Just a quick update on my progress over the past week.  With any luck, the next post will be the last in this series and these two tables will move into the complete column.  So, over the past week…

My attention was focused on the second top.  I first planed both faces flat.

Once it was flat, I trimmed it for width, length and mitered the corners.  Then I planed a wide chamfer on all of the edges.  One issue was that a small check had opened up at one end on the bottom face.  This occurrence was not unexpected.  I’m using construction grade SYP for this top.  All of these pieces were cut close to or contain the center of the log.  The offending board contained a center portion of the log and the pith that comes with it.  No big deal, I had been wanting to try inlaying dutchman patches anyway.

There are lots of ways to make a dutchman key.  Templates, careful layout with squares and bevel gauges, but where is the fun in that?  I just grabbed a scrap of white oak that was about a half inch thick and started cutting.  I produced two asymmetrical, more organic, IMHO, keys.

To install the keys I placed them where I wanted them and scribed around them with a sharp knife.  I then used a combination of chisels, auger and small router plane to remove the waste.

Then I added some glue and knocked the key into place.  Same for the second key.  Once the keys were installed I planed them flush to the surrounding surface.

Top two received the same decorative elements as the first one, uzukuri ect.

With all of the construction complete, my efforts switched to finishing.  Linseed oil and beeswax is my preferred finish.  I like the way it looks, how it feels and the ease of repair and renewal. The particular products I use (Tried & True brand) contain no heavy metal driers and are food safe.  The first coat of oil was my Hillbilly Pine Enhancer.  This is just the Tried & True Danish Oil with artists paint mixed in to act as a toner (see here).

Side by side comparison on poplar.

Side by side comparison on pine.

After twenty-four hours I applied the first coat of Tried & True Original (a blend of linseed oil and beeswax).  The combination made the poplar quite nice I think.

I’ll add one or two more coats of the linseed oil/beeswax and then call it done.  My next post should be the dog and pony show.

Part 7 Greg Merritt Part 9