Tough Finishes for Table Tops A wide-ranging discussion of various approaches to finishing table tops. Your choice will depend on the intended use and the preferred appearance. January 14, 2009
Waterbased Finishes Advice on selecting a waterborne finish system. February 12, 2010
Toner for a Poplar Cabinet A customer changes her mind, and a cabinetmaker needs to apply a stain finish instead of paint — to a poplar cabinet. Pros chime in with detailed recommendations and explanations for a very challenging toner application. May 17, 2005
Troubleshooting a Poor Stain Match Finishers discuss what could have created a glaring mismatch between Maple and Birch components supposedly stained with the same formula. August 6, 2010
Troubleshooting Solvent Pop Even with state-of-the-art equipment, a finisher gets those pesky micro-bubbles in conversion varnish finishes. Here, pros put their heads together and try to figure out what's happening. December 30, 2005
Troubleshooting Air-Assisted Airless Performance A finisher isn't sure whether he's shopping for a new gun or trying to fix the one he has. Either way, he gets some advice in this thread. October 19, 2013
Toning a Table Top This finishing problem is really more of a customer relations issue. But it's worth reading just for a look at the table top (a lovely piece of work). August 22, 2013
Wrinkles in Lacquer Recoat window? Catalyzation? What could be causing this defect? December 9, 2004
Troubleshooting a Wrinkling Problem A clear conversion varnish sealer is wrinkling in a few spots over an oil-based stain. What's the problem? July 11, 2013
Spraying ICA stains Looking for better results with spray/no-wipe stains. November 18, 2002
Stain Mixing, Wood Tones, and Color Theory Starting with the basics, a cogent explanation of how to mix pigments and stains and how to use them to the desired effect on wood. May 18, 2010
Troubleshooting Wrinkling in Pigmented Varnish In jobs involving multiple coats and sanding between coats, pigmented conversion varnish can sometimes have a wrinkling or crinkling problem. Here, finishers try to figure out what can go wrong, and how to stop it. September 10, 2007
Troubleshooting an Adhesion Problem Multiple layers of dissimilar products can create complicated adhesion issues. Here, finishers scratch their heads over one case example. September 10, 2007
Spray Room and Drying Room Design A discussion of spray room characteristics, including layout, air supply and filtration. February 19, 2006
Troubleshooting Inconsistent Glazing Over a White Finish Although it's really not that bad, a finisher isn't happy with a newly finished cabinet; his questions set off a long discussion of glazed-finish quality control and touch-up. April 9, 2007
Troubleshooting Blushing on Cabinet Doors in Use Three months after the job, doors finished with waterborne conversion varnish are blushing. The culprit turns out to be ammonia in a household cleaner.October 20, 2013
Sealer under polyester grain filler Why must a catalyzed urethane be used as the sealer under polyester, instead of other materials? June 24, 2001
Waterborne Finishes - Pros and Cons Here's a long thread with finishers comparing the attributes of waterborne finishes to solventborne products. May 27, 2014
Spraying Conversion Varnish with an HVLP Gun Old hands walk a beginner through the basics of mixing, thinning, and applying conversion varnish. A good introduction. February 14, 2006
Touching up conversion varnish Problems related to conversion varnish touchup. (From WOODWEB's Finishing Forum) January 21, 2003
Solving Lifting in Catalyzed Lacquer Finishers address the persistent problem, experienced by one of their own, with wrinkling and lifting in catlac. February 8, 2005
Spray Guns: From Airless to Air-Assisted A residential painter who's used to airless equipment wants to upgrade to air-assisted for final lacquer coats. He gets advice, makes his choice, and reports back. August 30, 2005
Troubleshooting HVLP Performance A finisher gets help and advice making his new HVLP gun deliver the finish quality he wants. June 30, 2007
Troubleshooting Rough Veneer on Furniture An extended discussion of the adhesive, veneering or finish issues that could create roughness on veneered pieces after some time in service. June 11, 2014
Switching to Water-Based Finishes A finisher who feels healthier after switching to water-based finishes kicks off a long, useful discussion on water-based finishing techniques. December 31, 2005
Spraygun Cleaning and Shellac Advice on maintaining the equipment you use for spraying shellac, and on how to clean equipment when switching between coating types with a single spraygun system. December 1, 2009
Spraying Shellac Finishers discuss the fine points of applying Shellac, a traditional finish that can produce exceptional results when applied with care. December 31, 2012
Tung Oil Finish Differences A discussion of the various finish types containing Tung oil and their performance differences. February 27, 2013
Troubleshooting Finish Cracking (Checking) on Veneer Here's an extended detailed discussion of finish cracks that follow wood veneer grain patterns. Is it wood movement, a veneer adhesion issue, a finish formula problem, or a finish application problem? March 13, 2009
Whether to Strip Cabinet Doors After considering all the options and their various drawbacks, a cabinetmaker decides to buy new doors instead of stripping and refinishing a bad batch. December 29, 2008
Shop Built Spray Booth Show and Tell Here's an extensive discussion of the practicalities of designing and building a good spray booth in the cabinet shop. December 31, 2013
Sealing Maple Plywood Before Staining A beginner asks for advice on a hand-applied seal coat for maple plywood to allow even staining with a brushed top coat. March 25, 2007
Troubleshooting Gloss Variations with a Post-Catalyzed Laquer Viewed from an angle, this finished piece shows some flat, dull areas where the proper gloss wasn't achieved. Pros try to diagnose the problem and suggest possible fixes. December 1, 2005
White Stain for Cabinets Here's a long discussion with some detailed advice for staining wood white in a way that allows some grain to show. January 14, 2009
Troubleshooting Finish Flaws on a Piano Is that fish-eye or orange peel on that piano? Finishers help a colleague diagnose and treat a problem with conversion varnish. May 17, 2005
Sandpaper and Fisheye Another finisher confronts the dreaded fisheye problem, and a discussion of sanding materials ensues. November 8, 2007
Staining Alder Alder is an under-appreciated wood that takes stain and paint well. Here, finishers discuss how to get the best results with it. October 26, 2005
The Fine Points of Scuff Sanding "Scuff sanding" to knock down minor imperfections between coats may be done quickest and best by hand. Here, professionals delve into the fine points of how, when, and why to scuff sand finish coats. August 10, 2005
Staining Pine Cabinets A finisher gets advice on how to get even results in just a few steps. August 30, 2005
Toner Exposing Surface Imperfections Pros advise on the careful use of glaze and toner to enhance color and grain without calling attention to imperfections. August 3, 2009
Waterborne lacquers How quality measures up against other finishes. December 26, 2002
Tiny Bubbles Are tools or techniqes to blame for the bubbles appearing in this ICA poly? October 20, 2004
Sand-Through Finish Strategies Pros kick around ideas for a layered, sand-through finish for a multi-colored beat-up appearance. March 29, 2006
Tinting Toner Tips A longtime furniture finishing pro offers tips on toners for tinting. March 12, 2002
Spray Booth Fans and Explosion Risk The scary stories in this thread should convince anyone that explosion-proof fans are a must in any spray operation. August 17, 2009
Shopping for a Spraygun Upgrade A finisher looks to step up from low-end spray equipment, and gets advice on gun types. May 17, 2005
Sealcoat Before a Waterborne Finish Water-based finishes tend to raise wood grain. Here, finishers discuss options for a first sealer coat. October 25, 2006
Staining Poplar Trim to Match Existing Stained Maple Poplar is usually a paint-grade trim material. But here, finishers discuss using washcoats and dye stains to persuade Poplar to stain evenly. September 10, 2007
Wood Panel Shrinkage and Bare-Wood Witness Lines A discussion of how to prevent or repair the tell-tale bare wood lines that may appear on the edge of stained door panels in dry winter conditions. April 29, 2011
Spray Booth Characteristics A finisher wonders if the price he's been quoted for a spray booth is too good to be true. Colleagues chime in about the components, quality, and cost of a good booth. October 2, 2005
Working with NGR Stain Advice on how to achieve a desired effect with successive applications of NGR stain. July 14, 2010
Troubleshooting Pre-Cat Cracking Heavy cracking in a pre-catalyzed varnish finish appears to indicate too thick a build. March 26, 2009
Troubleshooting Tacky Pre-Catalyzed Lacquer A finisher reports that white lacquer coats don't cure for days. Is it the 98% relative humidity, or a problem with the formula?October 26, 2005
Spray Technique for Chairs Wooden chairs challenge the spraygun operator with their many complicated surface orientations. Here, experienced pros advise on how to achieve a uniform coat without roughness or drips. April 19, 2006
Troubleshooting Dry Particle Problems with Conversion Varnish Small whitish particles in CV straight from the can could be flatting agent, a temperature issue, or something else. Here are some tips on identifying and solving the problem. July 3, 2008
Spraying "Wiping Stains" Here's a method for fast, even spray application of wiping stains by thinning 5-to-1 with naphtha. June 4, 2012
- Glazing: My Favorite Finishing Technique Glaze finishing techniques are a versatile way to enhance the features of wood without hiding its natural characteristics. They're also the first-choice tool of the faux-finish aficionado. Finishing expert Mac Simmons explains in this article how to apply base colors, sealer coats, and a variety of ......
Spraying Dye on Maple Another take on a common problem — avoiding blotchy results when staining Maple. April 18, 2010
Staining Maple: Blotchiness Versus Lightening Here's advice on how to combat Maple's tendency toward blotchiness, while avoiding the lightening effect of using a washcoat or sealer coat. July 3, 2008
Spray Booth Floor Treatment? Pros discuss strategies to keep floors clean and protected for trouble-free spraying. August 30, 2007
Tung Oil for Table Tops Tung Oil is not the toughest coating, but it's easy to maintain and repair. July 28, 2008
Troubleshooting Finish Cracking over Veneer Trying to determine the cause of finish defects over veneer — is the the core material, the adhesive, the veneer, or the finish? March 28, 2012
Toning out Prefinished Cabinets? Finishers discuss the feasibility of adding one or two more coats to pre-finished imported cabinets in order to adjust the color. April 17, 2010
Time Frame for Scuff Sanding and Topcoat Application It turns out that there are physical reasons why manufacturers recommend no overnight waiting between sanding and applying a second coat of a catalyzed finish. Here's a detailed explanation. January 2, 2012
Wood Movement and Bar Top Finishing A finisher gets advice on a tough problem: finishing a bar top made with small wood strips over an MDF substrate.December 28, 2007
Waterproofing Drawer Bottoms When a customer wants to stash wet, muddy boots in the bottom drawers, how do you protect them? March 26, 2008
The Illusion of Depth in Transparent Coatings A simple question about easy-to-use lacquers sets off a technical discussion of the optical properties of finishes, and the characteristics that make even thin finishes appear deep and clear to the eye. May 17, 2010
Understanding Coverage with a Post-Cat Primer How to estimate the coverage you should get in real life, based on reading the can and measuring the wet thickness you apply. January 29, 2014
Understanding Lacquer Thinner Is it okay to combine your preferred brand of finish with a thinner made by a different manufacturer? Here's a close, careful look at that question. April 29, 2013
Troubleshooting a Bad Smell in Drawers Dead bacteria in plywood can cause a rancid odor, and a badly catalyzed finish may also produce offensive smells. March 9, 2010
Waxing Troubles on a Conference Table A finisher wants advice on how to successfully wax a finished conference table, but what he gets is mostly advice on how to apply a rubbed-out finish that won't need to be waxed at all. January 25, 2013
The Great Fisheye Hunt Three tales of finish fisheyes found and fixed, with ideas on preventing them. 1998.
Thinning Opaque Finishes Tips and tricks for thinning your formula when you go from clear to opaque finishes. June 17, 2010
Troubleshooting a Chipping Finish The chipping problem in this case could be an adhesion failure caused by sanding wood with too fine a grit. February 16, 2014
Understanding "TR" and "OP" Durability Ratings The TR and OP durability ratings published by the Architectural Woodworking Institute refer to specific categories of finish, and have to be understood to be useful. August 22, 2013
The Fine Points Of Viscosity Ways to measure and judge viscosity, and determining what's best for the application. April 14, 2005
Troubleshooting Sand-Through Problems with Dye Finish Here's a detailed discussion of sanding materials and techniques, with a view to avoiding the problem of sanding through light finishes while scuff-sanding between coats. October 19, 2014
Shellac as a Sealer Finishers clear up some confusion about waxed and de-waxed shellac used as a seal coat between different finish products. October 2, 2005
Using a Builder's Finisher Cabinetmakers describe why they don't like it when a builder customer has his painter finish their cabinets on site. January 26, 2008
Spraying Dye Stain It takes a light touch and a careful eye. In this thread, experienced finishers describe their techniques. October 26, 2005
Spray Room Cleaning and Hygeine For a quality finish you need a clean shop and spray room. Here's advice on getting there. January 2, 2012
Shellac and Alcohol Here's a little detail on thinning shellac, with a discussion of the fine points of various alcohol varieties. February 12, 2007
What to Do When You Forget the Catalyst Is there any quick fix when you suddenly realize that you're spraying conversion varnish but you forgot to mix in the catalyst? Yes, but ... February 2, 2011
Staining Cypress Mouldings On Site Advice on stain selection, wood filler choices, and more for finishing Cypress trimwork. December 28, 2006
Troubleshooting Stain Bleedout Pros consider how to deal with a situation where an oil stain dries too slowly and seeps out of the pores of an Oak piece. July 3, 2008
Safe Spraying on Site Here's a discussion about how to prevent overspray from setting off alarms or explosions when finishing on site in a high-rise building. July 18, 2013
Using Pigments for Glazing A discussion of mix-your-own glaze techniques, covering binders, solvents, and pigments. April 9, 2007
Washcoat and Stain Issues with Birch and Maple A birch-plywood cabinet with maple face frames poses a tricky staining problem. Here's a little explanation about washcoats, stains, toners, and more. April 9, 2007
Sprayer Comparison: AAA Versus HVLP Experts discuss the quality, efficiency, and cost issues for air-assisted airless and high-velocity low-pressure technologies. March 18, 2005
Sprayable grain fillers Sources and application techniques for sprayable grain filling products. November 29, 2000
Warming a Spray Gun in Cold Weather When a cold spraygun sends the chill into your bones, what can you do? Suggestions for warming blankets, in-line air heaters, and more. April 20, 2011
Tung Oil and Shellac on Walnut Tips on using this old-style combination, with a few concessions to modern conditions. March 26, 2007
