A couple months ago I made another gelatin mold and plaster casting in my efforts to refine that process, and test the proportions of preservatives for the gelatin. At primary issue was keeping a mold viable for the longest period possible, to see how long the mold could be kept in a sealed container for future use.
The initial steps went perfectly. Then my vertigo attack became manifest and I did not get back into the shop for more than two weeks.
Unfortunately for the mold and the plaster cast in it, it was just sitting on my bench and became desiccated and warped in the intervening fortnight. Not good. The mold became hardened and crushed the casting as it warped.
My next step is to see if the damaged mold can be resurrected with hot water or steam. I’ll let you know what I find.
PS – Vertigo per se is gone, but I’ve had lingering dizziness which I describe as “being fuzzy around the edges.” As long as there is no excess motion around me or I do not have to turn my head quickly I can manage. Extensive and thorough medical examinations have yielded nothing yet. I’m hoping it all goes away on its own.
Thanks in great part to the exhortations of Mike Siemsen and his 2014 video The Naked Woodworker I decided to build myself a full-sized Nicholson bench in 2015.
As an aside, I found Mike’s video on work holding without vises or clamps to be a spectacular example of didactic media.
As has become my wont I used some excellent Southern Yellow Pine 2×12 stock for the bench. After completing it I absolutely came to the conclusion that this is the simplest high-performance bench there is, and recommend it often to folks wanting to make a first workbench. The basic chassis is simple enough and very quick to build, and there are a number of options and add-ons I have incorporated in later versions.
The beauty of the Nicholson bench is that is so simple, and frankly easy, to build have the completed bench can be put to work in less than a single weekend, even taking time to worship. Except for gluing the leg laminae together, the entire bench was build with decking screws.
Cutting up the lumber takes abut a good hour at most.
I start the actual assembly by gluing together the legs, using screws that were removed after the glue dried.
I cleaned up the edges of the legs with a #7, then screwed the outer aprons to the legs. I immediately moved on to the inner aprons for the front and back, notching them for the cross battens of the top. The strategy of using two laminae of aprons and more battens than probably necessary results in a lot of area that is amenable to using holdfasts throughout the bench, mitigating the need for vises and such on the basic bench, which was indeed was my goal for the project.
The overall assembly proceeded apace, requiring only a couple hours of dedicated time. One of the things I did to streamline the process was to affix the aprons such that the protruded about 1/16″ above the leg tops so that they could be easily planed even and with nice clean edges, as is being done by my pal Tom here. Actually, I recall spending more time chatting with ham than we did building the bench
A nice advantage to this procedure is that the top planks can be held to the aprons to plane the edges of the top, again resulting in a nice crisp edge.
The battens fit nicely into the already notched inner aprons, and I like to have way more battens than are strictly necessary.
After a couple weeks of settling into the atmosphere of the barn I flattened the top with the standard bench planes, then finished with a toothing plane. In the end the bench was hoisted up to the fourth floor to be used alongside the laminated Roubo for video sessions.
The basic bench is a winner, and I recommend it as a starting point for new woodworking studios. I like it so much I have built several more, both for myself and for friends. I got my time down to about 6 hours for the basic Nicholson, with another dozen hours for tricking out. Stay tuned.
Over the recent years there have been a number of videos about my work and the barn posted in various places, and when combined with the videos we are creating in The Attic Studio it is getting to be pretty big pile. To compile them into one directory the webmeister and I created a menu link at the bottom of the Home Page, which will take you to the compiled inventory. This will be revised as the circumstances demand.
Wish me luck! After years of product development and clearing the decks at the Barn on White Run, and finding reliable suppliers for some of the esoteric materials involved (still crossing my fingers on that one), I am thrilled to announce that Mel’s Wax will be in the donsbarn.com Store in the coming days and could begin shipping on or about January 24, 2019.
This is a hand-made ultra high performance archival furniture maintenance product, fussy to formulate and manufacture. On a good day doing nothing else I can produce 40-50 jars. But rarely is there a day when I do nothing else.
More complete information on the creation, properties and utility of Mel’s Wax will be posted here and at a currently-under-development web site dedicated to it, which will go live as soon as I can get all the documents created for it. Eventually that web site will also include detailed video about using it and other related topics.
To give you a snapshot of this product I have posted below some testimonials and the text of the instructional brochure that will accompany each jar.
Mel’s Wax will be $49 for a 4 oz. jar, domestic shipping included. A little goes a very long way.
***THIS PRODUCT WILL NOT BE SHIPPED TO CALIFORNIA.***
Do not complain to me, complain to your state gubmint officials and the environmental trial lawyers they are attached to.
Here are some of the comments by product testers over the past couple of years.
I do know that [name deleted] has used it quite a bit and likes it. I used it on one commission piece and it worked really nice. It went from really soft to remarkably hard like magic.
