Press putty tightly into the gouge with a small flat stick, then flatten it and scrape away the excess with the stick's long edge. In this download you’ll learn – once and for all – the ideal rules for sanding wood. To receive your free download, join our mailing list and never miss news, tips, promotions or discounts. We call it the “Complete Guide” because it is packed with in-depth information on every process for successful wood finishing. Of all wood finishing operations, sanding is the one we all think we know best. “Refinishing is a good thing,” says Bob in this download. Continue rubbing until you remove enough of the clear surface finish to eliminate the scratches, but be careful not to remove any of the stain below the clear finish. A thin, light-colored line will usually appear around the perimeter of the patch. In these cases, stripping is a better option than sanding. In either case, plan to spend more for a good-quality brush. Sanding is usually the first stage involved in wood finishing. We'll guide you to the right finish for your project—polyurethane, lacquer, shellac, and more—and show you how to … Pour a generous amount of clear or neutral Danish oil onto a very fine steel wool pad. Make a scraper like the one shown at right from 3⁄4 " pine or some other softwood. You don't have to strip the finish from your dingy woodwork. Leaving excess stain on the wood for longer or shorter periods won't affect the color much. You can either use the furniture touch-up markers available at hardware stores and home centers, or, to get an exact match, buy markers at an art supply store that carries an array of colors. Gluing & Clamping Skills – 67 minutes. Mark oversees the company and creates tutorials on wood finishing and woodworking tips for hardwood lumber. Test stain on scraps to get the color you want. The tips you see above are only scratching the surface of this amazing topic. Sure I use hand tools for some parts of furniture building, specifically when cutting dovetails. Subscribe ». But I doubt you’ll ever catch me … If it's a custom color you're after, you can mix stains of the same brand. Using a steel putty knife to scrape off stripper-softened paint or other finishes can scar the furniture you're trying to refinish. Finishes have been marketed under so many different names and genres – for so many years – that you will never get the right information by simply reading the labels. When you notice a run, missed spot or other problem in the polyurethane you applied minutes earlier, you'll be tempted to brush it out. Advanced Sanding Techniques – 86 minutes. Rinse with clear water, then gently scrape off any paint spatters with a plastic putty knife. Related to planes, scrapers are ancient, simple finishing tools—in essence, pieces of steel with one edge burnished to produce a wire-thin cutting edge. For water-based poly, a synthetic brush (such as nylon or polyester) is best. Spray the patch with two or three quick passes of shellac, then after it dries, a few quick passes of spray lacquer—either high gloss or satin, depending on your furniture's finish. When the wood is dry, dip a rag into the stain and wipe it over the wood. Do learn the 6 types of wood finishes. Wood finishing (or refinishing) is the next step. Rub the surface with the oil-saturated pad using your flat hand. It covers other things like advanced coloring techniques, finishing the finish, an entire chapter that covers how to finish different woods, and how to repair damaged wood. Do Not Sell My Personal Information – CA Residents. Get a quart at a home center or paint store. Woodworkers Source is a division of MacBeath Hardwood Co. https://www.woodworkerssource.com. Move with the grain, and make sure the angle of the spray remains the same all the way across. Oil-based poly has an amber tone that can dramatically change the color of stained or unstained wood. Controlling Color with Success – 74 minutes. Do it right, and it will be just as fun and rewarding as the first steps. Then lightly sand with 320-grit sandpaper to remove imperfections. Buy several sticks of putty similar to the color of the stain you want to match. The friction caused by the heat will cure the oil faster. When you're done working for the day, swish your brush around in the first container. 3. Wood finishing is easier if you know what you’re working with. Once you know what to look for, it’s easy to decode your options! Round over the handle edges for comfort. Finish up by spraying on the final coat. If you get paint on the face of the casing, wipe it off with a wet rag to create a neat edge. Don't. This is especially true if you are refinishing wood or painting over stained wood. • You need to consider what finishing facilities and equipment are available. Turn out the lights and shine light at a low angle across the wood to reveal imperfections. … Suspend the brush in the third container. Don’t forget to evaluate your sanding job to end up with a perfect finish by referring to the Youtube video above. I use 220-grit for the second coat and 320 for all subsequent coats. Wood Coloring Techniques – 62 minutes. For water-based poly, a synthetic brush (such as nylon or polyester) is best. Allow the surface to dry overnight before applying lacquer. That’s why you need to download this FREE guide to finishing wood. Put a lid on the first two containers, and wrap plastic wrap or aluminum foil around the brush handle on the third container. one to choose. Polish buildup and the dirt embedded in it muddy the finish but will wipe away. So save scraps from your project, run them through the same sanding process and use them to test finishes. This may become your favorite type of wood finish. If your stained and varnished woodwork is looking a little shabby, you can save time and money with this quick fix. Keep in mind that colors tend to darken when they soak into wood fibers. Repairing A Shellac Finish. Then do a final wipe with a fresh, clean rag. Sanding after each coat (except the last) rubs out imperfections and roughens the surface for better adhesion of the next coat. Once you paint your base color, mix the color of your grain using one part oil-based paint to one part thinner or Penetrol. One effective solution is advanced framing, a system of construction framing techniques that optimize material use and increase energy efficiency. Conditioner also prevents wood's end grain from absorbing more stain than the face grain. Steel scrapers work great—for the first few minutes. Experience and experimenting will teach me even more. Do it wrong, and you’ll never want to finish wood again! Soak a coarse, absorbent, clean cloth with mineral spirits and wipe the finish. Get your download and learn how to polish wood! When the sanding is done, wipe away the residue with a damp rag. Any of these can go over the gloss coats. All wood has a grain, some more vibrant than others. © 2020 Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved, Free Woodworking Downloads From Lee Valley, I Can Do That! The process is one of applying transparent pigmented liquid over or between coats of finish. Do refinish. The technique basically involves using a sanding block to scrape and rub over the wood surface to make it more even and smooth. While sanding, make sure to do so along the grain of the wood so as to prevent any scratches. Wood finishing (or refinishing) is the next step. Wipe oil-based polyurethane onto hard-to-brush surfaces using a soft, lint-free cloth. While mineral oil is a by-product from distilled petroleum, it remains one of … For oil-based poly, use a natural-bristle brush. To back up a bit, I have experimented with a number of wood finishing techniques and have finally settled on what works for me. Using these exact grits isn't vital (100-150-180 works too), but it's important to progress in steps, removing deeper scratches and leaving finer scratches each time. Paint the back of the door and set it painted side down on the pyramids while you paint the front. You can also apply this technique to wax finishes. Glazing and Toning are techniques used to highlight the details in the woodwork or to unify and add depth to the color. There is plenty of good stuff out there, but you have to know what to look for. You can save a bundle on furniture by finding antiques and bringing them back to life. Finishing New Wood A Great Place to Begin If your goal is to learn what it takes to create that beautiful finish you’ve been looking for on your projects and you are ready to get some "hands-on" time, I can help you gain more confidence with your wood finishing. If holes and other flaws are still present, it is advisable to make use of wood putty to level off the imperfections. When the first container gets too full of old finish, dump it into a fourth container labeled “used mineral spirits.” Shift the second and third containers to positions one and two, and pour clean mineral spirits into the one you emptied and place it at the end of the line. Proper Lighting. Birch, maple, pine and cherry can all play this ugly trick on you. Layering stain for a cool effect! So you finished building a small project, or scored a great deal on some old furniture at the flea market. For thorough coverage, you may need to dab the ink onto the scratch, let it dry, then even out the color by stroking lightly across it with the tip. For more information and insight into all of the nuances and techniques of finishing, I highly recommend Bob Flexner’s book “Understanding Wood Finishing”. 6. Learn how! 1. Styles come and go, but painting wood has remained as one of the nicest ways to finish furniture and other wood projects. Watch Your Sandpaper: Sandpaper is a cutting tool, keep it sharp and keep it clean. It is as fast or faster than spray painting and gives "violin" quality with "gunstock" toughness incredibly easily. Burnishing the applied and sanded finish with wood shavings enhances the pore-filling process. In either case, plan to spend more for a good-quality brush. Here's a trick for getting a glass-smooth finish on your next woodworking project. You can reuse the mineral spirits from the “used” container after the finish settles. We will give basic instructions to acquaint you with it's marvelous properties and then we'll examine some advanced techniques. April 16, 2010 Usually, a