What a Difference a Stain Makes.....

I promised you a bed and I am working on it with Zar's help.....Or maybe I should say that he is working on it with my help.

I cut all of the pieces from walnut this morning.  The funny thing about walnut is, it is not all the same shade.  It doesn't look too bad in the photos, but believe me, it's a lot of different shades of brown.

I had to do the second step too.  Zar can't move the magnets.  They are way stronger than he is.

So....I put the headboard and foot board together with white glue in the squaring jig.
After that, I turned it over to him.  He gave the panels the appearance of linen fold by using separate square pieces of walnut.  One eighth inch square for the center rod and one sixteenth for the outer ones.

He rounded the two front edges of each and butted them together in each of the panels. Then he shaved off the top of each one at forty five degree angles.  Kind of....No measuring.

This was not an exact science.  He wanted it to look hand made, by a carpenter.  Not a court piece with fancy carving.

Meanwhile, Tessie fussed and fumed throughout the process.  He was getting shavings and sawdust all over her new floor.  Someone asked the other day if she considers herself the landlady....You bet'cha.  Her favorite word is "MINE!".  Oh, and I forgot, her second favorite word is "RENT".

I did talk Zar into doing the staining in the family room.  He agreed when I pointed out that the landlady wouldn't be pleased if he got a drop of English Chestnut stain on her Red Mahogany floor...It wouldn't match the decor.

It is amazing how the piece looks more finished with just a coat of wet stain.  Now all we have to do is wait for it to dry thoroughly.  

We can't put the pieces together  until tomorrow.  And even if we could, I don't want to think what the rope would look like if Zar dragged it through all of those stain filled holes...Not a pretty picture.

So, it looks like a two day process.  Maybe I can make the mattress whilst watching the stain dry...

See you tomorrow.