Sanding for Adhesion with Conversion Varnish Catalyzed conversion varnishes require a mechanical bond between coats. Here's advice on sanding techniques that help avoid burning through coats you've applied, but still achieve roughness required for a good bond. June 28, 2013
Shopping for a Cup Gun A finisher who is used to air-assisted airless equipment gets advice on choosing a cup gun or turbine setup for small projects. June 16, 2014
Waterborne Finish Basics An extensive and detailed introductory how-to on spraying water-based finishes. March 2, 2006
Streaky Lacquer Problem Pros troubleshoot a case of striping and streaking in a post-catalyzed lacquer job, and discuss how to fix the finish. October 18, 2005
Solvent Pop in Automotive Clearcoat Tiny round white specks on a guitar finished with automotive urethane are the result of solvent trying to evaporate, trapped under the fast-curing crosslinked skin. There's no fix now, but it can be prevented next time. December 8, 2006
Teak Finish on Kitchen Cabinets Teak may be naturally water resistant, but in a kitchen environment, even this tough lumber needs some help. February 26, 2005
Sanding and Rubbing Out Spar Varnish Tricky problem: eliminating brush marks and restoring an even gloss to spar varnish — after the piece is installed. April 19, 2011
Spraygun Cleaning Systems Here's a wide-ranging discussion on solvents and equipment for cleaning sprayguns. February 1, 2015
What's a Tough Top Coat Over Tung Oil? Tung oil gives a deep, rich tone to fine wood. But how do you protect it from occasional water spills? March 30, 2008
- Rolling Out the Grains This technique uses a graining tool to create a "false wood" finish. July 26, 2005
Sealer Coats and Surface Roughness Rags used for wiping off stain can snag on a rough surface, but if you fully seal and sand smooth, the stain will not take as well. So how to choose the first, "sealer" coat? October 25, 2006
Seeking a Modern "Violin Ground" Violin makers have long used special formulas to prepare the instrument for varnishing. Here's a discussion of what traditional or modern formulas might contain. July 11, 2013
"Spitting" Problem with Acrylic Latex A finisher has trouble with bad atomization when applying acrylic paint, and gets advice about gun setup and thinning formulas. July 24, 2005
Spray Quality Issues, Sandpaper Choice, and Inter-Coat Adhesion A finisher has concerns about both the off-the-gun quality of his base coat, and the possible problems created by his sandpaper selection. Colleagues straighten him out on both counts. March 30, 2008
Understanding the "Color" White Why no white dyes on the market? Good question. For a partial answer, here's a little info about additive and subtractive color, some chemistry, and a few observations about what happens when our brains can't keep up. June 28, 2006
Troubleshooting Shiny Paint until the "flatting" agent left too much sheen. Finishers share ideas about what might have happened, and how to fix it. June 28, 2005
Staining Alder for a Rustic Look Finishers offer tips and tricks for dealing with Alder's busy grain, knots, and tendency to blot. September 16, 2008
Setting up new finishing department Forum participants chime in on their favorite types of finishing systems, and approaches to establishing a finishing department. April 21, 2000
The Up-Charge for Finishing Cabinets How much should finishing a piece add to its cost, asks a cabinetmaker? Finishers chime in with rough percentages, whys and wherefores. October 28, 2005
Thinning Polyurethane for Spraying Many different solvents can be used to thin poly, but the resulting slow-drying overspray can turn into a serious problem. September 14, 2006
Vinyl Sealer Tips with Maple Explanations of why vinyl sealer helps prevent blotching when finishing Maple, and advice on getting the best performance with it. February 8, 2008
Spraying Opaque Finishes on Millwork Here's a lot of information on spraying acrylic paint (and its drawbacks), plus some advice on better opaque pigmented coating choices. June 18, 2013
Solid Color Finishes for Kitchens Finishers share views on the selection and application of solid-color finishes for kitchen cabinetry (including thoughts on site application and/or touch-up).November 29, 2014
Waxed Versus De-Waxed Shellac Advice on which topcoats are compatible with amber wax-containing shellacs, and which require clear de-waxed shellac. Also, advice on filtering or making your own. August 25, 2008
Tricky Conference Table Tips Another extended discussion of how to make a complicated conference table — and whether a beginner should even attempt it. March 14, 2006
Spraying Both Sides of Cabinet Doors Finishers describe table and hanger systems that allow them to spray all sides of a set of doors in a single efficient operation. October 16, 2012
Thinning Conversion Varnish in Hot Weather A finisher seeks advice on techniques for thinning conversion varnish on days when the weather gets hotter than 90°F. November 29, 2014
Thickness-Sanding Small Pieces of Veneer Thoughts on economical machinery and practical techniques for sanding small pieces of highly figured sawn veneer. November 11, 2008
Warming Up Water-Based Poly Water-based clear finishes sometimes take on a "dead" bluish tint. Here are some tips for adding a warmer amber glow. October 18, 2005
Waterborne Peeling over Stain Troubleshooting advice for a case where a waterborne topcoat is peeling away from an oil stain. May 18, 2010
Switching to Waterborne Finishes Thoughts on practical application techniques and continued health precautions for a finisher who's going water-based. January 14, 2008
Spraying Inside Cabinet Boxes Spraying the inside of a closed box is challenging because of air turbulence and overspray. Here are some tips. November 9, 2008
Spraying Stain on Alder Products and techniques to help achieve even staining of Alder wood. March 12, 2006
Spraying Waterborne Paint on a Budget Finishers discuss the challenge of applying waterborne paints using inexpensive equipment, without having to over-thin. September 18, 2012
Wood Sink Finish A finisher seeks ways to protect a Teak sink. December 14, 2009
Staining the Medullary Rays in Oak The grain figure in quartersawn Oak is striking, but it doesn't readily accept stain. Here's advice on working with it to gain a desired effect. January 25, 2013
Success with Finicky Polyurethanes Some polyurethanes require just the right touch, and even an experienced finisher may experience runs, orange peel, or other problems. May 16, 2014
Waterproofing with Epoxy Waterproofing outdoor furniture may be a losing game. But if you're using epoxy to protect exposed wood, choose the right product. May 16, 2014
Troubleshooting Band Breakage A bandmill operator tries to figure out why his bands have started breaking after one or two resharpenings. September 17, 2008
Sanding Equipment for a Finishing Shop A high-quality wide-belt sander can consistently thickness-sand MDF parts, and also sand primer coats, efficiently in a production environment. July 3, 2008
Tag-Teaming Two Compressors You can boost volume, but not pressure, by hooking two compressors to the same air line. Here's advice. October 28, 2008
Troubleshooting Small Bumps in Finish Here's a long list of suggestions for what might be causing small bumps to appear in a finish coat. April 18, 2015
Solid White Finishes on Cabinets A finisher who has only used stains in the past gets advice from colleagues about applying opaque white finishes. October 27, 2005
Using Gel Stain as a Glaze You can custom-mix your own glazes using wiping stains, gels, and extenders (to modify open times). In this thread, experienced hands explain techniques. June 28, 2005
Sample Deck for Specifying Finishes Here's an interesting discussion about how to produce a set of finish samples in various gradations for use in communicating with a distant factory. May 30, 2011
Touching Up Lipping Planer Damage A good finisher can correct some woodworking mishaps with advanced touchup techniques. Here's a good example with some tips and tricks. March 16, 2015
What's the best HVLP system? Finishing forum participants chime in with their feelings about the best HVLP spray finishing systems. May 29, 2000
Staining Glue Lines Oops! Glue-laminated Alder posts showed tell-tale lines where the glue wouldn't take stain. Suggestions in this thread provide the solution. November 13, 2005
Sealers for Water-Borne Finishes Finishers discuss de-waxed shellac and other sealers that work well under water-borne finishes. June 10, 2006
Shellac Under Oil or Varnish Finishers discuss compatibility and wear issues with using shellac in combination with Tung oil and varnish. October 13, 2008
Spraying Carvings without Drips Advice on guns, tips, and methods for feathering in the finish on detailed carved woodwork. February 21, 2011
Tinted Conversion Varnish Basics Conversion varnish can be tinted white or other colors, but it requires special pigments, so it has to be ordered from a knowledgeable source. January 27, 2008
Varnishes, Sealers, and Topcoats A guitar maker gets advice on water-based and oil-based varnishes that will enhance the look of mahogany and walnut, but will also be efficient to apply along with a water-based urethane topcoat. October 19, 2005
Sanding Edges Sometimes, too much finish gets removed from edges during sanding between coats. In this thread, finishers suggest possible remedies. October 18, 2005
Whether to Oil or Wax Antique Furniture Be extremely cautious — the finish on a true, high-value antique furniture piece might be harmed by anything you do to it. caAugust 30, 2007
Sandarac Finish Advice on applying sandarac finishes to musical instruments, as an alternative to Tung oil or shellac. August 8, 2008
Sealers, Washcoats, and Dyes For good coloring and popped grain, should a washcoat or sealer be applied before the dye? Finishers explain a few fine points. February 13, 2006
Sheen, Clear Coats, and Glazing Glaze coats are easier to wipe off if you use a high-sheen base coat, or apply a high-sheen clear coat over the base coat before applying the glaze.
Solvent Pop Versus Air Bubbles Solvent pop and air bubbles look similar, but are caused by different mechanisms. In either case, the micro-bubbles are challenging to get rid of. January 27, 2007
Water-based vs. oil-based polyurethanes Finishers compare notes, experiences, and opinions on the comparative durability of water- and oil-based polyurethane topcoats. July 18, 2000
Troubleshooting Finish Chipping A finisher asks for help with top-coat chipping of catalyzed finishes. A change in sanding methods turns out to be the culprit. August 30, 2005
Tinting Polyurethane Top Coats How to get back to black on a black-dyed floor that took a golden tinge from the poly topcoat. July 3, 2008
UV-Cured Finishes for Fast Production Ultraviolet-curing finishes may be the best answer for high volume with low emissions and quick turnaround. March 30, 2008
Staining Furniture with Inlays Here are some suggested ways to selectively stain pieces with narrow inlay strips. June 28, 2006
Spraying Varnish on a Long Table Overspray is causing trouble with large tables that are too big to reach across. Here, finishers discuss ways to prevent or repair the problem. December 15, 2005
Working with Grain when Painting Ash You can use a grain filler to achieve a uniform finish, or try other techniques to emphasize the grain. April 24, 2014
Tip Clogging in Air-Assisted Airless Guns The low pressure and low flow can lead to a lot of clogging at the tip. Here's some discussion about filtering and cleaning.December 6, 2011
Tweaking Viscosity for Good Flow-Out with Conversion Varnish Getting a CV to behave right takes a delicate balance between thinner proportions and gun tip size. Here, pros describe the trial-and-error process they use to get it right. December 1, 2005
Troubleshooting Fisheyes The dreaded fish-eye rears its ugly head again, and pros provide systematic troubleshooting tips to identify the source of the contamination. August 9, 2005
Tracking Contamination Back to the Source A finisher thinks tack-rag residue may be contaminating his finish. But colleagues suggest many other possible sources of the trouble. July 24, 2005
Yet Another Fisheye Mystery Finishers add more names to the long list of usual suspects in a fisheye case. April 19, 2011
Uneven Toner Result Mixing products from different manufacturers and spray-applying to a highly profiled surface could be contributing to this problem. July 11, 2013
Spray-Room Temperatures for Conversion Varnish The chemical reaction that cures conversion varnish is sensitive to temperature. That's why manufacturer specs for temperature conditions during spraying and curing are important. June 18, 2013
Sizing Exhaust to Minimize Overspray You want a fan large enough to move lots of air, but without creating turbulence. Here are some useful formulas. September 26, 2006
Spray Paint for Outdoor Furniture Nothing lasts forever on wood outside. But here's advice on what ingredients to look for in a durable spray paint. July 3, 2008
Thinning Enamel Paint Thinning paint for spraying has gotten a little tricky now that the solvent content of the paints themselves has been cut back by regulations. May 7, 2007
Scratch Marks from Hand Sanding Basic advice on appropriate hand sanding technique to minimize visible scratch marks. December 29, 2008
Shellac That Won't Dissolve Shellac has a limited shelf life. Here are some insights about how to judge when it is no longer useful. October 28, 2008
Shellac Compatibility with Various Topcoats Finishers comment on the practicality of using tinted shellac as a color coat under a clear top coat, and discuss their results when applying shellac before applying various solventborne or waterborne topcoat formulas. October 19, 2014
Using Pre-Cat as Its Own Seal-Coat Trouble with a vinyl sanding sealer leads a finisher to consider the pros and cons of using pre-catalyzed lacquer as its own sealer. June 30, 2007
Troubleshooting Cracking Precat Pre-catalyzed finishes can have problems with brittle failure, cracking, and crazing (especially some of the early formulations). The only fix is to strip and start over. January 2, 2012
Staining Anegre Evenly When time is a factor, spraying a dye stain may be the best way to get even color on large anegre (anigre) panels. November 25, 2006
Sanding and Finishing MDF How much sanding is involved in getting a nice finish on MDF? September 29, 2009
Should I Use a Tinted Undercoat? A finisher who's having trouble hiding color variations in a Poplar project gets suggestions for tinting the undercoat. August 12, 2014
Waterborne Finish Raising MDF Glue Line Glued joints in MDF sometimes telegraph through waterborne finishes because of the effects of moisture. Here's advice on prevention and cure. December 31, 2012
Water-Based Wiping Stain as a Glaze A finisher likes the simplicity of using his water-based stain as a glaze, but wonders if he will have problems in the long run. September 16, 2008
Touching Up Potassium Dichromate Sand-Throughs A tricky problem — how to touch up just a few areas where the finisher has sanded through wood stained with potassium dichromate. March 28, 2010
Staining Cherry to Even Out Color Cherry is a tricky wood to stain — it takes stain unevenly and darkens by itself over time. Here's some advice on sanding and toning cherry to achieve a more even finish. December 15, 2005
Soft, "Buttery"-Feeling Finishes How do commercial cabinet companies achieve the pleasing tactile surface feeling some finishes seem to have? April 18, 2015
Washcoat and Toner Technique With help from colleagues on the Finishing forum, a craftsman works out how to match the finish on a maple table. November 13, 2005
Understanding Waterborne Chemistry A discussion of the role of water in waterborne formulas, with explanations of why water can't re-dissolve fully cured finishes. June 18, 2010
Water-based basics A primer for folks interested in using water-based stains and topcoats. 1998.