brush is the best tool for applying polyurethane. Quality brushes hold more finish, lay it on smoothly and are less likely to leave lost bristles in your clear coat. The same stain was used on the samples shown in this photo. This is the complete wood finishing techniques freebie from our expert, Bob Flexner. Finishing Techniques TED 126 Spring 2007 Review pages 147-150, 284-294 Finishes and finishing techniques • The finishing process to choose depends partly on the type of wood and the appearance wanted for the piece. Fill in gouges with colored putty sticks, sold at most hardware stores and home centers. Repeat this process for the second coat. Wipe away any putty adhering to the wood around the gouge, and smooth the surface of the putty with a clean cloth. When sanding between coats, smooth curves with a steel wool substitute such as 3M's Scotchbrite pads. Dry them outdoors, spread out loosely, when the oil has dried, you can safely throw the rags and steel wool in the trash. From Start to Finish Choose from the options below to get tips, step-by-step instructions and helpful Do’s and Don’ts for every phase of your wood finishing project. Caulk the joint between the casing and the siding as usual. Get yours now! Wood is a porous material, capable of soaking in anything that gets on it, such as oils, dirt, and chemicals. You can't rely on those stain samples on display in stores. These two techniques can also be used to give "age" to the finish. Save up to 68% on 7 issues of woodworking projects and tricks. We like gel stain for this fix, but any wood stain will work. Save time and mineral spirits with this three-container brush-cleaning method. Why Bother With A Finish Anyway? When sanding between coats, it's easy to rub right through the clear coat, removing the stain below. Finish by wiping the woodwork with a clean cloth to remove the excess stain. Let it dry overnight. Wood finishing is one of the most important steps in the completion of attractive and beautiful projects. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule: You can pop tiny air bubbles with a pin, and you can pluck out a hair, a lost bristle or unfortunate fly using sharp tweezers and a steady hand. Water-based poly dries quickly and may not allow enough “wet” time for brushing out big areas. I sand subsequent coats of finish into the wood at 24-hour intervals with progressively finer sandpaper. You can use the same mineral spirits for several brush cleanings. Partially fill three containers with mineral spirits. If you have lap siding to paint, you can save a lot of time by painting the edges of window and door casings the same color as the siding. After the stain dries for a few days, you can add a coat of furniture wax or wipe-on poly to really liven up the old wood. Treat all areas equally, using the same progression of sandpaper grits for both hand and power sanding. Don't be intimidated by the finishing process. This is often overlooked, but proper lighting is extremely helpful in identifying skips, … We recommend our users to update the browser. Congratulations! We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer). 4. If you didn't build the item you're finishing, run tests on an inconspicuous area—the underside of a table, for example. If there are bigger problems—such as runs—deal with them after the second coat when you can sand a bit harder. ARROW WOOD FINISH is the answer! Do read this FREE download, from cover to cover! And using an aerosol can to apply the final coat produces a professional-looking finish, free of brush marks. Overall an excellent book that has given me the confidence to 1/2 way know what I am doing when it comes to wood finishing. Keep the spray aimed away from other surfaces that you don't want coated, or mask them with newspaper. Aug 19, 2020 - Painting, Staining, distressing wood projects. You can hide scratches with permanent-ink felt-tip markers. Even if you are going to paint wood, as opposed to finishing it with a lacquer or oil, proper sanding is important. Start with 80-grit to sand away blemishes, then use 120-grit and finally 180-grit. And even if you are finishing a brand new piece, you will want to sand efficiently and keep it to a minimum. Don’t trust wood finish labels. If you clean your brush immediately after use, it'll serve you well far into the future. You can buff out fine scratches using very fine (0000) steel wool saturated with clear Danish oil. You’ve put a lot of time into your projects, so you’ll want to keep them looking good for years. Consider a burnt wood finish in your home. In fact, the one thing about handmade articles that is often far inferior to commercially made ones is the finish. The types of wood finishes we have today come from centuries of artisans and craftsmen perfecting natural wood finishing techniques. Never apply lacquer or polyurethane/varnish directly over a putty patch; it will leave a permanently soft mess. If you want to know how to polish wood quickly and effectively, wiping varnish is the answer. It is the product of a … Because we’re all woodworkers here at Popular Woodworking, we generate a huge amount of valuable woodworking