FinishingWood Finishing Techniques and Advice
Lighten up, there are many ways to mask discoloration
Written by Greg Williams Monday, 19 January 2015 00:00
In the second of a two-part series, the author looks at ways to completely hide undesirable color variances
Bleach can make your pieces brighter and lighter
Written by Greg Williams Monday, 15 December 2014 00:00
Wood furniture gets refinished for a variety of reasons. The finish might be worn or damaged or the appearance is simply no longer pleasing to the customer. If the piece needs more color, such as a darker color or a different sheen, that’s not much of a problem. But if the customer wants a lighter or brighter color that can’t be accomplished without removing, neutralizing or hiding the existing darker color, the job becomes a challenge.
Done right, it’s truly a beautiful thing
Written by Bob Flexner Monday, 17 November 2014 00:00
A wood finish is a clear, transparent coating applied to wood to protect it from moisture and make it look richer and deeper. It differs from paint, which is a wood finish loaded with enough pigment to hide the wood. It also differs from stain, which is a wood finish and a colorant (pigment or dye) with a lot of thinner added so the excess stain is easy to wipe off. The remainder just colors the wood; it doesn’t hide the wood.
Cooking up an ‘omelet’ test for finishing techniques
Written by Greg Williams Monday, 20 October 2014 00:00
As an exercise, I asked a group of finishers and shop owners: “What test would you give a prospective employee for a lead finishing position?”
A primer on UV-cured coatings
Written by Bob Flexner Monday, 15 September 2014 00:00
As you are no doubt aware, a primary goal of the coatings industry during the last several decades has been to reduce the amount of solvents released to the atmosphere. These are called VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and, effectively, they include all the solvents we use except acetone, which has a very low photochemical reactivity and has been exempted as a VOC solvent.
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