Waimanalo Wood, Paint sprayer, pine flooring coffee table
I want to be updating this blog regularly, and it pains me to see that I haven't posted anything in six days. The upside to this is that Kristina and I have been so busy working that we haven't had much time at the computer. There is a lot to be excited about right now, and it seems like something new and invigorating comes around each day. At the beginning of the week, we began to step up our photography game. Kristina has a decent Nikon DSLR, so we could capture good images, but we struggled with the lighting and background.
Problem: Poor quality photography.
Solution: External flashes and muslin background.
After a little research, we purchased two flashes and a white muslin background. The backdrop is fantastic because it hangs on a stand 10' high and creates a seamless clean environment to shoot pictures of our furniture. We'll work on the wrinkles but I'm not too concerned about it. Once we get to the next level, we'll get Photoshop and then edit the background out entirely.
The gear we're using is as follows: 2 Yongnuo flashes, tripods, Yongnuo flash controller (very useful for changing output power when the flash is 10' overhead on a tripod), 10'x20' white muslin backdrop and stand.
Small steps!
Next improvement is our purchase of an airless paint sprayer. We're painting a lot of furniture, whether its refurbishing old pieces or painting bases for new Hawaiian wood tops. Using brushes and rollers wasn't getting the flawless finish we were looking for since they left telltale texture marks.
Problem: Creating flawless paint finishes is difficult.
Solution: Graco TrueCoat Pro airless sprayer.
Using this sprayer was revolutionary in the finish it provides and the time it saves.
Kristina and I had a very productive trip to Reuse Hawaii this week. We had seen this endgrain pine flooring at Reuse for a long time now, but we finally decided to buy a few pieces.
After a quick initial sanding, the beauty of the endgrain starts to appear.
I straightened the sides with the table saw, biscuited the lengths together, Gorilla glued and clamped it and look at that beautiful pine!
Most Exciting Part!
New wood from Waimanalo Wood! I can't wait to start using this stuff. I've already sanded some of it out, and wow... amazing! The monkeypod and formosa koa still have to dry a bit, but the mango and milo is ready to go. Thanks Elmer and Miles y'all are the best.
Alright, thanks for reading!
-Danny
This picture was from our first photoshoot. I'm happy with the lighting!
I know the miter isn't that pretty on this reclaimed coffee table base, but look how smooth that paint job is!
Pine flooring when we first got it.
Here's a monkeypod cuttingboard or serving tray. This piece is leftover from a board that I'm using to build a entryway table... stay tuned for more on that later. I put water on the cutting boards before finishing them with mineral oil because I believe that it raises the grain a little bit. If I sand off the raised grain, it'll make for a smoother cutting board in the long run.