Spraying Mounted Cabinet Doors Finishing doors while they're on the cabinets is a questionable practice, but some finishers succeed with it. October 14, 2006
UTC Colorant Compatibility UTC 824 and UTC 844 colorants are different compounds, and are compatible with different finish formulas. Choose appropriately to avoid mixing problems. March 28, 2008
Toning Large Panels Toner applications require many light passes with a consistent, even touch. Light or dark stripes or inconsistent color are an ever-present risk. May 17, 2005
Scuff Sanding in the Booth Will scuff sanding between coats inside the spray booth lead to problems with finishes? September 17, 2012
Spray room set-up and operation Hot to get lighting and exhaust details right, eliminating safety risks in spray-finishing operations. February 13, 2001
Stearated Sandpapers and Waterborne Flowout Issues Advances in technology seem to have eliminated the flowout issues previously seen with waterbornes and synthetically treated sandpapers. October 28, 2009
Shellacking Setup for Light Use Advice on choosing a spray system for occasional use with shellac and waterborne coatings. September 14, 2006
Tuning Color With Dye Toners Dyes change appearance as they dry, and also when top-coated. Accurately predicting the final results takes a lot of practice. August 30, 2007
Two finishes, same problem Troubleshooting the cause of a problem existing in each of two distinctly different types of finish. April 8, 2000
Tinting Waterbornes for an Amber Effect Is there any way to make waterborne finishes take on the warm amber glow characteristic of solventborne formulas? July 18, 2013
Tips on a Ceruse Finish Using a pigmented grain filler to accent the pores of finished wood (particularly Oak) is called "cerusing." Here are tips on succeeding with it. September 18, 2012
Warping of a Tabletop with an Unbalanced Finish A teachable moment: Finishers explain why tabletops finished on one side only (and in humid conditions to boot) experienced bad warping. December 31, 2005
Spray Booth Air Intake in a Hot, Dry Climate Using shop air conditioned by an evaporative cooler ("swamp cooler") should allow good finishing results, rather than drawing in baked-dry outdoor air. June 30, 2007
Troubleshooting Uneven Sheen in Lacquer Too much thinner can reduce the proportions of flattener, resulting in uneven sheen and excessive glossiness. April 20, 2011
Waterborne Finishes Versus Solventborne Lacquer Struggling with the application and quality issues encountered when switching to waterborne formulas for health and safety reasons. June 8, 2011
Spray finishing tricks A compendium of handy contraptions and tricks to help produce beautiful, efficient sprayed finishes. January 24, 2001
Sheen of Conversion Varnish Thorough mixing is required to keep flatting agents dispersed in the formula. Also, sheen dulls somewhat as the finish cures. May 11, 2006
Strange Brew — Trouble Ahead? A finisher gets a look he likes with a "mish mosh" sequence (latex paint, shellac, waterborne glaze, and clear lacquer). But will the combination perform over time? August 30, 2007
Working with Spray Glaze Advice on applying and removing a spray-on glaze product, and tips on compatibility with the base coats.February 29, 2012
Understanding Why Burnished Wood Fails to Hold Finish Oxidation of heated wood surfaces explains why heating up wood during machining or sanding can make the surface resistant to adhesion of various finishes or adhesives. October 19, 2014
Spraying shellac Removing water, which damages appearance of shellac, from air compressor output. May 2, 2001
Waterborne Bleed-Through Problem Advice on using prime coats and shellac to address bleed-through of grain with waterborne finishes. December 9, 2010
Which finish to use? Various options for topcoats, and what specific problems each can help to solve. March 20, 2001
The Search for the Perfect Finish In your dreams, what properties would the ideal finish coating have? Pros exchange thoughts and opinions. July 6, 2005
Water Based Gun and Hose Flushing Advice on cleaning solutions for gun and hose maintenance when using waterborne formulas. June 17, 2010
Toner Mix Proportion Guidelines Recipes for toner formulas vary depending on the the dyes or pigments and solvents used, and the intended purpose of the mixture. May 21, 2009
Wet Mils, Dry Mils, and Quality Control Finish coat thickness is a critical issue for coating performance. Here's some info on how to measure thickness of coats, wet and dry. July 17, 2008
Troubleshooting An Air-Bubble Problem Finishers suggest ways to prevent pinholes and air bubbles when spraying a clear conversion varnish on a porous wood such as red oak. February 19, 2006
Stretching the Pot Life of Conversion Varnish There are ways to prolong the pot life of conversion varnishes, but they are less than satisfactory and may not be worth the effort. September 16, 2008
Tinted Primer as the Color Coat Instead of a tinted topcoat, is it practical to tint the primer coat (shellac or tinted CV primer), and then top with clear? July 14, 2010
Spray Tip Maintenance If spray patterns start to degrade when tips are about a year old, check your seals (and look to your air and fluid settings). January 27, 2007
Why are Some Finishes Labeled "Photochemically Reactive"? The term "photochemically reactive" appears to relate to a formula's potential to form ozone and contribute to smog, not any risk that the finish will change color in sunlight. October 19, 2014
Tips for an Effective Pickling Stain Job When a pickling stain doesn't lighten oak as well as expected, a finisher seeks advice on improving his results. July 25, 2005
Waterborne Dye over Oil Stain A finisher gets advice on an unusual schedule: applying waterborne dye over a coat of oil-based stain. December 28, 2014
Wiping Stain Struggles Some "wiping" stains flash so quickly that they may actually work better when sprayed rather than wiped. In this thread, finishers discuss various ways to obtain good results. October 27, 2005
Toned and Clear Pre-Cat Application Finishers discuss the fine points of toning, thinner, and retarder ratios in pre-catalyzed lacquer finish applications. September 14, 2006
Staining Poplar to Resemble Cherry Building with Cherry to begin with would be easier. But here is advice on staining Poplar for a Cherry look. September 25, 2014
Tack Rag Residue on Spar Varnish Cautionary tale: wetting a tack rag with mineral spirits before use may deposit "tack" onto your workpiece. April 19, 2011
Troubleshooting Bubbles in Lacquer "Solvent pop" may be causing bubbling in a lacquer coat. Solutions include applying lighter coats, or using retarder in place of straight thinner. October 2, 2005
Specs for Building a Spray Booth A cabinetmaker wonders how complicated it would be to build his own booth — and gets an earful of advice. July 11, 2005
Shellac Before Poly Finish on a Custom Table Shellac is a good sealer coat to apply to a furniture piece while still under construction, during a delay before final finishing with poly.October 19, 2014
Syringe Sources Syringes are handy for measuring and mixing custom-tinted finishes. Here are tips on where to find suitable syringes for finishing purposes. February 13, 2006
Staining End Grain to Match Tips for staining end grain of door stiles to match the side grain of the rest of the door frame. April 30, 2009
Waterborne Glazes over a Pre-Cat Finish Many water-borne and solvent-borne (oil-based) finishes are mutually compatible, and coats may be alternated (with certain cautions). May 27, 2008
Viewing Angle and Finishing Maple Plywood Selecting a plywood with the right kind of veneer may help this finisher avoid the "barber-pole" effect caused by different orientations of light and viewpoint. January 9, 2007
Spraying Finish with a Small Compressor A finisher wants to spray small amounts of moulding and face-frame stock, but has only a small compressor. Solution? A mini gun. November 25, 2008
Will Lacquer Re-Dissolve Shellac? Most top-coats include some sort of solvent that could melt into shellac. Here's advice on prep sanding and other issues relating to shellac as a bond coat. May 18, 2010
Staining Shelf Pin Holes Tips for a pesky detail: coloring the inside of shelf pin holes so they won't stand out against the finished piece. August 30, 2007
Waterborne Formulas and Spray Booth Fire Codes Whether or not you need fire-suppression gear, fire-safe lights, et cetera, in a spray booth when you only apply waterbornes is a fine point that should be discussed with your local authorities.May 26, 2011
Scuff Scratches Between Coats of Pre-Cat With catalyzed finishes, it works best to apply successive coats before the previous coat is fully cross-linked, so the coats melt together. tober 28, 2008
Sealing the Edges of MDF Various suggestions for sealing the cut ends of MDF panels. November 13, 2005
Thinning Precatalyzed Lacquer Adding thinner reduces the solids ratio of the mixture; warming it up does not. April 19, 2006
Separation of 844 Colorants Over time, stored colorants will clump or settle, and there's not much you can do to fix it. September 16, 2008
Understanding Transfer Efficiency A quick discussion of "transfer efficiency" — how much of what you spray actually ends up sticking to the workpiece. July 14, 2010
Sprayed-On No-Wipe Glaze Application Touch-up type sprayguns with small spray patterns let you apply glaze just to cracks and crevices, avoiding the need to wipe glaze off. December 30, 2007
Wait Time Between Coats A finisher with a rush job to complete gets advice on dry and cure times between coats. August 21, 2006
Sanding, Planing, and Stain Matching Sanded wood and planed wood take stain differently. For a good match, prep all the wood the same way. February 12, 2010
Tung-Oil Floor Finishes Thoughts about the characteristics of floor finishes based on or including Tung oil. July 3, 2008
Understanding Pump Ratings for Air-Assisted Airless Equipment Finishers explain how air pressure relates to fluid pressure in an air-assisted airless situation, and what it means when a AAA pump is rated "14:1," "10:1," et cetera. February 17, 2014
Stirring, Flatting, and Sheen Inconsistent sheen in a finish job could be related to insufficient shaking, stirring, or mixing of the material. October 18, 2012
Staining: Maple Versus Birch A comparison of the finishing characteristics of Hard Maple and White Birch. August 8, 2008
Solventborne over Waterborne? Applying an oil-based coating over a water-based coat is likely to create trouble. December 31, 2012
Wood Truck Bed Finish The advice in this thread about wood species and finish products for a wooden truck bed, applies equally well to any outdoor deck. October 26, 2005
Spraygun Choice for Applying Primer Pros recommend a pressure-pot system over an air-assisted airless setup if all you're doing is applying primer. February 15, 2015
Virgin Lacquer Thinner If the lacquer thinner from your supplier isn't what you hoped for, you can always mix your own from pure ingredients. July 3, 2008
Wipe-On Finish for Cabinet Interiors Here's a tip: try using a wipe-on water-based finish just for cabinet interiors, to avoid all the hassles that come with spraying inside a box. December 8, 2006
Spraying Paint Primer with a Cup Gun A cabinetmaker has trouble spraying paint primer with a cup gun. Advice: either switch guns or switch coatings. August 29, 2006
Tag-Team Compressors Is there any point in hooking two cheap compressors to a big air tank, rather than buy a heavy-duty compressor? March 26, 2007
Subcontracting Finishing Work An unfinished furniture maker considers contracting out finish work, and gets advice (mostly con). October 2, 2005
Staining a Beech Kitchen If you use Beech as a substitute for Alder, achieving a consistent finish tone can be a tricky problem. July 27, 2008
Quick Stain/Topcoat Combination Searching for a stain formula that allows topcoating without a long wait for the stain to dry or cure. September 14, 2006
Ultrasonic Cleaners for Cleaning Sprayguns? High-end professional ultrasonic cleaning equipment works the best, but even a small inexpensive unit might be worth having. January 28, 2009
Wax Coating Melts During Shipment A furniture maker looks for solutions to a shipping problem: the wax on his pieces softens in the hot trucks enroute. July 3, 2008
Stripping Out Grain Filler A finisher applied a grain filler that turned out to be incompatible with his chosen finish. Here, he gets advice on removing the filler from wood grain and pores. October 2, 2005
Sealing Cut MDF Edges Three different approaches to sealing the cut edges of MDF panels, so finish coatings won't soak in. April 19, 2011
Translating British Finishing Terms What the heck does this British book mean by "white spirits" and "distemper"? Glad you asked, old chap. January 27, 2007
Spray-Can Lacquer Finish A craftsman shows off his wall unit, finished with lacquer from spray cans. Down side: it took 50 cans. October 2, 2005
Taking a Red Undertone from Alder Green is the opposite of red on the color wheel, but some fine fiddling with yellow and blue may be needed to balance out a too-red tone. September 26, 2013
Suggestions for Opening Up Oak Pores A finisher needs to create a deeper, more dramatic open look in the pores of Red Oak, and collects a few ideas. March 26, 2013
Temperature-Related Problems with Conversion Varnish Cross-linking finishes can suffer haze, flecking and other appearance problems if sprayed in an environment that lacks good temperature control. March 25, 2007
Troubleshooting a Stalled AAA Pump Coming to grips with a pump malfunction in an air-assisted airless spraygun rig (it was the magnet). January 12, 2015
Waterborne Finishes and the Fuzz Water-based finishes can cause wood fibers to stand up, complicating the finishing and sanding sequence. October 14, 2006
What Customers Mean by "Natural" When customers ask for a "natural" finish, they mean a simple sealer and clear top coat — no stain. April 30, 2006
Staining Oak Black with a White Grain Called a "ceruse" or "pickled" finish, this look uses a black stain base, sealer, and a white glaze. March 1, 2006
Troubleshooting Thin Build at MDF Edges Advice on improving coverage of MDF substrates, with a highly technical description of the way surface electrical charges affect the wet behavior of finishes. May 17, 2010
Touching Up Knot Bleed-Through Tips on sealing and re-tinting spots where knots have bled through a pigmented conversion varnish. February 12, 2010
Sanding Epoxy Inlay to a Gloss When sanding an epoxy inlay fill with a fine grit, a woodworker worries about finish adhering to the adjacent wood. December 31, 2013
Sprayer Type and Finish Quality In expert hands, either HVLP or air-assisted spray guns can turn out premium work. The difference is really more about efficiency, economy, and equipment durability. October 28, 2005
Testing a Corrective Toner Before Applying Here's a slick trick for testing a toner to see if it will have the desired effect — before you spray it on and you're stuck with it. April 9, 2007
Solvent Recyclers A quick look at the practicality of equipment that reclaims cleaning solvents after use. February 15, 2009
Tip Sizes for Mini Spray Guns A few observations on spray-gun tip size equivalancies (it's the viscosity that most affects nozzle choice). December 15, 2005
Wiping Stain on Maple Pros discuss ways to get consistent color using a wiping stain on maple furniture. October 27, 2005
Stearated Sand Paper Some experts have concluded that new types of stearated sandpaper no longer cause fisheye with water-based finishes, but not everyone is convinced. January 27, 2008
Spray-Painting Beaded Face Frames Suggested techniques for getting good coating coverage inside the narrow recesses of a beaded profile. March 29, 2008
System for Spraying Balusters Three ways to hang or prop balusters so that they can be finished on all faces before installation. April 19, 2006
Sealing MDF Door Edges Problem: the rounded-over MDF edges of maple-veneer-faced are sucking in too much stain. Solution: edge sealing with gesso or shellac. March 29, 2006
Wood Finish for a Hot Tub Surround Finishers offer coating suggestions for woodwork next to a hot tub, where steam and hot water are constant stress factors. March 9, 2010
Waterborne Poly Versus Waterborne Lacquer Waterborne polyurethane and waterborne lacquer resemble each other more than they resemble any solventborne finish. May 18, 2010
Variations in Glaze Behavior Glaze may wipe off solid wood face frames and plywood end panels differently, because of the different ways the two materials absorb the base coat. May 11, 2006
Tung Oil over Wax Uh-oh, blotchy spots! A thorough cleaning with mineral spirits should fix it — then, apply either wax or oil, but not both. October 28, 2005
Troubleshooting a "Skipping" Pump When the fluid pump in an air-assisted airless rig loses pressure intermittently, clean out the ball check valve. July 27, 2008
What is Crawling? Here's a description and photo of the finish defect called "crawling" (caused by surface contamination or incorrect prep).May 30, 2011
Target brand finishes Making the switch to water-based finishes and finding the appropriate stains to use with them. January 16, 2001
Soaking Spraygun Tips Overnight Pros recommend soaking the spray tips (but not the air tips or gun) of air-assisted airless spray equipment. December 8, 2006
UV-cured finishes A look at UV-cured finishes over water-based stains. 1998.
Wavy Results when Sanding Pine Alternating hard and soft grain structure in pine can cause waves to form from sanding — that's why you use a hard sanding block. July 29, 2007
Staining and Leaching with Oil Finishes Using natural oil finishes on bookshelves or clothing storage shelves is risky because the oil stays active and may stain your things. January 28, 2013
Smoke Smell On Furniture Shellac is reputed to work for sealing in smoke odors when furniture has been through a house fire. December 29, 2008
Quick-Reaction Fix for Drips Quick action with a child's medicine syringe or a soldering bulb can suck up drips before they set. June 18, 2010
Waterborne Lacquer over Paint Here are a handful of reasons to avoid applying clear waterborne lacquers as a topcoat over pigmented acrylic paint. June 7, 2011
Tung Oil Finish Staying Wet In warm weather, tung oil finishes may dry more slowly. "Wet sanding" during application may help speed the process. October 27, 2005
Speeding up Drying Times How to speed up the drying times when working with Watco Oils - March 17, 2000
Tinting lacquers Universal colorants are usually safe for tinting lacquers. 1998.
Staining Bamboo Quick tips on staining Bamboo products. April 18, 2010
Spray Techniques Expert Ron Bryze offers this list of tips and tricks for spray finishers. December 31, 2007
The Art of Aging Wood Here's a nice how-to on wood distressing from expert furniture-maker, finisher and author Ron Bryze. December 31, 2007
Urethanes for Deep Color Using urethanes to achieve a deep, colored finish in a production environment - March 17, 2000
Ultrasonic Cleaner Trick For small parts, place a glass of solvent inside the tank of water. October 1, 2010
Second Applications of Wiping Stain Multiple applications of wiping stain, whether by wiping again or by light spraying, can be tricky. Different finishers report different results. August 6, 2010
First CV Experience A first time experience with ML Campbell's Krystal conversion varnish spurs some questions and answers about application technique. July 13, 2005
Finishing Cost (In-House Versus Contracted Out) A cabinetmaker wonders why bids he gets to finish cabinets don't match his own cost to do the work himself. The question sets off a long discussion of cost, value, markets, and business strategies. May 17, 2010
Exterior Wood Finish Maintenance This long discussion starts with a question about maintaining the finish on a beautiful outdoor wood gate, and continues into a detailed examination of the difficult durability issues with exterior clear finishes. January 14, 2008
Guitar Finishes It's hard to tell, it's hard to tell, when all your love's in vain. May 17, 2005
Lacquer Drying Too Fast Ambient temperatures and heat from the air turbine may be the reason this finisher's lacquer is drying almost instantly. Here's an extended discussion of tweaking equipment and formulas to moderate the drying time. September 26, 2006
Most Effective Way to Spray Cabinet Doors An extended discussion based on wide experience, about rigs, jigs, and methods for racking, stacking and finishing cabinet doors. November 24, 2008
Finishing mahogany Producing the dark color expected of mahogany. February 12, 2003
Priming MDF Raised-Panel Doors Primer can do unpleasant things to the exposed wood fiber of routed MDF. But there are quite a few ways to prime machined MDF beautifully. August 30, 2005
Effective and User-Friendly "Green" Finish Coatings For quality and environmental benefits, tung oil is hard to beat. But this thread includes other suggestions, along with some valuable discussion. April 21, 2008
How To Correct Blotchy Stain on Cherry Here's a complicated finishing situation that draws a lot of different opinions, and some useful insights. February 15, 2015
No-blotch dying Methods to achieve uniform finishes. March 5, 2003
Fine Points of Pigments and Dye Stains Here's an extended, in-depth discussion of the alternatives for coloring wood before applying a clear top coat. December 31, 2013
Matching Antique White Oak A finisher gets advice on making new White Oak stock blend in with a piece of reclaimed wood with an oil finish.June 18, 2013
Fish-Eye Reducer: Is It Addictive? Legend has it that if you use fish-eye reducer once, you have to use it forever. Here, finishers argue the point, pro and con. November 27, 2007
Repairing Cracks in Old Church Pews Swings in heat and humidity have opened up cracks in some old pews. Furnituremakers suggest practical repairs. September 26, 2006
"One Coat" Flax Seed Oil Finish — Is it for Real? Finishers consider what a new "one coat" wood finish formula based on flax seed oil might actually contain, then move on to a complex technical discussion of the chemical nature of natural oil finishes. August 27, 2012
Recovering from a Bad Stain Job on Poplar When a large batch of poplar mouldings is stained way too dark, you have only a few practical options for fixing things. December 29, 2008
Measuring and Mixing Small Batches of Finish Here's a long, useful discussion of practical ways to measure out your finish, thinner, and catalyst when you only need a very small amount. April 29, 2013
Overcatalyzation Callback Confusion Here's a cautionary tale: A cabinetmaker dismisses a customer's legitimate complaint about finish discoloration because he think the customer is hiding something. Turns out, overcatalyzing the finish did cause it to turn orange after many months. Now the cabinetmaker has to apologize and make the jo ......
