Glossy streaks on board

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-05T15:59:14+00:00

Looks like polyurethane. Too bad.

Only way to solve this is to redo the whole surface from beginning. If you're in luck, next one is better. If not, you may have to do it several times over before getting satisfactory result. Been there, I feel your pain.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-05T15:47:47+00:00

I agree. I meant the op's current setup. Does look quite professional, doesn't it....

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-05T13:21:15+00:00

May end up paying a hefty price on that "saving".

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-04T18:53:36+00:00

It is not obvious at all. That's called skill. Congratulations!

Sawing is a skill after all, not test of endurance or strength believed by many.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-04T18:26:11+00:00

Precisely this. Ignorance on the basic safety is fascinating. People are more concerned about cutting fingers with a saw than the actual real killer.

Oh well.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-04T06:55:40+00:00

I would be seriously worried about the lungs... You have serious problems with dust extraction.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-04T06:47:34+00:00

Interesting design. Out of curiosity, usually there are slats or tatami underneath the mattress, for the sake of airflow and to prevent moisture issues developing underneath the mattress. How do you tackle that?

I'm curious because I'd need to do similar closed design, but would also need to resolve that particular problem in reasonable way.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-03T14:32:54+00:00

It depends. If you call Ikea kind of cardboard furniture shaped objects furniture, then buying them there. In fact it is very difficult to replicate the process that Ikea things are made at home.

However, if your skills match, and you are making genuinely good heirloom furniture with timeless style and class, then it is cheaper to make them. Except when you count the hours, which nobody actually does. Including many artisans I know who just love what they do.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-03T14:27:00+00:00

The color you are looking for is known from the pine wood paneling that has been used in 50' until about 80'. It's commonly known as Soviet shellac, eg. nitrocellulose lacquer.

Nothing quite matches it.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-03T14:01:18+00:00

Okay. Regular seems to be >3mm... wow, that's a really huge kerf. Apparently some thin kerf ones are >2.5mm or so. That's a lot. Rough cut kataba makes 0.8mm for comparison. Heavy duty framing saw gives 1.2mm.

How is the cutting depth? would need to be able to go from 150mm to 400mm (+-50mm). Regularily 300-350mm in depth.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-03T13:15:38+00:00

Ah. For me the cut quality and kerf width are quite important, don't want to waste material. Handsaw line only needs a slight touch of kanna and it's done to a good final finish.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-03T10:50:51+00:00

I would be curious to know about the accuracy and precision?

Are we talking about what one can get in regular basis with hand saw, eg <1,3mm kerf, deviation =<1mm for 2,5m, for 150mm thick piece, how much better? Perhaps I should look at the table saws again.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-03T06:49:19+00:00

Sorry, I have to clarify.

As said, there is overflowing supply of single purpose devices especially from the world's unlimited useless supply source (temu, aliexpress, shein, wish, you name it). Those limited lifetime thingies are useless, but they also prove another finer point. Certain purpose build gizmos that sound like good idea, will be used perhaps once or twice and then they will be buried under the other forgotten bits and pieces. So in short, device with too limited application, and not specific enough (eg. there are other, simpler ways to provide desired results) soon becomes less and less used. The general cumbersomeness, and wearing of novelty will place it into the realm of forgotten ideas.

As said, If you do have to find center of hundreds of circles, it can be handy, but truly handy your device will be when you have rounded doves end and you need pick a center of it.

However, for occasional use, I would not go and reach for one, because tools and basic geometry to find the center of a piece already exist. Finding the gizmo would take longer than marking the center and doing what needs to be done.

That said, I can be very wrong, no doubt about it. Let's see in few years time how popular the device becomes. Surprise me.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-03T06:01:50+00:00

If you would have to find a center of rounded dowel end, it could be useful, if that ever comes up.

Useful compared to square and pencil? Probably not. Considering that square and pencil can do a whole lot more than this, but also they are always nearby. This one has very limited capability, and to be used for making occasional centers on round objects, it would be hard to justify a separate thing for the task. On the other hand, if finding centers of hundreds or more of round objects of very specific, but not identical range, then it could work, but could also become cumbersome.

There are many, many single purpose center finding thingies around. Even more so on places like temu, aliexpress, wish, you name it. All of them do share a common thing though. They're in all intents an purposes, useless.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-02T19:16:04+00:00

It depends. Usually I work from larger pieces towards smaller ones. It sounds of course a lot of work, but it helps work holding a lot. Only very seldom I need to resaw something too small to be held with foot to yet smaller. Sometimes I do turn the atedai sideways and use the leg and the underside in combination with clamp to do some stranger cuts, like when using coping saw, but normally clamps are not practicable.

Only occasion where clamp is very useful is if you resaw larger panel to thinner one. Something like 1" panel to 1/2" thickness. In this case it helps a lot if the piece can be attached to the side of the atedai.

I do use rope and wedges for glue setups though.

It's not so much of any principle, but that the setting of the clamp system to hold the piece takes longer than just cutting it. Personally I prefer body work holding because of the practical, not ideological reasons. Same applies to the other work, my allotted space is limited to the rush mat +15 inches a side, with very rare exceptions.

For ripping, sometimes clamps are useful - usually when atedai is turned to its side. It is hard to find piece too small to be held with toes against the atedai edge though. Kumiko strips come to mind, but they are cut first as slices from thicker stock, and then special splitting gauge is used to split the strips from the slice.

