Questions tagged [finishing]
Finishing a woodworking project refers to the final steps to beautify and protect it.
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What is the primary advantage of using sealer before applying grain filler?
I am trying to achieve a glossy finish on a piece of open grained wood, so I am looking at applying grain/pore filler to even out the surface. The articles/videos I've found online pretty much all say ...
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1answer
55 views
Finish for thin-skin cedar hot tub to resist water penetration
I’m planning out a build for a cedar 2-person soaker hot tub. Instead of using the traditional design of 1-in cedar boards, done barrel style, I’m thinking of using 1/4 in cedar paneling (oriented ...
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how could you get rid of dimples in DRIED oil based polyurethane? [duplicate]
the dresser was stained with oil based dark walnut,after it dried for days,applied oil based polyurethane,when dried seemed to have alot of small dimples or small bubbles,do i use fine steel wool or ...
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Recreate dark wood/gradient finish
I have a mirror with a frame which has a dark stain which has a gradient into an almost black finish.
Unfortunately a part of the mirror's frame got damage and small chunk was taken out of the frame. ...
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1answer
79 views
Finishing a table - scratch-resistant, heat-resistant transparent finish
I am currently preparing a project that will involve re-finishing several tables - one cooking and two working ones.
About two decades ago a friend of the family left at my parents' a table he has re-...
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1answer
39 views
fixing water spots on boiled linseed finish
I learned recently that boiled linseed is not a great finish when exposed to any amount of water. I have a piece near a sink that gets a few drops now and then, and these have become lighter spots due ...
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1answer
36 views
Excess wood filler left dark spots on oak wood
I'm building a desktop using oak wood. I used tongue and groove joints to join four planks together, gluing the planks along the joints with Titebond III, but there were some small gaps between the ...
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1answer
70 views
Should the inside of a drawer opening be finished?
I'm making a small cabinet/table/thing. It includes two drawers at the top, and solid sides. These are traditional drawers sitting on wooden runners, and the sides of the drawers are a close fit to ...
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1answer
32 views
Varnish rubbing off on my desk
So I restored an old family desk at home. Replaced the mouldings around the edges of the drawers, changed the handles and upholstered the cloth that sat on the desk.
I sanded down and stained the desk ...
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Questions on walnut oil on black walnut end grain cutting board
Almost finished this small cutting board (approx. 1" thick, 6" by 8"):
I got walnut oil from LeeValley and applied it after sanding and other finish touches.
It's been already about 36 ...
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1answer
52 views
Watco Danish Oil on unstained walnut > how to address tacky surface?
A confession: I made newbie mistakes, despite following can directions to the nth.
I think the culprit is actually the wood stock itself: unstained black walnut that's got a grooved milled surface** ...
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Using reactive fabric dye to stain wormy maple bookcase. Tight grain wood prep? With oil gel stain?
I've built a rustic bookcase with wormy maple. I am trying to get a 2-tone look. I've tested a turkey red dye stain (1 tablespoon powered:1 cup water: 1 cup alcohol) the wormy parts are brighter and ...
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1answer
36 views
High or Low RPM for sanding Epoxy layer on wood?
I have a wooden countertop that I covered with a thin layer of epoxy and, as a beginner, I made a messy job and there are brush strokes on it. Some days ago I started sanding it with a sander with ...
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2answers
134 views
Help with understanding what went wrong
Kitchen table and benches:
I used all solid Birch from the same lumber yard picked up at one time. Everything was sent through the same planer. Used an orbital sander up to 220 grit + sanded ...
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Will my tacky polyurethane eventually cure when average air temperature rises?
So, for lack of a proper shop, I was applying a first coat of undiluted Varathane Ultimate Polyurethane (oil based) to a plywood box using my dining room table under a plastic drop cloth as a work ...
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1answer
57 views
How can I fix smears after wipe on gel finish?
I have a problem with the gel topcoat that I applied on my kitchen table.
I decided to restore our old kitchen table so I sanded it down, used General Finishes gel stain and applied General Finishes ...