Fine Points of Staining Wood A basic question about whether oil finishes are compatible with waterborne stains kicks of a long technical discussion of the theory and practice of staining. April 17, 2010
Gel Stain Versus Washcoat and Toner For blotch-prone woods like Cherry and Maple, gel stains may give good results with fewer steps involved. September 14, 2006
Getting Started with Dye Stains A newcomer to finishing gets a boatload of advice on custom tinting with dye concentrates and powders. March 29, 2006
Flow Enhancers for Waterborne Lacquer Finishers discuss the use of flow-modifying additives, alcohol thinners, or silicone fisheye reducers in waterbased formulas. March 29, 2008
Finish Options for Door Backs Many cabinetmakers use just a clear finish on the backs of doors (even if the front gets stain), and customers don't seem to mind. October 13, 2008
Manipulating Crackle Effects An extended exploration of way to tweak formulas and applications so as to modify the look of popular "crackle" coatings. July 3, 2008
Matching the Spray-Gun to the Finish A discussion of pressure-pot, airless, and air-assisted gun choices, focusing on which rig is best for applying which type of formula. July 17, 2008
Lacquer without sealer A beginner asks for opinions on his system and gets the pros and cons of using a sealer. August 29, 2001
Light Sources and "True" Color Matching Problems matching an existing color because of a difference between the lighting on site and in the shop? Here's an extensive discussion of the theory and practice of lighting and color-matching. June 9, 2007
HVLP Versus Standard Siphon Spray Guns Finishers explain the differences between HVLP and non-HVLP spray guns, and discuss their comparative advantages. November 13, 2005
Iron Solutions for Ebonizing Wood Advanced tips on making and applying dark black stain with solutions of iron in water and various solvents. August 26, 2008
High Gloss Finishes Advice on formula choices (including automotive clear-coat urethanes), polishing methods, and finishing schedules for a drop-dead glossy clear finish. December 9, 2010
Lacquer Adhesion Over Glaze A reported problem getting nitrocellulose lacquer to stick over a heavy-bodied glaze leads to a discussion of possible solutions. November 8, 2007
Pre-Cat Lacquer Seal Coat Sanding Pre-cat lacquer works well as its own sanding sealer, but it takes some experience to learn to avoid bubbling in the coat over certain types of wood. July 18, 2008
Protecting Wood and Coatings from Yellowing Here's an extended technical discussion of wood yellowing, finish yellowing, and the finish formula components that may or may not prevent either one. August 21, 2012
Fine Crackle Finish Products and techniques for achieving a fine China-like crackle. May 19, 2004
Reducing finish overspray Methods, additives and equipment for minimizing this problem. October 30, 2002
Mixing Stain to Make Teak Look Like Wenge Here's a primer on mixing your own custom stains from primary colors, plus some rare old lore on getting finishes to last on oily woods like Teak. July 29, 2007
Evening Out Cherry Color Variations A discussion of ways to address lightness and darkness differences between Cherry lumber and plywood. December 14, 2009
Painters Versus Cabinet Finishers There are degrees of skill and accomplishment in both specialties — but what's the real difference? 25, 2006
Oil-Based Stain for a Bookcase A professional who has used lots of oil-based Minwax stain describes its characteristics. September 18, 2012
How to Make an Oak Mantelpiece Look Old Finishers kick around ideas for distressing a new oak mantel to match some old oak furniture (the catch: the finish has to resist heat). December 8, 2006
Fun with Vinegar-and-Iron Dye Stains Iron soaked in vinegar makes an interesting dye that can be black, gray, or brownish-red, depending on the application and use. Here's a discussion of the chemistry and methods involved. July 29, 2007
Getting Penetration with Spray Stain After switching from wiping stain to spray stain, a finisher asks for advice on working the material into fine cracks and crevices. December 31, 2012
Glazing Over Paint A discussion of the technical challenges and steps involved in glazing over paint and topcoating with clear lacquer. January 14, 2009
Muting the Grain on a Cherry Table A furniture-maker needs to make a new cherry table match existing woodwork that has a washed-out grain. Finishers offer advice about formulas and application. July 11, 2005
Refinishing an Antique Mahogany Sideboard Finishers apply their minds to a tricky refinishing job: stripping paint and applying a new finish to a fine old piece of furniture. November 13, 2005
Filling Deep Gaps Under a Clear Finish Most grain fillers either take a long time to dry or turn milky white when applied too thickly. Here are some ideas for a water-clear crack filler. December 10, 2007
HVLP with Turbine Advice on whether to switch from a siphon gun to an HVLP spray gun. May 17, 2005
Fine Points of Paint Finishes More expensive acrylics typically perform better than "latex" formulas. Here are some tips on choosing and applying opaque finishes. July 3, 2008
Measuring Very Small Amounts of Catalyst Finishers use all kinds of smart methods, including weighing with a scale, to measure and mix very small batches of catalyzed finish. July 7, 2011
Low-Cost Clear Coat for Pine An unfinished-furniture manufacturer wants to set up a finishing line. Here, pros discuss his low-end finishing choices, and give advice on minimizing sanding labor. October 28, 2005
Messy mixing How to mix lacquer and reducer without suffering serious splashes and spills. May 9, 2001
Minimum Finish Room Space for a Small Shop A startup cabinet shop owner in a small rural market with no commercial finishers asks about a basic finish-room setup for his shop.October 19, 2013
"Pickled" Finish on Maple Translucent white finishes on maple sometimes pick up a pink or blue tinge. But with "toning" techniques, you can gradually build up a whitewashed look. October 2, 2005
'Factory Finishes' for the Small Shop A fine 'factory finish' can help custom woodworkers achieve a uniform appearance when using dissimilar species or building multiple pieces. July 28, 2005
Learning Curve with Air-Assisted Airless If you're used to cup guns or pressure pots, you'll want to change your technique a little when you switch to an AAA gun. November 26, 2006
Getting the "Habersham" Distressed Look Call it "Shabby Chic," or just furniture that looks like it walked down the wrong alley — it's not an easy look to achieve. In this thread, pros share their recipes for roughing up the woodwork. July 11, 2005
Eliminating Scratches in Glaze Stubborn sanding scratches appear when a piece has been glazed... can this be avoided?January 6, 2005
Replicating a Finish Color Same stain brand and color, different result: what's up with that? Advice for a new finisher on getting the color he wants. August 29, 2014
Paint Cracks at Joints in Five-Piece Doors Painted wood stile-and-rail raised-panel doors almost always show cracks at the joints. It's important to inform customers of this before the sale — they might prefer to go with one-piece MDF doors. August 30, 2007
Mystery Spots on Finished MDF Finishers try to figure out why pale pink spots keep materializing through opaque finishes on MDF panels. November 25, 2008
Four Decorative Finishes Step-by-step directions for producing four distinctive finishing looks. July 28, 2005
Finishes for Spraying On Site Finishers discuss the pros and cons of waterborne and oil-based finishes for spray application inside houses. March 12, 2006
Matching a Dull Brown Stain Experienced finishers advise on how to sneak up on an existing toned and sprayed brown finish. July 14, 2010
Post-Catalyzed Lacquer Cure Time Curing reactions for post-catalyzed finishes do release smelly formaldehyde, and take longer at cooler temperatures. January 28, 2009
Imitating a Distressed Paint Finish Detailed advice on mimicking a retail-store furniture piece's worn and scraped old paint look. February 21, 2011
Front Door Exterior Finish Another thread on front-door finishes. No wood finish lasts forever in a tough exterior exposure. November 25, 2006
Lighting for Spray Operators Thoughts on how to light the workspace so you can see how wet you're laying down your finish. June 17, 2009
Getting Started in Finishing A cabinet and furniture builder gets advice on a starter spray-gun setup. December 6, 2011
Matching an Ambered Lacquer with Waterborne A finisher who usually sticks to waterborne formulas needs help matching the complex amber tones of an existing solvent-based finish. March 13, 2009
Odd Light Spots on Finished Cherry Is it glue marks? Fingerprints? Bad sanding? Cabinetmakers try to get to the bottom of a peculiar finish defect in stained Cherry. July 28, 2012
Malachite: Another Decorative Faux Finish The look of malachite, a semi-precious gemstone, can be imitated by the savvy wood finisher. Industry veteran Mac Simmons explains how to lay down a base coat and sealer, then apply custom-mixed glazes with cardboard grain combs for a deep, eye-catching "mineral" finish. July 11, 2005
Refinishing Outdoor Mahogany Furniture Detailed advice on stripping automotive finish from Mahogany furniture and restoring the piece with something more suitable. July 23, 2014
Finish Choices for a Mahogany Exterior Door The perennial problem: a clear finish tough enough for outdoor exposure. Bottom line, there's no such thing: sooner or later, the door will need recoating. Here, pros consider the tradeoff between the durability of the initial application and the difficulty of the eventual refinish job. June 28, 200 ......
Grain Filler Choices Advice for a finisher who wants a full grain fill and a tough, but repairable, top coat. July 3, 2008
Reasons to Strip before Refinishing A technically grounded look at why relying on a refinish coat to "burn in" to an existing finish is a risky practice. May 28, 2010
Glazes and crackles How to use glazes and crackles to produce dramatic effects. November 21, 2000
Heating Options with Catalyzed Finishes A cabinetmaker gets advice on keeping his finishes, substrates, and ambient air warm enough for catalyzed finishes to work properly in cold weather. October 2, 2005
Glue Spots that Appear After Stain is Applied A description of scraping, sanding, and touch-up techniques for correcting unsightly glue spots, with some advice on prior prevention strategies. June 8, 2011
Finishing Cherry for a Uniform Color Cherry is photosensitive and prone to blotching, so trying to overcome the natural differences in color between pieces by sealing and tinting has low odds of success. July 11, 2013
Fading of Dyes Versus Pigments A discussion of why dyes fade, advances in dye technology, and the implications for finishing techniques. April 19, 2006
Large "Bubbles" that Appear when Inferior Plywood is Finished Plywood grading is based on the top ply's visual appearance, but low-quality core plys or manufacturing methods can create visible defects that show up only after finishing. March 26, 2007
Finish Turns White When Applied A clock-maker learns to fight the milky-white blush that comes from finishing in cool, humid conditions. December 6, 2011
Filling Joints and Nail Holes Advice on choosing a wood filler, and a discussion about whether filling certain holes and cracks is worth the trouble. March 29, 2008
Matching a Finish from a Cell-Phone Photo No kidding — the challenge is to make a reproduction poplar chest of drawers look like this photo taken by a cell-phone camera. Finishers weigh in with advice. April 30, 2006
Making the Switch to Waterborne Finishes Given the continuing progress with improved formulations, even some skeptics are beginning to adopt waterborne finish systems. September 3, 2010
Replicating the Look of Salvaged Wood Finishers consider the problem of how to make fresh lumber look like boards sawn from 100-year-old salvaged timbers. December 23, 2014
Finishing Rack for Wood Doors Pros show and tell solutions, manufactured or shop built, for holding and moving doors in a finishing shop. August 30, 2005
Lacquer Retarder with Shellac The right additives can help keep spray-applied shellac from drying in the air before it hits the workpiece. June 30, 2007
Finish Over Air-Dried Pine Soft resin and volatile natural solvents in softwoods will interfere with finishes unless the wood is kiln-dried at a high enough temperature to "set the pitch."August 17, 2009
Red Oak Finishing Basics Advice on sanding, formulas, and schedules for good results with Red Oak. June 28, 2006
Glazed Finish Schedule Finishers discuss a proposed finishing schedule for a glazed finish. April 30, 2006
Preventing Nubs in the Finish Call them nibs or call them nubs, they're not good. Preventing them usually comes down to careful wiping and good hygeine. July 3, 2008
Odors from Over-Catalyzed Varnish Too much catalyst can cause offensive smells in a varnish job. Here, finishers discuss possible fixes. October 18, 2005
Issues with On-Site Spraying Applying clear finishes on site comes with complications. Are water-based finishes preferable to conversion varnish? Finishers exchange views. August 30, 2005
Metallic Speckles for a Custom Finish Inventive ideas for applying metallic speckles in between the dark base coat and clear finish coat of an art piece. December 23, 2014
Finish Choices for Walnut Paneling Finishers give a contractor advice on whether to use water-based poly or some other finish on a new walnut paneling install. October 28, 2005
Learning to Spray with a Cheap Gun Bought in quantity and treated as disposable, low-end cup guns have their place. But it's hard for a beginner to troubleshoot his results if he's using cheap equipment. March 4, 2009
Matching New Cherry to Old Cherry changes color over time from exposure to light. So how does a finisher match a new cherry cabinet to an old one? February 14, 2006
Paint or Matching Conversion Varnish? Many CV suppliers can match latex paint colors. Here's a conversation on which is more practical for the cabinet finisher to use. April 19, 2011
Locating Jet Black Pigment A search for a pigment source turns into a deeper discussion of how various black pigment varieties are made. September 10, 2007
Matching the Look of Aged Barnboards There's more than one way to make fresh new lumber resemble timeworn barnwood. Here's a choice of methods. October 1, 2010
Fixing a fisheyed finish Troubleshooting fisheye problems in a conversion varnish topcoat. June 24, 2001
Finishing Poplar Poplar heartwood and sapwood take stain differently, an obstacle to finishing. Here, pros explain solutions involving washcoats and tinted topcoats. January 13, 2006
Moisture in the Woods Knowing the moisture content of your wood is an important step in achieving a finish that will stay problem-free down the road. August 20, 2005
Filling Pores in Painted Oak Cabinets Finishers have suggestions for filling grain and pores before the first coat. But after the paint or coating is on, it's tough. December 6, 2011
Priming MDF Edges for Finishing MDF edges tend to soak up finishes. Here are multiple suggestions for prepping the cut edge so it won't need endless re-coats. February 26, 2007
Latex Paint — Too Soft for Bookcases Acrylic latex paint never gets hard enough to lose its stickiness. Here, finishers discuss other options for finishing bookcases, and how to deal with a unit that already has been painted. October 28, 2008
Imitating an Old Alligatored Finish If you want to intentionally produce alligatoring in a controlled way, you're going to have to get creative. These ideas may get you started. April 21, 2008
Hot Serving Dishes and Wood Finishes No wood finishes are proof against hot pans straight from the stove or oven. But here's a discussion of the educated choices that customers can make. April 21, 2008
Finishing a Chain-Saw Carved Oak Tree Here's a one-of-a-kind challenge: finish this lighthouse sculpture, carved from a standing oak stump using a chain saw. March 29, 2008
Pigment Stain Versus Dye Stain Basic info on the characteristics that differentiate dyes from pigments, and advice on the appropriate uses of each (separately or together). June 28, 2013
Glazing methods Techniques for smooth glazing. November 18, 2002
Exterior Wood Door Finishes For the record: did we mention that clear finishes on exterior doors do not last? March 9, 2008
Repairing Humidifier Damage Working from a photo, finishers make educated guesses about moisture damage to what looks like an old shellac finish. April 10, 2008
Pre-Cat Lacquer Basics A first-timer gets tips on the fundamentals for success with pre-catalyzed lacquer. December 15, 2005
Grain-Filling and Finish Efficiency Can any formula fully fill grain with just one coat? Finishers kick around the time-consuming process of achieving a totally smooth surface. September 14, 2006
Getting a Table-Top Finish Perfectly Smooth How do you get a conference table top dead flat and smooth, with a glossy finish? Construction, finishing, and sanding all play a role. December 27, 2006
Lightfastness of Dyes and Stains Finishers discuss the differences between dye and stain chemistry in this thread. The differences between dyes and pigments include varying resistance to light degredation. June 28, 2005
French Polish Basics French polish finishes are simple in theory, but require time and practice to perfect. March 13, 2009
Natural Finish for Barnwood Table Top Here's a collection of tried and proven recipes for finishing furniture built with reclaimed barn siding and framing timbers. April 15, 2013
Refinishing Built-In Cabinetry Tips and cautions for a finisher who's about to try toning and glazing a house full of existing cabinetry. March 12, 2015
Preventing Blushing of Pre-Cat in Humid Weather White haze (blushing) in pre-catalyzed finishes is a common problem in hot, humid weather. Here are tips on preventing it, and correcting it when it does occur. December 9, 2010
Preventing Cherry from Darkening Darkening is natural in Cherry wood exposed to light. But there may be ways to at least slow the process down. March 26, 2013
Making Curly Maple "Pop" Finishers share ideas for bringing out the best in this stressed wood. February 26, 2005
Mahogany Darkening in Light A look at the scientific explanation for why some woods change color when exposed to sunlight. February 19, 2013
Rubbed-Out Antique Finish How to get an old-world, hand-rubbed look on fine furniture no swirl marks (even in bright sun). September 14, 2006
Finishes for High-End Auto Woodwork A discussion of finishes and techniques for putting the gleam into restored woodwork in classic Rolls Royces and Jaguars. May 27, 2008
Polishing Out Polyurethane Hand-rubbing a polyurethane finish with fine sandpaper or pumice can overcome poly's "plastic" or "removed" look, and bring back some of the wood's natural tone. October 19, 2005
Learning Faux Finishing A discussion of informational and educational resources for beginning faux finishers. August 21, 2006
Iridescent Finishes Some woods show natural iridescence, especially if sawn the right way. But you can also get an iridescent look using various specialty finish coatings. February 23, 2008
Repairing Damage to Laquered Woodwork Advice on sanding and touching up some trimwork that has been attacked by drips of some sort of solvent-containing substance. January 18, 2011
Oops! Fixes for an Under-Catalyzed Finish When you spray conversion varnish without the proper dose of catalyst, is there any remedy short of stripping and starting over? July 29, 2011
Gold Showing Through Black Tips on achieving an artistic finish: A gold undercoat showing through a sanded-back black topcoat. February 13, 2006
