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Understand the fundamentals of finishing your woodworking projects. A wood finish is a clear, transparent coating applied to wood to protect it from moisture and to make it look richer and [...]

Finishing figured wood is an intimidating thing.  You have a special material and you want to apply a finish that is going to enhance the figure that’s already there. Here is my oil-based [...]

Avoid shellac drips, sags and runs by making sure your brush is properly loaded. After dipping your brush in the shellac and drawing it across the edge of the can, lightly dab it on a lint-free [...]

Layering colors is the secret to an authentic look. When a customer asked me to replicate the finish on her antique Stickley sideboard for the pieces she had commissioned, I grabbed my yellow dye [...]

Every woodworker I know uses water-borne polyurethane. Of all the ways I’ve seen to get a silk-smooth finish, abrasive, steel-wool substitute pads are by far the best. The coarseness of the pad [...]

When matching stains, nothing is more pleasing than getting it right the first time. Matching stain is one of the hardest things to do in the woodshop, especially when trying to match the color [...]

Wipe on years of age in less than a week. If you want to make a woodworker gnash his teeth, ask him to make new cherry look like cherry that has aged naturally to a rich, dark brownish hue. Why [...]

An excellent finish for first timers (and beyond). Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the November 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Wiping varnish might be the [...]

Make a habit of applying finish to end grain first. Why? It’s all about avoiding drip shadows.    Sounds creepy, doesn’t it? Here’s the deal: let’s say you’re finishing a top. You’re merrily [...]

All levels of finishing are burdened with myths, but the types of finishes used by amateurs and sold in home centers and woodworking stores suffer the most. Myths about polyurethane are a good [...]

When faced with the task of refinishing a large, heavy oak door, I wanted to complete the job as quickly as possible by being able to work on both faces of the door without having to wait for one [...]

Have you ever tried to use varnish from a skinned-over, half-used can? Even if you remove the skin carefully, lumps of dried finish get mixed in with the remaining varnish and eventually end up [...]