information that we cannot possibly cram into the printed magazine. Unlike hardening putties, it remains soft and somewhat flexible, so you have to shape it carefully. Wipe away all the Danish oil with rags or paper towels, then thoroughly clean the entire surface with mineral spirits several times to make sure all the oil is removed. Sand with the grain when hand sanding or using a. Appearance. Although at least 10 varieties and more than a dozen brands of finish are available, all can be divided into two categories: penetrating finishes (those that dry inside the wood) and surface finishes (those that dry on the surface of the wood). Drill a hole in the handle and suspend it from a wire or dowel so that the bristles aren't resting on the bottom of the container. The sharp points on the pyramids will leave only little spots on the wet paint, and they're easy to touch up later. Keep applying and wiping until the cloth no longer picks up dirt. Use a matching marker to color this line. (You can also use ultra-fine automotive rubbing compound.) Wood Finishing Supplies. Don’t rule out painting wood. This just … If any oil remains, the lacquer won't adhere. Don't use stronger solvents; they might dissolve the finish itself. Start by brushing on a coat of gloss polyurethane. A little water provides lubrication and keeps the finish from clogging the paper. Scrape flakes from each, then mix and knead them with your fingertips until the color is right. When drawn across the wood (or finish) at a slight angle, the scraper shaves off paper-thin curls of wood similar to shaving a beard, leaving a surface that is both smooth and remarkably even. The heat from your fingers also softens the putty for easy application. Start your renewal project by washing the woodwork with soapy water. Iron Solutions for Ebonizing Wood Advanced tips on making and applying dark black stain with solutions of iron in water and various solvents. So sand super lightly after the first coat, just enough to cut down any dust whiskers on the surface. In most cases, this is a quick job, more like wiping the surface than sanding it. Stay tuned. Just head to the store and pick up wood stain that's a close match. Don’t sand like crazy. The hottest trend in design—which is also an ancient Japanese technique—offers surprising benefits for siding, furniture, and more. A lot of different woods look good without any applied finish when they’ve been sanded and burnished carefully. A crackle finish on wood is something that can happen naturally over time or something you can do to a woodworking project right away. Flag the problem areas with masking tape and sand them out. Usually, a brush is the best tool for applying polyurethane. Ranging from wood finishing oil, such as linseed oil wood finish, to industrial-grade 2-part finishes, you will find a lot of variance in what’s available and how to use it. George Vondriska takes you step by step through the process and shows you how to achieve this weathered look using hide glue and two contrasting paint colors. Be careful to rub edges or corners excessively; they wear through quickly. Do it right, and it will be just as fun and rewarding as the first steps. I’m a power-tool woodworker. 3. Instead of doing this by hand a power sander may also be utilized. So the newsletter and community are both great places for us to share what we know with you. Don’t try to reuse and recycle your sandpaper, your piece will suffer. My Old System of Finishing. Do it wrong, and you’ll never want to finish wood again! Finally, finish off with a fine grit sandpaper to smooth out the wood until all finish is completely removed. 2. Cut the tool to shape with your scrollsaw or bandsaw, then taper it to an edge by sanding. This putty works well for small holes and nicks but is somewhat trickier to use as a fill for larger damage like we show here. Make the patch slightly darker than the furniture; lighter will be more obvious. Brushing on the first two coats allows you to build up a thicker layer of finish with less cost and effort than spraying from cans. You'll find plastic pyramids at home centers, paint stores and hardware stores. Do organize wood into categories before finishing. That’s why you need to download this FREE guide to finishing wood. Steel wool leaves fibers behind, which can cause stains in the finish. By now the brush will be pretty clean. Wipe it along the edge of the container to remove as much finish as you can. Super-simple mineral oil. 1. Wipe the nozzle with a rag after each stroke to prevent drips. If you've ever scraped paint from an old house, you know how handy that is. Because a shellac wood finish is solvent based, drying finish, it can be easily restored by re-applying the solvent – denatured alcohol. Then they need to be sharpened or replaced. – Simple Woodworking Projects. Bare spots and scratches will pick up the stain. Better yet, you can finish the front of doors (or the top of shelves) without waiting for the back to dry. August 26, 2008 Troubleshooting White Pores and Ridges in a Finish Applying a waterborne clear finish to Mahogany, a finisher runs into a white discoloration that he can't explain.