Ugh Lumber Prices – Am I Right?

Show notes coming soon.

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Outdoor Finishes | Real World Results

It’s hard to find a topic in woodworking that’s more confusing and more full of opinions and hearsay than finishing. Double that for outdoor finishing since there’s the additional variables of climate and exposure. One person will swear by one product but another person will tell you to avoid it like the plague. I’m in the fortunate position that everything I do is documented in some fashion so I will often “take one for the team” by putting a piece of furniture out in the elements with a particular finish just to see what happens. I can then report those observations in the name of SCIENCE! These real world observations add to my bank of theoretical knowledge and allow me to supply and informed opinion whenever I’m asked the dreaded “What finish should I use?” question.

In this video we’ll discuss several pieces of furniture I’ve made throughout the years, how they were finished and how they held up. In some cases, a refinish was necessary and we’ll talk about that too.

• Greene & Greene Adirondack Chairs
• Rustic Outdoor Table
• Durable Outdoor Finish?
• Repurposed Outdoor Coffee Table
• Contemplation Bench
• Outdoor Sitting Bench 
• Crooked Garden Gate

Finishes Mentioned:

• Osmo One Coat HS
• CPES Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer 
• Epifanes
• Epifanes Matte
• Total Boat Epoxy Sealer
• Sikkens Cetol Marine 
• Watco Teak Oil

10 Helpful Outdoor Finishing Tips

1. A finish failure does not always mean the finish doesn’t work. In many cases, there are other variables at play like wood species, application process, misuse, and exposure that lead to a finish failure.
2. With enough exposure and neglect, ALL FINISHES WILL FAIL. The key to remember is that when the finish fails, a film finish will tend to fail more spectacularly as the finish peels and bubbles up and generally looks like crap. This is one reason why I’m gravitating to non-film finishes on my outdoor pieces.
3. CPES/Epifanes failures were my fault. In the past I have called the CPES/Epifanes combination “bulletproof” and as you can see that’s not really the case. It’s a great finish and with maintenance, it can last a long time. Neglected and exposed to lots of UV, it’s an ugly mess. Not the product’s fault though. It’s my fault. And the pieces that have limited UV exposure have held up great.
4. Know yourself and know the situation. Are you the type of person that can commit to a maintenance schedule? If not, throw on some sort of non-film finish and let it age over time. If you don’t plan to do any maintenance, don’t apply a film finish unless the piece will live in the shade.
5. UV is far worse than moisture. This is not a fact so much as my observation that UV is the real enemy, even more so than moisture. No matter what finish I used, if direct extended UV exposure was involved the finish failed quickly.
6. Pigments are your friend. This is why many decking products are called “stains” as they’re really just an oil with color added and that color helps block the UV rays from hitting the wood fibers. Clear finishes can have UV absorbing properties too but from my experience, nothing works better than something with actual pigments in it. This is also why one of the best finishes for outdoor pieces is……gasp…..paint!!!
7. Make slatted table tops. I’ll never design something for the outdoors again that has a full solid top. Slats are the way to go as the water can run off and the boards can thoroughly dry. Part of the reason my big table failed multiple times was because the water and snow would collect on the top, increasing the exposure time unnecessarily.
8. Wood species matters. Another reason the western red cedar table had such a hard time was the fact that the wood was super soft. Yes, it’s rot resistant, but every dent and scratch created a potential failure point for a film finish. And that’s exactly what happened on my table and benches. A denser wood won’t dent as easily and provides a better base for the finish so scratches and blunt impacts won’t stress the finish as much. The Sapele Adirondack chairs are a great example of how that kind of film finish can work on a harder species. From now on, if I work with Western Red Cedar I’ll be using non film-forming finishes.
9. The epoxy foot pad technique works. Epoxy pads on the feet actually do work and are a nice insurance policy for anything with ground contact. Prevents splitting and cracking from excessive moisture wicking up into the end grain.
10. There’s nothing wrong with letting the wood gray naturally. Some people prefer it and as you can see, it can be a lot of work maintaining outdoor wood projects. Not everyone wants to put in that kind of time. So if you don’t mind the weathered/gray look and feel, go au natural.

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Nicole Gets the Big One Tonight

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Birthday Boy

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Atomized Pancake Batter

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Easy Blanket Ladder | For Beginners

As you probably know, The Wood Whisperer has always been focused on mid to high level woodworking. I like to think we are welcoming to beginners as well but rarely do we make content aimed directly at a person who has almost no tools and no experience in the shop. That is, until now. With the help of my wife Nicole, who stands in as “the beginner”, we’ll show you how to make a simple but elegant blanket ladder using a very small and basic set of tools. In fact, the entire set costs less than $500 and will serve you well on future projects too. While Nicole has been around woodworking for the last 15 years, she has almost no personal experience. Her questions guide the discussions and should prove useful to anyone who is new to the craft. This video is LONG with a lot of conversation and explanation. If this isn’t your cup of tea, consider sharing the video with someone you’d like to see get into the craft. We feel this is an excellent starting point.

In the video we reference two other videos you might want to check out: Block Plane and Applying Rubio.

