Questions tagged [finishing]

Finishing a woodworking project refers to the final steps to beautify and protect it.

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2 votes
3 answers
165 views

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, ...
1 vote
1 answer
39 views

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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2 votes
1 answer
28 views

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 ...
1 vote
3 answers
73 views

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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3 votes
2 answers
119 views

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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0 votes
1 answer
98 views

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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0 votes
0 answers
83 views

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 ...
0 votes
1 answer
62 views

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 ...
0 votes
1 answer
38 views

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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1 vote
2 answers
168 views

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 ...
5 votes
1 answer
57 views

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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0 votes
1 answer
35 views

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 ...
3 votes
1 answer
51 views

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 ...
3 votes
1 answer
116 views

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 ...
1 vote
2 answers
112 views

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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1 vote
0 answers
40 views

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 ...
-1 votes
1 answer
2k views

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. ...
3 votes
1 answer
97 views

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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2 votes
1 answer
1k views

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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1 vote
1 answer
123 views

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 ...
-1 votes
3 answers
1k views

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?
2 votes
1 answer
61 views

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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3 votes
3 answers
449 views

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 ...
3 votes
1 answer
168 views

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, ...
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

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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3 votes
3 answers
525 views

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 ...
4 votes
3 answers
234 views

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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2 votes
1 answer
69 views

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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2 votes
1 answer
74 views

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 ...
1 vote
1 answer
80 views

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 ...
0 votes
1 answer
80 views

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 ...
6 votes
1 answer
215 views

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,...
0 votes
1 answer
1k views

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 ...
3 votes
2 answers
145 views

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 ...
0 votes
2 answers
397 views

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 ...
1 vote
3 answers
3k views

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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6 votes
1 answer
777 views

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 ...
0 votes
0 answers
23 views

Live wood coffee table [duplicate]

Going to use a prestain, then perhaps golden oak to even out the dark and light variations. Question what do I protect it with against red wine etc. I already have a red wine ring 😡. I have ...
1 vote
2 answers
409 views

What order do I go in to fill defects in wood?

I’m new to live edge woodworking. I am finishing a walnut slab for a kitchen table that has some minor defects such as small cracks and knotty areas. I would like to fill those with epoxy. But unsure ...
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2 votes
1 answer
125 views

Is this a professional furniture refinishing job?

When I got married and bought a house, my parents gave me their old dining set— the one I grew up with. It’s seen a lot of abuse from my kids at my house and I decided to get it and the chairs ...
5 votes
1 answer
102 views

What's the best process for sanding/finishing reactive stained oak floor with hardwax oil to leave the best surface?

I have raw oak floorboards which are being individually stained and finished before being laid. For context - this is my first time doing anything like this, so apologies for my lack of technical ...
1 vote
1 answer
80 views

How to fill 2”x12” gap in hardwood floor with something that looks nice

I have a 1-2" gap in my hardwood floor after I needed to swap a larger register with a smaller one. 1 I need to replace a 12" x 10" supply register grill with a 12" x 8" ...
2 votes
1 answer
355 views

Can you apply polyurethane on top of wood that has been treated with a deck sealer?

Note, this is not for exterior use. We bought an old Buffet and converted it into a vanity for our bathroom remodel. At the time we thought it was a good idea to seal it with a waterproof sealer and ...
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1 vote
1 answer
265 views

After using Minwax gel stain in Mahogany... which top coat ? Minwax Water Based Oil-Modified Polyurethane or Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane?

I applied 1 coat of Minwax gel stain in mahogany to a coffee table, waited 24 hours and then applied a 2nd coat of gel stain. Waited 3 days for the gel stain to cure and I'm now ready for a topcoat. ...
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0 votes
0 answers
339 views

Is water-based polyurethane completely scratch resistant?

Just received a custom table finished with minwax water-based polyurethane. It's been about a week so I tested applying pressure with my fingernail, which did leave a small scratch if you look closely....
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1 vote
1 answer
80 views

Restoring old furniture finish

I have an old table that I'm working on. I initially was just taking off the wobbly feet and putting them back on more firmly. But I was wondering if there's a good way to fix up the scratches. There'...
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0 votes
2 answers
376 views

After two coats of Minwax low luster Antique Oil Finish stain color is still rubbing off

I applied the stain as per the directions, waited 5 minutes then rubbed it off. It dried overnight. I applied the finish generously, waited 10 minutes, then rubbed it off, waited 24 hours then ...
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1 vote
1 answer
77 views

When to finish modular projects [closed]

I’m building a custom loft bed for my son in my garage. The final assembly is too large to make it up the stairs to his room so I’ll need to disassemble it to get it up there. I’m planning to stain ...
2 votes
1 answer
140 views

How to obtain protective yet close to the wood satin finish on desktop?

I am finishing a piece of acacia glued up stave construction commonly called butcher block. It will be used as a desktop. I sanded it to 320 and put 3 coats of BLO/MS on it. It's mostly cured (I ...
2 votes
1 answer
62 views

Proper way to re-oil a wood swim deck?

I’ve had the swim deck pictured below on my boat for a few summers now and the finish is getting pretty faded. I bought some teak oil to re-oil (right term?) it, but I’m unsure if I should just apply ...

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