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Here are four things you need to know. Finishing is not hard to understand. As I’ve pointed out in previous articles, it’s made confusing by manufacturers who don’t understand their...

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...

A newly-installed oak floor with oil-based polyurethane wouldn't dry after five days. What was the problem? Bob Flexner explains.

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 [...]

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 [...]

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...

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...

Did I mention there would be a quiz? Here are 20 questions, together with the answers, based on my articles from Popular Woodworking. If you have been reading regularly, you...

Once an inaccuracy gets started, it becomes almost impossible to correct. “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on,” said Winston...

How can something so simple be made so hard to understand? It’s probably fair to say that a majority, or at least a large minority, of woodworkers use a finish...

Repair, strip and refinish to restore old pieces. Refinishing is a topic worthy of an entire book. In fact, restoring furniture includes all of woodworking and finishing because all skills...

Your decision is simplified by the process of elimination. At some point as you progress in woodworking, you begin to realize that there are many finishes to choose among; you...