Woodworking advice...

[knowledgebass]

Hi,

I would like to refinish some smaller 2-way cabinets. I think they have walnut veneer.

Is there a "best" method to strip the existing finish off of the veneer?

Thanks, Wayne

That's funny. My advice would be just the opposite. If the problems are just in the finish layer and its not a polyurethane based finish, there's a good chance it's recoverable. Use a lacquer/shellac thinner (ethanol or 99% pure rubbing alcohol/isopropyl will work). If the finish is shellac/lacquer based it will soften and repair a lot of problems with the finish. You can use 3M fine pad or #0000 steel wool with the alcohol to 'clean' any dirty areas, even out damage. A fresh coat of shellac would revive it.

If it's polyurethane then the above will clean it but not touch the finish. You could probably cover the poly with shellac too but it won't even any bare spots of you have some. So if it's poly and uneven, you'd probably need to sand it.

Should probably wear a respirator for either of the suggestions (dust or solvents) .

[Renron]

I (mostly) agree with Knowledgebass's advice. That's an excessively long name to type.

Wayne, first determine what type of finish is on the speaker. Do this in an inconspicuous area.
Test for wax on the finish first, because you don't want to sand the wax into the finish if your going to attempt to restore it. It will cause "Fish-eyes". Then your screwed. xx)
Place drop of water on the surface for 10 minutes, check to see if it has turned the area a white / creamy color, if it has then there is a wax that must be removed prior to any other steps. Wax remover / degreaser can be purchased from an automotive paint store, follow the directions on the can.
Next, try different solvents on a white rag. Start with De-natured alcohol, (test for shellac) wet the rag and rub the finish gently for 15 or so seconds. Examine the finish and rag. If there is no discernible change to the finish move on to lacquer thinner,(test for nitro based or lacquer finish) test the same way. Next would be the mineral spirits, if at this point the finish hasn't changed or is undetermined it's probably a Polyurethane or a water based derivative.
If you have Xylene (“Oops!” and “Goof-Off”) you can test for water base finish by putting a drop of solvent on the finish and observing the results. If it softens or bubbles up it's water based.
Polyurethane can be tested by trying to scrape up the finish from a corner, if it crumbles or flakes it's probably Poly.

IMO, I don't like to use steel wool because it leaves tiny fractures embedded into the wood pores, if you finish with a waterbase finish the steel can rust, which then looks like crap. I prefer to use the 3M (Hank) grey scrubby pad. I've learned this the hard way...

I hope this has helped.
Here is a good link from where this list is stolen, Credit goes where credit's due.

http://news.thefinishingstore.com/index.php/understanding-solvents-part-i/

Ron

[Wayman]

Thanks for all the responses!

I have some testing to do!

Cheers, Wayne

[Steve Manning]

Threaded Inserts

For those of you that use threaded inserts in your builds and are like me have had problems getting the things to go in straight, this might be of use to you.

Parts required are a length of 2" X 4", 2 washers, a spring, 2 nuts and a 4" bolt. In this case this is setup for 1/4-20 inserts.





Not shown are clamps at either end of the board to hold the jig in place and compress the spring. The 2" X 4" can be made to straddle what ever driver cutout's you have.





Leaves a nice clean installation.

[Carl V]

nice solution with common 'on hand' material

[Renron]

Good solution Steve. Thanks
Ron

[technodanvan]

Steve,

How do you get the insert to end up flush in wood harder than a 2x4? Every couple of years I tell myself "it'll work this time" only to have the insert leave a 'hump' at the installation point yet again. Seems to do this even if I drill an oversize hole, so I'm guessing I must be doing something wrong?

[Steve Manning]

Steve,

How do you get the insert to end up flush in wood harder than a 2x4? Every couple of years I tell myself "it'll work this time" only to have the insert leave a 'hump' at the installation point yet again. Seems to do this even if I drill an oversize hole, so I'm guessing I must be doing something wrong?

