Questions tagged [finishing]
Finishing a woodworking project refers to the final steps to beautify and protect it.
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How to remedy spilled coffee on unfinished walnut
I accidentally spilled a large mug of coffee with heavy cream on a piece of unfinished walnut veneered plywood that I plan to use in a desk build.
I had plans to finish the piece with either tung oil ...
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Mixing a shellac cut?
This might sound like an obvious question to a lot of woodworkers, but I'm seeing some differing definitions on the web.
What is the formula for a "shellac cut", i.e. mixing your own shellac?...
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What causes the very dark brown and black color of some antique oak?
In the Britain, there is a great deal of antique oak furniture and even room wood paneling that is very dark brown and black, sometimes with red undertones, and without the typical golden hues of ...
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Removing dents from UV-finished wooden countertop
I have a UV-finished butcher block countertop that has several dents in it. As I know, it is simple to remove dents on unfinished surface using iron on wet wood, but UV-finish makes it complicated (if ...
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Practical indicators that my surface is ready for another coat of Tung Oil
Taking into account that different "Tung Oil" products take from a few hours to eternity to cure. Some say it never cures… Given the fact that curing is not drying… Being aware that some &...
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Can I use tung oil on an old rimu coffee table if I don't know the original finish?
I bought an old rimu coffee table that's been sitting in a garage for the last few years. I really like how it looks so my plan is to clean it thoroughly and then apply pure tung oil for protection. ...
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Should I stain/seal outdoor furniture before or after pre-drilling lots of pocket holes?
EDIT: I am using pine wood, and I intend to plug the holes if I can find xl pocket hole plugs. I do not intend for this piece to last decades. Since this is my first outdoor furniture build, if I get ...
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What are the pros & cons of wet sanding the first coat of BLO on bare wood?
From googling, I have learned that some people recommend wet sanding while you apply BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil). I've read a few different reasons as to why one might do this. Some say it helps fill ...
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What's the difference between 100% mineral spirits and similar products? (paint thinner, odorless mineral spirits, etc)
A few years ago, I finished some "butcherblock" (stave construction glue up countertop). I did 3 coats of BLO then used a homemade wiping varnish of gloss polyurethane mixed with MS. The ...
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Sealer for inside of bathroom cabinets [thin plywood]
I am creating some floor-to-ceiling stud bay storage in a bathroom. Bathroom is small but has a vent fan.
I am using the RevolutionPly utility sheet goods to line the cabinets. I believe it is made of ...
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How to apply Rubio Monocoat and Black Bison Wax to white oak
I love the look of black bison wax on oak as a way to really bring out the grain. (see example photo)
Until now I've only used rubio monocoat as a finish. It's pretty much impossible to mess up and it ...
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Finishing wood next to an existing finish
I'm attaching a new unfinished neck to the body of a finished guitar.
What's the best way to finish the neck without damaging the existing finish at the joint to the body?
Should I just try finishing ...
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What is stuck on chipboard to give wood appearance in flatpack furniture?
I have discovered that all the desks I own are chipboard. However, on the surface they look like real wood. I conclude that something has been stuck on the suface using glue to give this impression ...
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Help IDing what the type of wood finish this is
The project is to renew these handrails, but I found it hard to figure out which type of finish this is. I sanded a part of wood, tried various finishes:
Interior wood varnishes (all kinds: gloss, ...
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Chair refinishing advice
I got these beautiful cane backed chairs off a local buy nothing group. At some point in their lives someone decided to paint them with a cheap white paint that felt sticky to the touch.
I decided to ...
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Is it possible to smooth over sides of re-finished area?
This will be a very basic question, but I'm not sure I trust Googled results. For example, there is a suggestion that I "feather out" polyurethane finish; my experience tells me that it is ...
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Clear finish for wet erase board on wood
I am fairly new to the woodworking scene, and am looking for how to turn a piece of wood into a usable wet erase board, with a clear finish. Doing some digging, I've found a couple of possible ...
