In their case, though, the brothers are involved with LHR Technologies, inventors of the CarveWright CNC System. And they have used the CarveWright to create a plethora of detailed panels for the library room in Chris’s house.

When Chris and his wife first purchased their current home in Texas, there was an empty room. Chris, a former robotics engineer at NASA, and his wife, a mathematician, had always wanted a library.  Although not yet finished – “I don’t know that we’ll ever be totally finished,” Chris said – the 1,000 foot (50’ x 20’) room is already up to two-thirds full of books (it’s designed to hold up to 4,000 volumes), as well as serving as a display for artifacts, scientific instruments and other homages to learning.

Some of those homages include carved friezes above the cabinets and panels, as well as carved busts that serve as corbels to the room’s columns. Carvings of gecko lizards are interspersed among the vines on 33 fluted columns. “My wife likes the geckos that are around down here all over,” Chris explained. “It’s like ‘Find the geckos!’ Kids get a kick out of it.”

Some scenes depict stories from such learning disciplines as math, physics, chemistry or philosophy; while historical scenes pay tribute to the Eygyptian, Greek and Roman eras, as well as the Revolutionary War and World Wars I and II.

“There’s 140 linear feet of different scenes,” Chris said, with Joe adding “That’s the significance of doing it with these types of machines. With that volume of carving, every single one is unique. Even in great old libraries, you’ll find the carving is a repeated pattern that some master carpenter can set apprentices doing.”

“That was one of the main reasons we wanted the CarveWright, was to do things like this,” Chris said. “It would’ve taken me the rest of my life if I tried to do it by hand.”

The CarveWright software also gave them an advantage, Joe said: “The software is designed with a more of a design element. You can arrange something the way you want it, at the size you want, and then upload and print. It’s a fun design process rather than a tedious process.” Instead of spending a lot of time on calculations, “When you’re telling the story of philosophy, you can ask, ‘What do you put in there?’ It’s getting to play with the art,” Chris said.

The entire project, Joe said, has involved “coming up with an interesting idea, then figuring out how to do it.” At first, for example, the brothers had no idea how to make the fireplace they wanted, with two sword-wielding angels spanning it. Chris started playing around with the software and, by the time Joe returned from a trip to Brazil, he had the angels carved out.

That’s not to say there haven’t been some mistakes along the way. “You can still screw it up,” Chris said. For one panel, “I got the numbers mixed up in my head when I carved it, and when I went to put it up, it was 2” too short. I had to re-lay it out and carve it again. That’s the nice thing: other than the wood, you haven’t really invested much into the carving. If it’s not what you want, you redo it.”

As for the rejected pieces – either they were too short or there was something the brothers wanted to improve upon – “Now they’re just samples,” Joe said. “We can’t take the library with us, so we take the pieces to show people” as they are on the road demonstrating the CarveWright.

When making the fireplace, Chris pointed out, the wood used was offcuts from a door company, with the larger sizes allowing more detail in fewer sections – particularly since the CarveWright has the ability to cut larger pieces. “A machine that can fit on a desktop was able to make these 8’ pieces,” Joe said.

As they move further on the library project – envisioned, Chris said, “like an old English gentleman’s club, like where Sherlock Holmes’s brother would hang out” – to needing furnishings and more, “If we can’t find the table or desk that we want, well, let’s just build it,” Joe said. “With this machine, there’s no doubt in our minds that there isn’t anything else that could make it” like this library.

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– Serge Duclos
Delson, Quebec

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– Mike Laney
Palm Coast, Florida

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Tim Inman: Your question is really an aesthetic one. What you’re asking is really about the right “look and feel.” So, there is no right answer. I’ll share this: My favorite finish on fine turned items is a smoothly sanded wood, sealed with a nice sealer like shellac or sanding sealer, then completed by rubbing and buffing a good wax. Though wax is not a durable finish for hard use, it is beautiful and has a great feel. My friend, Bill Jones – who turned chess sets and other fine ornamental pieces for a living – used buffed shellac and wax as the finish on many of his finest pieces. Here is a Bill Jones twist, though. After the initial finishing on the lathe, take the work out of the chuck and put a soft, UNSEWN muslin buff back in its place. Use the buff to polish the woodenware. It gives a wonderful luster and sheen. One of my lathes I call my “Rockwell-Maytag-Bill Jones” lathe. It is an old Rockwell lathe powered by a Maytag motor. I have the motor wired so I have a choice of two motor speeds in any range, and the ability to reverse the direction of the lathe. I like to buff running the lathe “backwards” so I can work the buff on top of the wheel where I can see rather than on the bottom of the wheel in the dark – as you would do when the lathe is running the “right” way. The Bill Jones part is an infinitely variable foot pedal clutch. That’s a story for another day.