Pre-Finishing Cabinet Doors Should you finish cabinet doors before or after you assemble them? Cabinetmakers and finishers discuss their processes. May 24, 2006
Finishing Techniques for Blotch-Prone Wood A cabinetmaker who uses a lot of Alder gets some advice on finishing the wood without creating a blotchy appearance. June 18, 2013
Opaque Finish Choices Finishers discuss their preferred opaque finish products. February 15, 2015
Glaze finish procedures Finishers share the steps they take with glaze finishes using conversion varnish. September 19, 2001
Filling Grain on Oak Veneer Advice on using a pore filler after staining and sealing, to fill grain without hiding the dark grain pattern. March 12, 2006
Re-Coating an Old Door A cabinetmaker asks advice on how to deliver on an extra: refinishing some existing passage doors at the same time as he finishes his own product. February 13, 2009
Lacquer Thinner Price Versus Quality When lacquer thinner prices are rising, buyers look for better bargains. But are the lower-priced options reliable? July 7, 2005
Red Cedar Grain Patterns A craftsman gets advice on sawing techniques for achieving beautiful book-matched grain effects. June 22, 2005
Finishing a Hand-Scraped Wood Surface Finishers and furnituremakers discuss the fine points of scraping and hand-planing, and of applying finish to a hand-worked wood surface. February 15, 2015
Masking and Tenting for Spraying in a House A finisher contemplating using his HVLP gun in a customer's house gets advice on explosion and fire risks, tips for protecting the furniture, and suggestions for switching to waterborne products. January 29, 2009
Micro-Bubbles with an Air-Assisted Airless Compared to a cup gun, an AAA spraygun might shear the fluid and introduce gas that creates tiny bubbles in the wet coat. Here are some suggested work-arounds. April 19, 2011
Finishing Outdoor Teak No outdoor finish is permanent, but here are some reasonably durable options. August 30, 2005
Mixing Dyes from Primary Colors With three primary colors, and perhaps a few off-the-shelf blends, you can prepare a full palette of wood dye hues — once you get the hang of it. August 25, 2008
Finishing Bamboo Plywood Plywood's natural shade variations make consistent color matching difficult. Here are ideas for dealing with that problem. March 29, 2006
Matching Finish on Cherry Cherry darkens over time from exposure to light. Matching older pieces is tricky. February 12, 2010
Protecting the Back Side from Overspray Ideas for supporting small workpieces so that overspray doesn't bounce back and get on the back of the piece. November 15, 2010
How Many Coats of Primer? Can you get away with using just one coat of primer under conversion varnish, when applying with an air-assisted airless sprayer? December 8, 2006
Matching a Satin Nickel Finish Suggestions for how to finish a wood mirror frame to match nearby brushed nickel faucets. March 30, 2008
Flat Finish for Walnut Non-finishing furniture maker gets advice on a simple flat finish for a walnut bookcase. August 9, 2005
Lacquer over Stain Adhesion Problem Troubleshooting a case where lacquer easily flakes off after application over a popular stain product. October 26, 2011
Professional Brush Finishes Considering the finish options for a kitchen when the architect wants an old-fashioned brushed-on appearance. October 19, 2013
Finishing a Metal and Wood Assembly A furnituremaker struggles to find a finish that will work on a rough-contoured surface that includes both metal and wood. April 29, 2013
Power Buffing Conversion Varnish Finishes A tiny spot repair turns into a blending hassle: how to buff a not-quite-glossy sheen into a conversion varnish coating that is at its mil-thickness limit. February 12, 2007
Ebonizing Wood Techniques for achieving a dark black "ebony" stain, with photo examples. July 24, 2006
Leveling and Polishing Poured Epoxy Epoxy can be tricky to work with, especially in combination with other finishes. Here's a good example for learning. March 9, 2008
Filtering out isocyanates Is an organic respirator capable of filtering out isocyanates? December 6, 2000
Rack for finishing doors Designing a rack for finishing interior doors as efficiently as possible. November 7, 2001
Matching Rosewood with Cherry Compare your samples with the original on the actual site (but a good match will still be hard to achieve). March 26, 2007
HVLP Tip Size Too small a spray-gun tip will dry wood finishes and require too many passes for adequate build. November 11, 2006
Painting MDF Cabinet Doors Some finishes raise the fibers on MDF (especially at machined profiles), creating sanding and recoat headaches. Here's advice on minimizing the problem. October 19, 2014
Enamel on Kitchen Cabinets Oil-based or water-based, enamel paints are a time-tested and still valued trim and cabinet finish. Here, finishers discuss experiences and techniques. May 24, 2006
Neutralizing a Pink Stain Picky customers sometimes pick up on color variations between day and night lighting conditions. Fixing that is a puzzle. Here's discussion of a case. March 4, 2009
Repairing Small Cracks in Wood Under an Oil Finish This thread offers fine points of repairing wood under a low-build finish, along with some interesting info on surface defects related to bacterial wood infection. May 15, 2012
Finish Coating Toughness Comparisons This discussion about how to choose a tough finish includes a brief explanation of the industry TR standard rating system. March 29, 2006
Matching stain to existing work Techniques for matching the finish of new work to that of the existing cabinets in a cherry kitchen. November 7, 2000
Filling MDF Edges Tips on filling and sealing exposed MDF "grain" so finishes won't soak in. October 14, 2006
Finishing Quilted Maple Veneer Ideas on how to make a "wavy" material (with different grain patterns running every which way) take on a high gloss and smooth surface. December 27, 2006
Evening Tone on a Mahogany Piano Pros describe how to darken the lighter parts of a piece in small steps, to achieve an even color. September 18, 2012
Lightness Variation in Bookmatched Veneer Panels Because of grain differences, the way bookmatched sawn veneers reflect light varies depending on their orientation. It's called "chatoyance" — but what can you do about it? May 24, 2006
Finishing Dovetail Drawer Fronts A furniture builder gets help figuring out how to finish the fronts of some dovetail drawers in a custom piece. August 14, 2007
Finish for an Ipe Countertop Ipe is such a troublesome wood to work and finish that these pros suggest using a different wood for an indoor project. August 26, 2006
Filling Pores on Oak Flooring A woodworker wants a natural finish on an Oak floor, but he wants to keep dirt out of the pores. June 28, 2010
Glue Interfering with Door Finish A discussion about dealing with glue near raised-panel cabinet door joints that stops the wood from taking an even finish. January 14, 2008
Pressure Pot Settings Less expensive pressure pots sometimes need a little creative tweaking when it comes to getting the pressure into a practical range. July 3, 2008
Material Build-Up Problem on Spray-Gun Tip Advice on correcting a spray-gun performance issue: build-up of material on the spray tip, causing "fingers" in the wet finish. February 15, 2009
Hand-Made Appearance of a Scrub Plane To get the scalloped look of this made-in-Mexico cabinet, you need a scrub plane — a traditional tool that some woodworkers really like. March 4, 2009
Finishing Wood Edge-Banding Advice on applying finish to edgebanding, or to already edge-banded parts, without a spray setup. January 27, 2008
Oil-Sanded and Buffed Finish for a Table Top Tips on a custom furniture finish include advice on wet-sanding with natural oil to fill grain, then waxing and buffing to a high gloss. May 24, 2006
Filling Inlay Gap with Epoxy Finishers debate the idea of filling a low inlay groove with epoxy to bring the surface flush. November 8, 2007
Popping Ray Fleck in White Oak Advice on using Gilsonite or stains that contain it to bring out the figure in White Oak. December 2, 2009
Grain Filling Methods for Guitar Bodies A guitar builder asks about using epoxy versus conversion varnish for filling the wood grain on his instruments. June 18, 2009
Polishing a Table Top Advice on polishing a two-component poly finish to a high sheen. October 17, 2012
Evenly Staining Birch Another helpful thread about achieving non-blotchy finishes on birch, with several practical approaches described. January 14, 2008
Matching Old Red Walnut Advice on how to finish a new set of walnut cabinet doors so they'll match the red color that the cabinet has aged to. March 9, 2008
Glazing Basics A few tips on glazing for a beginner. April 19, 2011
HVLP + compressor vs. HVLP + turbine Participants offer their preferences between compressor- and turbine-driven HVLP spray finishing systems. March 13, 2000
Options for Finishing Cherry Cabinetmaker gets advice on finish combinations and application techniques. July 9, 2005
Grain Filler for Red Oak Suggestions for grain filler products, with some detailed advice on hand techniques for applying and working the filler. June 18, 2013
Heat Problem with a Turbine Sprayer Solvent-borne finish application problems are traced to the turbine air supply: heat generated in the turbine is making the finish flash off before it hits the wood. November 13, 2005
Finishing Ipe Outdoors Finishers discuss the best finish for an Ipe wood porch floor. May 24, 2006
Furniture Finishing Process Outline A furniture refinishing expert lists the steps in a full finish treatment of manufactured furniture. November 16, 2009
Pigment Staining Through Finish Coats Objects left on furniture (such as candles or pumpkins) may stain the underlying wood right through the finish coating. January 14, 2008
Masking Lacquer Odor A spray operation near a residential neighborhood seeks ways to improve the smell of its exhaust. June 10, 2006
Lacquer Versus Polyurethane A question about lacquer and polyurethane drying times ends with a neat explanation of the differing ways in which waterborne and solventborne finishes dry and cure. July 14, 2010
Labor Time and Glaze Finishes Is there any way to make glaze finish application less labor-intensive and time-consuming? December 15, 2005
Reclaimed Heart Pine Bleeding Trouble starts when heat brings out the sap in resawn antique pine used for a table top. Here's advice on sealing the surface.December 9, 2010
Gold and Black Door Finish Advise on achieving a tricky finish for raised panel doors: black background with gold on just the panel raises. July 29, 2007
Finishing a Wooden Sink Suggestions for an extreme case: a finish to protect a sink made from Mahogany. August 31, 2009
Re-Circulating Filtered Air in a Paint Booth There is technology to filter and re-circulate exhaust air from a spray finishing operation, but it is prohibitively expensive. June 8, 2008
Matching the "Stickley" Look on White Oak Trying to accentuate the rays in stained oak? Fuming for different times or tweaking stain strengths can help fine-tune the piece's finished appearance. August 30, 2005
Retarder to correct overspray? A discussion of the usefulness of lacquer retarder in minimizing overspray on cabinet interiors. August 10, 2000
Grain Filling on Paduak Sanding dust mixed with wet finish works; or there's paste filler. May 18, 2010
Finishes for Drawer Interiors A cabinetmaker looks for advice on drawer finishes that are tough, and don't smell bad. September 16, 2008
Re-Coat Timing and Pre-Cat Durability A discussion of how quickly after applying one coat of pre-cat lacquer it is okay to apply a second coat. October 14, 2010
Painting a Flexible Wood Seat Paint will naturally crack if you ask it to flex. But some automotive finishes might be able to handle minor flexing. April 21, 2008
Matching Hickory Heartwood Color Advice on a toning formula to blend Hickory sapwood into heartwood so the difference can't be detected. May 28, 2010
Is Vinyl Sealer Worth It? With new moisture- and vapor-resistant formulations of topcoat on the market, a separate coat of vinyl sealer may or may not be necessary in the particular case. April 21, 2011
Hiding Nail Holes Finishers share info on products and techniques. August 30, 2005
Fine-Tuning Spraygun Performance A finisher isn't getting a nice fan pattern from his gravity-feed gun. Others help troubleshoot, and discuss the equipment's air-supply needs. December 15, 2005
Pinholes in Pigmented Poly Troubleshooting a pinhole problem with an opaque poly coating — could it be solvent pop?December 6, 2011
Electric or Propane Heat for a Small Spray Booth? Unvented propane heaters add moisture to the shop air. Here, pros discuss whether that is a problem, and suggest electric-heat alternatives. December 1, 2005
Oiling Teak Grilles for a Shower Floor A woodworker seeks finish advice for an unusual architectural detail: Teak grilles in the floor of a shower. August 3, 2009
Replicating a Dark Pearl Finish Thoughts on a challenging finishing project: imitating a "mother of pearl" finish. March 4, 2009
Retarding Lacquer Dye or Stain Drying Dye solvents tend to be fast-drying, and it's hard to get them to work with hand application methods. December 6, 2011
Retarding Waterborne Lacquers What's the right additive to thin the formula and slow down the dry time? February 2, 2011
Low-sheen finishes Are streaks and scratches impossible to avoid with hand-rubbed finishes? June 24, 2001
Paint Quality Considerations Finishers consider their choices for oil-based paint to be brush-applied to cabinets in a historic building. March 29, 2006
Finishing Over a Decal A customer wants a company logo on a custom table top. But how to keep the finish from peeling? Pros supply ideas. July 24, 2005
Finishing Panels, One Side Only Can a cabinetmaker get away with finishing the inside of panels before assembly, and the outside face later? Probably. June 28, 2006
Low-Tech Finish for Wood Turnings Shellac and a spar varnish dip are two suggestions for a shop with minimal capabilities. January 4, 2014
Fine Points of Painted Cabinet Finishes Depending on the situation, paint can be a high-end cabinet finish. Here's a discussion of such a case. September 26, 2013
Hole Filling Tips Advice on filling and hiding holes in an obvious visible location on cabinet doors. November 11, 2006
Is Fuming Oak a Good Idea? Fuming White Oak with ammonia gives inconsistent results, and the intent can be achieved using conventional techniques instead. October 19, 2013
Hide Glue Crackle Tips Advice on using hide glue as a base coat for a crackle finish. June 17, 2009
Filter Clogging with Cup Sprayguns A clogged or deteriorated filter cup or a plugged air hole can starve a cup gun for air, causing intermittent sputtering. February 12, 2007
Paint Can Shakers Advice on choosing an air-powered paint can shaker, and a warning to keep the lid clamped down when shaking lacquer. October 26, 2011
Revealing the Grain in Maple Maple is tricky wood to stain. Too light a sealcoat, and the results may be blotchy; too heavy, and the grain may not show. July 17, 2008
Glazing in Crevices Is a clear topcoat necessary when glazing just the cracks and crevices of a cabinet door? January 7, 2010
No-Odor Finish for Fine Furniture Modified tung oil is odorless after curing and brings out the beauty of unique wood pieces. July 17, 2008
Fine Points of Glaze Removal A discussion of soft cloths, brushes, synthetic abrasive pads, and the craftsman's touch. May 11, 2006
Front Door Varnish Choices Choosing a wood finish for an old entry door, based on price and looks. January 13, 2009
Epoxy Barrier Coating for Exterior Wood A woodworker reports success using clear penetrating epoxy sealer as a primer for exterior doors or boat brightwork. December 23, 2014
Matching a Dead-Flat Finish A zero-sheen finish is tough to achieve, especially if it needs to be durable. Here, finishers discuss the fine points. October 28, 2005
Retarder and Rub-Out Adding retarder to a pre-cat finish won't prevent you from rubbing the finish out, but it may affect your wait time. April 30, 2006
Refinishing Oil-Painted Kitchen Doors Advice on compatible spackle and paint for re-coating over a five-year-old oil paint job on kitchen cabinets. June 17, 2009
Food prep finish The finish and wood to use (and what not to use) on butcherblock tops. August 29, 2001
Finishing Sapele Solid Lumber and Plywood Advice on getting a consistent finish appearance on a piece made with Sapele using both solid wood and plywood. April 15, 2012
Eliminating Cherry "Tan Lines" Clear tape used to hold a miter glue-up apparently blocked the ultraviolet light, leaving Cherry wood with light lines. Is there any fix? December 6, 2011
Finishing Room Ventilation For low-volume work with brush application of waterborne finishes, the ventilation system can be relatively modest. January 8, 2010
Primers for Thermofoil Doors Advice on a good base coat for an adhesion layer between Thermofoil doors and a paint topcoat. February 12, 2010
Multiple Coats of Reactive Finishes Two-part finishes don't "burn in" to previous layers of the same coating. Here are tips on careful scuff-sanding and re-application for building up the finish on a fine piece such as a musical instrument. February 12, 2007
Preserving Grain Pop When Staining Anigre A finisher gets advice on matching a stain color while enhancing the pronounced grain figure on some Anigre veneer. July 25, 2010
Glossy Finish for Purpleheart A musical instrument maker gets advice on pore-filling glossy finishes that impede UV and oxidation color changes in exotic hardwoods. July 3, 2008
Refinishing Commercial Interior Paneling Advice on touching up and "freshening" large areas of finished wall paneling in a public building with poor ventilation. April 24, 2014
Finish for a Teak Shower Floor Most finishers agree that Teak in a shower floor should be left natural. Here's why. April 15, 2013
Reducing Grain Definition Pros share tips for filling pores to keep stain from over-enhancing the natural grain patterns of ash. June 28, 2005
Oops! Forgot the Catalyst A finisher grabbed the thinner instead of the catalyst, and now the coat won't cure. Fellow pros suggest stripping techniques, as well as ways to catalyze the uncured coat in place. January 13, 2006
Maple Stain Techniques Tips on achieving an even tint in Maple using spray dye, a seal coat, and a wiping stain. October 13, 2008
Glazing Technique for Good Contrast How can you apply and wipe off glaze so it highlights the glazed edges, but doesn't tint the base coat in areas you don't want glazed? April 18, 2013
Glazing with a Needle A discussion of various methods for pinpoint application of glaze to cabinet crevices. June 30, 2014
Metallic Finishes on Wood Woodworkers pursue some out-there metallic finish looks, using products from the automotive finishing world. April 10, 2008
Replicating a Limed White Oak Finish White glaze over red oak tends to accentuate the pink hues. So how can you achieve a more gray or blue hue in the final product? December 31, 2012
Repairing Wood Filler Smudges Advice on touching up a flat finish where wood filler has affected the surface sheen near filled nail holes. April 30, 2009
Finishing MDF How to achieve a smooth finish on MDF, where the sealed face has been removed. November 29, 2000
Heating Water-Borne Coatings Using an in-line heater to heat waterborne coatings brings similar benefits with water-borne coatings as with solvent-borneMarch 9, 2008
Heating Lacquer Lacquer formulas designed for a hot application offer particular advantages. You can also heat ordinary lacquer, but the results could be a mixed bag. August 22, 2013