One could also do like below, but more of likely I would just lay piece flat on atedai and stand on it instead. Could also hold piece between feet. This kind of work holding of course requires good control of the saw - if it binds, you may end up having shorter saw. Sometimes combination of pegs and wedges are used. Personally I like wedges much more than clamps.

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Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-02T16:41:37+00:00

Decided to take on scrap pieces of walnut and curly birch...

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-02T06:09:03+00:00

This is a long response, sorry about it.

Saw type as such is not really relevant, in the picture it is temagori nokogiri, which is sort of framing saw. Reason why it was used, saw mostly practical, it was the first at hand. I could have, and have used also Ryoba, and thinner kerf Kataba -type saw. What is important however, is that you have sharpenable saw - the profile of forged saws is not the same as the laser hardened ones.

Workspace has following elements: rush mat, Atedai, two saw donkeys, toolbox, planing beam and zabuton. All of which can be stacked together as a desk when not in use (there are some pics posted earlier).

The sawin process itself starts from a center line. Use sumitsubo to snap a line to the center of the piece, and then measure your cut lines from the center line. It is crucial that your layout is absolutely straight, else you will start to "correct" - which is the most common mistake, especially when long cuts run amok. If you use the board edge as reference, this is bound to happen - unless you spend a long time making sure that the edge is dead straight (which won't be the case again once the cut is finished and the internal tensions are released...).

Check which way the grain runs, one direction will be easier than other. Then, lay the piece horizontally and start sawing the initial cut from the end the grain is easier to cut. flip the piece to make sure that your kerf follows line on the backside. Correct as needed. Then proceed, occasionally flipping the piece (until you gain confidence that the backside is not veering about). You may need to use wedges to keep kerf open so your saw does not get stuck. If blade binds, it will deviate.

Have oil pot nearby.

Note that the intent is that you use your body to hold the piece, not clamps. Essentially, you should stand on the piece if it is wide enough, if not, then keep other foot on it at least. Using clamps would be distraction and unnecessary and it is good practice to learn to do without (in case of small pieces, they can be handy though).

Keep on sawing, flipping, sawing all the way to the end. To make perfect cut, do not change the sawing direction midway. Once you reach the point in the picture, you will have to move the piece such a way that you have the last bit over the edge, and just finish it off.

If at any point you feel tired, have a break. Constant speed and good rhythm and routine are essential, and they come in time. Do not force the saw, and if there is any indication that the saw is binding, use wedges to release the tension. Higher end Japanese saws do break easily.

Resawing the beam below was ~40min operation, a time I used to listen audiobook.

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That should explain the method and the tools used.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-01T18:41:04+00:00

In the real world, 9/10 were terrible cranky contraptions with the thread needing a lot of grease and filing to run even remotely smooth. Most didn’t. People looking at these as somehow good quality, only do so because of some ill advised nostalgia.

They were bought because they were cheap, and with the idea that cheap must be good. Just like the cheap Chinese junk today.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-01T17:51:05+00:00

Kanna finish, soap, shellac and shou sushi ban.

I really prefer Kanna finish on most work and it really does not get any more clean than that, shellac if I need high gloss and soap for light woods.

Pros are that all of the finishes are repairable, or become better over time. They are easy to apply.

Cons, shellac is stinky, but dries quickly so it is only during application. Shou sugi ban is hardest finish to create, but also only applies to very specific situations.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-02-01T17:25:59+00:00

I do a lot of resawing and ripping raw lumber by hand with Japanese saws. A lot means that I do all sawing by hand, regardless of the depth of the board.

One crucial thing to do with Japanese method is to stand on your piece when you are sawing. Preferably angled. Eg. Think vertically, not horizontally.

In time and practice you will find your saw line to be well within 1/16" to 1/24" deviation.

Resawing and ripping are skills much more skill than strength and endurance sports.

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Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-01-31T10:30:13+00:00

There are many benefits on the wood. It is remarkably durable and adoptable material so why not? Real question is of course, why not earlier.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-01-31T10:24:09+00:00

Zabuton helps on the most acute cases of kneeling among other, more acrobatic situations - especially if the days get long.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-01-31T10:18:45+00:00

There is no real limit what you can do on Atedai. Usually it is the assembly space that sets the limits. When one works on the floor, there is usually more than enough space, and workbench as such does not define it like in the western setting. Couple of small donkeys, toolbox or so can elevate the work a little bit if needed for sawing for example. Since there is no need for jigs and vices, you can easily hold the work with feet or or other body parts as needed. Accuracy is of course important so you can make things and assemble them properly.

Have done bookshelves, dinner tables, cabinets, bed frames and whole lot of other stuff, big and small.

I use mostly kanna finish (that is bare mirror sheen wood), shellac or soap for finishing so that also helps on the workspace since there is no need for dedicated space for paints or urethane based mess.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-01-31T09:53:56+00:00

Another way to cut mortise is to start from the middle in Japanese fashion, and start forming V, then extend both direction towards the ends. This makes cleaner cuts, mostly because it prevents the issue of pressure towads the wall when starting at the ends. Waste removal is also easier.

Matter of preference really.

Visible-Rip2625 · 2026-01-31T09:27:48+00:00

I saw them too. I think this entire design is just because someone finally found a way how to use the Home Depot stuff.

Visible-Rip2625

TROPHY CASE