Ernie Conover: System Three discourages mixing their Clear Coat Epoxy with other finishes. That being said, I would think poly would stick to it and that is key to this problem. I would not go crazy with poly coating over Clear Coat until you have six months to a year of time on a handful of pieces. If they hold up, you are good to go. If not, you don’t have a huge refinishing problem. System III is very helpful and I think if you go to their website you can email or call and they will be glad to help you.

Chris Marshall: Thanks for suggesting Clear Coat Epoxy as a woodturning finish, Jerry. If other readers are interested in trying it out, too, Ernie made a helpful video on this topic several years ago. You can watch it by clicking here.

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Heat guns can serve a broad range of uses around the home and shop. Among them, they can remove old paint or floor coverings, defrost frozen pipes, bend plastic pipes and help speed up the drying time of fillers and new paint coatings. They serve automotive applications, such as removing stickers or emblems, fixing small dents or restoring plastic trim. A heat gun also can come in handy for waxing skis and snowboards, or in craft applications for melting wax, shrinkwrapping and embossing.

To make these sorts of tasks easier and safer, Wagner’s FURNO heat guns have side supports to prevent the hot nozzle from touching surfaces when set down. They also have integrated stands for safe, upright, hands-free operation. All FURNO models have adjustable temperatures and air flow settings, plus a soft grip and a hanging loop for storage.

The FURNO 300 is designed for small projects and occasional use with two temperature settings of 750°F and 1,100°F, controlled by a slide switch. It retails for $24.99. Wagner’s FURNO 500 has an LED push-button display that shows temperature and fan settings at a glance. It can be adjusted to 12 heat settings ranging from 150°F to 1,200°F, and there are two fan settings for optimum heat control. Its cool-down mode safely reduces the temperature and prolongs the ceramic heat element’s life. The FURNO 500 comes with a flare nozzle and a glass protection nozzle as standard accessories and sells for $34.99.

With 117 temperature settings and five fan speeds, the FURNO 700 offers exact temperature control between 125°F to 1,300°F, reported on a digital LCD display. This heat gun has a memory function that allows you to save the last temperature and fan setting used, plus the safety cool-down mode, and both flare and glass protection nozzles. It’s priced at $59.99. Or, for the ultimate heat gun kit, the FURNO 750 is suitable for both frequent use and specialist projects. It has all of the same features and benefits of the FURNO 700, as well as added extras that include a curved deflector nozzle and a concentrator nozzle, a 5-in-1 painter’s tool and a carry case. The FURNO 750 retails for $69.99.

You can find Wagner’s four new FURNO heat guns at Home Depot stores now and homedepot.com. They will be available at Menards® stores next month, and eventually at Lowe’s® stores beginning in January 2017. To watch a video overview of the FURNO 750, click here.

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The drawer is hand dovetailed front and back with a solid oak beveled bottom. I made the pulls from the same curly maple as the shelves. The case is finished with five coats of Waterlox.

– James Raines

See the Gallery Below:

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“ I tend to stain most pieces, for three reasons. Availability: some of us don’t have ready access (in person vs. online) to a good selection of woods. Cost: we all know how expensive some woods can be. Matching: I’m often trying to match some existing piece, often a store-bought item. Finally, I don’t have much experience with dyes, but have read articles how some figured woods react very dramatically with dye, yielding results well beyond their own natural beauty.” – Henry Burks

“I gather you’re not a fan of Mission furniture.  I am.  So I will happily take oak and stain it darker (usually with a dark mahogany gel stain) to get that effect.  It also tends to even out any uneven coloration.  And conquers blotchiness pretty handily.

“Recently I made a changing table for my daughter (my first grandchild).  She was given a crib and wanted something to match.  The crib had a nice honey-toned factory finish.  No way to match it with anything available at the wood store.  I found an oil paint at the art store that matched the shade perfectly, so I made up a wash with turpentine and stained away.  The result was a perfect match.  Daughter is very happy.  Grandson seems to like it also.

