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by
Michel Roy
photos by Martin Tessler
illustration by Len Churchill |
MISSION MIRROR (part 2) |
After completing your favourite Mission finish, order some mirror
with an adhesive safety backing applied. It’ll help hold
the glass together if the mirror ever breaks. Install the mirror
in the frame and cover the back with a protective piece of hardboard.
Insert brads or glazing points into the frame.
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| Your
mortise-and-tenon skills will shine with the grain
features of white oak. |
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Hanging a large mirror like this can be a bit of a challenge,
especially if you are using picture wire. A French cleat is
a better way. Simply cut a piece of 1/2" x 2" stock
a little shorter than the mirror width, then rip the stock down
the middle at a 45º angle. Using a level, fasten one half
on the wall so that the bevel faces the wall pointing up, and
fasten the other piece to the top of the back of the mirror
so the bevel faces down. Place the mirror against the wall so
the two pieces of wood interlock.
All that’s left now is to stand back and admire the view.
Ammonia Fuming
If you have a small project (or a project with small parts,
such as this mirror), try the most traditional Mission finish:
ammonia fuming. This process darkens white oak through a chemical
reaction with the tannin in the wood. It adds a rich tone you
can’t get from regular stain. It also creates a consistent
colour that even the best finishers can have trouble achieving
with stain.
Household ammonia will work, especially if the project is small
and you have a fuming chamber that is an appropriate size. However,
with this weaker version of the chemical, it will take a longer
amount of fuming time to create the look you want. To speed
things up, you can buy industrial-strength ammonia (known as
26 per cent) from chemical suppliers and possibly even blueprinting
suppliers.
You should be very careful when working with ammonia—work
outdoors, and always wear a respirator, gloves and goggles.
You must take even greater care if you use industrial ammonia.
To complete the fuming, you need an airtight container. You
can build your own box from wood and seal all the joints but
one opening side with clear silicone. Seal the final joints
around the opening with duct tape when you begin to fume. You
could also use a plastic storage container that has a tight
lid. Use duct tape on the lid joints to make them airtight.
Make or select a chamber big enough to fit your parts, but not
much bigger than you need or it will take longer to fume your
wood.
Arrange the wood in the container so that no piece is touching
the others. Place a shallow glass dish in the middle of the
chamber—glass works well because it doesn’t react
to the ammonia.
Now, fill up your dish with ammonia, seal the chamber and let
science take over.
You’ll need to replace the ammonia every eight hours.
Have a bucket of water nearby to dilute the old ammonia in before
disposing of it.
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ABOVE FOR DETAILED ILLUSTRATION |
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There are lots of variables when it comes to getting the perfect
results. The longer you keep the pieces in the container, the
deeper and darker the tone will be. Your desired finish could
need as little as eight hours or as long as a few days to get
your desired results. And depending on the amount of wood you
are fuming and the size of your container and dish, you may
need to place more than one dish inside.
Test your set-up on scrap wood that is same species and approximate
size before moving on to your actual project pieces. Remember
to put on your safety gear every time you open the container.
To keep the results consistent for a project, fume all parts
at the same time. —Jodi Avery MacLean
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1.
Start with the frame
2. Ammonia fuming, detailed
illustrations |
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