Questions tagged [finishing]
Finishing a woodworking project refers to the final steps to beautify and protect it.
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how to fix very light scratches in polyurethane finish?
I just got a nice new wooden table, and, being completely clueless about wood, scrubbed it with the rougher side of a dish sponge because it had some weird rough spots on the surface. Now it's ...
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What are the differences between sanding and scraping?
How do both techniques compare? In terms of result, cost, applicability to different kinds of wood, different shapes of work pieces and cleanliness of process.
I always used sandpaper to get a smooth ...
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How do I achieve a "piano black" high gloss finish on wood?
I'm building some speaker cabinets for my living room out of MDF. I'm wondering how to achieve that "high gloss" / "piano black" look, like on B&W speakers or, well, black pianos...
Any ideas? I'...
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What is the difference between "curing" and "drying"?
When learning about different finishes, some resources talk about the finish's drying time, such as this Zinsser Shellac.
The shellac dries to the touch in 15 minutes and can be re-coated in 45 ...
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Leveling a finish/finishing the finish
I'm using Emmet's Good Stuff (poly gel varnish that you wipe on) as a finish on a walnut slab. I've read a lot about finishing online, but am a little confused about "leveling the finish." As I ...
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At what stage of basic furniture making should I "finish" the wood?
I have purchased wood in order to make some basic furniture:
One of these will be placed outside (simple table),
One inside the bathroom, (basic chest of drawers)
And another in the hall way (shoe ...
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Can I apply water-based polyurethane over an oil based stain?
I recently finished a dresser top in a very light gray oil based stain. Afterwards I applied a water based matte poly, because I didn't want any yellow tint to show on the light gray color (see this ...
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Protecting against water damage
I am using an Ash slab for bathroom vanity top, what is best for sealing and protecting wood from water. Thank you
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Should I finish before, during, or after assembly? [duplicate]
I'm building some pretty basic bookshelves. I intend to assemble them with glue. I also intend to sand them, apply stain, shellac, and polyurethane.
Should I: Dry fit, glue, sand, finish? Or dry fit, ...
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How do I de-nib polyurethane after it dries but still maintain its finish?
Sometimes when I apply polyurethane, for whatever reason, it's not completely smooth. Maybe a brush mark here and there, or a couple little nibs, etc.
The advice I see often is to sand the area ...
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What finish is suitable for a childrens toy?
I'm designing a children's toy and I need it to have a non toxic, water resistant finish that can withstand being put in mouths, being thrown around and that is easy to clean.
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What are the techniques to seal or remove sap?
For starters this is not green-wood.
I have been cutting up some 2x4 into small blocks for painting and decoration. The block were cut and then sanded. About 3 days later I had the time to paint them....
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Choosing wood and finish for outdoor furniture
What qualities should I look for in woods to be used in outdoor furniture and what are some examples of woods which have those qualities?
What finishing options do I have for weatherproofing wooden ...
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What is a good finish for shot glasses?
I recently got a lathe and playing around with it I've made some cups roughly the size of a shot glass. My cousin immediately wanted to buy them off me.
I haven't found any information that seems ...
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I polyed my paintbrush then procrastination left me in a predicament
I was using a nice paintbrush with polyurethane and it seems that I set it down then forgot to clean it. I have since run into it and I have a shiny, relativity tough, paintbrush now. Needless to say ...
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What would be considered the strongest finish?
I am looking for the strongest finish for a project with the following specifications. I prioritize scratch and wear resistance, but also want sun and water resistance along with adjustments to ...
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What is the difference between wiping polyurethane and wiping varnish?
I make my own wiping polyurethane by thinning regular oil-based poly from home improvement stores with mineral spirits. According to Bob Flexner, the only difference between this and polyurethane-...
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Are Oil finishing and Oil polishing complementary?
There seems to exist two different procedures to finish wood with vegetal penetrating oils (raw linseed oil, boiled linseed oil, or pure tung oil). One method consists in letting the oil penetrate ...
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How long does it take tung oil to cure?
Depending on what you're reading, tung oil cures in a day
I use Minwax tung oil on all my turningings. Two Coats ussually. After the
second coat, I buff with the Beall Buffing system, Ussually ...
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Making wood filler from sawdust
The piece I am currently working on does not need to be perfect in any way, I am actually going for a slightly rough look (due to many mistakes along the way) but I would like to hide some of the ...
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Is all fine grit count sandpaper called wet/dry?
I need to start getting into sharpening and honing so naturally one of the ways I could go would be to get some sandpaper in the 500 + grit count range. (That decision is based off a great video I saw ...
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How can I prevent outdoor cedar projects from losing their color?
I love the look of natural cedar for outdoor projects. I built a small garden fence a few years ago, and made the mistake of leaving it unfinished. It's completely gray/silver now.
I'm planning on ...
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Finishing a beech desk top (Ikea Gerton), suitability of tung oil
I recently made a desk using a Gerton beech wood top from Ikea. Ikea recommends using their Behandla finishing oil in the instructions included with the top. I am a bit skeptical of this finish, ...
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What is the best way to get a high gloss glass-like white finish? [duplicate]
What is the best way to achieve this High-Gloss White Glass Finish with wood?