Hey Danny, I'll let you in on a secret ..... pictures can be staged. As in, I get the same thing, though I typically have it more with something soft like mdf. A few things I have learned that I can pass on ......

For a new wood that I have not used before, I do some tests. Yep, you might waste a few inserts, but that's better than messing up a baffle.

I have found that with harder woods I typically go over size on what they recommend for a pilot hole. Sometimes that's for the entire depth and sometimes it's for about a third of it. Again this is where the test samples come in. To go part way I use step drills. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also drop some thick CA glue along the pilot hole wall just before screwing in the insert. This insures they don't unscrew, especially if you go over size on the pilot hole.

When I do get that hump your talking about, I knock it off with a chisel plane. I have a a variation of one of these. https://www.woodcraft.com/products/w...l-chisel-plane They are great for flush trimming all kinds of stuff. You can use a regular chisel, but I find the plane works a lot better since that's specifically what it's designed for. A very important note ...... make sure your inserts is recessed below the surface or you will hit it with the blade.

Well after all that, yes I think it's the way to go, especially if I know I'm going to be taking things apart.

Steve

[technodanvan]

Thanks for the input Steve, I'll need to try these again. I was also wondering if you used an adhesive, so thanks for clearing that up too!

[Renron]

"make sure your inserts is recessed below the surface". Steve
I laughed out loud over that one. Can't tell you how many times I've had to resharpen my plane's blade because I nicked a finish nail head... It's part of the experience.
I always overbore the holes and use epoxy if I go that route.
Last 10 or so builds I use a fine thread Allen head bolt and a drill driver after pre-drilling of the driver mounting holes. Strong enough to make the wood squeak and break mounting flanges if not careful. Using Allen heads I never worry about slipping off the head into the surround either. Ouch. Pre-drill with a Vix bit for a perfectly centered hole every-time. No issues with remove and replace like wood screws because they cut threads rather than just push the wood aside like wood screws. Always a good idea to practice on scrap first.
Exception being the Base to speaker cabinet connection where I did use inserts.
Ron

[Steve Manning]

"make sure your inserts is recessed below the surface". Steve
I laughed out loud over that one. Can't tell you how many times I've had to resharpen my plane's blade because I nicked a finish nail head... It's part of the experience.
I always overbore the holes and use epoxy if I go that route.
Last 10 or so builds I use a fine thread Allen head bolt and a drill driver after pre-drilling of the driver mounting holes. Strong enough to make the wood squeak and break mounting flanges if not careful. Using Allen heads I never worry about slipping off the head into the surround either. Ouch. Pre-drill with a Vix bit for a perfectly centered hole every-time. No issues with remove and replace like wood screws because they cut threads rather than just push the wood aside like wood screws. Always a good idea to practice on scrap first.
Exception being the Base to speaker cabinet connection where I did use inserts.
Ron

Don't you love it when metal meets metal. I've been wanting to pick some of those bits up for awhile now. I found with the new jig I was able to drive the inserts all the way in no problem, though I have not tried it on a hard wood yet.

[ergo]

I have another trip to US coming up and I was looking at getting a Dado blade stack from US. Back home I need to fork out 2..2.5x more for similar ones.
I've been looking at

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Diablo-8-in-x-12-Tooth-Stacked-Dado-Saw-Blade-Set-DD208H/100086071

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW7670-8-Inch-24-Tooth-Stacked/dp/B0002ZU6X4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486902462&sr=8-1&keywords=dewalt+dado

https://www.amazon.com/Freud-Professional-Stacked-Dado-SD208/dp/B0000223O9/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1486902462&sr=8-3&keywords=dewalt+dado

I'd be using those for speaker builds and furniture type work, so looking for something that foremost leaves a good clean surface cut.
Does anyone have a first hand experience or have heard good things about one or the other?

[PMazz]

I've used the Diablo and it works well.

