Samples Part 2

This is one of the step samples I made. The right side is unfinished so I have a reference to check when the veneer for the job comes in. Sometimes it is a little different color and that changes my stain formula.

These are all the darker color step samples, we keep these for our reference the client never sees these.

I finish all my samples front and back and usually do a textured finish on the back. In this case there wasn't enough time and these are not final samples. When the client has decided what will be used on the job we will make 5 finish samples and get signatures before proceeding with the work.

We need samples and we need them NOW

I had to work on a pile of samples for a potential job today. 

A lot of nice veneers that are 3 different colors basically. The finish sample on the left 

is from another of our jobs and what the designer is basing the colors of this job on.

 

Finish Department Quick Tour

Continuing the quick tour of the shop, this is the finish department where 

everything that can't be done by the robot is finished. We have 3 open spray 

booths and a sample booth.

The cherry in the racks and the foreground are for the interior of the 

 Audrain building that I did the architectural ornaments for.

These are parts of the interior ceiling. They were completely finished flat

 using the Robot and then assembled in the shop.

Here a sprayer is waterfalling panels by elevation so he can apply color.

Here is a picture of the faux painted sign I did a while back in its final position in the shop.

This shelf is where we keep all the samples for projects we are currently working on.

No one applies color without using the approved sample for reference.

Quick Look at the Shop

 I took a few Pano shots of the shop Friday so you could get a sense of the scope of the work we do.

This is the main part of the shop where all the milling, assembly, veneering and CNC take place.
Here is a link to a video from the company website.

These two are of our sanding department. We try and take advantage of the wide belt sander in 

conjunction with our Bravo Robot flat line system.

This is the heart of our production now. This allows us to stay ahead of the 

production on the floor when used correctly.

Do the Ceruse

The ceruse finish is very popular these days . Many shops struggle with this one so here is a finish schedule for achieving this finish on oak. The first thing to make sure of is when building the project all the grain texture is the same. You can't mix rift grain with plain sliced grain or it will look terrible and be very difficult to get the color to match. This sample is plain sliced grain.

See how the area with rift grain looks lighter than the plain sliced? That is because there is more white in the grain closer together and gives the appearance of being lighter.

Step 1: Spray on dye stain. For oak this would be a very wet application of Keystone Nerosol Black J.
10 grams Black J concentrate to 8 oz Alcohol.

Step 2: Wash coat of sealer. TA44 sealer reduced 150%, spray 2 wet passes.

Step 3: Scuff sand lightly with red scotch brite pad (use scotch brite to avoid burning through edges)Do any color adjustments before the next step.

Step 4: Apply Camger Coating Hi Hide Water Based Sprayfill #202-010-3-1 thinned 50% with water.
I wipe it into the grain with a rag and then squeegee off the excess with a window washing squeegee.

Step 5: After the primer thoroughly dries (1 hour or even overnight if you have the time) sand excess off the surface with 400 grit sandpaper on a sanding block. Make sure not to burn through the color.

Step 6: Full coat of TA44 sealer.

Step 7: Scuff sand with 400 grit and top coat with TS0002 Acrylic 2K Urethane.

Colors may be switched around to taste but that is the basic formula.

Notes: Make SURE your base color is correct before adding the white glaze. You can't tone or adjust the color at all once the white has been applied.