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What kind of respirator do I need to safely work with varnish, polyurethane, and oil-based stain?
I like building small projects for around the house, but I don't like exposing myself to the harsh chemicals of finishes.
What sort of respirator will give me protection against these chemicals so I ...
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What finish most closely resembles the look after wiping mineral spirits on wood?
I imagine I must not be the first person, after applying mineral spirits, to think "that's exactly how I would like it to look when I finish it".
So what finishes most closely resemble the ...
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What finish is this and how can I fix after bad coffee accident…?
I just had a pretty bad friday morning coffee spilling experience and the coffee seem to have ruined the surface finish of two of my kitchen chairs:
Either the heat or the acid in the coffee caused ...
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Looking for a recipe for a clear oil+wax finish that doesn't change the colour of the wood
Can someone share a recipe for a clear (non-yellowing) oil wax wood finish? I’ve made paste wax from 1 part wax to 4 parts boiled linseed oil before but I’d like an option that doesn’t change the ...
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Sanding down hardwax finish, how to seal it as close as natural?
I'll preface this by saying that I don't know much about wood finishes but I was hoping to get some help to recover what I've done sor far...
I got a butcher block style countertop slab to use as a ...
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Can I add white primer to danish oil to keep birch countertops light color?
New birch butcher block counter that I’d like to keep as light as possible. I’m thinking of whitewash with diluted primer, oil or water base, and either danish oil top coat or a wipe on poly. Can I ...
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Coating / waxing / oiling old wood without darkening it
I make sculptures (well, I try to, anyway) with old wood that I find in the forest. I strip and sand them heavily until I reach the "good" wood underneath the bad parts, but the remaining ...
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light sanding of poly coated gel stain removes gel stain?
I bought a Jarvis/Fully bamboo desktop and am trying to darken the finish.
To do this, I started on the bottom of the desktop and tried out the steps on a small portion by:
first sanding away the ...
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Can I oil wood if the pores are full of epoxy?
I turned a mesquite bowl to near final dimensions on my lathe, then filled some defects with epoxy. The defects were in end grain areas. After turning it flush and removing enough wood that there are ...
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Why won't stripper remove the finish on this bamboo desktop (from Fully/Jarvis company)?
I bought a Jarvis/Fully bamboo desktop and am trying to darken the finish. To do this, I first want to remove the existing finish. But I am having issues with doing so.
Note: pictures are at the ...
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What’s this kind of cracking on the surface of these boards called? Is it fixable?
I’m familiar with this type of crack/check, but I’m not sure how to describe it, or if there is a technical term.
I’ve encountered this in the past when we built log furniture, and someone told me it’...
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Fix laminate kitchen counter finish
Recently, I bought a kitchen with a veneered wood top, with black marble-effect finish.
The guys that assembled the kitchen used some silicone to join the two pieces of the top, leaving a horrible ...
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Tung Oil vs IKEA STOCKARYD
I bought IKEA GERTON Beech Wood Tabletop.
The instructions say to use STOCKARYD wood treatment oil. It seems to be quite simple. They said in IKEA to use K 400 or K 500 sandpaper, when I asked them.
...
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Finished shave horse with linseed oil; now it is too slippery to hold work well
I built this simple shave horse following Rex Kreuger plans; it is made from kiln-dried spruce. It worked great (as far as I can tell, first time using one!) once completed.
Since I will be storing it ...
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Is Odie's Oil worth all the hype... and money? [closed]
If you've looked at a woodworking magazine, watched anything wood-related on YouTube, or just browsed anything on the internet related to woodworking, you've probably come across Odie's Oil. It's ...
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Help getting started building decorative wooden crates
I would like to build some crates like those shown in the attached photos (including the Indy crate!) but I am having trouble getting started because I am not great at coming up with plans myself. I'd ...
