Cutting thick wood / and wood finish

[samamish1]

Ok, I'm sorry to keep asking questions on here, but I keep getting such helpful answers!  So 2 more.

1- I just got my new Dewalt 788 (woot woot!) and tried my first box today.  It turned out pretty good, but I felt like with the thick piece for the box sides, I was putting a lot of strain on the machine (I was using 1 1/2 " thick wood).  I felt like I was pushing the blade too hard, but I needed to to keep it moving.  I was using a pretty thick, new blade... so what could my problem be? Maybe not thick enough of a blade? If the wood is super old and had been left outside, does that make it stiffer?  Could my tension be not tight enough?  I very much didn't want to snap it... Any ideas for an easier time with thick wood?

2-How are people getting these nice, shiney, polish-y finishes to their projects??  I've tried lacquer, but it just doesn't have that glassy effect I see.  I've used Watco Danish oil, and I like it, but does anyone have any better ideas?

Thanks so much to this community--you guys have been so helpful!!

[EIEIO]

For the finish, try using Bulls Eye Shellac. It adds a little orange tint to the BB Ply that looks good. Sand the wood smooth. First coat of shellac, wait 1 hour, sand with 0000 steel wool. Second coat, wait one hour, sand with 0000 steel wool dipped in furniture paste wax (Johnson works well, Minwax, and I think Ikea has a nice wax but I have not tried it). When it's done it feels like satin in your fingers.

Polyurethane is an alternative and can be made as glossy as you like. Spar Urethane will have a little orange color to it, like shellac.

[Becky]

Minwax makes a wipe on polyurethane product that works well with boxes.  You just put some on a lint-free towel - like a shop towel - and rub it on.  It is available in gloss and semi-gloss.  If you want the glassy effect, use the gloss.  It'll take a few coats (with a 6 hour wait between coats) but I think it will give you the effect you want.  Just make sure your project is sanded nice and smooth.  Any defects in the wood will show through the finish.

I have only tied cutting material that thick a few times as I mostly do fretwork.  I have found it to be very slow going.  You might want to check out FD Mike's polar blades.  They are designed for use with thicker wood.  They will leave more fuzzies on the back than a reverse tooth blade but they are more aggressive. 
With box sides, the fuzzies shouldn't be too big an issue.  You will easily be able to sand them away.

[Rapid Roger]

I'm not sure what kind of boxes you are making but, I recently made five boxes for my grandkids for Christmas using very thick wood.  In fact, I think the pieces were close to 2-1/4" thick and pretty much maxed out my saw.
I used Olson FR48TW blades which are .080 wide and .018 thick and have only 7 TPI. I also started out by drilling 3/4" holes in all four corners and just cut from hole to hole (corner to corner if you will).
The real "secret" is to go slow and let the saw dust clear the gullet of the teeth and stop and back up just a bit so the dust can clear easier from time to time. If you are cutting a straight line and push too hard, the blade will curve a bit which is not a real problem except when you are starting or finishing a cut. There, you need to slow way down (maybe even add a bit more tension to the blade) and let it cut slowly and keep the blade vertical and straight.
Here is a picture of one of the boxes just before adding the top piece and showing the off cut (drop out) center part.



Hope that helps.

Here is a shot of some of the finished boxes.



Rog