You can achieve a great finish from commonly available products. We all love home centers for the good stuff they carry and for their low prices. But home centers cater...
The two commonly available pure oil finishes that can be used on furniture and woodwork with decent results because they cure – that is, turn from a liquid to a...
Easy to use and maintain, they keep outdoor wood furniture looking like new. You’ve spent the winter building a set of cedar Adirondack chairs; or maybe you’ve purchased a teak...
The critical parts are the fluid nozzle and air cap. As I have said many times, spray guns are pretty simple tools. By comparison, they aren’t any more difficult to...
How to choose a spray gun. A spray gun is a tool that turns a stain, paint, finish or other liquid material into a fine mist—a process called “atomization.” It...
Learn the nuts and bolts of making hardware new again. From the time I began collecting reclaimed wood I remember salvaging all kinds of hardware pieces. I like to dismantle...
Apply this Classic Finish Like a Pro If you aren’t brushing shellac, it’s either because you’ve never tried it or you’ve had a bad experience. Let’s see if I can...
Solutions for common situations, from softening edges to stripping. Here are 10 tips and tricks you might use to both speed your finishing and get better results. I’ve arranged them...
Some straight talk about cherry and blotching. When I opened my furniture-making and restoration shop in 1976, the woods considered best for high-end furniture were walnut and mahogany. Of course,...
When finishing a flat panel, I use plastic soda bottle caps as standoffs to raise the panel above the bench. First, I finish the back side of the panel. Then...