“So I stain and stain often.  But I also love the look of natural wood, especially walnut, mahogany, hickory and cherry.  Don’t think I would ever stain those.” –
Stephen Dragg

“Why do we paint and varnish?  The most important reason is to protect the surface we are coating. Using the right materials and the right combination of pigments, we can protect wooden houses and barns with linseed oil and white lead for 300-plus years. I varnish all of my wood creations with polyurethane varnish to protect it from the wear and tear of use and age. As a human being, we coat not only to protect but to also decorate.  The use of a stain on wood is not only to darken or color the wood but to subtly bring out the figure in the wood. Many of us suffer from the amount syndrome: if a little is good than a whole lot has got to be a whole lot better.  However, a light-handed touch with a thinned stain can pick up subtle shading that adds beauty to the wood and brings out the beautiful grain in the wood.” –  Richard Melton

“For me, it depends on what look I’m going for. I’m currently working on a wood American flag. There was no way that the stars would look right, so I painted them. The union field was stained with a dry stain mixed with Minwax stain base; the stripes were stained with liquid tint mixed with the same stain base. But some projects I just clear coat!” – J. Eric Pennestri

“I sure don’t like to paint. That is definitely for sure, but natural is good. Although I do like to make my oak look different, be it dark, light or medium. In my past I can count on maybe two fingers how many times I’ve went natural. One time I was intrigued at trying ebony on oak. Wow! The grain popped and it really looked good with semi-gloss poly. I just did a job for a friend and used ebony.” – Dennis Wykey

“You pose an interesting question. I have been a woodworker (of various degrees of skill) for approximately 50 years. In all of those years I have done both. Most of the times I am simply trying to get a particular shade that I think will look pleasing on that particular project. Other times I may be adding a piece into a room that has aged pieces but needs to be shaded to match the existing look so it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. However, I’ve never been one to try and make a piece of pine look like walnut.” – John Rowe

“If it does not match our existing cabinets, tables, etc., regretfully I, too, have ended up resorting to stain.  I don’t like it, but it must match.” – John Fosdick

For some, it’s not their personal preference, but the desires of customers that dicate the choice of staining or not. – Editor

“I have been doing woodworking my whole life and it baffles me why people use stain. But, with that said, most customers I deal with want me to stain the project for them. The one instance I like using stain is if I do some CNC carving to a piece: putting stain on heavily with a rag darkens the engravings, making it stand out a little more. But there is nothing better than the beauty of keeping the wood natural, even if it is only pine.” – Terry Allen

“I am with you, 100 percent! However, there is one little catch about the finish on woodworking projects in three words: ‘The customer wants …’ And when the customer is SWMBO [She Who Must Be Obeyed], you must acquiesce unless you want to sleep in the dog house. That is just life. So “Cranberry Stain” over beautiful Honduran mahogany? Yep, that’s the color, all right. And I’ll never tell anyone how much it pained me to do that.” – Rich Flynn

“You are not alone as I also dislike using stain.  I would much prefer to let the natural look of the wood shine through.  When I am given leeway, I will pick an appropriate type of wood that does not need a stain to build a specific project.  I absolutely hate to hear a customer say they want their project stained a particular color. Of course, I keep this to myself, as the desires of the customer is always held above my preferences.  The natural beauty of wood cannot be matched by any stain.” – Paul Odom

Not everyone, however, subscribes to this view. – Editor

“One of the first things I explain to my customers is their furniture will not be stained. Stains can obscure the grain and figure of some wood. They also fade over time and show scuffs from everyday use (not to mention shipping). Future repairs are a headache when the color has to be matched. My only deviation from this rule is ebonizing wood with an iron/vinegar solution. Because it is a chemical reaction in the wood, it doesn’t show light scratches and is a cinch to replicate if a repair is necessary. Of course, I have a large collection of (mostly dried-out) cans of stain, dyes, and toned aerosol lacquers for the repair end of my business.” – Laron Algren

“I do not stain; if a client wants darker color, then I provide that species.” – Dennis Ocon

Some had their own reasons for preferring to avoid stain. – Editor

“Like you, Rob, if I am looking for a particular color, I choose the wood to match my ideas.  Also, I really do not like to stain; it is messy and very difficult, at least for me to repair scratches if the object is stained.  Some are likely very good at repair, but for me, to repair the natural color is simple, so, I choose not to stain unless it is a ‘have-to’ case.  It all boils down to what a person really prefers.” – Gerald Jones

“In response to Rob’s ‘Stain vs Nature’ comments, I must agree wholeheartedly. If you want something to look like walnut or cherry, you’re much better off using walnut or cherry. But for me, personally, there is another reason. Because I’m ‘chromatically challenged,’ I can’t rely on my eyes being able to match any color with stain. I do see some color, but shades and subtle color differences are not perceptible.  If I use woods with clear finish, I can chalk up any color differences to the beauty of nature.” – Bruce Millward

“Because I have problems trying to get one type of wood to look like another and usually failing to do so, I also prefer to use the wood that I am trying to emulate. I find that it’s less frustrating to do otherwise.” – Elliott Bogart

