I’m pleased with the way the Shepherd’s Coffer for “The American Peasant” turned out. All the joinery is made with a Lie-Nielsen No. 48. And the lid moves on oak pegs instead of hinges (here’s a short video).
I’ve been using the gelatin glue I cooked up for all these projects, and I am quite fond of it (no gummi bears were melted in the process). It doesn’t smell as strong as hide glue. But the big difference for me is its color. It’s basically clear, so it doesn’t ever leave a dark glue line with whitish woods.
I might try to make and sell the glue someday, but I have a lot of spinning guillotines in the air right now. And I’d hate to do anything to take business away from Old Brown Glue and Patrick Edwards (even though our glue is made totally differently).
The paint is Old Red linseed oil paint from Allbäck. The more I use the stuff, the more I like it. We have now finished more than 100 samples and finished pieces with the stuff and have a much better feel for it. Some quick tips: Apply a thin coat of linseed oil to the project before applying paint. Wait about an hour. Then brush on the paint. Use thin coats. (The base coat of linseed oil makes the paint go on more smoothly, in our experience.)
The stuff will cover in one coat. Put the project in the sunshine (it doesn’t have to be outside). And resist the urge to touch it for 24 hours. After 48 hours, you can handle it without too much worry.
If the surface feels rough, let it sit for a couple more days. Then rub it out with fine steel wool or a non-woven pad (such as the 3M gray pad). Then a thin coat of wax or soft wax will finish the job.
There are other ways to do this job with thinned-down coats of paint. I am looking for methods with the least amount of labor.
If you are a paid subscriber, you can download a pdf that has the drawings and the cutting list for the coffer below. Plus the SketchUp drawing for the coffer with all the joinery drawn in.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The American Peasant to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.