What would you do?

[Mike Marlow]

... and you are replying to... exactly who?

[Larry Jaques]

On Fri, 27 May 2005 15:31:35 -0700, the inscrutable "J" spake:

Velvet ropes and no drinks? What kind of S&M joint IS this?

[stoutman]

Easy fix.

Glue coasters to the bottom of ALL your glasses. Takes getting use to, but it works.

[kzinNOSPAM99]

this is a good point. I had envisioned for the original post that this table was sort of set aside on display and that the guests were told "this is my newest piece etc." If the table was simply incorporated into the overall house furniture then true you can't really blame guests for putting their drinks on it.

[kzinNOSPAM99]

to the poster that remarked that a tablecloth wouldn't protect the shellac finish.

[CW]

Cover it with an olive drap tarp.

[J. Clarke]

There is--it's called a "coaster" and he's already ruled that out.

[J. Clarke]

People who know you well you should be able to teach that the finish is delicate and needs a certain amount of babying. Kids and relative strangers may be a different story.

If this is something that is going to be used regularly instead of just looked at you might want to consider redoing the top in polyurethane or lacquer or varnish or something else that doesn't make white rings when it gets wet. There are those who cringe at the thought of this, but to me there are two kinds of furniture--museum pieces and pieces that are to be used. And for those that are used (at least by us ordinary folk who don't have dozens of spare rooms to fill with art) certain concessions of artistic purity should be made in the interest of utility.

[CW]

You've got it. Polyurethane was invented for a reason.

[nospambob]

[Highland Pairos]

You could try putting it behind a velvet rope so that it can be admired at a safe distance.

SteveP.

[Prometheus]

Could've been vinyl, or even some kind of rayon. I imagine the OP would have to check the materials for possible reactions based on what the particular product in his area is made from.

[Owen Lawrence]

You can own your furniture, or it can own you.

Forget about trying to educate everyone. You might get through to some, but you definitely won't get through to others. After you're dead you won't get through to anyone. Your work of art will be forever vulnerable.

The first pepper mill I ever made took me forever. (Okay, two weeks.) I did a pretty good job and put a nice finish on it. I have a wife and two children, and fifteen years later I still can't get them to wash and dry their hands before using it. I've scraped all sorts of dried food bits off it over the years, but I'm not going to hide it away. I made it because I wanted fresh ground pepper. I decided that if it gets too ruined that I can't stand it any more, I'll make another one, and it'll be even better. I thought about making one for each person, but I just know that won't work out.

It's a shame there's a mark on your project so soon after you made it. Entropy is unstoppable. The best you can hope to do is exert some influence. I look at the underside of my crappy tables (where all the scribbling is) and know that these things are going to happen no matter what I do.

Sorry, I don't have any good advice for you. All I can do is sympathize.

- Owen -

[J. Clarke]

Another alternative is the Nissan Thermos JCE350, which has the advantage that (a) it keeps cold drinks cold, (b) it keeps hot drinks hot, (c) drips get caught before the get to the table, and (d) if you pull the glass liner out the stainless steel insulator is an exact fit on a standard 12-ounce soda or beer can.

There's also a JCA350 that has a commuter-mug top instead of the glass liner--otherwise they are the same. Note one is JC_E_, the other is JC_A_.

Very, very nice, and really works--a can of soda will stay cold for hours.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Like hell it does. I put my hot coffee in there one morning, then some cold soda on top for a break later in the day. When I opened it an hour later, they were both about room temperature. And the layers got mixed too.

[Patrick Conroy]

"J. Clarke" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Wasn't that a Steven Wright joke:

"How does it know?"

[Renata]

How 'bout having a piece of glass made to fit the top? At least for use during those party occassions.

Renata

[Renata]

Oops. NOw if I had read just ONE more article in the thread, I'd a seen that my suggestion was a rerun. Terribly apologetic an' all.

R

[Larry Jaques]

On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 17:24:38 GMT, the inscrutable Patrick Conroy spake:

I love that guy. Here is a page of his best stuff:

"Not always right, but never uncertain." --Heinlein -=-=- Wondrous Website Design

[Tom Watson]

out with his old girl friend.

One night he showed up while we were having dinner.

He wasn't funny.

I was tempted to say to him:

"You can't have everything, where would you keep it?"

I restrained myself.

Tom Watson - WoodDorker tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (email)

(website)