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how can I make a cedar tree round into an outdoor table? [closed]
How can I turn a large western cedar tree round into a low table?
I now have a large western cedar tree round. It's from a 100-ish year old cedar tree that a neighbor cut down. My wife would like ...
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Finishing a desk or tabletop?
I am wanting to make my own computer desk and I am not sure in the steps I need to take to finish it in regards to oiling and applying something like polyurethane which seems to be used in all the ...
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Can I apply polyurethane over oil before oil cures?
Specifically I am wondering about polyurethane (Rustoleum Ultimate) over boiled linseed oil, but in general polyurethane or other top coats with similar chemistry over any drying oil.
Question is: ...
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How can I keep a cedar tree round from checking?
I want to turn a large western cedar tree round into a low table for a covered outdoor area.
My tree round is from a 100-ish year old western cedar tree that a neighbor recently cut down. It's big,...
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How to can I repair/mitigate rot in the center of a Western Cedar tree round?
I want to turn a large western cedar tree round into a low table for a covered outdoor area.
The round is from a 100-ish year old cedar tree. It was freshly cut (one month ago), is roughly 4 feet ...
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How to finish a piece to bring out its colour
I have some pallet wood that I think is Kempas. Before I started to clean, cut and sand it the wood had a nice orange brown colour. After cleaning and sanding much of that colour was gone.
I want ...
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Is Danish Oil redundant to Polyurethane?
Is Danish Oil redundant to Polyurethane, or do both finishing agents provide complementary qualities?
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Why is there a progressive reduction in oil for finish/maintenance? Is it necessary?
For oil finishes, such as tung or linseed, it's common to see advice where you apply multiple coats early on, then fewer and fewer coats progressively. For example, a common adage is: "Once a day for ...
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Shellac over paint, outdoors
I am making something for outdoor use and I've painted it with a matte exterior latex paint. I'm satisfied with the protection that the paint will offer but I'm experimenting with ways to make it look ...
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How long after cutting wood can I wait to glue?
I am building a dining room table and it has taken me several months to cut all the pieces. Will the glue have any problems sticking to the edges that have been jointed/cut several months ago? I am ...
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Applying oils over stains
As we learned from Can I apply water-based polyurethane over an oil based stain? it is possible to do just that under certain conditions.
I would like to broaden that question if possible. Finishing ...
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Process for Food Safe Finishing
I have just created my first cutting board and coated it with some salad bowl finish. My question is what is the process for finishing the project? How many coats of finish do I need to put on it and ...
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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 ...
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Identifying Paint Type on Finished Furniture
I recently acquired a wooden table with a high-gloss painted surface. In moving it, I scratched one edge.
I am hoping to repair the damage (hopefully without repainting the whole table) and then ...
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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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Food Safe Finish for Cutting Board
I made an end grain cutting board for my wife that had various hard woods that were all supposedly food safe.
Doing some reading and watching videos, I understand that this can vary depending on ...
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What's the purpose of raising the grain before finishing a furniture piece?
I'm currently working on a entry bench in black walnut. I'm wondering if I should raise the grain before finishing my bench or not. In the past, I haven't done so. I've heard that it's better to ...
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How can I achieve a raw, unfinished look to my project while protecting it from water and physical abuse?
I am creating an oak table top that will undoubtedly be exposed to a certain level of physical abuse (e.g., plates sliding across the surface) and water (e.g., glasses placed without a coaster, spills)...
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Should I use sandpaper or Steel Wool between coats of polyurethane?
Polyurethane is typically my go-to finish, but I'd always just kind of done it how dad showed me rather than reading the instructions, sanding with fine grain between coats, or not at all if it's ...
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Finishing schedule for live edge walnut slab
I'm working on a live edge walnut slab coffee table. This is a photo of the bottom side of the table before any finish is applied sanded to 220 (for reference the holes are for threaded inserts that ...
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Evening reflectivity of a finish after "finishing the finish"
I recently installed butcher block countertops in my kitchen. Several weeks ago, I put four coats of varnish on them, but (as always) they ended up with dust nibs. So yesterday, I wet sanded with 400 ...
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Making fake/pseudo plugs or caps
Gifted amateur working with variety of different woods like pine,oak and something from Indonesia that I haven't typed yet. If one needs to use caps or plugs for recessed screw/nails you would just go ...
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How do I treat MDF?
I recently bought a workbench with a 900x1500x12mm MDF top and it doesn't appear to be sealed.
What should I apply to seal the edges from leaking and seal the top from absorbing? Indoor use, subject ...
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Applying shellac in high humidity
I applied a coat of dewaxed shellac (Bulls Eye) as a first coat on some poplar.
I then noticed that the can said do not apply if humidity exceeds 85%. I live in a generally humid area. Today is a ...
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Will painting the edges of plywood hide the layers?
If I paint the edges of an oak plywood sheet, will it hide the layers well enough to not show through the paint?
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Can low durability be mitigated with specific finishes?
I'm looking to build some outdoor furniture and I happen to have a lot of hard maple on-hand. While I also have a bit of cedar, I dislike how easily it scratches and dents.
When reading up on ...
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