[Steve Manning]

I have another trip to US coming up and I was looking at getting a Dado blade stack from US. Back home I need to fork out 2..2.5x more for similar ones.
I've been looking at

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Diablo-8-in-x-12-Tooth-Stacked-Dado-Saw-Blade-Set-DD208H/100086071

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW7670-8-Inch-24-Tooth-Stacked/dp/B0002ZU6X4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486902462&sr=8-1&keywords=dewalt+dado

https://www.amazon.com/Freud-Professional-Stacked-Dado-SD208/dp/B0000223O9/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1486902462&sr=8-3&keywords=dewalt+dado

I'd be using those for speaker builds and furniture type work, so looking for something that foremost leaves a good clean surface cut.
Does anyone have a first hand experience or have heard good things about one or the other?

Ergo, I have the last set you listed. Now I don't use it everyday, so I can't speak to how it performs under heavy use, but it does a nice job when I do use it.

[Renron]

Ergo,
I own the Oshlun SDS-0630 6" 30 tooth set. I have had excellent results when I've used it. Very little if any chisel work if you set the shims properly. Carbide 30 tooth blades.
Full size 5 tooth chippers instead of the paddle type of chipper between the two outside blades. This makes for a much cleaner (bottom) cut. Lots of shims to make exact cuts, two of each size shim 0.010 and 0.020. Nice heavy duty cardboard case too.
$70

http://www.carbideprocessors.com/dado-set-6-x-30t-5t-chippers-oshlun-sds-0630/?gclid=CjwKEAiAz4XFBRCW87vj6-28uFMSJAAHeGZb29V8a08Wp6w8l9zjKHqR1Ycm5Mx6lS5JpDgkggQWqRoCJpLw_wcB

How deep do you really need to cut the rabbets? Do you really need an 8" blade over a 6" blade set? The 6" blade set is easier for the motor to turn.
Ron

[ergo]

Thank you all for the good feedback!
The Oshlun looks to be a very strong cancidate indeed. The 8'' question is good one and when I think about it the most likely project I'll do are on materials upto maybe inch thick and the dado cut would be half of that or so. So 6'' should indeed be equally sufficient.

[Renron]

When I was shopping for a set of Dado blades I came to the same conclusion. What ever you buy get real blades not chippers between the outer blades. Full sized blades run smoother with less vibration.
Ron

[ergo]

Got the blades today - they do look nice and feel sharp as they should. Now next is to see if these do pass the airport securities in luggage when I start heading back home on Friday.

[wkhanna]

nice!
would be a shame if you have to resort to shipping it home.

[Renron]

Should not be a problem in the checked luggage, my wife brought home a "Skinners" knife when she went to Nova Scotia last year. Our friends who live in the Great White North may recognize this style. Strangest looking knife I've ever owned. Fits the hand like it's an extension of your fingers, fantastic workmanship, a joy to hold and use. Grohmann Knives.

You'll love that set of blades, when set up properly there is zero need to chisel the bottom of the dado. I like my set!
Ron

[Steve Manning]

Nice looking dado stack and knife :T

[Steve Manning]

Worth the time and effort ......

For those of you that use a table saw and have not ventured into using either an out feed table or a crosscut sled, I would highly recommend considering it. I have been using a nice set of rollers as an out feed for my saw for years and it has worked pretty well. Though when I started using a crosscut sled I had to move the rollers out of the way, then move them back ...... you get the idea. A couple of weeks ago my crosscut sled took a nose dive into the concrete, requiring a redo. I decided to add an out feed table to the project. I had wanted to go with baltic birch, but the cost of mdf won out. The main requirement for this was to be easily installed and removed since I don't have the space to leave my saw set in place.

Everything broken down and out of the way .....



Saw setup .....



Under side of out feed table ....



Legs are locked in place with a couple of door bolts ....

[Steve Manning]

Worth the time and effort ......cont.

Out feed table is attached to the saw with a few threaded knobs .....



Brackets attached to rip fence rail .....



With knobs installed ....



Table in place .....

[wkhanna]

yeah, baby!

[Steve Manning]

Worth the time and effort ......cont. II

New crosscut sled in place .....




