After Use, Seal the Can!!!!!!!!!!

When Oxygen makes contact with our finishing products, they begin to dry.

If a can is not closed properly, the product inside will start to create a film on top. It also affects the product underneath the film and more than often renders the rest of the product useless.

Material that builds up on the rim will prevent the can from sealing properly and air will get in.

Maintaining a clean rim is part of a finishers job.

Cleanliness and organized habits are necessary for maintaining finishing product and accessories.

Organization, Clean work habits and Frugality are competency's to be developed here in school

The Video Below demonstrates how to properly close a can.

• Clean the rim often
• use a rag to avoid splatter 
• Only a hammer is good enough to tap down and seal the can
• Tap down the rim ONLY
• clean away any excess drips before storage

Check your joinery for glue spots

When it's time to begin sanding a project that you intend to finish, make sure to check your joinery before starting to sand! Some lacquer thinner rubbed onto your piece with a cloth will soak in, but not where there's glue, like on that small light spot toward the bottom of the joint in the picture. You can scrape the glue away with your cabinet scraper or a chisel, and then check it again with lacquer thinner to be sure it's all gone. You're saving yourself some trouble later on by doing this!

Solvents

I think by now, most of us have a basic understanding about how some liquids can and cannot mix together

Like Oil and Water                    or                   Oil and Vinegar

Except in my tummy.....YUM!

This is mainly due to PH balance. But I could be wrong, because I don't have a "PhD"    :)

For finishers, understanding which materials can be mixed together can seem puzzling and overwhelming. Categorizing these solvents can help simplify this mad science.

Below I have reduced the most popular solvents or "Vehicles" and finishes into four catagories.

Generally this means when going down the Lacquer road, don't mix it with Mineral Spirits or bad things will happen.

4 most common finishes and their Vehicles.

 

 

 Solvents dissolve particles which are "soluble" to them

In finishing we sometimes call this a vehicle because it transports the solid particles onto the surface before evaporating, and ultimately leaving the particles to create a coating.

Of course there are more variables to this Chemistry labyrinth than four

 Instead of Breaking Bad, take a look at Bob Flexner's graphs

 

 "You can usually recognize a solvent by its suffix. Alcohols, which dissolve and thin shellac, have the suffix -ol. Ketones, which dissolve and thin lacquers, have the suffix -one. Esters, which dissolve and thin lacquers, have the suffix -ate (methyl acetate, amyl acetate, etc.). Glycol ethers, which dissolve water-based finishes and dissolve and thin lacquers, end in “ether." .- Bob Flexner

 

Here are the links to Bob Flexner's articles on Sovents

Flexner Solvents1                        Flexner Solvents2

Oily Rags

Oily rags can easily spontaneously combust

They are responsible for most fires in both home and commercial cabinetry shops

 Rags left on the workbench during break time for 10 minutes are dangerous.

In our shop we are lucky to have great big windows for natural light. 

The heat however from the sun can accelerate this process. I have witnessed it myself.

The key to fire prevention is proper handling and disposal of oily rags.

Below is a rag canister in which to discard old and used rags

Never discard an oily rag in the garbage can. Cabinet shops have garbage cans full of sawdust and extremely dry lumber. In the event of spontaneous combustion, you do not want these rags next to kindling!

Wetting the rag before disposal will slow down possible combustion time

Policy

• Rags are not to be left around the shop and must be immediately disposed.

• All rags are to be thrown into the canister, not the garbage  (if not sure about the solvent assume it is oil!)
• At the end of the day

1.  The canister will be emptied into a garbage bag
2.  The bag will be filled with enough water to saturate the rags 
3.  The bag will be carried to the dumpster outside the building.
    
   

•  A schedule will be posted in class naming 2 students responsible for rag disposal each day

Health and Safety

Module 21 is a finishing Module.

During this module strict health and safety rules will be enforced.

Students who do not comply will not be permitted to attend class.

This means PPE's are mandatory throughout the entire Module.

• Gloves are supplied by the school and are available at the tool crib
• Dust Masks are supplied by the school and are available at the tool crib
• Disposable ear plugs are supplied and available next to the office 

Students must have

• Steel Toe shoes
• Organic Vapour Mask 

 

These Vapour masks can be bought at any hardware store. Unless otherwise specified on the packaging, the disposable filters should be the right ones (carbon).

Home Depot Link 

An apron is recommended or clothing which you expect to be "stained"   


To review Hazardous material lessons click on the link below
 
Identifying Hazmats / WHMIS 

Complete the WHMIS assignment