HANGING QUILT RACK

• Date Constructed: May 2003

• Lumber: Cherry

• Dimensions: 39.5" wide x 3" deep x 5" high

• Stain: None

• Topcoat: Boiled linseed oil and carnauba wax

• What I Learned:

This is my first project using the rough cut cherry lumber that I surfaced myself. Cherry is great lumber. The closed grain is pretty, and finishes very nicely. And, because cherry darkens quickly when exposed to sunlight (this project was brought outside on three or four sunny days — that's all it took to bring out the rich dark color you see above), it didn't require stain.

This was also my first project using a hand-rubbed finishing technique. I applied four coats of boiled linseed oil and three coats of carnauba wax, as described in Thomas Moser's book, How to Build Shaker Furniture. This provided a beautiful finish that can't be equaled using polyurethane products.

I also improved my technique using the router and dovetail jig (click here for dovetail jig procedures), so I had no problems with dovetail tear-out as with my Shaker step stool project.

• What Didn't Work:

  • Wood putty -  On past projects, I've used stainable wood putty to fill nail holes, which worked well. Because I didn't use stain on this project, the putty stayed its original, light color. I need to find cherry-colored putty to use on future projects.

• Get the Plan: I designed this quilt rack myself. View and print the plan.