I went ahead and installed replaceable inserts along the blade path. I discovered in the past once you tilt the blade over you really start chewing up the area around the blade. This way I can just replace the inserts rather than rebuild the entire sled. The inserts are held in place with with 8-32 screws and threaded inserts.



To align the main fence of the sled I used what's called the 5 cut method. For those of you not familiar with the technique, here is a very good video of the concept. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbG-n--LFgQ. When I was done I had an error of 0.0002" per inch of wood cut. That's pretty crazy for something made of wood. In the video the guy talks about using regular wood screws in the underside of the sled. I used, you guessed it, 1/4-20 threaded inserts with matching bolts. At the adjustment end I slotted the hole so I could pivot the fence for offset removal. That way I could just loosen one bolt rather than finding new locations for wood screws.

So far in using the out feed table, it is a lot nicer than the rollers. It should also keep the new sled from doing any repeat nose dives!

[ergo]

Very nice solutions for both.
I bought a new DeWalt jobsite saw in autumn and now waiting for spring to start with the same two projects for it. This is a good overview for inspiration and ideas. Thank you.

[Renron]

Steve,
Excellent job (as usual) Damn Son, you used Bamboo Ply on a cross cut sled? That's above and beyond exemplary! I really like the insert idea. Very nice T track too with hold down. Everything including the kitchen sink. Well thought out. :T

Extension tables are a must and SO much safer too. Here's my build, heavy as Sin on Sunday, but flatter than a pancake.

Ron

[Steve Manning]

Steve,
Excellent job (as usual) Damn Son, you used Bamboo Ply on a cross cut sled? That's above and beyond exemplary! I really like the insert idea. Very nice T track too with hold down. Everything including the kitchen sink. Well thought out. :T

Extension tables are a must and SO much safer too. Here's my build, heavy as Sin on Sunday, but flatter than a pancake.

Ron

Thanks Ron ...... I know a little over kill with the lbl. I did not want to use mdf and I did not have any BB on hand, so some scrap pieces of lbl it was. Though you certainly can't talk as pretty as yours is. I can imagine with that battle tank of a saw that is a beast to move around. A Unisaw is on my "wish" list, maybe some day.

[ergo]

When a spring weather looks like this with snow slush and rain mixed one does not really want go outside.... so I spent few hours on a simple optimization project.

I have a set of good rulers, but I'm working indoors, in cellar and soon in garage on and off. Buying 3 sets of same gets expensive, so I figured a bit of foam board and hot glue will help organize things and allow a carry along solution.



and backside has a stash for a cutting board

[Steve Manning]

Cool idea Ergo, interesting backboard as well ...... your weather looks lovely! Though I don't know if being in the 90's and rather humid is much better way to go, which is what we have here today.

[Renron]

Great Idea Ergo,
Very organized and neat. Sure makes me feel like a slob. Mid 70s here today, perfect weather.

[doubleTrouble]

Gents, I need your advice, please.
In our local shop I found some panels of laminated hardwood, oiled (on the picture below, it's wrapped in plastic bag).
Can I get into troubles if I use them for speakers?
The idea is to sand them a little bit to remove oil from the surface and apply some varnish or poly to seal the wood and prevent it from movements.

What bothers me the most is the oil. Will the poly stick to the oiled surface?
Another issue is how well those panels keep their shape. Can they crack or bend when sealed?

Please share your opinion if you had a chance to work with them... Thanks.

[Renron]

DT,
What are they laminated to? Each other? MDF? Engineered plywood?
Sanding them won't remove the oil, it may just push the oil deeper into the grain. Try wiping with mineral spirits, then go stronger if needed. Wipe'em down put them in the sun to warm up a little, that will pull the oil to the surface so you can wipe it down again.
How thick is the wood? Do you have enough to test with? Try a 50/50 coat of de-waxed shellac / denatured alcohol after the wipe down. Then try your finish on top of that.
Ron

[doubleTrouble]

What are they laminated to? Each other? MDF? Engineered plywood?

