nimetzrj
Well-known member
SAPFM
Delaware River Valley Chapter
Frank Klausz Work Shop
On Saturday, April 18 the Del-Val Chapter was cordially invited by Frank Klausz to his shop for a presentation and demonstration on finishing.
We started off the morning with some good coffee, donuts, and informal chitchat while casually walking around his shop. Even for those of us who had heard the story of how he turned a concrete water tank into a shop, or who had seen pictures of the result, the actual sight was very amazing. His shop was very bright, roomy and this made for a great place to hold a demonstration. The shop is functionally laid out, as you would expect, but it is also personalized with such things as a plumb bob collection, a couple of mounted fish, and even a hornet nest dangling from the ceiling.
Frank’s presentation covered many aspects of finishing. He showed us the steps involved in applying a basic shellac finish, the steps involved in French polishing, and the procedure for using Waterlox on projects that need extra protection. The presentation included tips for such things as sanding into tight corners, storing finishes between project needs, and selecting sandpaper and steel wool. Someone commented near the end that it was comparatively easy to demonstrate finishing on a small flat surface, but much more difficult to finish an actual project. Frank responded by picking up the base to a small table and demonstrating how to apply shellac to 4 legs and 4 aprons in a systematic manner. He then started working on a square legged Chippendale chair, showing how to “finish the finish” using Liberon 0000 steel wool and wax.
After lunch, he divided us into 2 groups: One remained in the shop while the other 10 people toured his house to see his work such as the kitchen cabinets, two corner cupboards with very involved surface ornamentation, several tables, and many other items that show the amazing talent of Frank. His ancestors would be very proud of what he has accomplished. It is safe to say that all of us were educated, entertained, impressed and very thankful. Frank shared not only his knowledge, but a lot of himself.
As a finale, Frank showed us an impressive crown molding plane he had made, and demonstrated not only the difficulty of pushing such a large plane, but also the crisp molding that it produces – even without an apprentice pulling the plane.
Delaware River Valley Chapter
Frank Klausz Work Shop
On Saturday, April 18 the Del-Val Chapter was cordially invited by Frank Klausz to his shop for a presentation and demonstration on finishing.
We started off the morning with some good coffee, donuts, and informal chitchat while casually walking around his shop. Even for those of us who had heard the story of how he turned a concrete water tank into a shop, or who had seen pictures of the result, the actual sight was very amazing. His shop was very bright, roomy and this made for a great place to hold a demonstration. The shop is functionally laid out, as you would expect, but it is also personalized with such things as a plumb bob collection, a couple of mounted fish, and even a hornet nest dangling from the ceiling.
Frank’s presentation covered many aspects of finishing. He showed us the steps involved in applying a basic shellac finish, the steps involved in French polishing, and the procedure for using Waterlox on projects that need extra protection. The presentation included tips for such things as sanding into tight corners, storing finishes between project needs, and selecting sandpaper and steel wool. Someone commented near the end that it was comparatively easy to demonstrate finishing on a small flat surface, but much more difficult to finish an actual project. Frank responded by picking up the base to a small table and demonstrating how to apply shellac to 4 legs and 4 aprons in a systematic manner. He then started working on a square legged Chippendale chair, showing how to “finish the finish” using Liberon 0000 steel wool and wax.
After lunch, he divided us into 2 groups: One remained in the shop while the other 10 people toured his house to see his work such as the kitchen cabinets, two corner cupboards with very involved surface ornamentation, several tables, and many other items that show the amazing talent of Frank. His ancestors would be very proud of what he has accomplished. It is safe to say that all of us were educated, entertained, impressed and very thankful. Frank shared not only his knowledge, but a lot of himself.
As a finale, Frank showed us an impressive crown molding plane he had made, and demonstrated not only the difficulty of pushing such a large plane, but also the crisp molding that it produces – even without an apprentice pulling the plane.