———————————————————————————–
I cleaned the [artifact] and retouched where necessary then as a final layer applied a very thin layer of Mel’s Wax. She just came back one year later and [Mel’s Wax] helped substantially and though it needs cleaning again but does not have the hazy (ugly) look. My client was very happy! Thank you for giving me the tools and materials to think this through.
————————————————————————————
The pictures I will send you are of a small table that I first polished out with extra fine polishing compound and a wheel buffer. Then I applied [Mel’s Wax] to half of the top, buffed it by hand and compared the two halves. I see a difference between the waxed and un-waxed sides. The waxed side has more luster and gives the surface more depth. There is enough of a difference that would make me reach for the wax on a similar project.
————————————————————————————-
a really lovely 1889 German music box came into my life today and I used [Mel’s Wax] to clean and polish the original finish , which I suspect is shellac though I did not test it, the metal disc also had a treatment with [Mel’s Wax] and I really am happy with the performance of the wax. It’s very very thin and I like that immensely, it dried very quickly in my 75 degree shop with about 70 percent humidity, and buffed to very pleasing sheen, using a cotton tee shirt scrap
[Buffing, Streaking, and Smudging] is where Mel’s Wax excels. My test case is the dining table in this home. It appears to be only a wax finish on the original parts of the top and getting an even shine is difficult. In the past, [another product] was my go-to wax for this job. Mel’s Wax eclipsed [the other wax] in both ease of application and speed in buffing. Best of all, it buffed smudge and streak free–the buffing took a fraction of the time I usually spent buffing out the [other wax].
I found Mel’s Wax to be excellent for prophylactic waxing, especially over already waxed surfaces. I would say that I cut my application and buffing time in half from what I usually spent using [other products] and got streak-free finishes. I still have my arsenal of other waxes for either, jobs not worthy of Mel’s Wax, or jobs where Mel’s Wax isn’t an appropriate choice. I think it would be an excellent household wax as I don’t think it could be “over-used”.
The Mel’s Wax Instructional Brochure (will be included with every jar)
Mel’s Wax is a patented high-performance semi-liquid, easy-to-use furniture care product created by museum furniture conservators for their own professional use. Mel’s Wax is appropriate for priceless antiques, treasured family heirlooms, wooden objects d’art, and even architectural woodworking. Mel’s Wax does not need “elbow grease” for either application or buffing.
WARNING: DO NOT USE on food preparation surfaces or utensils. DO NOT USE on fragile or flaking furniture surfaces, or surfaces sensitive to mineral spirits or water.
DIRECTIONS FOR USE
1. Shake the jar of Mel’s Wax before using. 2. First perform this fast, simple test to make sure that Mel’s Wax will not harm the surface of your furniture.
Apply small dab of Mel’s Wax to an inconspicuous area with a clean, soft cloth or cotton swab, making sure that this area has the same finish and appearance as the rest the piece. Gently rub on Mel’s Wax, wait about 5 minutes, then wipe the area with a clean cotton swab or cosmetics pad. You may notice dirt and grime on the swab, but if the test area looks sound and a bit shiny, you can proceed.
3. Apply a small amount with a clean, soft, lint-free cloth in a well-ventilated area. A little goes a LONG way, less is better. After applying Mel’s Wax you should see an even, slightly glossy residue over the area being treated, indicating you have used enough Mel’s Wax. This gloss may diminish as the polish dries. 4. Wait until completely dry. Generally an hour is sufficient. 5. Gently buff the surface with a second, clean, soft, lint-free cloth. Thorough and gentle rubbing with the cloth is all that is necessary for the polish to produce its luster. 6. Store the sealed jar of Mel’s Wax in a cool place; Mel’s Wax contains natural and synthetic ingredients including petroleum distillate, but no preservatives or stabilizers. Do not let it freeze.
Your furniture is now protected and enhanced with Mel’s Wax and ready for storage, exhibit, or use.
ROUTINE CARE: For pieces treated with Mel’s Wax, ongoing care requires only periodic dusting with a clean, soft, lint-free cloth dampened with a few drops of distilled water. If the surface is dirty, put a few drops of a mild detergent in 8oz. of distilled water and use it to make a damp (not soaking wet) cleaning cloth. Then wipe using a second clean, soft, lint-free cloth dampened with distilled water alone, and finally wipe with a third, clean, dry, soft, lint-free cloth. For furniture in daily use you may have to re-apply Mel’s Wax every few months. If your furniture is not often handled or used, you may not need to re-apply Mel’s Wax for many years.
DISCLAIMER: Follow all directions above. Mel’s Wax is not a substitute for a furniture finish. It has been designed as a museum quality maintenance coating to preserve a wide variety of existing furniture finishes. It is not intended for high-stress surfaces like wooden food-preparation counters or utensils, or floors. If the surface still appears “parched” after buffing, the problem is likely with the artifact’s surface.
