Drip-Free Shellac
Avoid shellac drips, sags and runs by making sure your brush is properly loaded. After dipping your brush in the shellac and drawing it across the edge of the can, lightly dab it on a lint-free absorbent cloth. The cloth …
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Finishing
Arts & Crafts Oak Finish
Layering colors is the secret to an authentic look. When a customer asked me to replicate the finish on her antique Stickley sideboard for the pieces she had commissioned, I grabbed my yellow dye and a few gel stains, because …
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Silky-Smooth Polyurethane
Every woodworker I know uses water-borne polyurethane. Of all the ways I’ve seen to get a silk-smooth finish, abrasive, steel-wool substitute pads are by far the best. The coarseness of the pad determines the final sheen. A green pad (0) …
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Lucky Match
When matching stains, nothing is more pleasing than getting it right the first time. Matching stain is one of the hardest things to do in the woodshop, especially when trying to match the color of something old. For one thing, …
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Easy Aged Cherry Finish
Wipe on years of age in less than a week. If you want to make a woodworker gnash his teeth, ask him to make new cherry look like cherry that has aged naturally to a rich, dark brownish hue. Why …
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Applying Wiping Varnish
An excellent finish for first timers (and beyond). Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the November 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Wiping varnish might be the most popular hand-applied finish used by woodworkers. It’s …
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