Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Wood Finishing
F L E X N E R O N F I N I S H I N G
BY BOB FLEXNER
A finish serves two purposes: protection performance finishes used in industry and
and decoration. by many professional cabinet shops.
it doesn’t hide the wood. tung oil and blends of these oils and var-
Unfortunately, the term “finish” also nish).
refers to the entire built-up coating, which ■ Oil-based varnish (including alkyd,
could consist of stain, several coats of fin- polyurethane, spar, wiping and gel var- Polyurethanes. The left section of this panel was
ish (a “coat” is one application layer) and nish). finished with water-based polyurethane, which,
maybe some coloring steps – for example, ■ Water-based finish (a finish that thins
like all water-based finishes, adds little color
to the wood. The finish just makes the wood a
glazing or toning – in between these coats. and cleans up with water). little darker (compared to the lighter strip down
For some reason, we have only one word ■ Shellac (an ancient finish derived the middle, which was covered with tape).
to refer to both the clear coating used, and from resin secretions of the lac bug). The right section was finished with oil-based
to all the steps used. ■ Lacquer (the finish used on almost all polyurethane, which, like most finishes except
Usually, the context makes clear to mass-manufactured household furniture water-based finishes, adds some degree of yel-
low/orange coloring to the wood. Oil-based
which is being referred. made since the 1920s). polyurethane continues to darken as it ages,
while water-based polyurethane doesn’t darken.
Finish on oak. On this oak panel, a clear finish was applied to the left section, paint to the middle section and a stain and clear finish to the right section.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 58
tle color to the wood. All other fi nishes ■ Sometimes, there are problems in Brushing is simple – essentially no dif-
(except possibly CAB-Acrylic) add some the wood that have to be blocked off with ferent than brushing paint. Spraying is
degree of yellow-to-orange coloring. a special sealer so they don’t telegraph also simple, but spray-gun care and tun-
■ Drying time. Shellac, lacquer and through all the coats. These problems are ing is more complicated, and spray guns
high-performance finishes dry the fast- resinous knots in softwoods such as pine, and their sources of air (compressor or
est. Water-based fi nishes are next. Var- silicone oil from furniture polishes that turbine) are considerably more expensive
nish and oil require overnight drying in causes the finish to bunch up into ridges than brushes.
a warm room. or hollow out into craters, and smoke
■ Solvent safety. Boiled linseed oil and and animal-urine odors. The finish that Application Problems
100 percent tung oil are the least toxic blocks these problems (“seals them in”) Common problems and ways to avoid
finishes to breathe during application is shellac, and it should be used for the them:
because they don’t contain solvent. Water- first coat. Notice that, except for resinous ■ Brush marks and orange peel. Elimi-
based finishes (thinned with water and a knots, the problems are associated with nate these by thinning the finish 10 per-
little solvent) and shellac (thinned with refinishing. cent to 30 percent so it levels better.
denatured alcohol) are next. Oil-based ■ Runs and sags. Watch what is happen-
varnish thins with mineral spirits (paint Sheen ing in a reflected light and brush out the
thinner), which some people find objec- Oil-based varnishes, water-based finishes runs and sags as they occur.
tionable but which isn’t especially toxic. and lacquers are available in a variety of ■ Dust nibs. Keep your tools, the fi n-
Lacquer and high-performance finishes sheens, ranging from gloss to flat. All ish and the air in the room as clean as
thin with solvents that are the most haz- sheens other than gloss are created by the possible.
ardous to be around. solid-particle “flatting agents” manufac- ■ Bubbles. Brush back over to pop the
turers add to the finish. The more flatting bubbles, or thin the finish 10 percent to
Sealing Wood agent added, the flatter the sheen. These 30 percent so the bubbles have more time
The first coat of any finish seals the wood flatting particles settle to the bottom of the to pop out.
