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Woodworking Beta

Questions tagged [finishing]

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

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2answers
66 views

Can I leave indoor wooden furniture unfinished or will it grow mold?

I purchased some furniture that has wooden elements to it that ended up being unfinished. Should I be concerned about this? During the more humid months, will these elements grow mold on them? For ...
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0answers
39 views

Finish Baltic Birch plywood with water-based polyurethane finish

So, I'm in the process of making a cabinet/working surface to store my tools/work on. My cabinet will look something like the one in the picture below if all goes well :P Concerning the finish, this ...
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0answers
39 views

Strategy for coating a built table with polyurethane?

I built a simple table. I stained each piece before final gluing and construction. I am not sure how to polyurethane the table. I am concerned about both getting an even coat that doesn't run and ...
2
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1answer
29 views

Does water-based polyurethane affect paint color?

I recently painted a dresser. I originally painted it a darker gray than I wanted so after putting the initial two coats on I took the paint back to Home Depot and had them lighten the rest of the ...
3
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0answers
73 views

Cigarette-proofing outdoor furniture

I built some benches, they're pressure treated lumber currently finished with oil based stain and oil based satin finish spar urethane. Some of them have shellac between the stain and urethane because ...
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3answers
118 views

I put a heavy coat of linseed on a project I didn't wipe off excess. It didn't dry completely and left a sticky surface. How can I clean this off?

How can I take linseed oil off wood that has dried sticky? It tried thinner, denatured alcohol, nothing works.
2
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1answer
81 views

Can I use #0000 steel wool for final polish of water-based polyurethane?

I'm finishing my first woodworking project — a tabletop that I hope to mount on a sit/stand desk mechanism. I've stained and applied 4 coats of Varthane water-based polyurethane in matte finish. I ...
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0answers
19 views

How long until setting Waterlox sealer vertical

I am building a speaker box (cube) and finishing 5 sides. Normally I lay the box flat and do one side then rotate and do another side. Waterlox requires 24 hours between coats. Does that mean it’s ...
1
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0answers
51 views

Water-based polyurethane

I had my floors refinished. They won’t tell me what they used. I picked out Bona stain and asked for water base polyurethane. They applied the stain at 4 PM. The next morning they supposedly applied ...
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0answers
33 views

How can I darken a stained finish without sanding/stripping?

My current maple cabinets have a brown stained finish and I would like to darken the stain a bit more. What can I do to accomplish this WITHOUT needing to sand everything down and start from scratch? ...
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0answers
38 views

dark stain for a mantle

I have a client that has me stumped. We installed a lovely new stone facade for a client, but their vision for the mantle has me at a loss. They like Minwax Carbon color stain, but want a deep color, ...
2
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1answer
60 views

When can I sand water based polyurethane?

I've applied Water Based Varathane Ultimate Polyurethane to some desktops. I intend to apply 3 coats. The instructions say drying time is 2 hours. Can I sand the finish after 2 hours or do I have to ...
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0answers
57 views

Problem with walnut finish

A typical finish we do on walnut is staining with Old Masters Natural Walnut stain (sprayed and wiped) and then 2 coats of a waterborne poly on top. A fabulous finish. However a couple of times we ...
3
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2answers
76 views

What glaze or surface treatment to repair this bar?

I have a bar that has a corner that was damaged in a move: It seems as if the wood underneath the finish is MDF. But, how do I identify what the finish is that was used here, so that I can identify ...
2
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0answers
52 views

Are lacquer re-coats supposed to dissolve/remove pinhole bubbles?

