> Hi Steve,

> I've done 2 yaks out of all redwood and it worked out really well. There
> are a couple of things to keep an eye on tho....

> 1. Color variations: When wet with epoxy the color of redwood deepens
> nicely. I have some strips that turned almost black. If you butt two
> differnt color strips together it really calls atention to the joint. So
> before doing a pattern or butting two strips together try to get the
> closest color match possible. (I laid all the strips out in the bright
> sunlight and recieved a great deal of assistance from my girlfriend, I saw
> 4 color groups, she saw about 15, and had names for them!)

> 2. Density and flexibility: The darkest color stips (the heartwood) tend
> to be very soft and brittle. The sapwood (white) is harder and more
> flexible. There tends to be a lot of differences even in strips cut from
> the same board. On mine I used the white strips for sharp bends or
> curves-much less breakage. If you staple the strips be carefull with the
> softer ones, sometimes the staple will sink into the strip, leaving a
> gouge that must be filled and than planed or sanded out.

> 3. And if you put the cove side up its easier to glue and a lot less messy
> but much harder to clamp the strip into place without breaking the cove
> edges. If you put the cove side down its much easier to clamp and get the
> strips into place, but more of a mess. I always pick the mess, since a
> little more mess can't even be detected in my garage.

> Good luck and happy building

> Bob

Hey guys, another "For What It's Worth" here. I've done a lot of cabinet building in the past and we've solved ,for the most part, the problem of color variations when applying finishes by useing a "Washcoat" on the bare wood first. With softer woods such as pine and redwood this was always a problem. With our laquer and polyeurothane(sp?) finishes we would apply a washcoat of 7 parts denatured alcohol and 1 part varnish. This tends to seep into the softer grains more readily and not into the harder sections. The alcohol helps it and then evaperates. A light sanding to eliminate the fuzz and you'd stain or clearcoat and the wood would keep most or all of the color you wanted. BUT, I don't know if this is compatable with the resins so you would want to test a piece of your scrap and see if you have any reactions before proceeding.

"More food for thought" Rehd