The first thing is to start with good stock. This may seem self evident but usually us handy folk work cheap or are a little afraid of ruining quality material. It gets better with experience but part of the DIY appeal is to go cheap. If your wood looks good to begin with you are already much of the way there.
The next thing is just how good does it have to look? I mean, if it is but ugly no one wants it in the living room but often a DIY project is the more charming because it is personal. Now staining, which is probably the most popular pre-finish may be done by a blind person but it is my experience and what I understand that there are only a couple of reasons for stain, to enhance the natural grain of the wood, to blend the colour among pieces of wood which will vary a bit or to actually change the tone or colour of the wood used. Various parts of the wood will stain darker than others and much of the beauty of staining is in blending those variances. No batter how evenly and cleverly the stain is applied, the sighted stainer will probably wish to rub a little more in some places, wipe away some of the stain in other places which are darkening too much or too quickly. I don't think this is reliably done by a total and probably not all that well done by quite low vision persons. If the material is very homogenous and you get lucky then maybe. My solution is to get someone with taste and vision to stain. There are those opaque stains, I use a very very dark brown what is called walnut stain to colour the trim around my shed and a couple of benches around the place but that is more like paint, nothing shows through it is just a matter of covering to protect the wood and give contrast to the building, it is long over due for more, that isn't quite the same thing though. I really recommend Minwax wipe-on poly for the top coats. This is clear and goes on with a rag and very quickly. I sand between coats and tack it off carefully. If you plan out your strategy, start high and work from back to front along the grain you won't miss much and what you miss you will blend on subsequent coats. It comes in about three ranges of gloss which also are degrees of hardness, the high gloss being the hardest but not everyone likes that high gloss finish. Much of the time I do like it. I have some tables I made here, the tops are round, made of birch plywood and well stained by one of my daughters. I used several coats of that really hard poly used for finishing hardwood floors on the table tops, I warmed the varnish before applying thin coats with careful buffing between, the surfaces are like glass but also virtually indestructible. the bases are essentially 8 sided boxes cut to form double doors, a good place to toss games and other detritus that tend to collect in the living room, I did not use as glossy a finish on the bases, the point being to armour the tops. I have been experimenting with rotten stone in a little mineral oil to polish between coats but so far the best I have found is car wax rubbing compound. I use Simonize but have used other products, it has a very fine particle suspended in what feels a lot like hard wax. It does a wonderful job between coats and can be used after the final coat as well and can be used to remove any minor scratches which may result from use. If you come to enjoy cabinet making and I do, you will probably want more and better tools which will let you perform better and more sophisticated joinery. I recently made a little cabinet for the girls who clerk at our Imaging and Lab reception. They are getting overuse syndromes from reaching across the desk to receive paper work and then they have a number and variety of forms to be completed for various agencies like public health and so on. These were in a vertical stand on the desk requiring more shoulder elevation. Anyway, the computer CPU was in front of their station with the monitor on it, that height had to be maintained so I made a device the same height as the CPU but wider so that two sets of forms would fit side-by-side, with four sliding trays in each side. I had some half inch maple plywood left over from another project, I thought I might dovetail the sides to the top but too wide for my jig, I decided to try mitering them on a 45 and secure with under sized biscuits. It can be remarkably difficult to accurately do this on a table saw, the cut too wide for my miter saw but I also have a jointer which, when carefully set up cut those angles absolutely true. This requires absolute accuracy because the veneer is very thin and you don't want the edge showing and for sure you don't want any of the plywood core to show. My point is that in the past I have tried making that sort of joint but given up as I just didn't have the type or quality of tool for that sort of accuracy. Neither, I might add did I have the skill. the middle partition which separates the trays into two rows and supports the inner edges I made of three quarters material so there would be enough meet for the grooves the trays slide in. I fitted it into the top with a sliding dovetail cut with my little router table, a tool I don't know how I ever did without. There are no fasteners except a few brads which hold a thin plywood bottom into rabbets and the screws which hold the rubber feet to that, none on the upper visible surface. The finish is just a coat of Danish oil which is just about clear but adds a little orange and easily rubbed on by a blind person. You can work it pretty hard and long which is another reason I like to use it. I often will also use just boiled linseed oil for a coat or two with light sanding between, again it doesn't do much for the colour but seems to bring the grain out or so I am told and it goes a long way toward sealing the wood and keeping the grain from lifting as you begin the clear coat finish. The girls seem to really like the device, the computer is standing on it's end in the corner, they never really even turn it off but they do occasionally proof CDs of MRI images they burn so have to access it for that. The half a dozen coats of hand-wiped poly smoothed and buffed is about indestructible. I believe the finish to be good but I distrust the comments just a little, I suspect part of their pleasure is in the fact that someone took some interest in their problem and this helps them feel valued getting back to my original point though, as you gain experience and confidence and of course skills you will find that your capabilities become limited by your tools and resources so you will acquire more of those which will result in better and more refined and more sophisticated design and therefore better looking and better designed projects. Along the way you will produce a lot of sawdust and a fairly decent pile of rubbish. Once you get the bug though it is very challenging and stimulating and can ultimately be very rewarding. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Max Robinson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 10:07 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Adventures in Varnish > Dale. I'm taking all of this in because I'm still working on, well > planning, my radio desk. If I can make something that looks really good, > Sue will let me make an entertainment center for a wide screen TV she is > looking at in a local high fi store. > > Regards. > > Max. K 4 O D S. > > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Transistor site http://www.funwithtransistors.net > Vacuum tube site: http://www.funwithtubes.net > Music site: http://www.maxsmusicplace.com > > To subscribe to the fun with tubes group send an email to, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dale Leavens" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 7:18 PM > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Adventures in Varnish > > >> Max, >> >> I have a feeling that is a common problem for us blind folk applying >> finish. >> We perceive the need to really get a good covering. It is one way to >> insure >> the entire surface gets coated, to apply lots and work back and forth and >> so >> on. It just is instinctively right. >> >> When it comes to finishing though, this isn't quite right. I understand >> from >> talking to spray painters that it is best to apply very thin coats, this >> keeps the paint or lacquer from accumulating and forming drips and runs >> and >> the solvents can evaporate much more quickly resulting in a much shorter >> open time, no surface tension or skin to hold the solvents so the finish >> sets up harder and with a shorter cure time, less opportunity for specks >> of >> dust and fly sh*t to stick in it. >> >> The other thing is that a thick finish is also more likely to chip and >> crack. Because eyes can see that the surface is covered or the colour or >> shine or what ever is consistent they can stop at the desired effect. >> >> I have and still continue to apply finishes to many projects and I still >> tend to apply way too much finish although I am getting slowly better. In >> the end I buff and rub and grind off a lot between coats which uses up a >> lot >> of time and material but the outcome is usually pretty good. It could be >> more efficiently achieved but it is as good as I can do. >> >> I like the foam brushes for paint too and they have the advantage of >> disposability but I do use a lot getting the finish as I want. I like the >> little disposable rollers for applying contact cement and working with >> fiberglass resin. Those were tips given to me by a sighted chap, it makes >> laying that sticky stuff down a lot easier. >> >> >> Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Skype DaleLeavens >> Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 3:08 PM >> Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Adventures in Varnish >> >> >>> this is one reason that I've had luck with paddle, or sponge brushes. >>> I've been told that sighted folks can get it really really right. but >>> most >>> would rather spray and put hardly a coat on it though it looks just >>> fine. >>> (too fine, or thin if you ask me) >>> >>> On Tue, 17 Oct 2006, Dan Rossi wrote: >>> >>>> I have to agree with Dale, >>>> >>>> After talking with many people about finishes, my sighted friends >>>> always >>>> complain about how difficult it is to get a perfect finish without >>>> brush >>>> strokes visible. The finishes feel fine, but you can see the marks. I >>>> find it hard to believe that finger painting a finish would have a good >>>> visible finish. I'm sure it feels perfectly smooth, that is a function >>>> of >>>> sanding and buffing, but I have my doubts as to the visible effect. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Blue skies. >>>> Dan Rossi >>>> Carnegie Mellon University. >>>> E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> Tel: (412) 268-9081 >>>> >>>> >>>> To listen to the show archives go to link >>>> http://acbradio.org/handyman.html >>>> or >>>> ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ >>>> >>>> The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. >>>> http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday >>>> >>>> The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. >>>> http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml >>>> >>>> Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From >>>> Various List Members At The Following Address: >>>> http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ >>>> Visit the new archives page at the following address >>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >>>> For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man >>>> list just send a blank message to: >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> Yahoo! Groups Links >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> To listen to the show archives go to link >>> http://acbradio.org/handyman.html >>> or >>> ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ >>> >>> The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. >>> http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday >>> >>> The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. >>> http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml >>> >>> Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From >>> Various List Members At The Following Address: >>> http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ >>> Visit the new archives page at the following address >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >>> For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man >>> list just send a blank message to: >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> Yahoo! Groups Links >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>> Version: 7.1.408 / Virus Database: 268.13.4/476 - Release Date: >>> 14/10/2006 >>> >>> >> >> >> >> To listen to the show archives go to link >> http://acbradio.org/handyman.html >> or >> ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ >> >> The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. >> http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday >> >> The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. >> http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml >> >> Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From >> Various List Members At The Following Address: >> http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ >> Visit the new archives page at the following address >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man >> list just send a blank message to: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Yahoo! Groups Links >> >> >> >> >> > > > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html > or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. > http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml > > Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From > Various List Members At The Following Address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ > Visit the new archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.408 / Virus Database: 268.13.4/476 - Release Date: 14/10/2006 > > To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! 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