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1answer
104 views
Will tung oil be enough waterproof / water resistant finish for this mahogany/sapele bathroom piece?
What you can see in the pic is the dry fit of this mahogany piece into my bathroom. It fits very snug into the wall pocket. In the pic is just bare wood, no finish applied yet.
I've already treated it ...
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1answer
82 views
Number of polyurethane coats before I can polish?
My first post on WoodWorking Stack Exchange so please forgive me in advance if my question has been answered before.
I am new to woodworking and have read a lot of information regarding working with ...
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How to get consistent glossiness in shellac finish repair
I've been repairing the shellac finish on paneling in my home, and some spots are coming out way too flat when dried. In this photo you can see how the glossiness isn't consistent, even though I ...
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1answer
62 views
Can preservative-treated Douglas fir safely be used indoors (after planing the outer layer off)
I have a bunch of Douglas fir planks left over from another project. These were originally intended for outdoor use and are treated with some kind of preservative that leaves a colored stain (they ...
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29 views
treatment for countertop already treated with Behandla oil
Many years ago, I installed a countertop & treated it with Ikea's Behandla oil. I see that the current Behandla is listed as "glazing paint" and has a tint. I want to sand out & ...
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Peppermint oil damaged table finish
Recently I put a cup that had a bit of peppermint oil on the bottom of it on my table. It must have dissolved and adhered the finish because the cup was firmly stuck to the table. After removing it, ...
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1answer
68 views
Veneer and Air Bubbles
Some background:
I'm making two chess sets, connected via internet. The pieces have magnets, and the board has magnetic sensors, so when a piece is moved on one board, it is dragged with an ...
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2answers
165 views
How to finish a wooden ironing board?
I've made a wooden ironing board out of hard maple, which I'm going to cover with some cloth and batting. I'm wondering whether I should apply a finish to the wood. Ironing is going to create steam, ...
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Is this a good way to highlight a laser engraved design in wood?
I'm making a signboard for a coffee bar. It's made from three glued together pieces of douglas fir tongue and groove floorboards that were installed in 1945.
The engraving is done and I want to keep ...
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1answer
122 views
Restoring old oak chair but at a loss for something I've never seen
I am trying to restore an old oak chair that was given to me by my mother. It was my great grandfather's and is probably 120-140 yrs old. At the front of the chair seat there is a long ~3/8ths slit, ...
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0answers
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Why do MDS for polyurethane finishes show such a wide range of solvents? What are we really getting?
I like to thin my polyurethane finish with mineral spirits as an alternative to buying a wipe on poly - but when I started to look at several of the easily available options for Clear Gloss, like ...
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1answer
28 views
Using acrylic paint lettering
Good morning.
I am making a charcuterie board and want to use water based acrylic for decorative lettering. All of the sanding has been done. Should I use the mineral oil coating prior to putting on ...
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2answers
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How to smooth out grain texture from shellac?
I sanded the surface to 320 before applying shellac, it was quite smooth to the touch. Unfortunately, right away with the first shellac coat, a grain texture formed, worst in the darkest species. I ...
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0answers
52 views
How do I keep the natural colour on wormy maple?
I have some beautiful wormy maple barn doors that I want to finish.
I've tried Minwax oil-modified polyurethane clear satin and tung oil separately on a small corner and both turned the wood slightly ...
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1answer
376 views
Will varnish stop bare wood from warping?
I am looking to purchase some unfinished ash strip wood for some interior decorative purposes. The retailer advised that whilst it is 'ready to use' (in reference to the wood having been planed etc), ...
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Anyone with experience using “Sansin Purity-Glacier”?
My local lumber store stocks and sells the Sansin line of finishes. I am planning to finish a maple countertop soon, and want a hard, durable finish that maintains the "whiteness" of the ...
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1answer
86 views
After 4 coats of light wipe on poly my counter looks spotty
I have butcher block counter tops that I just bought. Unfinished birch to be exact. I stained the block then let sit for 48hr. After that, I put 4 coats of wipe on poly on. It looks and feels fine ...
