Project Information
This is a small white oak salt box that I made to learn how to make rabbet and dado joints, learn a bit about scroll cutting on a bandsaw, and to make a useful kitchen tool. The salt box holds salt for cooking. It has a lift lid and is large enough to hold both salt and a set of measuring spoons.
The box was constructed using rabbet and dado joints to hold the front/sides and bottom of the box, and floating mortice and tenon joints to fix the back to the sides.
The box was finished using a simple ammonia fuming process to bring out the ray flake. Rather than bringing out the concentrated ammonia, I used straight household cleaning ammonia…believe it or not, it worked well. The fuming process took about 24 hours and gave me better results than the concentrate because I could fume the project in my basement where it is warm. For a small project, that can be sealed in an air-tight bucket, suspending the project over a pool of cleaning ammonia works just fine. Previously, I did not have good results fuming with concentrated ammonia outside in 25 degree weather because the chemical reaction was just too slow. Household ammonia is not nearly as dangerous or noxious as concentrate-yet I still wore a mask and glasses.
The final finish was about 7 coats of garnet shellac applied with a brush. After applying the final coat of shellac, surface was rubbed out using 400 and 600 grit sandpaper lubricated with mineral spirits. Lastly, the project was rubbed with #4 pumice and paraffin oil, then paste waxed. This process produced a very smooth satin finish.
The box was constructed using rabbet and dado joints to hold the front/sides and bottom of the box, and floating mortice and tenon joints to fix the back to the sides.
The box was finished using a simple ammonia fuming process to bring out the ray flake. Rather than bringing out the concentrated ammonia, I used straight household cleaning ammonia…believe it or not, it worked well. The fuming process took about 24 hours and gave me better results than the concentrate because I could fume the project in my basement where it is warm. For a small project, that can be sealed in an air-tight bucket, suspending the project over a pool of cleaning ammonia works just fine. Previously, I did not have good results fuming with concentrated ammonia outside in 25 degree weather because the chemical reaction was just too slow. Household ammonia is not nearly as dangerous or noxious as concentrate-yet I still wore a mask and glasses.
The final finish was about 7 coats of garnet shellac applied with a brush. After applying the final coat of shellac, surface was rubbed out using 400 and 600 grit sandpaper lubricated with mineral spirits. Lastly, the project was rubbed with #4 pumice and paraffin oil, then paste waxed. This process produced a very smooth satin finish.