– that is, stops up the pores in the wood can, so you have to stir them into suspen- No matter what the problem, you can
so the next coat of finish (or other liquids) sion before each use. always fi x it by sanding the fi nish level
doesn’t penetrate easily. This fi rst coat You can get any sheen you want by and applying another coat. PWM
raises the grain of the wood, making it pouring off some of the gloss from a can
feel rough. You should sand this first coat in which the flatting agent has settled Bob’s new book, “Flexner on Finishing,”
(with just your hand backing the sand- (don’t let the store clerk shake the can) is available at ShopWoodworking.com.
paper) to make it feel smooth. You don’t and blending the two parts. Or you can
need a special product for this first coat mix cans of gloss and satin to get some-
unless you have one of two problems you thing in between. You will need to apply
want to overcome. the finish to see the sheen you’ll get. It’s u Go Online FOR MORE …
■ Alkyd varnish and lacquer can gum the last coat you apply that determines the You’ll find links to all these online extras at:
up sandpaper when sanded, so manufac- sheen (there is no cumulative effect), so u popularwoodworking.com/feb11
turers of each provide a special product you can experiment with each coat. TO BUY: Get Bob Flexner’s new book,
called “sanding sealer” with dry lubricants “Flexner on Finishing.”
added to make sanding easier and speed Finish Application ARTICLE: Read “The Basics of Wiping
your work. Sanding sealers weaken the Oil, wax, wiping varnish and gel varnish Varnish.”
finish, however, so you should use them can be applied with a cloth or brush, then All of our products are available online at:
only when you’re finishing a large project wiped off. The other finishes are usually u ShopWoodworking.com
or doing production work. applied with a brush or spray gun.
An excellent finish
for first timers
(and beyond).
W
iping varnish is the finish I
recommend you use if you
are finishing for the first
time. Wiping varnish is a term I coined
in 1990 to categorize a large number of
very popular finishes that are sold indi-
vidually under many different names
but are actually all the same –oil-based
alkyd or polyurethane varnish thinned
about half with mineral spirits (paint
thinner). Collecting them into a cat-
egory removes the mystique manufac-
turers attempt to create and it makes
the finish easier to understand. It also
Commercial wiping varnishes. (Top) These are typical commercial brands of wiping varnish sold
in home centers and paint stores. (Bottom) These are typical commercial brands of wiping varnish
sold in woodworking stores and through catalogs.
Thin mix. A thin mix of polyurethane and mineral spirits (paint thinner) Thick mix. A thick mix of polyurethane and mineral spirits builds much
builds very slowly. more rapidly and is still thin enough for easy application.
Make your own. To make your own wiping varnish for this Be sure to stir. Stir the thinned
exercise/project, pour approximately equal amounts of oil- polyurethane or the two parts will
based, gloss polyurethane and mineral spirits into a clean remain separated.
wide-mouth container.
popularwoodworking.com ■
1 ‘Wipe off excess’ method. If you choose to brush the finish, the
fast, efficient method on flat, horizontal surfaces is to deposit a
brush load of the wiping varnish onto the near edge then spread it. Here,
2 Spread the finish. With a
puddle of wiping varnish
deposited, spread it end to end.
I’m using an inexpensive, throwaway bristle brush, called a “chip” brush, You can use an inexpensive,
because I’m not worried about bristles falling out. They will be removed throwaway, foam brush instead
when I wipe off the excess finish. of a bristle brush.
5 Sand first coat. After drying, sand the surface lightly using #320- or
#400-grit sandpaper until the finish feels smooth. It shouldn’t take
much, usually not more than one or two passes everywhere. There’s no
6 Feel for dust. After removing the dust with a vacuum, tack rag or
dust brush, wipe over the surface with your hand. You’ll feel if there
is any remaining dust and, as long as it’s not much, you’ll remove it with
reason to use a flat block to back the sandpaper. Abrading with sandpa- your hand. You can clean off your hand by wiping it on your pants leg.
per produces much better results than using steel wool or abrasive pads
because sandpaper cuts off while the others merely round over.
7 Apply more
coats. Wipe a
damp-to-wet coat of
8 Wipe off after
each. Wipe off
the excess finish. You
wiping varnish over the can leave the surface a
entire surface you’re little damp.
finishing. You don’t
need to make these
coats as wet as the first
one because the finish
can no longer soak into
the wood.
popularwoodworking.com ■
8 Vertical sur-
faces. The dry-
brushing method is
perfect for vertical
surfaces. You can
also wipe off all the
excess, of course,
but dry brushing
leaves a thicker
build with each
coat without runs or
sags. Always watch
what is happening
in a reflected light
7 Dry the brush. After each
pass, dry your brush on a
clean cloth. If you decide to dry-
(overhead, window
or light on a stand)
brush the surface a second time, and dry brush to
remove any prob-
6 Dry brush excess. With the entire sur-
face wet, begin lifting some of the wiping
varnish by brushing over with a dry brush.
you can make more than one
pass before drying the brush.
You’ll get the feel very quickly.
lems you find.
