Good surface preparation is a key to obtaining a stellar finish. Milling marks, fine scratches, and thin slivers of dried glue that may be barely visible prior to finishing will stand out like a sore thumb after the finish is applied. Stearate papers are flexible yet...
Expert’s Corner
The Twist of Variables
If you engage in the act of finishing at any kind of level, even if just a few meaningful times a year, then you definitely understand that the proof is in the pudding when it comes to creating good finishes. When you get really good at finishing, it almost doesn’t...
Secret of Sheen – the Second Coat Is Most Important
Secret of Sheen – the Second Coat Is Most Important Most important in this instruction is that you have to sand the first coat smooth to obtain the full effect. If you don’t sand this coat smooth, the roughness will telegraph through the second coat and reduce the...
Finishing the Deckrail
For those with decks that have spindle rail systems…you would probably rather have root canal than brush those spindles out with stain. (See the above before photo.) Here is another case where a quick scuff and vac gets your ready to roll out the HVLP and save...
Waterborne Finishes – Pro and Con
My beginning was in automotive finishing and it remained my career for the next twenty years, then I switched to woodworking and finishing. As with most finishers, I began with the old nitrocellulose lacquers and while they were very friendly to use, they were less...
TIP: How to Choose a Stain for Fade Resistance
Pigment resists fading. Dye fades quickly in sunlight, including sunlight coming through a window. So when staining any object that will receive direct sunlight, always use stain containing only pigment. Because pigment settles and dye doesn’t, you can easily test for...
How to Choose a Finish: Part II
For an overview of choosing a finish please refer to “How to Choose a Finish: Part I.” To better understand finishes and their differences, it’s very helpful to put them into categories by the way they cure. You may think the resins—polyurethane, alkyd, acrylic,...
How to Choose a Finish: Part I
The first step in finishing a project (beyond preparing the wood, of course) is to choose the finish you want to use. In fact, it's wise to make this choice even before starting on the project because it may influence the wood you choose. There are seven broad...
Caring for Natural Bristle Brushes used with Water Based Paints
1. Always wash a new brush before you use it. I use Dawn Liquid Detergent in the shop, but you can use most any detergent that doesn’t contain bleach. Bleach will dry out your bristles, just like your hair. I squeeze the detergent into the palm of my hand and then...
Enhance the Appearance of Wood With Stains
While there are some woodworkers who might cringe at the thought of staining wood, there are good reasons why you might want to do so. Some lighter colored woods, such as poplar, alder, beech, and birch do tend to look somewhat bland, and can benefit from a dash of...