The panel consists of pieces of real hardwood, glued together, using small finger joints. It is 18mm thick (about 3/4") - exactly what is usually required for a DIY speaker .
It is pretty expensive to try, but I guess I can use your idea and buy a panel of the smallest size, and practice on it.
Is it really necessary to remove the oil, or I can use something else to seal it on top of the oil? I just want to prevent its deformation, that's all.
The instruction on the manufacturer's site says to oil it twice per year. It does not seem a good idea to re-oil a speaker...
Thank you, Ron

[Renron]

I think the wood is fine for speaker building. No problems there. It's the oil on the wood. NOTHING will stick to oil, that's why you have to remove it. Either continue oiling the wood 2 per year or remove it and put something else over it. Nothing wrong with oiling the wood either. Your choice.
Ron

[doubleTrouble]

NOTHING will stick to oil

That's what I was afraid of...
Thanks

[doubleTrouble]

Did anybody use a plunge saw, like the DEWALT DWS520K?
Can it provide good enough cuts for miter joints, please?

[CADman_ks]

Spraying polycrylic...

I've recently embarked on a new adventure, and I'm making cornhole boards for sale.

One of the things that I needed to be able to do was spray on a finish, BUT, be able to spray it quickly, and if possible, not have a lengthy clean up either. I researched water based poly, and it's something that you either love or hate. I had used it before, with a foam brush, and that is a frustrating way to apply water based poly. It often dries before you're done, and so I was a little bit skeptical of spraying it. But I saw a lot of people that were spraying it successfully, so I decided to give it a shot.

I bought this gun:

https://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools-compressors/air-spray-guns/20-oz-professional-hvlp-gravity-feed-air-spray-gun-68843.html

That way, if it didn't work, I wasn't out a lot of money, and online reviews indicated this was a decent gun for water based poly.

It didn't take long to setup the gun, and after I sprayed it a couple of times, I was in love with water based poly. For the jobs that I'm using it on, it is all laying flat horizontally, and I'm able to put down a fairly thick layer of poly, without worrying about runs. Even if it does, I just wipe it off with a rag, and respray that area. Reminds me of lacquer to some degree, but is much more durable than lacquer. Dry time to recoat is somewhere around 2 hours, depending on how thick I laid it down. I also prep very little between coats. Run my hand across it, and if it's rough, knock down those areas, but in general, I'm just running a tack cloth across it, and then spraying. I don't know that I would use it on speakers, but for other projects it really works very nicely. But here's the clincher: I can clean this gun in less than 5 minutes, with water.

Finish pictures never really do the finish any justice, but here are some pictures of the finished product. These tops have 6 coats of poly on them, and 5 of them were put on in one day. The corner picture just shows the detail that goes into making one of these boards, but you can also see how nice the poly is on the rounded over edges.





I could recommend giving water based poly a try, IF you're going to spray it. I just using readily available Minwax water based clear satin, with great results...

[Renron]

CADman,
Very nice looking Cornhole boards. A fun game to try if you've never played it. Super Professional looking with great graphics. Excellent.
Do yourself a favor, try some different WB coatings from higher end manufacturers. My personal favorite (Sorry Jeff) is from General Finishes, it is about 3 times the price of Minwax but IMO well worth it in terms of clarity and hardness after curing (drying).
It takes about 4 weeks for a WB to fully dry and it WILL shrink back a lot.
You are producing a first class product, try a first class finish. You'll use less in the long run. BTW, what's the selling price?

Your conversion spray gun looks like a good clone/copy of the Iwata which sells for ~$400. I've owned several. It will serve you very well over many years, if you clean it well. Take it apart fully after 3 uses and clean the packing grommets well. WB will set up inside the "guts" if you don't keep it spotless, it will start to splatter and at that point you may not be able to fully remove all the parts. Personal experience. Just rinsing with warm water or spraying a cup of water to clean the tip is ok but it won't clean the needle or packing nuts. Buy a repair kit or two (or three) now and keep them on hand for later. No reason a good gun can't last your lifetime with proper maintenance.

