What is Shellac?
This 11-minute video excerpt, featuring the one and only Don Williams, is a fairly complete answer to a common question – what is shellac? I say “fairly complete” because the video generated a [...]
How to Remove Watermarks
A wet drinking glass can make an ugly white or dark ring on your furniture. Here’s how to fix the damage. by Bob Flexner Watermarks occur on furniture with finishes that have aged. These marks, [...]
The Redneck Polissoir
Whenever I teach a class that involves turning, I like to show them how well the French “polissoir” can finish off your work on the lathe. A polissoir (say it poly-swaar) is a bundle of broom [...]
AW Extra 3/20/14 – Spray Booth for Waterborne Finishes
Spray Booth for Waterborne Finishes Fifty bucks and a few hours is all it takes to put together this finishing booth. It keeps overspray off my tools and dust off my projects. Since I use [...]
30 Finishing Supplies
30 Finishing Supplies 30 must-have tools for finishing all types of woodworking projects. By Kevin Southwick Collecting woodworking tools is undeniably fun. As a professional finisher, I [...]
AW Extra 2/6/14 – Touch up: Repairing a Damaged Finish
Touch up: Repairing a Damaged Finish Hide blemishes without refinishing. Touch up refers to techniques used to repair and disguise damage on already finished wood—without refinishing. Whether [...]
Q & A: Spray-On Crackle Finish
Spray-On Crackle Finish Q: Is it possible to get a crackle finish in a pigmented, water-based lacquer that is applied with an HVLP spray gun? If so, please tell me how. A: Yes, it can be [...]
Dyed by My Own Hand
When I finish my pieces, I use restraint when adding stains or dyes. Most woods look best (to my eye) with some shellac, lacquer and maybe a little colored wax in the pores. But when I do color [...]
The Fear-Love Spectrum of Finishing
Every time I purchase lacquer at a professional paint store, I have the following conversation. Me: “Could you put that gallon in the paint-mixing machine for a couple minutes? That will save me [...]
Q & A: Why Does My Wood Have Stripes?
Why Does My Wood Have Stripes? Q: I put a clear finish on a beautiful ash table I made and found faint stripes an inch or two wide going across each board. Any ideas on what caused them [...]
Q & A: Is Polyurethane Food-Safe?
Is Polyurethane Food-Safe? Q: I’m planning on finishing a set of wooden plates with polyurethane. Is this finish safe for food? A: According to finishing expert Bob Flexner, all [...]
The Simple ‘Dirty Mahogany’ Finish
Here is one of my favorite finishes for any wood that is ring-porous or diffuse-porous. I call it “dirty mahogany” or “creepy janitor.” First a warning: I think this finish looks like crap on [...]