“ I have just begun my woodworking journey by mostly making wood toys for children. Wood has some amazing antimicrobial properties in its natural state that it loses when finished. I like the appearance of natural wood, and prefer to use good quality wood with unique grain to showcase. If I use a colored stain, it is usually on pine.” –  Sarah Jensen

“I, too, use polyurethane. But kind of a different reason than you. I do, almost entirely, intarsia and I do not use any paint or stain. I pick the color of wood that I want and then put polyurethane on it as a ‘finish’ (three coats). I think that because of the difference in grains, it would be difficult to try and stain one wood to look like another. I have  been doing Intarsia for 18-20 years, so I have it down pretty good now.” – Jim Palmer

A few gave a caveat that they only stain sometimes. – Editor

“I use stain only when I absolutely have to color-match. I love the natural color in walnut, but my favorite wood is cherry, especially if it’s a rough and gnarly piece with a live edge. Once the outer bark has been removed, the color of the inner bark jumps out at you when it is oiled or urethaned. I use a lot of maple, and curly maple is quite beautiful in its natural state. Another wood that surprised me is beech, which has a lot more natural color than I thought.” – Al McLeod

“The only time I stain wood is to make a cheaper wood look like a more expensive wood, like making tulip wood or yellow poplar look like maple. Otherwise, I just put a finish on.” – Jim Cottingham

“Just to confuse you more, I do both.  I tend to use the wood appropriate for the look I want, but sometimes want it just a little darker to make it look not so ‘new.’ If I am making a specific project for someone that wants that walnut look but doesn’t want to spend the money for walnut, poplar with a nice walnut stain is almost indistinguishable from the real thing.  Mostly I use clear finished because I want all the beauty of the wood to show through in my projects, but there are stains in my paint locker.” – Chuck Chall

“ I prefer the natural wood colors over stained colors. I do a lot of segmented bowl turning and specifically choose woods that provide a variation of colors and tonal nuances. For example, I will choose a piece of walnut that has both heartwood and sapwood to achieve a light/dark shadow effect when the turning is finished.  Applying a stain destroys the nuance of the shadow. However, when I am making cabinets or other pieces that need to match an existing piece, then stain is applied to blend the items. I see a place for both stained and natural items, but my first love is the natural.” – Jerry Van Gessel

And some talked about different supplies, or processes. – Editor

“I do not use stain. Nothing beats the natural beauty of wood. However, I would like to try some dyes, as I have never used them before and in some videos, they seem to enhance the character of the wood.” – Mark Yourich

“I’m like you. No stain, but I dislike polys as well. Give me some BLO [boiled linseed oil] and turpentine if I need to protect. I’ve also just stumbled on to Kramer’s [Best Antique Improver] and love it. It’s really helped the antiques my parents collected for 64 years!” – Elaine Duff

I have taken a liking to amber shellac to enhance the color without the fuss.  Now I am experimenting with adding color to shellac but have not got there yet.  Shellac is so much easier to use and especially to clean up.  I guess you might call this the middle ground.” –  Kermit Huttar

“I just saw your comment regarding your aversion to stains. I happen to agree; however, I recently discovered the age-old practice of ammonia fuming.” – Charlie Speight

And some readers shared their adamant opposition to staining wood. – Editor

“I’m with you: no stain. I want the wood to shine, not to be altered. Like you said, if I want a walnut look, I buy walnut.” – Thomas Spillane

“I am with you 100 percent on this one, and don’t give two rips if we are in the minority!  I like the look of the natural wood, without any unnatural coloring.  If you’re gonna color, why not just buy cheap wood and paint it!” – Dale Wilen

“I like the natural look of unstained wood also. That is why they make clear sealers.” – Mike Grawvunder

“If you want it to look like walnut, use walnut. I don’t stain any project that I build.” – John H Bonnett

“You the MAN! If it is worth doing, use good wood.  I like WATCO oil/varnish finish, natural.  I have, on occasion, used a little of one of their color finishes to bring out some sapwood that lacks color.  If you have a nice piece of ambrosia maple, for example, why would you do anything other than natural finish?” -James Yarbrough

“I think stain should be used to cover up ugly wood to save money for tools, but to change a naturally beautiful wood color and grain with stain is indeed a crime and should be punished with a termite infestation.” – Terry Olges

“I totally agree with you. Walnut for walnut, etc. Using a variety of woods encourages an awareness of the need to preserve wood domestically and globally. Otherwise we can use MDF and paint, or OSB and stain — the HORROR. Using real wood tells the world this has a built-in quality and character from the bursting forth of the tree first sprout to the finished product.” – Roger Cyre

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