Finish Thickness Determines Water Resistance More Than Type of Finish
I’ve written this many times and said it many more. The film thickness of a finish is much more important for preventing water getting through to the wood than the...
Methylated Spirits: Is it the Best Solvent for Shellac?
A woodworker friend called wanting to know where he could buy some methylated spirits. He had just read in a book that it was the best solvent to use...
Is There Pigment or Dye in Minwax Stains? Does it Matter?
A woodworker friend asked me what type colorants, pigment or dye, were used in Minwax stains. He had called Minwax and was told that they use only pigment, but this...
French Polishing Vocabulary is Strange and Off-putting: I Think We Should Use Plain English.
One of the difficulties with learning to do French polishing is overcoming the exotic vocabulary that continues to be used by some: “charge the rubber,” “fad in,” “spirit off,” etc....
Brands of Stain Differ in the Amount of Color they Leave on the Wood
Stains differ in the amount of colorant they include. On this panel I applied one brand of walnut stain to the left side and another brand to the right side,...
Here’s How to Fix a Spray Pattern that is Heavier on One End
A spray pattern, with all the controls on the spray gun wide open, is supposed to be an even, elongated oval shape. If the pattern is heavier on one end...
A Little Straight Talk on Dyes and Fading
The left dye is Transtint metalized dye. The right dye is Lockwood analine dye. Both are water-soluble. I covered the top half of the panel and put it in a...
Don’t Sand Furniture – Strip it. Stripping is Faster and Often Safer
This is one I come across often. People tell me in one way or another, that they are going to sand off the finish or paint. So then I point...
Air Movement and Heat Speed the Drying of Finishes
On Nov. 22 I posted an explanation of how cooler temperatures slow the drying of all finishes. Well, the opposite is also true. Warmer temperatures, especially with the aid of...
Water Spots From Rain: A Lesson Learned
I learned this lesson the hard way. Don’t transport unfinished wood in the open bed of a pick-up truck if there’s any chance of rain. A local cabinet shop had...
Why You Can’t French Polish with Polyurethane
I got a question from a woodworker about French polishing. He wanted to know why he was having so much trouble French polishing with Wipe-on Poly. He had made his...
Reminder: All Finishes Dry and Harden Slower in Cooler Temperatures
This problem comes up a lot at this time of year. You’ve been finishing a large project for several weeks without problems. Then the finish starts sagging on vertical surfaces...
