6 July 2013

It is finished, again,

And it is still for sale, should anyone want it.

I spent as much time as I could the last few weeks finishing the altar.  As I said I would, I decided to use shellac, my favourite finish.  Shellac has the advantage that it is beautiful, and bestows upon would a lovely amber finish which grows richer over time.   The drawbacks are that it takes many coats to build up a finish, that it is water resistant but not water proof- meaning if any water is spilled on it it must be wiped up very quickly.  Soapy water and alcohol are both shellac strippers.  Back to the upside, it is easily cleanable and takes wax finishes, which give it extra protection.  Back to the downside, when it is being applied it is hygroscopic, meaning that it picks up moisture out of the air.  Too much moisture in the air and the finish becomes milky and cloudy.  The last few weeks have been terribly humid, thus stretching out the amount of time it took to finally finish the piece.

I decided to go with a french polish- which is mostly just a method of applying the shellac- on the table.  It came out very nicely in the end. Here is an attempted photograph of me trying to measure the depth of shine.


I had to dismantle the piece into its two main components to finish it.  Here's the reredos, receiving its finish.

Beside the reredo you can see the balloon back chair that I have to repair after Frodo, destroyer of the One Ring, The Five Chairs, The Four Plates, The One High Chair, Dozen Toy Cars, got his hands on it.  Sigh.  You can also see an old bicycle.

When I said the altar was for sale a few posts ago, more people seemed interested in the kids' bike.  Anyone still interested, thirty bucks and it's yours.  Come and get it.

So tonight, I decided it would be pointless to put on any more coats of shellac, on account of A. I had put on enough, and B. I was out of shellac, and don't have the money to replace it.  Although I might if someone buy a kids bike.  Failing that, I have reassembled the finished pieces.  The altar is now done. 

At least, my part in it is done.  It still needs a few images, and a small curtain to cover the hole in the middle, where a tabernacle would go on a church altar.  But those are not my fields. My part is finished, and it has been a long time coming.

And so, the price is now $1800.00.  Anyone interested, say so.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is a wonderful piece of work. I hope your finances can be helped some other way than to have to sell it.

-Louise

Unknown said...

I see now. It is gorgeous. I only wish, or pray, I could afford it...

I love it though.

Anything is possible with a little bit of faith. :)

-Jackie

Anonymous said...

Did you finally sell your home altar?It's beautiful.

Bear said...

No.

Kathleen1031 said...

It is almost 2017, I wonder what you did with your home altar.
You are a craftsman, and a good one. The altar is beautiful. Someone with skills like yours must be able to do many things. If I had been born a man, I would have probably been happiest if I had gone into such work, but I understand it can be a tough way to make a living.
Merry Christmas to you and yours! May God bless you in the new year!

Bear said...

I never sold it. I did some paintings for it- some of which I will do over, and it is in my house.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I've been looking at your altar for a few years, and saving up to buy it. Is it still for sale? How do we get in touch with each other? I live in Ottawa, Ontario

Bear said...

I received your letter through Vox, and have responded. Let me know through e-mail if you got it or through here if you didn't.