new project has commenced

[ballstothewall 10+ year member]

The onlything I have used on baltic birch is tounge oil.

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

'tis not baltic birch i don't think, but it is birch. baltic birch is $$$$$$$$ and this 4x8 only ran me ~40 bucks. thinkin about maybe a nice mahagony or some type... or maybe just the danish oil

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

this is my guide, finished with danish oil

http://vikash.info/audio/W3-871S/build.asp

i guess it just isn't rich enough for me, i want something more robust.

 

[Eugenics 5,000+ posts]

wow, if you make it look as good as those do i will be very impressed

/serious

good luck man

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

staining is for whimps, i liked that flat black you did on the last box

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

yeah me too, but i LOVE the look of the wood and only want to enhance it further. its just beautiful.

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

werd

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

somehow, being the idiot i am, i forgot to cut the other two sides, the tops and the rear baffles //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/slap.gif.87520e8ca8e90076ac30e777c0de5331.gif

notice i used the titebond 3 on this one, it is darker so JUST IN CASE some of it shows up after sanding, which it shouldn't, it won't be obvious unlike titebond two which would just be yellow and look retarded.

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

i meant to post that in the beginning //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[thylantyr 10+ year member]

Which stain?

Easy answer: go to the home center or hardware store and they *better* have sample

packets of all the stains to try on scrap wood. One of my favorite colors {polling the audience here}

is Varathane Cabernet... ssshhhh... Very cool looking stain and do two thin coats of

Minwax wipe on polyurethane. I think the wipe on poly is a gimmick as it looks the same

as regular Minwax, perhaps the 'wipe on' is the container convienence, not chemical composition, hence the higher price. Don't use water based polyurethane, those are for

sissy boys.

You can also try the oils too.. Whatever you do, get some wood scraps and do some

stain testing on them.

If you want to hide end grain layers of the plywood, the home centers have rolls of iron on veneer in 3/4" wide strips.

Cool shiznit... Lay it down, iron it on.. done.. Razor blade to trim excess. Looks sweet.

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

nope, i want the end grain to be exposed, keepin it raw. how much does a chamfer bit usually run btw? gotta route the rear of the baffle WOOWEE! u suggest like ace hardware, or just lowes? i ahve to get some boards but at lowes anyway, so i'll be there in the first place.

 

[thylantyr 10+ year member]

I only use the uber router bits, Whiteside brand that I buy from here;

http://routerbits.com/

Mated to a 3 horse VS router. I have no more routing issues //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

There are other good brands but I just don't want to deal with it.

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/

For store bought, see if they have Freud brand. The idea behind the router bit

is to have thick carbide tips so they last a long time, otherwise the cheap

steel bits burn easy. Cheap bits may be fine for small projects and they may

dull faster, but so what.. just throw then away...

What is your tool strategy? To gather good stuff to keep it or to use cheaper

stuff disposable fashion? If you DIY alot, suggest buying good shiznit and

taking care of it. But the good stuff eats wood and leaves nice cuts, makes you

look like a better crafter.

If you use plywood or particle board, cheap bits aren't bad. MDF, solid woods

punish bits more.

Carbide tipped for sure.

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

i STARTED on the cheap route, but then i decided that i should have just gotten good things in the beginning. i'm using an EXCELLENT router now, so i'm not worried about the router, just the good bit. lowes does indeed sell freud, and i have two bosch router bits (gotta go with the router //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif ) that are great. i got a bigass router pack (like 15 bits) from ebay that surprisingly are very nice for the 20 shipped i paid. the straight bit still works just like the day i bought it, but i need to see if i have a chamfer.

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

http://www.routerbits.com/cgi-routerbits/sr.cgi?1130472632_24971+33

muy bien?

 

[ballstothewall 10+ year member]

For the final touch, use a scroll saw and cut out an intricate design out of walnut, make it 1/2" thick, round all edges, and use Tougne Oil, it will make the walnut stand out like night and day, the mellow natural color of the ply, with the deep dark color of the walnut. Dang, I love the look of walnut, (prob why I use it so much with my projects).

*Edit*

Doesen't have to be that intricitue, just don't overdo it, but have something going from almost top to bottom, in about the center 1/3 of it.