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Is the mineral oil sold for constipation the same type of mineral oil used for cutting boards?
I want to make my own mix of beeswax and mineral oil. The mineral oil sold at Home Depot costs over 6 times more than the stuff sold in Walmart for constipation.
Are they the same thing?
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Finish on painted, custom bathroom vanity?
As part of a bathroom remodel, I've built a custom vanity. For the exterior (face frame, doors, drawer faces) I've painted it with a satin finish latex paint (4-5 coats). The interior is bare wood ...
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How to smooth wood that is splintering due to uneven hardness?
I would like to sand this surface to be safe and comfy to touch:
I am using a Delta sander with grits: 60, 120, 180, 240, 320 with various speeds and applying various amounts of pressure, but it seems ...
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Saving a sandbox - absolute beginner questions
In 2020 my father-in-law made a sandbox for our daughter. In 2021 he passed away, so this has become an important item to us to remember him by. However, he made some mistakes in building it. For one, ...
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How can I fix or avoid streaks with wipe-on polyurethane?
I have been working on a birch butcher block desk. I stained the desk then waited 24 hours before applying my first coat of brush-on satin polyurethane. I applied two coats of brush-on poly (24 hours ...
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Dealing with Pre-Stain and Wood Conditioner Residue
I'm currently working on staining a 10' walnut butcher block counter:
I have done a lot to get everything together:
Surface prep: sand at 320 grit using orbital, wipe using rubbing alcohol to remove ...
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How might I finish this hardwood board for use as a shelf?
For some background: I am a guitar player, and I know of a variety of different woods ("tone woods" as they're referred to in relation to guitar building), but I have absolutely no clue in ...
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Re-finish water-based polyurethane tabletop without having to sand again
Two years ago I sanded back my mid century table top and refinished with varathane water based polyurethane. I placed a 1 1/2 mm thick clear plastic protector over the top.
This has produced what I ...
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What are some good ways to finish smoothing a wood carving after you have the general form roughed out?
I am relatively new to wood carving and don't have anyone to mentor me or to ask advice from.
I am making a handle for a machete out of red oak. The bottom of the handle is hooked like a hanger and is ...
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Will poly crack if wood bends?
I have a 3/4” wide and 16’ long piece of raw pine that I’m finishing as a countertop for some storage cabinets in the living room. I plan to use water based stain and polycrylic. I’ve been working on ...
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Is there any reason why I should not finish before I build? [duplicate]
I want to finish some pine wood with Danish oil and then try and build a coffee table.
I was wondering if there is any reason to build before finishing. I realise that Im probably going to finish some ...
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Sanding woods of different hardnesses perfectly flat
I'm making a chess board from jatoba and maple. I made a mistake in my planning stage, and mis-interpretted the max width of my planer. As such, the board top is now just a bit to wide to go through,...
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Staining over epoxy [duplicate]
I am building a dining table out of of cracked reclaimed wood. I’ve mistakenly filled in the cracks with epoxy first and am now looking to stain the wood. Obviously, a normal stain won’t adhere to the ...
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Finishing jatoba and maple chess board
I'm building a chess board -- I decided to use jatoba and maple for the board itself, (and am using wenge and maple for the trim).
After milling the jatoba, the exposed surfaces of the jatoba are no ...
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Method to remove wood sticker stain / discolored area from pine?
I am using some old pine for flooring and want to keep the rustic saw mark appearance on the face. There are 1” wide horizontal stains across the boards left by wood stickers from drying or stacking ...
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How to remove the "yellow" look from pine?
I recently finished building my stairs with pine wood. I was expecting to stain them to give it a bit darker look, but I didn't like the end result.
I know I should have picked another wood to start ...
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Heat resistant finish for beech/oak trivets
I'm making some trivets (beech, oak) as christmass gifts and I'm not sure what finish to use - I'm not really too much concerned about trivet's finish damage - I'm more concerned about finish leaving ...
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