On today’s WoodTalk “Weekend Edition”, we’re talking about choosing the right finish for your project.
Matt wants to know if there is some kind of resource to help on choose which finish to use to match a specific look.
Recommended Resources:
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- Charles Neil’s Finishing A to Z DVD series or his accompanying Finish Reference Sheet
- Hendrik Varju’s Finishing DVD is comprehensive to say the least
- Understanding Wood Finishing – Flexner
- Taunton’s Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing – Jewitt
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4 replies on “WT215 – Finishing Finder”
40 years ago I worked in an antique restoration shop and we only used one stain and one finish. After we stripped the furniture and everything was sanded we applied only pine stain followed by a 50/50 mix of varnish and shellac. This gave a warm glow and while it was not the most resistant to water rings and such keeping a good coat of wax on the piece helped in that respect. We also used different colored rub sticks after the first coat of finish to accentuate or highlight grains if needed. We then applied 2 more coats of the 50/50 mix sanding to 400 between coats and finishing with #0000 steel wool with a final wipe down with natural wax. This left the most natural look of the wood and the customers were always satisfied.
Guys – thanks and wow — I got an entire episode dedicated to my question! You’re right that I am adventurous, and thanks for all the advice.
An excellent resource of wood finishing information is the Architectural Woodwork Standards published by the Architectural Woodwork Institute. Architects, Designers and Architectural Woodwork manufacturers should have a copy.
http://woodworkinstitute.com/publications/aws_ed02.asp
Given the Influence you 3 have with Rockler, request they source a white lead refill for their mechanical pencil they sell.