Blind Nailing for fixing Timber Moldings.
Dr Joseph Hemingway offers a tip for affixing moldings without having to fill nail holes. First, mark a line on the back of the moulding or piece of timber to be fixed. Mark another line where you will put your fixing nails. Now Mark a matching line on the work piece or wall where the moulding is to be affixed. Drive small nails 1/4 inch into the back of the moulding along your line, 6”apart. Then, use nippers to cut off the ends of the nail heads so they all stand about 1/2 inch proud of the surface. Sometimes it helps to leave the two end nails just a little longer to make it easier to line up the moulding. Next, apply glue to the moulding. Finally, while holding the moulding with the nail ends up against your alignment lines, use a scrap block of wood for protection and a hammer to tap the moulding into place along its entire length.
Wow, it really dose work.
The Critic is back? Jack Plane. from SAPFM
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Period moldings usually exhibit unfilled nail holes, so to me, leaving them unfilled is authentic. Emphasis was placed more on the overall impact of a piece of furniture and less on what many modern cabinetmakers see as imperfections. Scribed layout lines are another example of 'blemishes' that were seemingly unimportant detractions in the grand scheme of things.
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Question Jack? If nail holes are authentic as you Claim?
would a hammer indent mark on the timber? (Note:Before Decimalization in UK? were named, Half Crown Marks.
would they put extra value on the new piece being made.
Regards
ROCOCOJO
Stabilizing Timber.
One product is called PEG, a link to using this product is found at:
SUCROSE METHOD
The sucrose (sugar) method of conserving waterlogged wood was developed as an alternative to more expensive methods (Parrent 1983, 1985). The procedure is identical to that described for PEG, except that sucrose is used. Wood to be conserved should be carefully cleaned by rinsing in baths of fresh water to remove all ingrained dirt and to remove the bulk of any soluble salts that are present. Once the wood is cleaned, the following procedure is recommended:
- Prepare a solution with a sufficiently low sucrose (1-5 percent) concentration to prevent the dehydration of well-preserved wood or regions of sound wood within an otherwise deteriorated piece. This necessitates the thorough examination of the wood to be treated in order to determine its state of preservation before treatment begins. With highly degraded wood, it is possible to start with a higher concentration of sucrose; however, if in doubt, start with a 1 percent weight/volume solution. Commence a program of weighing a representative sample of wood in treatment to determine when the wood has reached equilibrium with its solution. Once saturation with a given x percent solution is achieved, increase the sugar concentration by 1-10 percent.
- Select an antimicrobial agent, such as Dowicide A, and add it to the first mixture of sucrose and water when it is initially prepared. This allows for the complete penetration and protection of the wood by the antimicrobial agent.
- The incremental percentages of increase can be higher and more closely spaced if the wood is highly degraded. It is best to start with a low percentage increase, e.g., 1-5 percent, until a concentration of 50 percent is reached. Then the solution can be increased in 10-percent increments. Again, if in doubt, the same incremental increases used at the start of the treatment can be used throughout the treatment. The treatment continues until sucrose concentration reaches 70 percent, and the wood has equalized at this concentration.
- If necessary, select an additive that will discourage insect and rodent attacks on the treated wood. There are many pesticides that will work, and selection depends on local availability. For thorough protection of wood, add the insecticide to the initial solution. If the wood is kept in a museum environment, problems with insects and rodents should be minimal and probably would be controlled by alternative means.
- When the wood has reached an equilibrium with the highest solution desired, air dry it slowly under conditions of controlled high humidity. Humidity can be lowered slowly as the wood dries. Submitting the wood too quickly to conditions of low humidity will damage it. Slow, controlled drying and adjustment to the prevailing atmospheric conditions, as is the case in all the wood treatments described here, will maximize the success of the overall treatment.
- Store the wood under conditions of less than 70 percent humidity if possible. The wood should not be subjected to humidity over 80 percent because of the possibility of condensation forming on the wood; this could leach out the sugar.
If sugar is selected as the treating medium, refined white sugar (pure sucrose) should be used. The brown- colored, coarse-grained unrefined sugar (Type A sugar) should be avoided, as it is much more hygroscopic than the white. Each time the relative humidity rises, the surfaces of wood treated in unrefined sugar will become wet. This hygroscopicity is analogous to that encountered when using the medium molecular weight PEGs. The Type A sugar-treated wood, however, remains dimensionally stable.
Maintaining artifacts treated by sugar in a controlled atmosphere will ensure the continued success of the conservation procedure. Artifacts conserved with this method require no more or no less care than those treated with other preservatives. This method constitutes an acceptable means of conserving waterlogged wood and is the least expensive of the methods currently available. Sucrose-treated wood, however, has a dull muted color, and small hair line cracks will frequently form on the surfaces. The treatment will produce dimensionally stable wood and is a viable alternative when the overall cost is a major consideration. The required equipment is the same as discussed above for PEG treatments.
Advice sent to: Mary May. American woodcarver.
Joseph,
Thank you so much for your advice. I ended up letting it split, and it went OK. For the style of carving it worked well - they were sculptures of palmetto trees (ended up making 32 in total). I ended up dipping them in Waterlox (made from tung oil) and letting it really penetrate. I did this 2 times and lightly sanded between coats. It took a long time for the smell to go, and since I did not have much time, I finished with a coat of spray shellac - stopped the smell and so far no more cracking. I have attached a photo of some of the finished pieces.
Thanks,
Mary May
32, palmetto trees.
Yet another helped by Joseph.
A Pie Crust Table top, By Hand
Start by making out your: Table Top.
On the inside mark, All around the top, using a malet & Gouge, A grove is made, 3/8 deap.
This is taken down to 1/2" with a granny's tooth Plane.
Middle section, chop out say 1-1/2" of timber, and smoth with the granys tooth, resting on the undamage top.
Repeat until all is done.
Note: a scraper plane is now made to leval the resess, 2 pieces of Timber, long enogh to span the top, between them
is fixed a sharpened scraper, !/2 deep, fixed in the middle with 2 wood screws? one each side.
This is worked until a smooth even Depth is reached.
Writing Surfaces Today.
In 1754 Thomas Chippendale used Base, fixed with animal Glue.
Today we use: Tooled, Guildered, leather, on the same job.much easyer to maintain than Base.
Note : Taylor & Hobson Ltd, (1851-1960) leather glued with animal glue. (1960-1991) when:Poly Vinual Assatate? PVA became available, Easy slide,
and no hot iron to soften the animal glue while fixing it.
By far the most easiest, and serviceable way out of the two.
Sample Price: 38"x !8" = £63-00. 2/7/2011.
The Haunch
( As in the :Mortice & Tenon Joint)
Are more common in framed up joinery, (Bill Hylton, American Woodworker.)
Hving said that.
The Chair Maker always uses a haunch, on his front chair leg joints, to check any top rail twist, created by webbing tension.
Note: Before the Haunch joint, French Braces are used to equalize pull. on the chair frame.
Note: These are always placed at the top edge. (Rail to Rail)
This is to throw all of the strain, Gererated by the webbing onto the rail opposite top rail. (And, Vise- Versa) And not, on the Mortise & Tenon Joint.
Note: A ‘Standard Tenon’.would fracture everytime , on the Mortise, with the tension generated by the upholsterers webbing
Note: I use both methods on my period chairs, for extra strength and authenticity.