BadBob

Unfinished Wooden Toy Lorry Truck

Unfinished Toy Tow Truck

If I am making one item, I either dip it or brush it on the finish. If I am making a lot of something, like toy trucks, for example, I will break out the airbrush. Some things, like wheels, always get done with a brush since getting finished in the hole causes problems when gluing. I started this because a potential customer wants a natural oil finish. There is only one: tung oil. My definition of natural is that you put it in a press and squeeze it, and oil comes out. There are other oils that fit this definition, but they all will turn rancid.

I use shellac more than most finishes because it cures fast. I can thin it, dip things in it, spray it, or brush it on. It has a very short shelf life. I love to use polyurethane, but the cure time is way too long for my projects.

I didn't include lacquer because I have nearly zero experience using it to finish wood; only rattle can lacquer.

I agree. I didn't do this because of time constraints. I was looking for something quick and simple. I also could have looked at things like thinners you might require. I can apply some things straight from the can while others I thin with 50% solvent. Shellac goes both ways for the things I make.

This is not a question. A potential customer wants the items finished with a natural oil. I did some research, and it appears that Tung oil is the only one, and that can even be iffy. Sometimes, it isn't pure tung oil but tung oil with additives. Along the way, I decided to get prices for finishes to do a cost comparison. I used cost per gallon because some of these come in weird sizes and it was easy to calculate. I was shocked at how expensive some of these are. Some of the most expensive ones are just oils with waxes and hardening chemicals added. All the prices were gathered from Amazon. Here is my list for your info. These claim to be Oil Finishes Tung Oil $70/gallon Mineral Oil $25/gallon aka Cutting board Oil Hard Wax Oil $480/gallon Boiled Linseed Oil $44/gallon Danish Oil $94/gallon Teak Oil $74/gallon Walrus Oil Furniture Butter $472/gallon Odie's Oil $794/Gallon Other Finishes These don't claim to be oil finishes. Shellac is the only one that I am sure does not contain oils. Shellac $85/Gallon Polyurethane Water Based $69/gallon Polyurethane Oil Based $66/gallon Arm-R-Seal $180/Gallon

I have a large collection of hole saws. I used to make all my wheels and still do for the odd sizes. I have never had a hole saw get too dull to use. Mine are old Vermont American brands. They may be high-speed steel, but I am not sure. Carbon steel saws will dull quickly if the get hot. Starting a few years ago, I began cutting wheels with a scroll saw. I must sand the edges using either method so the hole saws are retired. When using hole saws to cut wheels, I found it much easier to cut the hole, slightly overlapping the edge of a previously cut wheel's kerf, allowing the sawdust to escape. I would buy carbide hole saws if I needed to replace one. A batch of odd-size wheels I cut with a hole saw.

I got my finger hammered a couple of times when cutting near the saw limit, but it was a learning experience.

What he said.

In almost 40 years of owning a scroll saw, I once nicked my finger when a small piece I was cutting split.

They are all on YouTube.

Yes, I cut 326 ornaments from Padauk last year. Lots of orange sawdust.

I don't think I would use it.

I never use the blade guard.

I use an oil and wax blend for Paduak.

I found a bottle that might work. Instead of pumping the liquid, it has an air pump that pressurizes the bottle and pushes the liquid out.

I fixed it. I have a nerve issue in my left arm that causes some of my fingers to have delayed reaction times. This causes me to make many transposition errors when I type. Grammarly usually catches and corrects these errors, but it doesn't work in the post-title space.

I would probably us JB Weld or something similar. A new board costs $82. To me, repair is not worth the effort. I could do this myself if need be.

It's not that big of a challenge. I have had this one apart three times now.

About two weeks ago, my EX-21 stopped while I was cutting a made-to-order project. I switched saws and finished the project. Yesterday I got a chance to start working on it. It had to be something electrical, so I began testing at the power outlet and worked through all the electrical parts. Everything worked as expected. The last thing I tested was the motor, and it was OK, so it had to be the controller board. I replaced the board with an old one I had, and it is back online. While disassembling the saw, I realized I needed to be careful with the plastic parts because if I broke one, I might not be able to get another one.

MDF works great for toys and most puzzles. Like you, I had some free MDF and experimented with it. It paints great, but you need to seal it, especially the edges. I used white acrylic paint, recoating and sanding until it stopped soaking in. This toy cars bodies made from MDF:

I have purchased many refurbished items, tools, and electronics. One of my current monitors, my Epson scanner, and the inkjet printer I have used for a long time were refurbished, as were all of my Hitachi tools. Every computer I have owned for many years is refurbished. Today, I have seven refurbished computers on hand. Today, I am a DeWalt tool guy because I had a project for which I needed battery-operated tools, and DeWalt was the only one suitable at the time. Now, I had the batteries, so the next time I wanted a new power tool, I bought DeWalt bare tools. None of the DeWalt tools were refurbished because I can usually buy new ones for less.

Harbor Freight Tools is not publicly owned. It is a privately held family business.

I bought a refurbished 12-inch Hitachi sliding compound miter saw for a project many years ago. If it ever needs to be replaced, I would buy the Hercules. I found it interesting that I have 80-90% of the Harbor Freight items recommended in the video in my shop.