Lightfastness of Dye Stains Tips here on how to apply a subtle light-blocking pigmented masking coat over dye stain, to prolong the colorfastness in the presence of UV light. July 26, 2010
Faking mahogany What species are closest to mahogany in grain structure, so, when stained, will look like the real thing? March 20, 2000
Fuzzy Finish on MDF A smooth surface on finished MDF requires sanding. April 17, 2009
Rub-Through Effects with Black Lacquer Advice on how to create an aged look (worn black lacquer and exposed stained wood) on a piece of furniture. July 17, 2008
Re-Coating a Scratched Conversion-Varnish Table Top Conversion varnishes take time to fully harden, and a customer used this one too soon. Luckily, repair is feasible: in this thread, finishers provide advice on sanding and re-coating. July 24, 2005
Pre-Catalyzed Lacquer Odors Pre-cat lacquers do create an odor that fades over time, so some finishers prefer to use waterborne finishes for drawer and cabinet interiors. September 11, 2006
Rubbing Out a Finish on Complicated Furniture Rubbing out a finish on a flat surface is one thing. But what if you're working with a complex shape? Here's some advice. February 15, 2015
Finishing Equipment Basic description of production line finishing equipment. November 11, 2008
Finishing Teak Teak is a "greasy" wood that can pose finishing challenges. Here, finishers suggest formulas and approaches that have worked for them. April 30, 2006
Gray Wash on Birch Finishers advise on achieving a washed-out gray look on birch cabinets. October 4, 2011
Limed Oak Finish Schedule A finisher gets step-by-step tips on matching a 1950's finish involving pigmented grain filler applied to Oak before the top coat. December 31, 2012
Overspray Advice Ways to manage overspray when spraying a bookcase with the back on. October 14, 2006
Painted Door Details to Minimize Finish Cracking A discussion of joint design, glue choices, crack filler, and finish choices in order to reduce cracking and telegraphing of joints. January 28, 2009
Filler Compatibility with Topcoat A finisher finds that some varnishes pull out the vinyl spackling he's been using for to fill holes and grain. Others share ideas for solving the problem. December 31, 2005
Penetrating Wood Stabilizers Penetrating wood stabilizers can help to prevent uneven stain absorption or moisture-related warping. July 20, 2011
Finishing One-Piece MDF Doors Profiled areas of MDF doors require additional labor and care for best finish results. Here's advice. June 18, 2013
Keeping solid doors flat Techniques for preventing warpage of solid wood cabinet doors. June 14, 2000
Finishing routed MDF doors Dealing with sealing and finishing routed Medium Density Fiberboard doors. April 11, 2000
Preserving a Bleached Appearance Keeping the blond appearance of stripped, bleached wood, without ambering, is possible with the right choice of coating. September 18, 2012
Matching a vintage stain There's much to consider when attempting to match a stain from early in the previous century. March 23, 2000
Pre-Primed MDO Finishing Issues Finishers report mixed results finishing cabinets built using medium-density overlay (MDO) panels. July 3, 2008
Paste Wood Filler Problems On mahogany, light-colored paste wood filler sticks out like a sore thumb. The trick is to use black-tinted filler. June 28, 2006
How Much Lacquer Thinner to Add? You can add as much thinner as you need to spray effectively, and spray multiple coats — but stay within the specs for dry mil thickness of the coating. October 1, 2010
Heating Waterborne Finishes Keeping your finish warm will improve flowability and maintain consistent viscosity — but check with the manufacturer for allowable temperature ranges. February 13, 2006
Polyurethane Cure Times Polyurethane hardening times are temperature-dependent. With multiple coats, the process can get tricky. February 21, 2011
Finish Room Wish List Qualities of the ideal finish room (which most lack). February 18, 2006
Lighting for the Spray Room Artificial light needs to be bright, good quality, and at the right angle. August 9, 2005
Pumice Furniture Antiquing Tips on different ways to apply pumice or rottenstone to furniture, so that some dust remains on the piece for an antique look. April 17, 2009
LVLP Versus HVLP Spray Guns Quick info on the difference between "high volume low pressure" and "low volume low pressure" spray equipment. August 8, 2008
Finish Problems After Glue Clean-up Washing off excess glue can alter the way wood accepts stain. Pros share some simple tips for preventing problems. June 27, 2005
Lacquer over Urethane on Site A builder gets advice for using a shellac inter-coat to isolate a lacquer top coat from already-applied urethane. October 28, 2008
Filling Gaps with Sawdust Mixes The old "mix sawdust with glue" trick takes a beating here from skeptics — but there are other suggestions. October 1, 2010
Grit Selection for Sanding MDF One school of thought holds that you can't sand MDF too fine, but that you can sand it too coarse. October 19, 2014
Pouring Stain Handy tips for dispensing paint and stain without drips or spills. June 17, 2009
Keeping the Tip Clean Pre-screening, good filtering, and periodic quick cleaning should keep that air-assisted airless spray tip shooting straight. July 24, 2006
Nib Files for Dust Nubs Quick tips on preventing, or removing, occasional dust nubs from finished pieces. March 9, 2010
Finishes for Curly Maple Finishers offer a few custom finish approaches for curly or quilted maple. January 14, 2009
Outdoor Furniture Finish All finishes are temporary in outdoor exposures. But here are some suggestions for the more durable alternatives. September 18, 2012
Oxalic Acid and Iron Stains The best use of oxalic acid is in countering iron stains caused by metal contact with natural wood tannins. June 17, 2010
Gel Finish for Kitchen Cabinets Gel stain is one thing, gel polyurethane topcoast is something else. But both may be suitable in different ways. February 12, 2009
Eliminating Fish Tails in Finish A beginner gets advice on tip choice and fluid and air pressure settings to help optimize his spray pattern. June 18, 2013
Getting Good Coverage in a Shader Coat Tweaking the material flow and concentration in the wide fan pattern helps solve a problem of inconsistent coverage. August 16, 2012
Primers for Signboard Synthetic sign-board materials tend to soak up the paint and get blotchy. Here are some suggestions for a practical primer. June 8, 2008
Recommended stains Participants give their preferences when it comes to stain suppliers. March 24, 2000
Refillable Glazing Pen? A discussion of glazing pens, flow pencils, and similar technology for laying down narrow lines of finish formulas. February 21, 2011
Filling Oak Pores Tips on prepping Oak to achieve a finish that is smooth to the touch. October 13, 2008
Pre-Conditioning with a Washcoat A thinned-down version of your topcoat stain serves as an effective wood conditioner before staining. October 26, 2005
Flatting Agent to Reduce Sheen If you need flat-sheen finish occasionally, but not in quantities that make it worth keeping on hand, you can keep some flatting agent around instead to add when necessary. February 23, 2008
Matching Veneer to Solid Wood Surroundings Advice for applying veneer to MDF and finishing it to match the European steamed Beech already installed in the room. January 3, 2012
Painting MDF Letters A nail bed or a chicken-wire frame is good for supporting small pieces to be sprayed. October 1, 2010
Outdoor Bar-Top Epoxy Can any bar finish stand up to outdoor weather and rough treatment? April 16, 2010
Fixing a Too-Orange Finish Carefully toning that orange with some blue should bring it back to an acceptable brown, say the pros. December 30, 2005
Finishing Teak Furniture A discussion of finish methods that can deal with the naturally oily character of Teak. July 16, 2008
Glue Lines in Veneer The veneer manufacturer should detect and eliminate glue lines; at the finishing stage, they are hard to deal with. March 26, 2010
Preserving Leftover Catalyst How to prolong the shelf life of unused catalyst for catalyzed finishes. March 12, 2006
Glue Reacting with Cherry A Cherry table shows witness lines at the glue joints. The culprit: a reaction between the wood and the glue. November 13, 2005
Fixing Lacquer Drips Drips and runs in a lacquer finish can be shaved or sanded down. June 30, 2007
Removing Imperfectly Hardened Epoxy A brief account of how ugly things can get when an epoxy coating for a tabletop fails to harden and must be removed. November 8, 2007
Kremlin pumps Forum visitors give their views of Kremlin pumps for spray finishing. March 24, 2000
Nylon Stocking Spray-Gun Filter Tip A piece of nylon stocking works better than a store-bought filter for straining finishes in an HVLP cup gun. September 11, 2006
Metal Dye Container Leakage Apparently some dye formulas eat through some metal cans, causing leaks. March 13, 2009
Finishing maple and birch Maple and birch are notorious for not taking stains evenly. Here are tips for achieving color uniformity in these popular, durable woods.1998.
Polyurethane Bubble Trouble A milky cast and bubbles in a poly finish probably mean the catalyst is old, and there's too much moisture. October 25, 2006
Finishing Edgebanding Thoughts on how to finish edgebanding, before or after application to prefinished panels. November 25, 2008
Rubbing out Spar Varnish Like interior varnishes, spar varnish rubs and buffs to a gloss — but there are some things to keep in mind. December 1, 2005
Polyester primer primer Some primary information on primer of the polyester persuasion. April 4, 2000
NGR Color Shift Caused by Stain Coats A sealer between the dye coat and the stain coat will help keep NGR dyes from changing color on you. April 10, 2008
Making Gray Paint Using Tint Concentrates A finisher in a hurry gets advice on whipping up a quick batch of gray paint to match the plastic edgebanding he has. October 19, 2014
Matching the Amber Tint of Pre-Finished Plywood A finisher gets advice on adding a slight amber glow to drawer fronts and boxes to match his prefinished plywood cabinet interiors. September 3, 2010
Rubbing Out Lacquer for a High Sheen Wax is a better choice than linseed oil for rubbing out on top of a film-forming finish such as lacquer. November 25, 2008
High-gloss finish on MDF Advice on producing a high-gloss finish on Medium Density Fiberboard. March 20, 2000
Removing White Blush Under Lacquer Two suggestions for getting rid of a white blush caused by putting a hot pot down on a table finished with post-catalyzed clear lacquer.February 16, 2014
Choosing an HVLP System Selecting the proper size and quality system for your shop. October 21, 2004
Achieving a "Brushed-On" Cabinet Finish Look Finishers and cabinetmakers discuss whether brush marks are a good or bad thing, and how to create or avoid them, depending. October 15, 2009
Comparison Test of Water-Based Finishes A cabinetmaker subjects six water-based urethanes to side-by-side stain-resistance testing (and shares his results). July 8, 2005
Drying Compressor Air This long, detailed discussion covers the whys and hows of drying out the air that flows through your compressed-air lines to power tools and spray equipment. April 6, 2007
Black Finish for a Maple Floor Black belt finishers display their chops on an unusual problem: staining a maple floor black. No pain, no gain ... April 21, 2008
Clear Exterior Door Finish that Won't Alter Wood Color This post from a woodworker looking for a clear finish for exterior doors that would preserve the color of some beautiful Mahogany doors drew some interesting and detailed responses. April 15, 2012
Choosing a Spray Setup Finishers kick around the perennial HVLP versus air-assisted airless question, and exchange detailed thoughts about the pros and cons of different spraygun makes and models. April 19, 2006
Advice to a Beginner on Finishing Maple The best course may be to hire a pro who has the right equipment and experience. But failing that, here are some ideas about finishing Maple with wipe-on products. March 13, 2014
Dye Stain Blotching A newcomer to spraying dye stains negotiates the learning curve. February 17, 2012
Another Fisheye Story Fisheye rears its ugly head, setting off another round of troubleshooting. February 8, 2008
Dispensing Ingredients Finishers contribute tips for storing, measuring, and pouring out paints, stains, and colorants. January 9, 2007
CSI Woodweb: Unsolved Pink Mysteries An unanswered question saved for future reference: Why is a mysterious pink color bleeding through finishes on MDF, or appearing around rubber bumpers? March 4, 2009
Chemical Interactions with Stains Applied to Photos Here's a complex discussion of the possible chemical reactions that could cause wood stains to change color properties when applied to old black-and-white photographs as part of a custom art work. July 18, 2008
Choosing a Spraygun for a Small Shop A thoughtful discussion on the pros and cons of airless, air-assisted, pressure pot, and gravity HVLP sprayguns. December 9, 2010
Clear Finish Over Faux Linen Painted MDF Wall Paneling Here's an extended thread on an unusual and challenging architectural finish problem: getting a high-gloss clear coat over painted MDF in a fast-paced custom homebuilding context. June 8, 2008
Achieving Even Color on Cherry More advice on a perennial challenge: getting consistent color when finishing Cherry. August 26, 2006
Coating Choices for Exterior Wood Doors Here's another discussion sorting through the options for wood door finishes that have to face exterior exposures. March 28, 2012
Dye Stains and Gel Stains for Difficult Wood Dye stains or gel stains (or a combination of both) can produce good results on blotchy woods and detailed profiles. Here's a detailed discussion of product choices and application methods. April 20, 2011
Coating for Walnut Restaurant Chairs Hard like two-component polyurethane, or repairable like tung oil? An extended discussion of the options for a finish that has to look top-notch, and face rough wear. May 27, 2008
Color Burnthrough Sample Finishers share images of burnthrough effects created during the finishing process. February 8, 2005
Curing Stations, Drying Time, and Workflow A small ultraviolet or infrared curing station might speed up a small finish line's production. Here, finishers talk about equipment, formulas, drying times, and efficiency. May 17, 2005
Conversion Varnish Wrinkling Problem Wrinkles that appear after applying a second coat of CV could be caused by a variety of mis-steps, some related to the "recoat window." October 1, 2010
Achieving a Smooth, Glassy Finish on a Burl Veneer Tabletop The crazy grain and deep structure of a burl surface pose a special finishing challenge, and the choice of adhesive can also add a twist. Here, pros offer advice from several different perspectives. December 8, 2006
Dealing with Silicone Contamination in Wood Pores Advice on sanding and refinishing an Oak surface after silicone contamination has become evident — but without contaminating your own shop or equipment. March 28, 2010
Art Finish on MDF An architect asks for a bizarre bleaching and staining job on MDF panels, and a finisher seeks professional help. April 30, 2009
Dye Stains, Solvents, and Alder A question about spray dyes for Alder leads to a discussion of sophisticated custom formulations using dyes and solvents. March 26, 2007
Darkening a Lacquer Finish On Site Finishers consider the fine points of darkening an existing old lacquer finish with hand-application methods. July 2, 2008
Considering 2k Polyurethane Finishes A long and thoughtful discussion on the virtues and drawbacks of two-component urethane finishes. October 2, 2005
A Little About Crackle Finishes You can create one of today’s most popular specialty finishes with a little experimentation and practice. August 13, 2005
Achieving a Gray Finish on Cherry Cabinets A discussion of playing with white, black, and color — and some suggestions about trying a different kind of wood, too. November 5, 2013
Conversion Varnish Delamination Too fine a sandpaper may be the reason conversion varnish is losing inter-coat adhesion. November 25, 2008
Choices for Glazing Here's advice on glazing for a beginner who's having trouble. July 11, 2013
Contamination and Fish Eye Finishers help a colleague track down the source of fisheye, among the many typical (and not-so-typical) suspects. May 17, 2005
Custom-Formulating Spray-Only Stains A wide-open discussion on how to formulate and mix spray-applied stains, using the whole range of ingredients available in the market. February 19, 2006
Darkening of Oil-Finished End Grain Unusual tables milled from whole logs present an interesting stain and finish problem, besides the obvious moisture-related movement concerns. May 23, 2007
Applying a Toasted Almond Glaze Four different finishers describe their methods for achieving this effect with wipe-off brown glaze over white base coat. July 29, 2007
Controlling Shellac Blush An extended discussion of methods for curing blushing in shellac, and their various possible pitfalls. November 8, 2007
Deodorant Fisheyes Finish flaws caused by personal care products. December 9, 2004
Adding Dyes to Tung Oil Detailed advice on mixing and applying your own custom-tinted Tung oil toner. (Also, dispose of the rags with care.) July 3, 2008
Conversion Varnish and Sanding Sealer Advice on switching to a clear conversion varnish over a vinyl sanding sealer for a simple, quick two-coat system. April 15, 2013
Catalyzed Versus Uncatalyzed Lacquers An extended discussion of the chemistry, attributes, and performance of catalyzed lacquers compared to traditional uncatalyzed nitrocellulose lacquer. April 21, 2008
Avoiding Small Bubbles in Polyester Polyester finish performance is sensitive to temperature conditions, thinning proportions, and other factors. This thread offers troubleshooting ideas along with examples of successful strategies. May 18, 2010
Air-Assisted Airless: Advice for a New User Tip choice, spray technique, and equipment care and maintenance advice for a finisher who has just purchased his first AAA setup. February 17, 2014
Custom-Tinting a Dark Pigmented Precat A cabinetmaker asks a finishing question: How to create a dark opaque version of a tinted pre-catalyzed conversion varnish. November 29, 2014
Building Up Color on Maple A builder gets advice on how to apply tinted stains and sealers to maple using many thin coats, to avoid the dreaded blotching effect. February 14, 2006
Clear-Coat Yellowing Problem in Cabinet Interiors Many oil-based clear-coats turn yellow when kept in the dark. The severity may depend on the type of oil used. Here's a case example, with comments from the pros. February 12, 2007
Coloring Oak Grain Tips on how to replicate an Oak stain with pinkish grain in the pores. November 11, 2008
Clear Finish for an Exterior Door No clear finish lasts long in the sun and weather, but here are some thoughts from finishers on the best of the bunch. December 15, 2005
Color Variations in Finished Maple A discussion of natural differences in wood color, and the effect of finish techniques that may moderate or exacerbate those differences. January 8, 2010
Clear Topcoat for Milk Paint A finisher looks for a clear topcoat that he can apply over milk paint on site. October 28, 2009
Darkening a Too-Red Stain Finishers help troubleshoot and correct a stain job that came out a little too red. April 21, 2007
