00:00This client was looking to spend almost $2,000 on some gifts for his friends,
00:05but he decided to give me the money instead to build them a couple custom pieces.
00:09So in today's video, we are working on the first of the two pieces.
00:12And after deciding the layout, I'm using one of my favorite tools, my track saw, to get it cut to
00:17its rough shape.
00:19And there's a handful of reasons why I really like this tool that I'll go over in just a moment
00:23here.
00:23But first, I'm going to remove this bark from the slab, which can sometimes be a very time-consuming step,
00:29but I really do enjoy this process, because it's not only satisfying to watch, but also pretty satisfying to do.
00:35It reminds me of doing some sort of archaeological excavation work on fossils or something.
00:40And some of these pieces that come off in big chunks somewhat remind me of removing a scab,
00:45which I'm sure some of you weirdos like me enjoy doing,
00:48but I'm sure there's also some of you that absolutely hate the image that I just gave you.
00:53Now that I removed all of the bark and sanded off that cambium layer,
00:56we get to move on to using my newest machine, which is this drum sander that has been saving me
01:01a good amount of time on pieces lately.
01:03So with the slab perfectly flat now, we can get it into the mold and mix up some Caribbean blue
01:08epoxy to do the pour,
01:10which is actually fun to watch, but not so fun to do.
01:13Because believe it or not, these pours take quite a bit of time, from calculating the volumes of the voids
01:19and cracks that need to be filled,
01:21to measuring the ratios of the resin correctly, and mixing it all together thoroughly.
01:26And my least favorite part of all, coming and checking on the piece a couple hundred times in the first
01:31few hours to make sure there's no leaks.
01:33And after seven days of curing, I could finally surface the piece and get it cut to its final dimensions,
01:37which reminds me, I was going to tell you all why I love my track saw so much,
01:41and why I actually recommend anyone just getting into woodworking to buy a track saw before you buy a table
01:46saw.
01:47Not only does it do almost everything a table saw does, but in my opinion, it's even more versatile,
01:52all while taking up less space and being portable, and last but not least, it's easier to use and a
01:58lot safer in my opinion.
01:59Now this Festool track saw was very expensive, and for a while Festool was the only company that made one,
02:05but in recent years, almost every other major tool company has come out with their version of one.
02:09So there is a lot more budget friendly options out there.
02:11But now for my favorite step, applying the first coat of food safe finish.
02:16This is when you finally get to see the piece come to life, and all that hard work pays off.
02:21I think the Caribbean blue epoxy contrasts really nicely with this figured black walnut,
02:27and I'm really happy with how this turns out in the end.
02:30But we're not quite done with finishing yet.
02:32We'll wait 24 hours, and then I'm going to come back with a 3M pad on my sander,
02:36and scuff sand the piece up so we can apply this second coat of finish,
02:41which is also food safe, but it's even more durable, and it has this sweet citrusy smell that I really
02:46love.
02:47And finally, the last step is to attach these handles, and this is how the first board turned out.
02:52Let me know what you guys think of it down in the comments below, and I hope to see you
02:56on the next one.
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