2M Craftsmen, LLC

The shop has been REALLY busy all summer building custom pieces for a total house remodel.

I built this white oak vanity from a sketch I was given. It turned out fantastic!

The mid century modern chairs and table are complete. They are comfortable and look great.

I finished building the mid-century modern table and chairs and the cushions are being made, so it’s time to move on to staining and finishing. This step must be done right - a poor finish will ruin a beautiful piece.

I started with stain samples; then more; and then a few more. Cherry wood can be very “blotchy” with substantial variations in color and light/dark areas (pic). In this case I settled on Charles Neil’s wood conditioner (a sealer) to control the blotching, a wipe on stain (also helps with blotchy wood), and 3 coats of Waterlox tung oil based finish.

Finishing wood is part science and part art. Charles Neil, who sadly passed way too soon a few years ago, was one of the best at finishing. He was a skilled woodworker and the most expert finisher I have ever found. You can find many of his highly educational videos on youtube.