Download the FREE Plans

These plans feature measured drawings and a cut list.

• Imperial Plan
• Metric Plan

Tools We Used

The list below represents the tools I selected specifically for this beginner series. Many of them maybe be things you already have in your house or garage and all of them can be used again on future projects.

• Miter Saw – Used to cut the boards to length as well as adding the angles to the bottom of the vertical ladder pieces.
• Hand Saw – Used to cut the long angles at the top of the vertical ladder pieces. This Japanese pull saw features two sides: one for finer cross-cuts and one for more aggressive rip cuts.
• Random Orbit Sander – A random orbit sander is capable of smoothing the surface without leaving noticeable scratch marks. Purchase 180 grit sandpaper.
• Block Plane – Inexpensive block planes often need some tuneup. Learn how to do that here.
• Cordless Drill –  A basic cordless drill is an asset to any wood shop.
• Brad Point Bit Set  – We only use a 3/8″ bit for this project but it obviously makes a lot more sense to buy a set if you don’t already own one.
• 24″ Clamps – You’ll want four of these. If you’re looking for a bargain in clamps, check out your local Harbor Freight store.
• Glue – Titebond 3 – Any wood glue will work but this is what I use most often.
• Preppin’ Weapon Sanding Block – Purchase 180 grit sandpaper.
• Tape Measure – Pretty much any tape measure will do.
• 6″ Combination Square
• Clear Protractor
• Dowels – This is a mix of dowel sizes but all you need for this projects are sixteen 3/8″ dowels.
• Dead Blow Hammer – Not a necessity but sure nice to have.
• Watco Danish Oil – While I used a product called Rubio Monocoat, I really recommend something like this for beginners.

Materials

If purchasing pre-surfaced material from the big box store, you’ll want THREE 1 x 3’s. Although they are called “one by threes”, their actual dimensions will usually be smaller and the thickness will actually be 3/4″, which is exactly what we want for this project.  You will then cut those three boards into the following pieces. Be sure to consult the PDF plan for more detail.

• (2) Vertical Sides – 72″L x 3″W x 3/4″T
• (4) Ladder Rungs – 20 1/2L x 3″W x 3/4″T

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Following On

As the covid year unfolded, everyone gradually accepted lockdowns, self-isolation in shielding and then a mass of other self-monitoring systems of distancing and safety margins. Mask-wearing for those of us working wood all day long and on a daily basis was not new at all, yet it was those wearing them for the first time…

Read the full post Following On on Paul Sellers' Blog.

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It’s Been a Year

I think that everyone is questioning what is normal anymore. My year has been very normal and normalcy for me is mostly that life revolves around my making and working on things I make from wood. With a dozen and more decent-sized projects filmed, made, stacked up and under my belt, I remind myself of…

Read the full post It’s Been a Year on Paul Sellers' Blog.

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I Don’t Want Your Tips!

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00:00:35 – Welcome back to the Woodworking Morning Show
00:01:38 – Schedule Change Announcement!
00:02:45 – New iPhone holder project!
00:04:17 – Block plane tune-up video Find new videos on our Amazon Store
00:07:07 – Do you ever use quick-change collets for your routers? https://ift.tt/3rTZHId
00:08:03 – Giveaway today! Use the code MARC25 at https://ift.tt/2PugK6j until April 16th for 25% your order
00:08:40 – Thanks to our Patreon and YouTube members
h00:10:20 – Is a parallelogram jointer worth the upgrade?
00:12:55 – Are quick-change collets standard?
00:13:20 – Is prefinished plywood ok for cabinets?
00:14:00 – What are your favorite router accessories?
00:15:30 – Which three furniture designers would you take to dinner?
00:18:05 – How can I design a pizza “rocker” cutter with a wooden handle to be safe to use?
00:18:53 – Powermatic’s 100 year anniversary!
00:20:25 – Is pre-primed pine ok for a face frame for cabinets?
00:22:50 – What order do you suggest buying the “big ticket” items for woodworking?
00:26:52 – Is there any sag on your router table due to the weight of the router?
00:29:00 – Did you finish your blacker house chair?
00:30:04 – Is the dado stack a safe tool to use?
00:31:10 – What’s a good 3M filter for paint? or these
00:33:10 – Giveaway time from Parcil Safety!
Use the code MARC25 until April 16th for 25% your order
00:42:40 – Congratulations!
00:43:30 – What is the dumbest mistake you’ve recently made?

New time starting next week! Thursday Evening Friday Morning Show!

We started our live show in 2014 as a community-focused Q&A show featuring me (Marc) and my wife Nicole as a way to connect with other woodworkers each week. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to share thoughts and ideas with your fellow woodworkers.

Join us each week at 11:30 Eastern and be sure to subscribe and click the bell notification to get an email when we publish a new video or go live.

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Plane Away!

I did an experiment today. I took pieces of cherry and set myself a goal. I had eight pieces of rough-sawn cherry on my bench for a project I am building. I did not look at the wood in any sort of depth first but simply found myself tracing my fingers over the bandsawn surfaces,…

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