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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...

Several readers have asked some questions about the Shaker Wall Cupboard I built for the February 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine (mailing now to subscribers). Here are the answers....

After four years of writing magazine articles and blog entries, there is something that irks me to no end. Safety police. (Eye protection. Ear protection. Push sticks. Yes we all...

The Painter's Pyramid is a useful tool that securely elevates your project off the work surface. It means you can finish most or all of a workpiece without waiting for...

If you want to spray finishes indoors, you need an exhaust system. This affordable homemade set-up makes it possible and affordable.

This morning I added a coat of pitch black milk paint to my sack-back chair. After you strain milk paint, it’s a lot more like adding a colored wash than...

Early chairs , especially American ones , look best when they are painted. Like any good woodworker who is in love with his or her raw material, I’ve tried to...

        Fifty bucks and a few hours is all it takes to put together this finishing booth. It keeps overspray off my tools and dust off my...

The tabletop on our for the I Can Do That project in our February 2010 issue, appeared a bit blasé. So to pep up the look, I thought inlay. Knowing...

Tips & Techniques for Fantastic Oak Finishes By Dave Munkittrick Like a movie star, oak possesses natural good looks. Unlike a movie star, however, oak is easy to work with—even...

        I buy varnish by the gallon because it’s more economical, but after a few uses, the rim fills with gunk and the finish begins to skin over...

      I never thought about the risks of using finish from an old, previously opened can until I had to entirely strip a project because the ancient varnish...