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How Important is Surface Preparation?

How Important is Surface Preparation?

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...

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Aging and Antiquing Wood

One of the things that I enjoy is experimenting with finishing. One of my favorite things is the antique looking finishes. While I do a lot of formal finishing, particularly on period pieces, I do enjoy playing with the old aged look and I must say they have served me...

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TIP: Second Coat Most Important

TIP: Second Coat Most Important

The second coat of finish you apply to a project, after you have sanded the first coat smooth, is the most important coat because it provides the depth and sheen. Sometimes you can improve the depth with additional coats, but nothing equals the difference obtained...

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The Role of Flatting Agent in Creating Sheen

The Role of Flatting Agent in Creating Sheen

The sheen of a finish is the degree of light reflection when a surface is viewed at a low angle. In a high sheen or high gloss surface, you see glare or a distinct reflected image. In a low sheen, satin or flat surface, glare and reflection are softened to the point...

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TIP: Wipe Stain, Don’t Brush

The rule for applying stain evenly is to apply a wet coat and wipe off the excess before the stain dries. With faster drying stains such as water-based stain, dye stain and lacquer stain, it’s not possible to get the stain applied fast enough on large surfaces if you...

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TIP: Testing for Fish Eye

Fish eye is a term that describes the ridging or cratering of a newly applied finish; the finish refuses to lay down flat. Fish eye is common during refinishing because it is caused by the low-surface-tension silicone oil contained in many furniture polishes getting...

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TIP: Boiled Linseed Oil isn’t Boiled

Boiled linseed oil isn’t raw linseed oil that has been boiled. You can’t make boiled linseed oil simply by heating it. Boiled linseed oil, which is sometimes abbreviated “BLO,” is raw linseed oil with metallic driers added. These driers act as catalysts to speed the...

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TIP: Metamarism

The light source makes a big difference for how your finished wood projects appear. It’s important to be aware of this if you are working on a project in your shop under one light source and then moving the project to another light source. Look at the four...

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