Catalyst Causing Gradual Pigment Change A cautionary tip: catalysts in catalyzed finishes may cause pigments to change over time in the can — so a batch may not match itself, if time passes between applications. September 26, 2006
Cabinet Finishing Labor Time Some thoughts on how long cabinet finishing should take (and does take), and ideas for speeding the work up. January 27, 2008
Air-Assisted Airless Versus HVLP More discussion of the fine points distinguishing air-assisted airless spray-gun systems from high-volume low-pressure systems. April 30, 2006
A Brushed-On Finish for a Wood Drum Discussing the finer points of a brushed-on and polished shellac finish for a musical instrument. January 9, 2007
Color Match for Old Birch Matching aged wood with any kind of colorant is tricky, because the ambient light is a major player no matter what you do. But here are some detailed tips anyway. July 3, 2008
Calcium Contamination in a Spray Finish A finisher gets advice on addressing what appears to be a white calcium buildup on his spray system's filters, which is contaminating his work. November 29, 2014
Compressor Capacity FAQ A quick tutorial from the folks at Spraygun World on various ways to get the airflow you need to run your spray finishing equipment — whatever the gun's requirements. February 10, 2007
Durable Hand-Brushed Finishes Ideas for how to achieve a cabinet finish with the look of brushed-on paint, but the durability of a spray-applied lacquer. April 30, 2006
A Little About Accentuating the Grain This technique for enhancing grain can be used to make one species look like another or bring out the natural beauty of various woods. August 19, 2005
Baseball Bat Finishes A discussion of good finishes for baseball bats for youth leagues. July 17, 2008
"Crawling" Problems with Waterborne Finishes Like fisheye but different, "crawling" or "cratering" is a pesky finish issue involving surface tension effects in fluids. December 10, 2008
Darkening Cherry to Match Existing Advice on using sunlight or UV to quickly darken Cherry wood, and some serious warnings about certain chemicals. April 9, 2007
Durable, Repairable Finish for Small Items What's a good finish for a small wood item that may get rough use (such as wood cups for headphones)? It's a tough straddle. November 29, 2014
Dry Spray Diagnosis A classic example (probably), and some great pictures, of catalyzed finish drying before it hits the workpiece — and advice on prevention. November 11, 2008
Advice for a Beginning Finisher Pros counsel a cabinetmaker on how to get started applying spray finishes to his own work. April 19, 2006
Controlling Lacquer Blushing Humid environments sometimes make lacquer "blush." Here, pros suggest ways to minimize blush, and to correct it when it happens. August 30, 2005
Cracking of Lacquer over Shellac Multiple shellac coats (sanded between coats) lead to trouble with later lacquer coats in this example. March 29, 2008
Catalyzing a Vinyl Toner A highly specialized discussion of the fine points involved when using a wiping oil stain in combination with a catalyzed finish and a vinyl toner. February 19, 2006
Dye, Stain, and Wood Selection For a Gray-Toned Finish A cabinetmaker's looking to get a gray finish on solid wood and veneer cabinets. Pros chime in with an advanced discussion about the difference between dyes and pigments, with advice on how to achieve a nice gray tone — and really show off the wood grain. December 1, 2005
Cold Weather Flowout Issues Troubleshooting a pinhole problem when spraying in a cold shop during winter. May 17, 2010
Creating a Thin Striated Glaze Finishers discuss improvised tools and hand techniques for obtaining a pattern of thin lines ("striations") on a finished surface. January 24, 2014
Drying Rack Suggestions Finishers discuss the attributes of various manufactured and shop-built racks for drying freshly sprayed doors and parts. January 24, 2014
Clear Epoxy Over an Inlay Tips on applying a thin but tough clear finish over a delicate inlay detail. March 9, 2006
‘Aging’ Your Finishes Some easy techniques for producing today’s popular looks. August 13, 2005
Crackle Finish Techniques Tips, advice and discussion on getting the desired results from a crackle-coat finish. February 19, 2006
Dealing with spray booth noise Protecting your hearing from the deafening roar of spray booth exhaust equipment. November 15, 2000
Dark Stain for Maple Advice on staining maple a dark color, with the use of a washcoat and toners. June 17, 2009
Considering Waterborne Finishes A finisher who wants to switch from oil-based to water-based asks about durability. November 27, 2007
Darkening Wood with Aniline Dyes Non-grain-raising (NGR) aniline dyes let you get a dark stain into tight-pore wood such as Oak. Here's advice on mixing and application. February 21, 2011
Color "Burnthrough" Ideas for getting a sanded-through look to enhance the sense that a new piece is anything but. January 25, 2005
Durability Issues with an Outdoor Wood Mosaic Advice on a tough challenge: finishing a multi-piece, panel-backed, wood mosaic, so it won't tear itself apart from moisture-related wood movement. March 29, 2008
Chemistry of Water-Based Polyurethane Coatings Here's some information about waterbased two-part poly formulas, the health risks the ingredients may pose, and product availability. March 29, 2006
Conversion Varnish on Antique Heart Pine Antique Heart Pine tends to come with all the residues and character of its 200-year service life. Will conversion varnish stick to it, and behave?February 27, 2013
Blushing or Spray-Can Touch-Up Pre-Cat Working in hot conditions, a finisher reports that spray-can touch-up lacquer started to show blushing as the space warmed up. Pros advise on corrective measures. August 26, 2006
Choosing a Scale for Color Mixing Finishers discuss the equipment issues involved in weighing and measuring colorants for creating custom tints. June 28, 2006
CAB Acrylic Peeling Problem Acrylics made with cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) can have durability issues in damp or chemically challenging environments. June 8, 2008
Both Sides, Now Ideas for jigs and fixtures that allow finishing and drying on both sides of the same panel. February 8, 2005
Applying Latex Paint over Oil Paint A repainting project raises the old familiar topic of compatibility between oil-based and acrylic paints. June 16, 2014
Conversion Varnish Turning Wood Panels Pink Investigation reveals that the catalyst in the varnish reacts with the wood to create a pinkish hue. Solution? Start by applying some kind of barrier coat. June 28, 2013
Dulling Down a Lacquer Finish in the Field Here's an unusual touch-up problem: sanding to dull a finish down to its original dull sheen, rather than buffing to heighten the sheen. December 8, 2006
Dirt in the Finish Troubleshooting a problem where pieces being finished with conversion varnish seem to attract dirt and dust out of nowhere.July 16, 2012
Cleaning Finished Cabinets The pros debate soaps, detergents, cleansers, and polishes. Are they all just bad, or should your finish be able to take anything? Or is the truth somewhere in between? July 10, 2005
Cleaning Up Silicone to Fight Fisheye Once you have silicone contamination on a cabinet, it's very hard to get rid of. Here's another look at a common and pesky problem. January 2, 2012
Dark Cerused Oak Finish Finishers discuss the steps needed to create the white-filled pore effect of cerused oak. August 21, 2006
Brown Finish for Cherry Cabinets Advice on a stain for Cherry that will darken the color but preserve the characteristic look of the grain. May 15, 2012
Brushing on a Waterborne Primer A small-time cabinetmaker looks for a primer he can brush onto the edges of door panels. September 3, 2011
Chipped Paint Finish Tips on achieving the look of chipped, cracked, eroded paint. August 17, 2009
A Matte Finish for Open Wood Grain A wood sculptor likes the look he gets with straight sanding sealer on his sand-blasted pieces, but he worries about future color changes. Pros comment. July 3, 2008
Dealing with Fisheye A finisher finds the source of his fisheye problem (silicon overspray from an auto detailer next door) and the solution (cleaning contaminated surfaces with ammonia). October 26, 2005
Durability of Wax Finishes Traditional wax finishes such as beeswax or carnauba wax can last for many years if not exposed to wear or chemicals. September 5, 2010
Accentuating the Grain when Finishing Maple A light blond shellac applied under a clear waterborne coating will help pop the grain and bring out the character of Maple. May 7, 2007
A "Rub-through" Glaze/Paint Finish Answering a first-timer's question, pros explain how to get that "burn-through" finish using stain, paint, and glaze. June 28, 2005
Achieving Consistent Color on Large Jobs It can be tricky to keep color consistent on a large area of wall paneling. Here, finishers discuss the approaches that work. February 13, 2006
Compressor Oil Leaks in the Finishing Shop If your compressor blows oil into your finishing shop air, you could be entering a world of hurt. Here's advice. October 13, 2008
Carton Marks on Finished Furniture A furnituremaker considers how to prevent his cardboard packaging from abrading the finish on his pieces. February 15, 2015
Cutting Edge Miters in a Small Shop Without investing in a sliding table saw, how can a small furniture maker set up to cut accurate, consistent edge miters? December 29, 2008
A Smooth Finish for Cabinet Interiors Tips and techniques for eliminating surface roughness in water-based finishes for cabinet interiors. April 30, 2006
Avoiding "Stripes" in a Flat Finish Boxing the spray pattern with a criss-cross application may help avoid visible stripes or overlap streaks. December 30, 2007
Dyes and Wash Coats Conditioning "naturally blotchy" woods to accept stains and dye uniformly. February 26, 2005
A Whitewash Finish for Oak Flooring Advice on a very tricky floor finish: bleaching the oak, tinting it white, and covering with a durable clear. August 14, 2007
Durable Coating for an MDF Product A manufacturer seeks a prime coat that will protect his MDF pieces from dings during handling or shipping. March 29, 2006
Clear Finishes for Mahogany Suggestions for applying a clear finish to mahogany, without darkening the wood. October 27, 2005
Cherry Aging and Figure Cabinetmakers and instrument makers discuss ways to maintain the distinctive look of strongly figured Cherry, even as the wood darkens over time from exposure to light. March 12, 2014
Blotchiness on Finished Cherry Cherry can look a little blotchy when freshly finished (part of the natural charm). A lot of it fades as the cherry darkens over time. February 8, 2008
Cleaning Sprayroom Floors Advice on how to remove coating overspray build-up from a concrete spray booth floor. August 30, 2005
Achieving a High-Gloss Finish with Tung Oil Pure tung oil can't provide high gloss, but modified tung oils or a topcoat over tung oil are options worth considering. December 1, 2005
Applying UV-Cured Coatings to Flooring Commercial pre-finished flooring comes with a UV-cured urethane finish, but that's an advanced process best left to the specialists. June 17, 2010
Cross-Brand Use of Lacquer Thinners Thinners are formulated to work with certain coatings (and vice versa). But using a different thinner brand can serve certain purposes — if you're careful. October 28, 2005
A "Green" Finish for a Cuban Mahogany Bench Thoughts on the meaning of environmental correctness for clear wood finishes, and some interesting history about Cuban Mahogany, a nearly-extinct wood that is making a comeback. March 4, 2009
Correcting a Yellow Cast on Cherry A little timely advice helps a finisher get the right brown tone, while simplifying his finishing schedule. November 12, 2006
Correcting a Too-Red Stain Green moves red in the direction of brown. Here are tips on careful application of that color correction. January 9, 2007
A Stain-Matching Example Matching the color shown here could begin with an "equalizing stain." June 28, 2006
Correcting Sun Striping in Cherry Techniques to re-blend sections of a Cherry piece that show the effects of sun and shading. July 2, 2008
Advice on Spraying Latex Paint Success with latex acrylic paints requires an appropriate spraygun setup and a lot of fiddling with the variables. July 11, 2013
Avoiding Blush in a Clear Lacquer Finish To avoid condensation that causes clear lacquer to take on a milky white blush, keep an eye on ambient temperature and humidity. March 12, 2006
Adjusting the Spraygun for Pigmented CV Finishers discuss good pressure for a spraygun, how to dial in a good setting, and how to adjust chemicals for better results. March 16, 2015
Discoloration at Door Bumpers Cabinetmakers puzzle over what seems to be some kind of chemical interaction between a soft door bumper and a lacquer finish. June 17, 2009
Blonde Oak Finish Advice on lightening Oak with a pickling stain or a white pigmented toner. June 18, 2010
Color-Matching Basics Tips on mixing pigments for matching existing tints. June 10, 2006
Attaining a Flat Sheen on Furniture A flat finish on furniture is challenging, especially in the case of touch-up and repair. Here, the pros supply some advice. January 14, 2008
Buffing to a High Shine Progressively finer sandpaper, then buffing compound, will raise a liquid gleam on a gloss conversion varnish. October 9, 2006
Black Stain for a White Oak Floor Experienced floor finishers describe an iron-and-vinegar formula for a penetrating black wood treatment that works on oak floors. June 30, 2007
Applying Milk Paint to a Large Piece A finisher is using milk paint under clear lacquer on a large piece of furniture, and asks for advice on technique. November 8, 2007
Definition of "Burnishing" The term "burnish" is used in a variety of ways in wood finishing. They all have something to do with rubbing. March 13, 2009
Automotive Clearcoat for an Exterior Door Some finishers say automotive finishes work well on exterior wood, but the manufacturers reportedly won't stand behind it. March 12, 2006
Clear Filler for Worm Tracks Advice on clear filler for wormholes in an old walnut piece with character. April 10, 2008
Detecting Sanding Scratches Advice on lighting a workpiece so you can see fine sanding scratches before you finish. June 30, 2009
Cleaning a Neglected Spraygun Advice on salvaging a spraygun that is all gunked up with dried-on polyurethane finish. April 21, 2008
Bubbles in an Epoxy Finish Tips for preventing bubbles from appearing during the curing for a poured epoxy job, and tips for how to fix it when they do appear. May 7, 2007
Alternative Touchup Graining Liquids Several different types of product can be used to dissolve pigment powders for graining or touch-up purposes. November 12, 2006
Alternatives for Spar Varnish on Mahogany Spar varnish's softness and flexibility matches well with mahogany's softness, but dry times are an issue. Here, finishers discuss other choices. April 30, 2006
Cleaning the Kremlin Airmix system Solvent recycling methods and hose products to help decrease the cost of cleaning and maintaining the Kremlin Airmix system. November 21, 2000
Black Dye Stains for Maple Tips and tricks for applying a dark stain to maple while still revealing the grain. Pros recommend various methods using inks, dyes, and toners. October 28, 2005
Balancing a Table Top Balancing the veneers, the finishes, and the construction sequence will help keep the table flat. March 30, 2008
Cutting Steel Wool from a Roll Steel wool dulls scissors quickly. Here are suggestions for other ways to cut it when purchased in bulk. October 19, 2014
Durability of Pre-Cat on Edges Multiple coats over a vinyl sealer may help pre-catalyzed lacquer hold up better on door and drawer edges. August 21, 2006
Cerused Oak Finish Tips Advice on how to apply and remove white grain filler so that just the pores and flecks are white when the job is done. February 12, 2010
Cherry Toning to Match Old and New Success story: a little sunlight and some trans-tint dye toning provides a pleasing match. November 3, 2010
Cherry Knob Finish Is Darker Than Cabinet Finish Exposed end grain on the knobs causes them to behave differently than the flat wood of the doors and frames. But there are solutions. November 12, 2006
A "Piano Finish" for Plant Stands Here's a good description of the steps involved in getting a very high-gloss opaque black finish. August 15, 2011
Durability of Table-Top Finishes Even the toughest clear finish is subject to scratching and wear. You need to make customers aware of that. July 17, 2008
Correcting Stain Problems Caused by Glue on Wood Where the trim installers glued their joints and wiped off the squeeze-out, stain may not take properly. Here are ways to cope with the problem. December 27, 2006
Discoloration of Conversion Varnish Acidic conversion varnish formulas can react with metals in the application system or with wood chemistry, causing a red, black, or gray discoloration. Here are some suggested precautions for prevention. March 29, 2006
Combining Long-0il and Short-Oil Finishes A finishing schedule that includes both long-oil and short-oil varnishes can provide the water-resistance of one and the glossiness of the other. April 30, 2006
Caulking Under Conversion Varnish Gaps in a piece may become noticeable after a first finish coat. Here's advice on caulking before applying the second coat. March 26, 2013
Best Finish for Bar Top? Finishers discuss the options for a bar top, considering durability and the ability to apply on site. February 15, 2009
DIY crazing Choosing finishing materials that will produce a "crackled" look. November 29, 2000
Applying a Chip-Through Finish Wax or petroleum jelly applied in spots will break adhesion and allow the topcoat to chip off, exposing the undercoat. November 26, 2007
Durable Topcoats for Pigmented Lacquer Finishers discuss using a clear topcoat over a pigmented lacquer, and give other suggestions for durable pigmented cabinet finishes. July 24, 2006
A Hard Bar Finish for Soft Wood No finish will make a soft wood hard. But for a redwood bar top, some finishers suggest a penetrating epoxy. August 21, 2006
Coloring Water-Based Lacquer Paint stores can add pigment to a water-based lacquer, but the results may vary. This thread from the Finishing Forum supplies a few tips. October 19, 2005
Correcting an Un-Catalyzed CV Coat Thoughts on recovering from an "oops" — forgetting to add catalyst to a batch of conversion varnish. March 9, 2010
Correcting Finish Fading Caused by Light Advice on how to even up the finish tone in an area where a hanging mirror has left its shadow on a cabinet end. May 16, 2014
Clarity of Gloss Finishes High-gloss finish formulas are more transparent than dull or satin finishes. That can have both good and bad consequences. March 12, 2006
A Unique Ebonizing Recipe Here's a custom chemical brew that goes on yellow and green, then turns deep black when the oil finish hits it. September 16, 2008
Closed Grain Finish A finisher needs an efficient way to fill grain for spray finishes on exotic veneers. Suggestions include grain filler and an innovative mixing setup for his spray equipment. April 30, 2006
Distressing wood Creating a well-worn look on newly built furniture. February 6, 2002
Catalyzed Finish Expiration Dates Pre-cat lacquers are labeled with an expiration date. Use it after that, and here's the trouble you'll have. June 28, 2006
Conversion Varnish Dust Problems Imperfections in a CV finish could be caused by dust, air, or problems in the sealer coat. Here, pros suggest fixes for each. December 1, 2005
Are water-based finishes worth it? An industry expert recounts users' experiences with, and motivations for, converting to water-based finishing products. 1998.
