A Trip to Sam's Place long
Patrick Gibbons, Houston, TX
>Last week I asked a question about the use of shellac and received many great answers. I want to thank Michael R. for pointing out that shellac didn't come into general use until about 1820. I had read this before but still had posted my message as a "question for 18th century minds." Sam Simpson opined that my method of application was to blame and my brief experience with trying again to use shellac seemed to bolster this conclusion. Sam also offered to put my methods right if I would drop by his shop, as we are both denizens of Bayou City. On Maundy Thursday, which also happened to be my son's birthday, I set off down the Katy Freeway past the Ikea to visit Sam and take him up on his offer. The local woodworking franchise was offering a course on French Polishing for $95 and here I was going to get the lesson from a master for free. Sounds like a deal to me. After winding my way through the office park I found Sam's shop and knocked on the door. I was greeted by an energetic Englishman and brought in for a tour of the place. "I'm sorry for the mess right now," he said as he sipped his cup of tea, "but we're in the middle of some big projects." These were Texas big projects my friends. A carved walnut fireplace mantel of about 8' by 10' deminsions is the one that most stands out in my mind. And what Sam called a mess I would have given my dexterous pecan to have my garage shop half as clean and well-lit. Sam proceeded to show me the secrets of French Polishing on a sheet of MDF no less. "I'm using this MDF to demonstrate that the condition and type of wood makes no difference to the results one can obtain with good application." I would go into the actual steps Sam took except that I agreed to keep the secrets under penalty of death or dismemberment. Sam, of course, made it look ever so simple and I have not yet had time to try and replicate his results. My visit was cut short by SWMBO who called me three times on my cell while I was there. We were both late trying to pick up the children by 6:00 before they turned into pumpkins or were obliged to pay a penalty to the daycare and Lion's Club after school program. I left Sam abruptly with a promise to visit later when "the lads are here and you can see how things progress." Sam returned to the finishing room to make a Newport shell chest of drawers out of the MDF demo board. It really did look that good. Sam is a busy and prosperous cabinetmaker who stayed late at the shop just to help out an amateur. I would have sworn he had been a teacher for many years as he made the subject crystal clear to me. I feel very lucky to have been helped by this guy and as we say here in Texas, "he's alright."