I am brushing lacquer on 50 small walnut plates. My first coats were a bit of a learning curve and I had produced some small bubbles. My understanding is that new coats of lacquer will dissolve into ...
5
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1answer
88 views

Lacquer, persistent brush marks

So I'm 6 coats deep and cannot get the lacquer to settle flat. I think the lacquer is just drying too fast for me to adequately put enough on before it starts to set, it's a desktop of 2 feet by 4.5 ...
4
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4answers
127 views

Wood Still Rough After Finish

Preface - I'm a woodworking novice. I applied a polycrylic finish to an Ikea Gerton (solid beech wood) table top. I only lightly sanded with 220 by hand before applying the finish. I wasn't aiming ...
3
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2answers
95 views

How to freshen wooden box

I have an old Chess set which has been in storage in what would appear to be less than ideal conditions. (Photo taken with flash.) One half of the box (on one side only, ie the half that is not shown ...
3
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1answer
132 views

Tung oil does not dry

I have researched and done everything to get my tung oil to dry . It was put on to thick first coat. I removed the coat and sanded . Used lacquer thinner to remove . Still not dry . Has been 10 days . ...
2
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2answers
74 views

White Cedar, how to seal/stain to make look similar to its original light color?

I made this white cedar chest & I want to protect it from rain and graying from ultraviolet (UV) sun exposure. I desire an oil stain or sealer because I have seen skin-peeling from varnish, ...
2
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1answer
44 views

How to refinish artificially textured surface?

I'm having a bureau used as a working place (for writing, working, studying). Its top has artificially (I suppose) texture finished with lacquer or varnish. It looks OK, but using it as intended (to ...
2
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2answers
47 views

Sealing a Stained Poplar Bed Frame

I'm putting together a KD Frames poplar bed frame. I've already stained it with Minwax Wood Stain (I really wanted a black wooden look) but I'm unsure how to finish it. When I bought the stain at ...
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2answers
83 views

Fresh sawn oak sleepers deck

I'm planning to make a deck (~18m2) using oak railway half-sleepers (50mm thick, 200mm wide). They are fresh sawn, so they are pretty rough with splinters, etc. Is this a good idea at all? Can I sand ...
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2answers
119 views

How can I determine when a linseed oil finish has cured?

I have only recently begun experimenting with linseed oil and walnut oil finishes, after mainly using mineral oil. Today I read this question and realized that my process may be flawed, because I am ...
3
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1answer
96 views

Oil based stain over water based fire retardant

I'd like to treat some wood (raw pine) with a water-based class A flame retardant (Flameseal WSA), but also stain it with an oil based stain (garden variety Minwax or Varathane). I'm a bit unsure of ...
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0answers
41 views

Knots bleeding through deck sealer

I have a deck that I built in 1986 with treated lumber, that last year we used a stain sealer on and the sealer was bled thru at mostly knot locations. I have used clear sealer many times over the ...
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0answers
39 views

I'm looking for a good finish for goblets and shot glasses [duplicate]

So I have started turning some goblets and shot glasses, and I'm trying to find a good finish for them that can be nice and glossy, but doesn't need constant reapplication. I'm pretty sure that ...
4
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1answer
177 views

How long before polyurethane finish on desktop is dry?

I'm a total newbie and just made a simple desktop. I finished it with Minwax polyurethane satin. The can says let dry after final coat for 24 hours, but from what I've read on this forum it sounds ...
2
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1answer
68 views

Does the final coat of a Danish Oil finish need to be wiped?

Does the final coat (in this case third) of Danish Oil have to be wiped? Or is not OK to just let dry and then lightly sand/buff? I ask because I am using the dark walnut version of the Watco ...
7
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1answer
634 views

Filling cracks with epoxy after Tung oil

So still working on my live edge walnut table, and I think I may have screwed up the order of operations a bit. The slab has some defects - cracks, small knots with voids, etc. Didn't think to much ...
1
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1answer
91 views

seem to be allergic to unfinished wood in the drawers of my new bedroom set [closed]

The smell of wood is causing my throat and nose to swell when I lay down at night, I had to move to another room. How can I eliminate this odor, or at least mellow I out?
4
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1answer
49 views

What can cause cracks in painted pine?

I'm taking an online woodworking course (The Weekend Woodworker), and built a small patio table a few months ago. I made it out of select pine (kiln dried), spray painted it (~2 coats), and put in on ...
3
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1answer
84 views

Is this a bad cerusing job?

I ordered a side table from a reputable manufacturer. The table was supposed to look like this: However, when I received the table, it looked like this: The white on the side table that I received ...
3
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1answer
37 views

Hot tub lid, use paint or oil to seal wood?