Black Finish to Match a Grand Piano A furnituremaker gets tips on "ebonizing" a music stand to match a grand piano's black finish. August 22, 2005
A Glossy Coating Over Milk Paint A finisher has been asked to color-match some milk-painted pieces, but with a glossy finish. Pros consider the feasibility of using conversion varnish or clear acrylic over milk paint. December 15, 2005
Custom Mixing a Warm Gray Color Gray is made by mixing complementary colors, and there is more than one way to get there. September 5, 2010
Adding White Colorant to Clear Base It's hard to get good hiding and coverage with white coatings that you mix yourself from colorants and clear bases. September 10, 2007
A Compatible Glaze for a Cherry Cabinet Experienced hands suggest burnt umber or burnt siena as tones that won't fight with cherry's complex natural hues. December 15, 2005
Chemistry of Polyurethane Finishes Amaze your friends and relations with your grasp of polyurethane chemical structure, after reading this thread. January 14, 2008
Custom Paint for Cabinets Matching paint or stain colors using a waterborne conversion varnish isn't a big deal, but it's typical to apply an up-charge. December 6, 2011
Characteristics of Kingwood Expensive, prone to movement, and maybe allergenic — but it sure is beautiful. March 12, 2006
Dealing with Pitch Pockets Here's a nice handful of workable methods for preventing bleed-through of pitch from pitch pockets in softwood lumber. January 8, 2010
A Slice of Finishing Shop History Feeling creative, a woodworker takes a cross-section of the two-inch layer of residue on his finishing table after years of accumulation of overspray. The result is art. April 13, 2012
Alternatives to Red Lead In a fire repair job, a finisher wishes he had some "red lead" pigment (currently banned). He gets advice on a workaround. March 13, 2009
Clear Auto Finish for Exterior Wood? Will an auto finishing product work on an outdoor wood project? Most finishers in this thread say not. June 28, 2005
Consistent Tint with a Waterbased Stain A finisher struggles with shade variations on a set of oak doors. Colleagues suggest ways to solve the problem. August 9, 2005
Dipping Lacquer A little basic info on the dipping method for lacquer application. December 30, 2005
Adding Color to Clear Finishes You can add small amounts of colorant to clear pre-catalyzed varnish to create a toner. April 17, 2010
Cleaning a Leaky HVLP Gun Air bubbles leaking into the cup indicate the need for a thorough cleaning. September 11, 2006
Cleaning a Pressure Pot A routine for rinsing out a pressure pot and spraygun with solvent. April 18, 2015
Dye Coverage and Oak Pores Oak pores sometimes do not take stain or dye well. Here's some advice. December 6, 2011
Clear Finish Color Correction Misting with purple successfully turns an ugly yellow finish to a rich brown tone. November 25, 2005
Conversion Varnish Application Basics A first-timer gets tips on applying conversion varnish, compared to the nitrocellulose laquer he's used to. December 1, 2005
Bleaching wood Choosing the correct bleaching agent makes all the difference when altering the natural color of wood to achieve uniformity. 1998.
Brush Marks in Varnish Brushing varnish on is tricky. A wiping varnish may give good results more easily. May 23, 2007
Basic glazing Glazing steps for the novice. April 9, 2003
Catalyzed Finishes There are many different types of catalyzed finishes; lacquers, conversion varnish, polyurethanes, polyesters and even some vinyl sealers. Each of these finishes has their own particular set of characteristics with different strengths and weaknesses. Here's a rundown on catalyzed finishes and what m ......
Artistic Effects in Finishing Striated finishes, ceruse, and five kinds of frottage: here's an illustrated tour of some advanced artistic wood finishing effects from top expert Ron Bryze. December 28, 2007
Clean-Up of Oil-Based Putty Excess putty can make shiny smears around filled nail holes. Here are some tips on prevention and clean-up. October 28, 2005
Bleaching Wood Here's a practical two-page how-to on bleaching wood, contributed by finishing expert Ron Bryze. November 21, 2007
Yellowing Paint on New Poplar Doors This long discussion deals partly with the performance of paint on poplar, and partly with the division of responsibility between the cabinetmaker and the finisher. January 24, 2014
When to use waterbornes Applications where waterborne coatings will and won't work. May 22, 2002
Spray Shop Layout Setting up an efficient spray-finishing area in an expanded shop. December 26, 2004
Safe sprayroom setup Advice on everything from finish type to disposal of hazardous materials. December 17, 2003
Why Finishers Use Samples with Customers Customers don't have the vocabulary to describe finishes, or to understand how you describe them. That's why a signed sample is your best assurance of a clear agreement. August 29, 2011
Whether to Caulk Painted Cabinet Doors Materials choices, assembly methods, and finishing techniques all affect whether a door looks seamless, or not. May 15, 2014
Spray Booth Safety A discussion of spray booth requirements, with some interesting photos. October 14, 2006
Troubleshooting a Mold Problem on Redwood Siding An unusual insulated wall assembly with redwood siding over asphalt paper and studs has a mold problem — but just between the studs. April 24, 2009
Stripes in Fir Plywood A cabinetmaker's finisher notices a strange defect in some Fir plywood, probably caused by grain compression that happened at the plywood mill. October 13, 2012
Troubleshooting Sandpaper Scratch Marks Sandpaper choices and sander settings both play a role in swirl marks created by small wood slivers that stick to the sandpaper. May 27, 2014
Soft-Starting a Compressor A properly located buffer tank in the air line can keep a compressor from stalling or tripping the breaker on start-up. June 13, 2011
Troubleshooting Stain Wicking at End Grain Here's an interesting case example: a problem of stain wicking into end grain in a site-finished coffer ceiling trim job. April 18, 2010
Wood Trim Touch-Up Advice on touching up trim when filler in the nail holes doesn't quite match the main finish on the pieces. November 9, 2008
Spray Booth Ventilation, Back Pressure? A fan that works well mounted in a window has trouble moving air through a 50-foot duct with three bends. December 9, 2010
Sanding Methods for Face Frames Is it worth using the wide-belt sander, or will a random-orbital sander get the job done? Pros share opinions and experiences. July 22, 2005
Ultraviolet-Light Tracer Dye for Glue For easy detection of glue streaks before finishing, use a fluorescent glue or add a fluorescent additive. February 7, 2009
Substitutes for Mahogany Either lyptus wood or luan (also called "meranti") may be an acceptable lower-cost alternative to mahogany in cabinets. March 12, 2006
Tips for Paint Grade Doors Advice on door materials, spackle, and paint techniques for paint-grade work. February 27, 2013
Using Ozone to Counteract Off-Gassing Odor An ozone generator with enough capacity to make a dent in finish off-gassing odor would create indoor pollution concerns, says the voice of experience. December 23, 2014
Tag-Teaming Your Air Compressors Woodworkers discuss various ways to tie two air compressors together to operate in tandem. January 27, 2008
Responsibility for a Too-Dark Finish A cabinetmaker is being asked to hold the bag for the poor work done by a painter who the customer hired. In this thread, professionals suggest ways to handle the problem. November 11, 2005
Re-Flattening a Warped Countertop A beautiful wood countertop warped after it was finished on one side only, then stored for years. This discussion is about making it flat again by kerfing the underside and clamping the piece. September 16, 2008
Resolving a Stain-Matching Dispute By its nature, matching stain is an imperfect process. Here, a finisher's story about a problem with a customer leads to a discussion of contract terms and policies for matching stain. June 23, 2006
Finished Versus Unfinished Cabinet Installations In some areas, cabinets are often delivered unfinished and sprayed on site, but in other markets that's practically unheard-of. Here, cabinetmakers discuss the pros and cons of both approaches. May 23, 2007
Finishing Wood Edges of Laminate Tops Suppose you want to edge-band laminate tops before finishing the edgebanding? Here are some creative ideas for protecting the laminate top from overspray while finishing just the edge. May 22, 2007
Minimizing Tell-Tale Un-Stained Lines around Door Panels Seasonal wood shrinkage often leaves a noticeable unstained margin showing around the edge of a door panel. Here are thoughts on how to minimize the occurrence. March 26, 2009
Equipment Issues for Final Door Sanding Cross-grain scratches from the wide-belt, then swirl marks from the random-orbit sanders — what's the solution to minimize the final hand-sanding stage? November 26, 2006
Pricing for Cabinet Finishing A furniture finisher who would like to branch out into cabinet finishing gets feedback on how to charge for the service. February 18, 2007
Prices for Finishing a Kitchen A craftsman who usually finishes only his own cabinetry gets feedback on setting a price to finish someone else's work. March 4, 2009
Is This Fan Explosion Proof? The electrical code references a range of safety ratings for spray booth fans, which relate to the classifications of hazards and the rules for fan location and control switching. November 16, 2011
Glue Catalyst Bleed-Through on Veneer Undissolved adhesive catalyst can bleed through and discolor veneer with unsightly spots long after finishing. November 15, 2010
Respirator Filter Storage For long life, respirator filter cartridges should be stored in a sealed bag or container when not in use. April 30, 2009
Remotely Located Air Compressors Cabinetmakers and finishers discuss how to locate their compressors in an outbuilding or basement. February 9, 2006
Finishing Doors Finishers discuss ways to efficiently spray large quantities of interior doors. September 11, 2006
Finishing an Exposed Exterior Door The harsh conditions of a south-facing exterior environment can trash any finish, and the door under it. But here's a closer look at the best bets. October 3, 2011
Finishing Backs of Face Frames Is it worth the trouble to finish the back of a cabinet face frame? Cabinetmakers swap opinions and methods. October 13, 2005
Pre-Finished Plywood and Wood Edgebanding Advice on assembly and finishing of a cabinet made with prefinished plywood interiors and solid wood edgebanding. October 13, 2012
Explosion-proof fans Building a safe spray booth to eliminate the risk of explosions. January 24, 2001
Recirculating Spray-Booth Air Regulations don't allow it, because it raises concentrations of potentially dangerous chemicals. December 1, 2005
Matching Sun-Darkened Cherry Color-matching new work with old is tricky when the wood is Cherry, because of the way Cherry darkens when exposed to light. May 24, 2006
Raw Wood Showing at Panel Edges Advice on preventing tell-tale raw wood from showing when door panels shrink over the dry season. December 28, 2014
Glue and Finish for a Wood Trivet Thoughts on how a small item designed to protect tabletops from hot pots and pans can be detailed to withstand the heat itself. November 8, 2007
Part Labeling Tips Advice on how to label cabinet parts for assembly on a very large production order. April 30, 2009
Exterior Cabinetry Materials Choices Cabinetmakers suggest woods, synthetic materials, and finishes for cabinets exposed to the elements under cover. February 21, 2011
Priming MDF Mouldings A solvent-borne primer may reduce MDF's surface fuzz after machining, but some sanding is almost always unavoidable. January 22, 2006
Finishing Cabinet Interiors Depending on the use, cabinetmakers may match the exterior stain color, or go with melamine or a light wood and clear finish. October 1, 2005
Isolating Air Lines from Compressor Vibration To prevent vibration and noise, install a short section of suitable flexible tubing between the compressor and the copper air lines.January 3, 2012
Inspecting for Glue Drips Before Finishing Drips show up when you wipe with denatured alcohol, but new fluorescent glues and a "black light" work even better. December 2, 2006
Glue Choices for Sizing Use a soft, easy-to-sand inexpensive white glue to mix glue sizing. May 28, 2010
Respirator Filter Life Quick tip on how to store respirator filters and when to change them. December 1, 2005
Butcher Block Finish Dispute This long saga of a woodworker's difficulty with a customer who is dissatisfied with the finish on a butcher block shipped cross-country offers lessons on communication, contracts, and credit card company dispute resolution processes. March 26, 2010
Building with Pre-Finished Plywood Pre-finished plywood can streamline the construction and finishing workflow. Here are some tips and stories. July 12, 2012
Does Your Sanding Make Sense? "Trouble starts when taking off more than a belt can handle, or taking off more than the scratch pattern of the previous head. These are the most common mistakes in sanding... It can be incredibly frustrating to see a company trapped in a prison of their own design because they really never und ......
A Tale of Two Grit Sequences Sophisticated practical advice on the wise sequence of grit choices for a belt sander to optimize sanding effectiveness while removing final scratches and preventing burnishing defects. November 12, 2014
Drying racks for cabinet doors Purchased and shop built varieties - the designs that work the best. Illustrated. (Finishing Forum) March 23, 2003
Chatter Marks in Production Moulding It's hopeless to think of sanding milling defects out of cheap moulding. The lucky thing is, most customers won't necessarily consider this visual characteristic to be a defect. December 9, 2010
Conversion varnish basics The pros agree: conversion varnish is best for kitchen cabinets. April 20, 2001
Avoiding Glue Marks on Cope-and-Stick Doors Here's a long discussion about how to avoid fingerprints or glue stains when sanding, gluing, assembling, and finishing raised panel doors. October 13, 2012
Cost for Staining Custom Moulding A small shop does some basic cost figuring for unfamiliar work: an incidental stain job. October 19, 2013
Door Finishing and Wood Movement Thoughts on how to prevent bare wood from being exposed when door panels and frames shrink during dry seasons. November 13, 2009
Converting a Trailer to a Spray Booth Finishers warn of the code and safety issues involved in providing lighting, egress, and other necessities to make a spray booth out of a metal trailer. February 15, 2009
Box Lid Alignment Issues Problems with jewelry box tolerances may be related to moisture in finishes. December 27, 2008
Dealing with Fire Code Issues in a Spray Booth Advice on communicating with a building department about the fine points of the fire code as it relates to spray finishing booths. May 27, 2014
Allowing for Panel Movement when Finishing Doors If you assemble five-piece doors before finishing, seasonal drying shrinkage can expose unfinished wood. Here's how some finishers address the issue. March 26, 2007