Version 7 Design Gets a New Look

Well, it took until Version 7 to get the design finalized and the build process worked out. That was a year well spent, but I sure wish it had gone quicker!

But then I was brought up short by the finish! I had been focusing on the simplest and easiest process (therefore the hardest to screw up), and hoping for the best. But that approach simply did not work out. The results were horrendous.

So it was back to the web for a ton of research. Once again, every expert in town has a different way of doing things, so it was a matter of testing and trying different combinations of products and techniques, tracking the results, and seeing what worked.

Doing all of that added another 2 weeks to an already overly-long process, but again, it was time well spent.

Here is the collection of test boards with stains and finishes:

(The winner is the one at the right, on top.)

Then I needed a portable "spray hood" to contain the mess and keep dust off of the finishes, not to mention letting me work when it's windy):

 And of course I needed a few more jigs for the finishing process. Here they are, inside the spray hood. (Some of them were cobbled together using cardboard boxes. Those are due to be replaced!)

After that, it was only necessary to gear up for the staining and spraying and finishing:

And now for the result (tada!):

However, after all that, it turns out the finish still isn't smooth! I finally got the color right, so it looks good. So one more round of research and experimentation looms. But then we're good to go!