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12 Finishing Tips Good finishers have lots of tricks up their sleeves. Here’s a handful from Bob Flexner, one of the nation’s foremost experts. By Bob Flexner 1. Add depth by glazing [...]

Repairing Finishes Rescue battle-scarred finishes with ordinary materials. By Bob Flexner Revive a dull finish All finishes dull as they age, but you can usually bring back their shine. The [...]

Had an opportunity to work (very little), and watch (maximum attention) as kitchen cabinets were being finished using a high volume, low pressure (HVLP) spray system. Pretty cool. Read up online [...]

In my elementary school, the janitor was a shadowy character who mostly stayed in the basement, in his private area next to the boiler room. Yet he was powerful enough to make everyone (even [...]

One thing you can count on when you save a half-used can of varnish is that the contents will be skinned-over the next time you open the can. When this happens, don't gnash your teeth; the [...]

Restore an Antique Oak Table Thoughtful finishing and new leaves prepare this classic for the next 100 years. By Kevin Southwick This old table looks like a prime candidate for refinishing. Strip [...]

When stripping a chair or table, place each leg in a coffee can. Any excess stripper drips right in, and when you take off the finish, you can simply push your scraper down the length of the leg. [...]

Editor’s note: In the Summer 2008 issue we promised to reprint our article on an “Authentic Arts & Crafts Finish” from 2007. We just noticed that we neglected to post the [...]

Bob Flexner takes out the myths and puts some sense back into a simple task.

Yesterday I finished up work on the dry sink that is the cover project for the Spring 2009 issue of Woodworking Magazine (Issue 13). As always, the finishing part of the project was as much an [...]

Flexible Spray Gun Pickup Tube My HVLP spray gun came equipped with a standard metal fluid-pickup tube. It works fine until I tip my gun to get inside a cabinet. Then the gun sputters and spits [...]

Sometime back in 1996 I took a piece of cloth that was cast off from my wardrobe. I cannot remember what the garment was. A sweatshirt perhaps? Long underwear? It’s a bit stretchy. And I [...]