I took your Woodworking Essentials class last summer and it was great! I thought the size and pace of the class, and the project, was just right. I
really appreciated how much time you spent with us individually. You even managed to take our "errors" and put them in the "save" category, and
usually turned them into good teaching examples of how to fix things that go wrong.
I love the table we made in the class. Mine is walnut. I'd really like to try putting string inlay around the drawer front and around the top, somewhat like a basic Federal inspired piece. Do you think the inlay would fit with the design of this table? If so, what size stringing should I use, and how far in from the edges would you place it?
Would cherry be a light enough wood for the inlay, or should I use maple to make it stand out more? I was thinking of using cherry inlay, with a matching cherry knob for the drawer. Would that work for this style, or should I use a metal knob if I'm going with a "Federal" look?
Lastly, I'm planning on using Formby's Tung Oil Finish (which is really an oil/varnish blend, I believe) on the piece. If I use cherry or maple inlay, can I finish the piece with just the Formby's Tung Oil Finish?
Thanks again for a great experience in your class, and your help with my questions here.
- Todd M.
Ashburn, VA
Our Expert
Unless it is an outdoor stain, it will not provide any protection from water and UV rays and so the decision to apply stain before or after assembly does not really matter in that regard. However, if you're using an outdoor finish then the application to the parts before assembly will help to seal the wood and prevent the wood surfaces from absorbing moisture.
Wood finishes break down with exposure to sunlight. As the finish breaks down the wood will begin to discolor and crack from exposure to rain water and UV light.
The outdoor finish that lasts the longest and provides the greatest protection against the elements is paint. There are some very good outdoor paints available today which will last many years with nothing more than cleaning and an occasional bit of touch-up. I understand that the paint is beyond your budget for this project but you may find that the stain and poly approach the cost of paint. And if you don't mind a painted finish then you'll find that paint will be less expensive in the long run because it will not require refinishing so often.
If you plan on using polyurethane varnish then I suggest that you use a spar varnish. Wood used outdoors will expand and contract more than wood indoors because of the greater fluctuations in humidity. Spar varnishes are designed to have greater flexibility to prevent cracking or crazing under outdoor conditions. Also, some spar varnishes offer UV protection.