I'm wondering what would be a good choice for sealing a outdoor hot tub cover made from plywood? For example, would an outdoor paint or something like tung oil be better for a high heat and humidity ...
3
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1answer
85 views

Can wood be “dyed” transparent?

Is it possible to "dye" or otherwise treat wood so that is becomes transparent? Or at least, somewhat permits light to pass? I think I've seen examples of very thin handplane shavings which have a ...
5
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2answers
72 views

What is an efficient way to re-use jars containing old shellac for storing new shellac?

I have a handful of glass jars of shellac (mixed up from flakes & denatured alcohol) that are now past their expiry date. Some of the shellac is still fluid, some of them just have a tiny amount ...
1
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0answers
41 views

Semi-gloss finish over pure Tung oil

I installed an acacia butcher block countertop and put on 5 coats of pure tung oil and it is now in the drying/curing stage. After curing I need to know what easy to apply product will produce a semi-...
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2answers
86 views

waterproof an outdoor lettered sign

I recently was gifted a session at a Board and Brush establishment, and made a lettered sign which I wish to hang on the garden fence. I would like to preserve it with a waterproof topcoat. ...
4
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2answers
89 views

Can I use Teak Oil instead of linseed oil for my needs?

I have access to reasonably priced linseed oil. However it is cold pressed. Boiled linseed oil is a lot more expensive where I am. Teak oil is in between the two. I do not want to use pure linseed ...
1
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1answer
72 views

Removing black stuff from polishing pads

I have just bought a polishing pad & sheepskin wool pad from Festool and have used them to clean up my table saw top. Now they are both covered in black stuff. Is there a best way to remove it ...
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0answers
53 views

Touching up Guitar Body

I am trying to fix a patch on a guitar, but every time I spray I get this odd fisheye effect: I am trying to spray it with Sunburst Black https://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/...
3
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1answer
75 views

Can one apply dark shellac over light shellac (satisfactorily)?

I’ve darkened the color of my shellac by adding dye. I’m quite satisfied with the new color. I have a piece brushed with several coats of the same shellac flakes without dye, and i thought i’d be ...
2
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1answer
110 views

Most durable foodsafe finish to highlight chatoyancy

My favorite lumberyard (where I get most of my bowl blanks) specializes in curly/fiddleback/birdseye maple, all of which I love for their holographic/chatoyant qualities. Because I'm a beginner, I've ...
2
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1answer
49 views

Tung oil stain resistance

What I've done: Made a small plate out of hard maple. Sanded it down to 220 grit sandpaper. Finished with pure tung oil (100%, not the big box stuff) over the course of about a week, giving four ...
3
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1answer
384 views

Water based poly super sensitive scratches white with simply grazing it?

Never dealt with this before but it’s really frustrating. Just built a dining table and 2 other small projects with the scraps. I stained with Varathane stain then applied Varathane water based poly. ...
1
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1answer
59 views

Matching a cheap yellow finish on oak

Is there a method for matching an unknown finish on an existing piece of wood? In my case, I have an old (but nowhere near antique) piece that has had a couple trim pieces fall off. I've managed to ...
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2answers
52 views

Clear coat over epoxy?

I just did a pretty big piece of cherry with epoxy resin and there are a few spots that didn’t get covered adequately. Got a light coat but you can see the texture of the wood and not a glassy epoxy ...
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2answers
94 views

How to remove staining caused by a clamp

I was putting sapele inlay into maple. The inlay was proud by about an 1/8th inch so I only used packing on the underside of the clamp, figuring that any indentations on the top side would be planed ...
1
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1answer
80 views

Is there danger of combustion using raw flax / linseed oil for platform bed?

I have built a platform bed using 90%+ cedar (all but some quarter round and the legs). My plan was to use raw, food grade flax / linseed oil to finish it. I like the idea of the raw oil not having ...
1
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1answer
129 views

Redwood for bar countertop. Glossy finish questions

Have a 3' X 7' Redwood live-edge slab. Sanded down to 220 grit. After doing some research I decided to coat, multiple light coats, of Danish Oil. It looks great in terms of grain/knots etc but very "...

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