Pine wardrobes

[mrgrimsdale]

Is it for yourself? In which case I'd just try and live with it. We all have to live with our mistakes it's a fact of life. The only people who don't make mistakes don't make anything.
This table which I'm sitting at as I type has 4 long cracks in the top between the sycamore boards due to shrinkage and badly fixed bread-board ends.

You can always paint it with dark varnish if you really can't stand it. Or "opaque varnish" (which used to be called paint ;D).
If it's a client - tell them that light stains are deeply unfashionable so you've gone for 'tyrolean oak' or some other b**x, and brush some brown stuff on.

cheers
Jacob
PS got my camera here too! Crack 1:



Crack 2 on the right:



2 more cracks at the other end

We could have a "c*ck-up corner" - could be busiest part of the site.
What's doubly annoying abt this table top is that I've already re-made it once. Can't do it again it'll end up too thin, so I might put some gunge in the cracks instead

[mrgrimsdale]

To be honest I think paint is a good option. Stuff like yours (good workmanship but cheapo wood) was always made to be painted or at the very least to be stained or varnished in dark shades - because of the very same problems that you have met.
The other alternative (too late sorry!) is no stain at all. The wood darkens anyway, light staining is a bit of a waste of time - soon overtaken by the natural darkening. If you leave it as it is now, you may find that the blotchy bits just merge into the darkening background.

cheers

[thallow]

Oct 10, 2008 18:12:04 GMT mrgrimsdale said:

We could have a "c*ck-up corner" - could be busiest part of the site.

wohoo where do I post... ;D ;D ;D

[mailee]

Well I finally did it at last! I am happy to announce that the wardrobe doors are stained and they look ok! I think you will agree.


It turned out that I was using the sanding sealer far too thick for it to sink in to the wood, thus when I sanded the panels I was effectively removing it again! Duh! I thinnned it down a little over 50/50 and it worked a treat. Anyway I managed to get the doors hung today.

I do have to sand a little off the edges to give enough clearance. This is a small problem after what I have just gone through though. ;D

[engineerone]

maybe we should have someone give us lessons in applying sanding sealer

they do look nice though

paul

[mailee]

Yes Paul, I should have known. My excuse is that I haven't 'finished' any pine for a while as most of the jobs have been just 'in the wood' Does that sound convincing?

[paulchapman]

Nice job, Mailee.

Cheers

Paul

[engineerone]

actually mailee no more than my not knowing how to use it all

paul

[mrgrimsdale]

Yes looks good. I didn't think you'd be able to get the old stain out!

cheers
Jacob

[simuk]

Well done, they look very nice!

Simon

[mailee]

I have been busy in the shop again and managed to get the wardrobes ready for the varnish. I made up the small moulding for the top.

Then made endplates for the rail and installed this. (it is removable)

It was just a case of fitting the ply backs on then.

I shall not get any more done on it this week as I have a kitchen to fit, so more to come in a weeks time. Busy, Busy, Busy.

[mailee]

Oops! told a lie, I have just fitted the knobs. I found a set I didn't know I had.

[jfc]

I like the idea of draws on the bottom rather than storage at the top , might nick that idea

[lemonjeff]

Oct 19, 2008 15:39:19 GMT jfc said:

I like the idea of draws on the bottom rather than storage at the top , might nick that idea

Thats what I'm doing for a fitted wardrobe, drawers at the bottom, wardrobe lift at the top.
Nice Job Mailee, finish looks spot on.