No, you can't afford it.

:haha:

Ok, so what's next, Hmonkey?

Not sure yet. Perhaps back to the chair. Maybe a chest of drawers for my brother. I'll probably take a break for a while.

Bruce - Damn. That's pretty cool. I haven't done anything with glass yet, though my parents are replacing the windows on their weekend house in West Virginia.

Yeah HM, I thought you'd appreciate the wood and detail in that breakfront, especially considering they're using pretty much the same tools you are. Personally, I'd rather have your bookcase for myself. :)

how about this HM,

The third set of legs obviously needs to pee.

(looks like furniture that Alex, from A Clockwork Orange, would have, doesn't it?)

Nobody gets to sit at the head of the table.:)

Well, that takes a certain amount of... umm... technical skill.

Hard to think of a place to put it, though.

Or this HM,

HM, I apologize for being so late in congratulating you on such a beautiful peice of craftsmanship. I hold quality wood workers in extremely high esteem.

Wood Refinishing Advice
 

Noone answered my request for help with the Ashiko, so I would like to post it here.

I would like to sand and refinish the drum. I do not want to stain, I just want to clean and highlight the natural wood.

Should I just clean it and use furniture polish? Should I apply a polyurethane spray to it in addition?

Can anyone tell me what kind of wood is used in the Ashiko? All I can say for sure is that it is stave construction.

I included a picture in the thread

Thanks! http://www.cellar.org/images/newsmilies/rollhappy.gif

dunno Rich
 

Rich, I think you need to talk to somebody at a drum shop. I'd guess the wood is some kind of hardwood from the tropics, like a mahogany. If it were mine, I'd probably rub cut linseed oil into it to keep it from drying out and cracking but its not mine so I'd hate to have you mess it up. I don't know how goat skin would react to contact with the oil. My bodran came with a polyeuthene finish and I haven't altered it.

Thanks for trying. I searched on 'goat skin' and 'linseed' and found this:

I also found an Ashiko maker which lists Danish Oil, Linseed Oil, and Polyurethane as drum body finishes, although it is not specific if these are individual choices or in combination. I'm going to sand it, clean the inside with wood soap, rub on warm linseed oil, let it soak in for a few days, and finish the outer shell with Polyurethane. I do not want to mess with the inside of the drum besides cleaning it since it might affect the tone.

If you oil it, the polyurethane won't stick. Like trying to paint butter. The linseed oil never dries. Watco will dry, but I don't know if you can coat it. You have to talk to someone that's familiar with the wood in your drum, to find out the effects of the finish choices. You may have to do the same thing to the inside as you do to the outside in order to make the wood move evenly during changes in moisture content. ;)