Fast Finishing of Heavy Doors

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 [...]

Strain Your Varnish

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 [...]

Shellac: A Challenging Finish

This traditional finish can be tricky to apply. Editor’s note: The staff at Popular Woodworking received the news of Bob Flexner’s passing in December 2024 with heavy hearts. Bob was [...]

The Splinter Report: May 16th

Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking world. This week we’re looking at cordless sanders, religious [...]

How to Create Patina Finishes

By combining paint, metal leaf, and some chemical reactions, you can create interesting effects on a variety of surfaces. Creating a Patina finish can transform any object into a work of art. I [...]

Waterproof Outdoor Projects

When used as an undercoat or sealer, brushable epoxy greatly reduces expansion and contraction in wood. Coat all parts prior to assembly and make sure epoxy gets down into the fastener holes. If [...]

KBS DiamondFinish Clear Review

Tool: DiamondFinish Clear Shop Now  Manufacturer: KBS Coatings MSRP: $28+ It’s not often that a new type of finish is brought to the woodworking market. Recently, KBS Coatings, a company [...]

Linseed Paint as A Wood Finish

Linseed paint will change the way you approach painting a project, but this wonderful finish takes a different approach than modern paints. The world of finishes is a complex one. When I find a [...]

Storable, Portable Turntable

If you do a lot of spray painting and finishing, but don’t have room for a permanent finishing bench, give this turntable a spin. It’s surprisingly sturdy and because it rotates, you can get to [...]

A Fabulous Brush-On / Wipe-On Finish

A Disposable Brush And A Few Rags Build An Awesome Finish. Finishing is a challenging aspect of woodworking. There are many finishing materials and methods of application; within a single piece [...]

Re-Usable Tack Cloth

Micro fiber cloth picks up tiny dust particles as well as, if not better than, a tack cloth. Unlike a tack cloth, micro fiber cloths are washable and reusable. Rockler sells Norton’s micro [...]

Finishing For Beginners

We all have to begin somewhere, and this is actually the most difficult time. Years ago I remember teaching a class about finishing that included one student who said he had never used a stain or [...]