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1answer
72 views
Curing no-VOC finishes indoors?
I started some furniture projects with Baltic Birch plywood this summer. I've been using low-VOC Varathane gel stain (clear) and their Diamond Wood Finish (Semi-Gloss) to finish the pieces, and I do ...
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32 views
Polyurethane on top of an uneven texture
I'm building a headphone amp - I've opted to go for a patchy paint job on top because I like the pattern it introduces. Having said that, the paint is uneven as a result.
If I kept this as is and ...
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1answer
174 views
Finish cutting board with shellac on bottom and oil on top
I want to put shellac on the sides and bottom of a cutting board made from mesquite to protect it. Then on the top (the cutting surface) I was planning on using mineral oil.
I did a fair amount of ...
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1answer
2k views
Ikea Stockaryd wood treatment oil
I have the Ikea Karlby countertop, which is a walnut veneer - can you use the Stockaryd oil to help treat and waterproof the countertop??
Can't find anywhere on Ikea that says that this product can be ...
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Food safe water proofing finish?
I'm looking to build a vertical farm for practical and decorative purposes. It would be a tube design where I pump water to the top and it would trickle down along the sides of the tube, watering the ...
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One spot on a plywood does not accept stain. What can I do?
I bought a plywood from lowes for 49 for a table top. It has a smooth finish and has an almost white color. I sanded it with 150. Applied minwax pre stain and then dark walnut stain. All oil based.
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2answers
343 views
Storing Danish oil
I use Danish oil on some of my small projects. This is supplied in a small metal can with a screw-cap beneath which is a metal seal you pry out.
I find that if I store the unused Danish oil in the ...
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1answer
71 views
Stop my drawers from blocking caused by a layer of paint
I built a wooden cupboard with drawers. When the woodworking was finished, the drawers could be pulled out smoothly but I then applied stain onto the drawers and the cupboard, which now makes the ...
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1answer
71 views
Replacing cutout in oriented-strand board (OSB)
I cut out a small 4" x 5" piece of oriented-strand board out of a wall. I saved this cut out piece so I can re-attach it.
When I put the piece back in the hole I cut, what do I use to re-...
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1answer
42 views
Advice on safely storing chemicals outside
I am setting up my new home shop and am considering a smallish yellow metal chemical safe to store alcohol, varnish, etc.
I am wondering if I would not be better off for fire safety and indoor air ...
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1answer
77 views
Best finish for an outdoor woodworking bench
I'm building a workbench with a beech countertop.
Originally I was going to finish the countertop with varnish on the bottom and linseed oil on top.
However, I noticed that this workbench is too big ...
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34 views
Adding finish to a painted wooden table
So I have a table made and I was told that they applied a water based paint over it because I requested it to be black. The wood they used is either palochina or mahogany. As of right now, it isn't ...
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Polycrylic getting sticky and peeling/wearing off
I coated a bare wood acacia table for a computer desk with Minwax polycrylic about 4 months ago and made sure it was dried the recommended 24 hours before regular use. 4 months later, I noticed the ...
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1answer
131 views
Additional layer of protection over polymerized linseed oil that maintains feel
I recently finished a pine table with 100% polymerized linseed oil (Tried and True), however would like to retain the natural feel of the wood while protecting it more.
Ideally looking for something ...
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3answers
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DIY “white wash” from thinning latex interior paint?
I'm looking to paint a red oak commission piece and the client asked about a "white wash" type finish instead of purely opaque white paint such that the grain shows through.
I was wondering if there ...
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2answers
500 views
Proper way to dilute water based oil-modified polyurethane?
What is the proper way to dilute water based oil-modified polyurethane?
I know for oil based poly, to use mineral spirits. Water based poly, use water. I couldn't find any details on how to dilute ...
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2answers
2k views
IKEA Gerton (solid beechwood) treatment with mineral oil?
So I need a new desk, and preferably something that's solid wood that can support my dual-monitor mount without sagging or bending. I currently have an Ikea desk that's made of particleboard, and it's ...
