #4

   Thank you for the encouragement. After testing I WILL go for it!!

3. 
   DRBWWing | Jun 15, 2022 10:37am | #5

   You're very lucky, my friend. Did you have the grain oriented the same for every board? If not, you are a Chosen One.

   You should sand it to remove plane tracks - yeah, now you're going tell me you don't have any plane tracks, right? :-)

   I've used shellac tinted with alcohol based dye (Solar Lux) and gotten great results spraying.

1. 
   jovogtmd | Jun 15, 2022 03:20pm | #7

   You bring up a great point about grain. I have FINALLY learned that when putting a table top together one usually makes sure the grain matches between each board. BUT, I have NOW learned is that I also need to make sure that board grains go the same way....now that I am using handplanes rather than belt sanders. That way I can hopefully avoid having to be the Chosen One.

   As for the plane tracks.....after I received the Hock Iron (which is 25 degrees)--I ground a 2ndary bevel, taking the iron to 27 degrees and honed it to 8000, then cambered each side edge of the iron back 1/32 inch, starting 3/32 in from the edge....no tracks!!

   As for the tint...I am using Dark Mission at a rate of 2 ml/4oz Seal Coat. That way I can bring up the tint very gradually.

4. 
   joeleonetti | Jun 15, 2022 11:40am | #6

   I've spent a fair bit of time digging into this question for shellac and have asked and recieved answers from Paul Sellers, Bob Rozaeiski, and on Shop Talk Live. Mine was focused on just shelac.

   The answer from all three sources that for some finishes you want the wood to have some bite so that the finishes adheres to the wood. However, for shellac, you can use shellac directly on hand planed surfaces. For me this is important as I use handplanes and get a smooth finish on the wood and do not want to sand afterwards (it offends my sensibilities to rough up the wood). I can also say that for the last 6 plus years, shellac is my go to finish and has been used on almost all of my projects. Nothing bad has happened on applying shellac directly onto finely hand planed surfaces.

   Hope this helps.

1. 
   jovogtmd | Jun 15, 2022 03:23pm | #8

   Definitely helps!!
   I am a big fan of those 3 workers, especially Sellers and his method of restoring planes--which I followed with this plane.

   I, too, would like to use just shellac; but this furniture is being donated to
   those in our community who are in need....so have to protect them with some polyurethane.

5. 
   CStanford | Jun 15, 2022 03:49pm | #9

   When you apply finish to a completed project there should be zero surprises.

   Do your full routine, with variances for comparison if needed, on large enough pieces of scrap stock to know exactly what will happen on the live project.

   It is certainly possible to apply finish directly on a pristine planed surface. It's also perfectly possible that once the finish hits it, it'll show that it wasn't so pristine after all. One man's 'evidence of hand tool woodworking' is another man's disaster. It all depends. Little marks tend to be endearing to the man who made them, but not necessarily so to everybody else.

6. 
   jovogtmd | Jun 15, 2022 04:58pm | #10

   Your last remarks are very true. There seems to be so many perspectives among woodworkers as to what is considered "acceptable perfection". I am not looking for the "Ikea look", but just a nicely finished table is desirable.

   Given that:
   I have found that I can often find imperfections in the top using denatured alcohol and go after those areas that I want improved as the alcohol can somewhat simulate the finish and then harmlessly evaporate.

   Would be curious as to what others do/use to check for them before finishing.