SAFETY/CAUTION: Mel’s Wax is a chemical product, not intended for human, animal, or plant consumption. Apply in a well ventilated area while wearing eye protection. Wear non-latex surgical-type disposable gloves when applying Mel’s Wax or wash your hands afterwards with soap and water. Keep out of reach of children. Dispose of any materials used for applying Mel’s Wax as you would any other household cleaning products.
What is “Mel’s Wax?”
This is an archival quality product which will protect the surface finish of your furniture, thereby preserving the finish while the furniture it remains in careful use. Mel’s Wax has proven to be an excellent product for furniture in typical domestic use. It provides a durable lustrous appearance, easily maintained with gentle dusting and cleaning.
Each ingredient of Mel’s Wax was selected after careful scientific review, and Mel’s Wax was formulated to enhance ease-of-use and reduce any harmful effects to artifacts that can be caused by many commercial furniture care products.
I have been doing molding and casting for almost four decades, and for the most part it has become a routine and enjoyable aspect of work in the studio. But as with anything involving technology, technique, and “touch” there is room for it to go south, and I am in the midst of one such project.
Several weeks ago I was contacted by a blog reader asking me to cast a replica of a carved hairy paw foot he saw in an image I posted. “Sure,” I said, and the misadventure was inaugurated.
My first step of creating a silicon mold was so straightforward I did not even bother to take pictures. I figured I had just enough of the RTV rubber to make the mold and could cast it in plaster as requested.
Eeezy peeezy.
Only it turned out I had mis-estimated and I did not have enough of the molding rubber for the task, the liquid rubber barely covered the top knuckles of the foot, and was not thick enough for me to demold the foot without destroying the mold. So, that time and material was down the crapper as a wasted effort.
Not to be dissuaded I turned to other mold-making options and struck on another molding material, Gelflex, a rubbery PVC molding material that is poured as a molten mass. I’ve used it before with fairly good success, in fact one of the benefits of Gelflex is that is reusable. When you are done with one application, you can just cut up and remelt the rubber for a subsequent use. As long as you do not char the material it seems to have a near-infinite utility.
I set up the molding operation with my typical Lego box dam around the carved foot, which was anchored to a base board with sculpting clay.
I set up a Pyrex sauce pan on the hot plate and began to melt the material. This was considerably more mass of Gelflex than I had tried using before (I had used it for replicating metal hardware in the past) and balancing the temperature so that it was hot enough to become liquid but not so hot as to char was a challenge. It literally took three hours for me to get the temp/viscosity correct.
Even then I managed to chat some of the medium.
Then I poured the molten vinyl into the Lego box holding the carved leg in place with sculpting clay.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary?
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
I pray for you to have a blessed time with loved ones, and that you are celebrating the Incarnation, through whom we can be reconciled with The Creator.
When we think of “plastics” our minds are usually drawn to either the movie The Graduate or the frequently hysterical jeremiads about petrochemicals. But in generations past they saw “plastic” as a descriptor of material behavior, generally focusing on the material’s amenability to being molded. Included in this family was shellac, and Gidvani’s contribution to the Plastics Monograph series fits neatly within that envelope.
Here is Part 1, Part 2 will be posted late next week.
Have you ever been working on a project, usually a fussy gluing undertaking, and said to yourself, “Self, I really wish I could create a clamp that pinched just like my thumb and forefinger.” Well you are in luck. For many years I have incorporated simple pinching binding clamps into my conservation work, and a couple years ago I wrote this short article for Popular Woodworking describing the making of them. I think you too can find them a useful addition to your tool kit.
Our series continues with an episode focusing on the tools needed and the set-up for making visually harmonious veneer repairs to losses.
If your conscience is pricked feel free to click on the “Donate” button, any proceeds from which will go toward enhancing the rapidity of new video production.
Future videos will also be available for purchase one section at a time (perhaps $0.99 – $1.99 per segment depending on the video) or $15(?) for the complete product. I am still noodling that and working out the logistics with Webmaster Tim. If this interests a large enough audience I hope to produce three or four 2-hour-ish videos per year. If not, maybe one or two at the most, one being more likely. In which case it will take me almost twenty years to get through the list I have already.
With the laminated slab top assembled the task at hand was to get the Studley bench pastiche ready for the May 2015 exhibit. The purpose of this bench was to show the to the exhibit visitors the construction method Studley used for the top (the top was the only remaining structure remaining from the original work bench) and to hang several vises analogous to those of Studley’s.
I fabricated a pair of torsion-box end “legs,” joined to the underside by a pair of box cleats, and fitted together with a stretcher adequate to the task of it serving as the exhibit element. I smoothed the top with planes and scrapers, and varnished it nicely for the exhibit; once back home that would be undone as it was a surface unsuited for real work. With the edge trim affixed to two sides to better elucidate the structure, it was ready to hit the road.
It served its role well in Cedar Rapids. Now it was time to get it back home and put it to work.
Recent Comments