If you know all this stuff already, ignore me (the wifee does) it is meant to increase the knowledge base of our forum. Nothing personal intended.
Ron

[Steve Manning]

Very nice CADman. WB is the only stuff I spray, no nasty chemicals for cleanup and all that. I'm certainly just a hack compared to Ron, but +1 on the higher end products. You also have the option of getting those tinted if you have the urge.

[CADman_ks]

CADman,
Very nice looking Cornhole boards. A fun game to try if you've never played it. Super Professional looking with great graphics. Excellent.
...

Ron, thanks for the kind words! I made one set for my wife and I, and it has taken off from there, so far, basically word of mouth, and one FB picture. I actually am able to create all of the graphics myself, and cut them as well, and as a former CAD designer, being graphically creative is something that I've always enjoyed, but I'm not the fastest at coming up with the ideas. I often have to try several things before I arrive on something I like.

CADman,

You are producing a first class product, try a first class finish. You'll use less in the long run. BTW, what's the selling price?

...

I'm not intending to get rich, and I can take on as much work as I want, or don't want, so I've set my price at $225. After making the initial sets, I've already decided that there are a couple of things that I'm willing to do, but they will be upcharges, like $10-15.

CADman,
...
Do yourself a favor, try some different WB coatings from higher end manufacturers. My personal favorite (Sorry Jeff) is from General Finishes, it is about 3 times the price of Minwax but IMO well worth it in terms of clarity and hardness after curing (drying).

It takes about 4 weeks for a WB to fully dry and it WILL shrink back a lot.
...

Your conversion spray gun looks like a good clone/copy of the Iwata which sells for ~$400. I've owned several. It will serve you very well over many years, if you clean it well. Take it apart fully after 3 uses and clean the packing grommets well. WB will set up inside the "guts" if you don't keep it spotless, it will start to splatter and at that point you may not be able to fully remove all the parts. Personal experience. Just rinsing with warm water or spraying a cup of water to clean the tip is ok but it won't clean the needle or packing nuts. Buy a repair kit or two (or three) now and keep them on hand for later. No reason a good gun can't last your lifetime with proper maintenance.

If you know all this stuff already, ignore me (the wifee does) it is meant to increase the knowledge base of our forum. Nothing personal intended.
Ron

First off, it doesn't matter if I know this stuff, others may not, so it is all good information, and the reason that this forum is so powerful!

With that being said, I did not know about the 4 weeks to fully cure thing. I haven't really seen that, but I have noticed that even after 48 hours, it still isn't "hard", so that's good to know.

I read some reviews of some of the other stuff, and I should try those. I would ultimately like to find something that I could buy in a 5 gallon bucket, as I go thru about a gallon to do a set of boards. That could go down with higher quality poly, so I need to give it a try.

And, to your point about the gun, I've already learned my lesson on that. I did NOT take the insides out, and now I can't get the nose off. Gun still works, and works well, but I'll keep my eye on it, and if it goes south, I'll probably get another. For what I'm using it for, it's serving me well, and if I had taken care of it, it would serve me well for longer.

Thanks again for your GREAT advice and compliments!!!

[CADman_ks]

Very nice CADman. WB is the only stuff I spray, no nasty chemicals for cleanup and all that. I'm certainly just a hack compared to Ron, but +1 on the higher end products. You also have the option of getting those tinted if you have the urge.

Thanks Steve! You're making some nice stuff over your way too!!

Actually the tinting thing is a unique idea. I wonder how well that would work for customers who want darker boards? I've stained one so far, and that's going to be one of my adder costs. It is a paint to stain these things, but if I could spray it on there, and it's instantly dark, that could be an option. Hummmm...

[CADman_ks]

CADman,
...
Do yourself a favor, try some different WB coatings from higher end manufacturers. My personal favorite (Sorry Jeff) is from General Finishes, it is about 3 times the price of Minwax but IMO well worth it in terms of clarity and hardness after curing (drying).
...

Ron,

Thanks for the tip on General Finishes! They have a TON of different stuff. What are you typically using?

