Finishing

Easy to use and maintain, they keep outdoor wood furniture looking like new. You’ve spent the winter building a set of cedar Adirondack chairs; or maybe you’ve purchased a teak garden bench. You [...]

The critical parts are the fluid nozzle and air cap. As I have said many times, spray guns are pretty simple tools. By comparison, they aren’t any more difficult to use than a router. Still, [...]

How to choose a spray gun. A spray gun is a tool that turns a stain, paint, finish or other liquid material into a fine mist—a process called “atomization.” It then propels the liquid onto a work [...]

Learn how to stain pine with a few simple tricks. With the right technique, you can make this inexpensive wood look like a million bucks.

Understand the fundamentals. A wood finish is a clear, transparent coating applied to wood to protect it from moisture and to make it look richer and deeper. This differs from paint, which is a [...]

Apply this Classic Finish Like a Pro If you aren’t brushing shellac, it’s either because you’ve never tried it or you’ve had a bad experience. Let’s see if I can change that. The number one [...]

Solutions for common situations, from softening edges to stripping. Here are 10 tips and tricks you might use to both speed your finishing and get better results. I’ve arranged them in the rough [...]

Some straight talk about cherry and blotching. When I opened my furniture-making and restoration shop in 1976, the woods considered best for high-end furniture were walnut and mahogany. Of [...]

It isn’t called shou sugi ban, nor is every charred workpiece in a project called yakisugi. It’s simply a charred finish with its origins in Japan. An important lesson I learned during my [...]

Simple in theory, not in the real world. A reader of my blog  asked me to explain what polymerized oil is. So here goes. On one level the explanation is incredibly simple and on another it’s [...]

A well-tuned spray gun doesn't guarantee a perfect finish. Here are five of the most common spraying problems and how to fix them.

How to choose and apply a long-lasting clear finish. What do fancy wooden boats and beautiful wooden front doors have in common? They both need a clear finish that can really stand up to the [...]