Finishing

  Wood finishing doesn’t have to be complicated or mysterious. That’s not to say that even experienced finishers don’t run into problems from time to time; everybody does. [...]

The Way Wood Works: Birch This affordable wood is great for both high-end and utilitarian cabinetry. By Tim Johnson Birch is a hot item at the lumberyard these days, and...

For the August 2012 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine, I built a reproduction of a Gustav Stickley No. 74 Book Rack. It’s a great piece in a couple of ways:...

20 Finishing Tips Purchase the complete version of this woodworking technique story from AWBookstore.com. Make dewaxed shellac Take the wax out of shellac and you have a great sealer that’s...

Basic HVLP Spray Techniques How to succeed at spraying a waterborne finish Purchase the complete version of this woodworking technique story from AWBookstore.com. When it comes to finishing, [...]

The answer is “no.” What’s the question? “Doesn’t (oil, tallow, paraffin, beeswax, snake squeezins, earwax, monkey fat) interfere with finishing?” Still, the answer is “no” – unless you are using...

Quartersawn white oak begs for a fumed finish just as was used on many original Stickley projects. Learn the steps to a traditional finish process.

Iron Out Those Dents Here’s a classic tip that everyone should know: It’s not hard to make a dent in wood and fortunately, it’s not hard to get one out,...

Aged Cherry Finish Wipe on years of age in a few easy steps. By Tim Johnson If you want to make a woodworker gnash his teeth, ask him to make...

I was lucky enough to be Bob Flexner’s editor for ‘Wood Finishing 101’. Throughout the process he and I both came back to the value of the images that would...

Tips for Finishing Walnut THERE’S NO DENYING that most walnut looks great with nothing more than a few coats of oil. Here we’ll show you some tricks to make your...

Here’s how to cut through all the confusion about oil, tung oil and wiping varnish. By Bob Flexner Finishing is a mystery to most woodworkers, but it’s not because finishes...