Most of their stuff isn't all that much more than Minwax, maybe 20% more, from the prices that I was seeing...

[Renron]

CadMan,

First, don't buy a 5 gallon pail, it'll go sour before you use it all unless your really cranking out big projects. On that note, I've had a 1/3 full gallon of the old Target Oxford W/B last 2 years, it did eventually sour and I tossed it. That was back when it was $35 / gallon. LOL
Water Based top coats look bluish on their own if applied to untinted light colored wood, I like a schedule of BLO / De-waxed Shellac / General Finishes High Performance Gloss. If you don't like gloss or prefer satin you can always pull the gun back 12" and give it a dusting as a final coat.
Go buy a water based set of tints, then you can tint / match any color that you like. (cheap at a real paint store (Not a box store, they use cheap colorants)) Other wise invest in some Transtints from Homestead Finishing.
I personally like the liquid as I find it easier/ smoother to mix. PLUS you can mix it with Alcohol and spray it. Spraying Tints/dyes and stains are the ONLY way to go IMO. I recently matched a white ring to an aged golden finish on a 98 year old Banjo I refinished. Sprayed on the tints until I was happy with the match. Nailed it.

Use 2 medium coats of DeWaxed shellac {Bullseye SealCoat}(DEWAXED) as a grain filler and you should be able to get away with one Quart of top coat on your Cornhole boards. Maybe use a cheaper top coat on the underside? Meh. Or 3 coats of dewaxed shellac on the underside? 3 coats of dewaxed shellac is asking for crazing, but if it's on the underside who cares?

Your price seems reasonable for such a quality product, enjoy your learning process. It's always a process.
Ron

[CADman_ks]

CadMan,

First, don't buy a 5 gallon pail, it'll go sour before you use it all unless your really cranking out big projects. On that note, I've had a 1/3 full gallon of the old Target Oxford W/B last 2 years, it did eventually sour and I tossed it. That was back when it was $35 / gallon. LOL
Water Based top coats look bluish on their own if applied to untinted light colored wood, I like a schedule of BLO / De-waxed Shellac / General Finishes High Performance Gloss. If you don't like gloss or prefer satin you can always pull the gun back 12" and give it a dusting as a final coat.
Go buy a water based set of tints, then you can tint / match any color that you like. (cheap at a real paint store (Not a box store, they use cheap colorants)) Other wise invest in some Transtints from Homestead Finishing.
I personally like the liquid as I find it easier/ smoother to mix. PLUS you can mix it with Alcohol and spray it. Spraying Tints/dyes and stains are the ONLY way to go IMO. I recently matched a white ring to an aged golden finish on a 98 year old Banjo I refinished. Sprayed on the tints until I was happy with the match. Nailed it.

Use 2 medium coats of DeWaxed shellac {Bullseye SealCoat}(DEWAXED) as a grain filler and you should be able to get away with one Quart of top coat on your Cornhole boards. Maybe use a cheaper top coat on the underside? Meh. Or 3 coats of dewaxed shellac on the underside? 3 coats of dewaxed shellac is asking for crazing, but if it's on the underside who cares?

Your price seems reasonable for such a quality product, enjoy your learning process. It's always a process.
Ron

Ron,

LOL on the 5 gallon thing. At the rate that I suspect that I'll be using it, I don't see 5 gallons lasting me long, like, less than 6 months. Currently, I'm using about 3.5 quarts for a set of boards, so 5 gallons only gets me 5 sets. My first run was for 6, so I would have gone thru 5 gallons the first time!

Thanks for the info!! One thing that I do really like about the water based stuff is that it doesn't have all the smell. The shellac would definitely have a strong odor, BUT, I also like the idea of FAST recoats, something that I currently have to wait on for quite a while, so that's a negative with WB. I have been putting 6 coats on the tops, and part of the reason that I've been doing that is that it helps bridge over the vinyl graphics, and makes that bump less noticeable. Maybe that's overkill, but they are really really smooth when they are done...