Building a table from scratch

[kodydog]

This guy is just about the fastest woodworker I've ever seen.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=753400004751563&fref=nf

He uses Watco Danish Oil to add a protective finish. Good stuff.

[gene]

And he got done just in time for lunch.  :)

At the end he says to his wife "I put my heart and soul into it." Yep, no power tools. Heart, soul, and some elbow grease.

Thanks for the video, Ko D Dy dog. (Did a little 'gangsta rap' spelling to your handle.)

gene

[SteveA]

I remember seeing the video before - nothing like a hand made piece of furniture.  Watco offers no protection - it's an in the wood finish to bring out the natural color. 
SA

[byhammerandhand]

Same thing on Watco.   It's an oil-varnish blend, 2/3 solvent, 2/9 linseed oil, 1/9 varnish, more or less.   It's been tossed around different companies in the last 30 years that I've used it.

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/oil-finishes-their-history-and-use

It's been "hardens and protects from within,"  just more lies and misconceptions in the finishing world.   Lie, damned lies, and finishing can information.   Flexner wrote a great article in the most recent Popular Woodworking. "Why is Finishing So Difficult" Misleading claims and directions may be due to manufacturer ignorance.  Wrong directions, wrong names, wrong claims, wrong results, wrong descriptions of products.

[mike802]

In a past life, when I actually went to work for someone else, we built a table similar to the one in the video.  Except we did'nt glue the top together, we just pegged each board in the center on each bread board end.  That way the expansion and contraction of the boards were visible and you could watch the gaps close and open with the change in seasonal humidity.

as far as Watco go's we only used it on the inside of case pieces because boiled linseed oil needs additional air flow to dry thoroughly than what is available on the inside.  Every time we used that stuff it gave me a splitting headache, I wont have it in my shop.  

[byhammerandhand]

RE: :Watco 
It was off the market for a while when the original company Watco-Dennis, got sued because some idiot did not properly care for the rags and caught his house on fire.   Another company reverse engineered it (no big mystery there) with their own brand, and a while later, another company, part of RPM, bought the intellectual property and put it back on the market.

Because of the linseed oil content, rags are prone to spontaneous combustion.   BLO cures in an exothermic (heat generating) chemical reaction (oxidation).   When it warms up, the reaction accelerates (doubles in speed every 18F /10C rise in temperature, sending off more heat.   Eventually, it can reach the ignition point of the rag/oil.    Spread them out to dry, preferably outdoors.

And it takes a LOOONG time for the smell of BLO to dissipate from an enclosed area.   I have some boxes I made 20 years ago that I can still smell them on the inside.

[kodydog]

All good info guys.

I'd never heard of Watco till the last folks I worked for. The method they used, usually on antiques was to rub the Watco over all exposed finished wood. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, then wipe the excess off. It had to be thoroughly wiped down especially on carved pieces because of the next process. Let it stand 10 more minutes and spray with toner then clear lacquer.

I don't know if this method is kosher but it would leave a like new finish. I'll be the first to admit I'm no expert when it comes to finishing. That's why I like to read the advice of Hammer, Mike and Steve.

The one thing I couldn't stand was covering up all that nice patina. My opinion, the rub marks are what makes an antique. You can't fake natural rub marks. They would spray a coat of lacquer on everything that came through the door. They would never ask the customer. And if I left just a little patina they would have me spray on more toner. No spray booth, no mask, rain or shine out on the loading dock.

[byhammerandhand]

Forgot to mention, a few years ago I had to fix a table like this from RH at customer's home.  Apparently, it was not "interchangeable parts" and two boxes got mixed up at the warehouse.   The stretcher had dovetails on both ends that I needed to recut about 1/8" off the sides and the tusk tenons on the base rail did not fit all that well either.   I ended up putting two 6' pipe clamps head to top and drew the base together a little at a time.   I hope they never want to disassemble to move it.  But then again, the wood was probably so wet when made that it has shrunk enough to make a slip fit now.

Never really got on the band wagon for these rustic pieces with dirt and splinters everywhere and stuff made out of pallet wood.