6 Smoothing trick.
A brown paper
bag works exception-
u Go Online FOR MORE …
ally well at removing For links to all these online extras, go to:
u popularwoodworking.com/nov11.
the roughness caused
by fine dust nibs stuck ARTICLE: What is wiping varnish, exactly?
to the last coat. Simply Let Bob tell you.
fold the bag and rub ARTICLES: For more finishing advice and
the surface. To avoid techniques for all skill levels, visit the
scratches, it’s best to finishing section on our web site.
allow the finish to dry
TO BUY: “Wood Finishing 101,” from
to the point that you
which this piece is excerpted.
don’t smell anything
when you put your Our products are available online at:
nose against the surface uShopWoodworking.com
and take a whiff.
popularwoodworking.com ■
Home-center Finishing
You can achieve a great finish from commonly available products.
■ Popular Woodworking November 2007 lead photo by al parrish; step photos by author
als together are available to everyone, even to don’t harden, as long as you apply several these woods appear “washed out” unless you
you and me if we want them. coats. Because shellac loses a lot of hardness apply a stain underneath.
So there’s nothing at all inferior about the and water resistance as it ages in the can, it’s
finishing products available at home centers. best to use it within a year of manufacture. Sheen
There’s only a limitation of what’s available. The date of manufacture is stamped on the It’s rare that home centers provide finishes
From these limited choices, however, bottom of the can. with sheens other than gloss and satin (shel-
you have many possibilities for achieving lac comes in gloss only), but you can use these
the results you want. Color two to achieve any sheen you want.
The color you get on the wood is partially con- Sheen is the amount of gloss, or reflection,
Protection and Durability tributed by the finish. Finishes differ in how in a finish. If no flatting agent is added – that
You have control of the amount of protection much yellowing or “oranging” they add. is, there’s nothing at the bottom of the can that
and durability you get simply by how much Amber shellac adds the most orange color. has to be stirred into suspension before appli-
you build your finish and by your choice of You can use this finish on pine, for example, cation – the finish produces a gloss, or sharp
finish. (See “Test to Find a Durable Finish” at to create the knotty-pine look popular in the image clarity. Manufacturers create satin and
popularwoodworking.com/finishing.) 1950s, or recreate the warmth common on flat finishes by adding a flatting agent, which
Protection means resistance to moisture oak trim and paneling original to early 20th- is usually silica. The more flatting agent added
penetration into the wood – in liquid or vapor century houses. the less reflective the finish.
(humidity) form. All finishes provide better Boiled linseed oil and 100-percent tung
resistance the thicker they are, so the finishes oil have a slight yellow color to begin with,
that harden well and can be built up on the and then they yellow, or rather orange, signifi-
wood are capable of much better protection cantly as they age. You can use either of these
than finishes such as boiled linseed oil, 100- finishes under any other finish to achieve this
percent tung oil and blends of one of these oranging as long as you let the oil cure well
oils and varnish, that don’t harden. first. A week or two in a warm room should
Among the finishes that harden, oil-based be adequate.
polyurethane varnish provides the best resis- Oil-based varnishes, lacquer and clear
tance to moisture penetration and also the shellac also have a slight yellow tint, which
best durability – that is, the best resistance to may darken a little with age. But the finish
being damaged by scratches, heat, solvents, most significant for color is water-based,
acids and alkalies. Polyurethane is almost as both polyurethane and acrylic. These fin-
protective and durable as the best of the high- ishes aren’t, and don’t, yellow at all. They are
performance finishes used in industry. “water clear.”
Following polyurethane in declining order So you would choose a water-based finish Create custom colors. Keeping in mind that the
are alkyd (regular) varnish, polyurethane for light woods such as maple or ash, or for name of the color on the stain can is merely a
water-based finish, acrylic water-based finish, white pickled woods, if you don’t want them to manufacturer’s interpretation, you can adjust
any stain by mixing. You can even mix two or
lacquer and shellac. have a yellow tint. You would probably choose
more stains of different brands as long as you
But even fresh shellac is considerably more one of the other finishes for darker woods stay within one type: oil or water-based. Here,
protective and durable than the finishes that because water-based finishes usually make I’m increasing the reddish tint in a “walnut” stain
by adding some “mahogany.”
The aging process. Boiled linseed oil and 100 percent tung oil add yellow
coloring to the wood initially but then darken significantly as they age. This
oak board was finished with three coats of each finish more than five years
Orange effects. Your choice of finish can have a big effect on the color you ago. From the left are boiled linseed oil, 100 percent tung oil, wiping var-
get, whether or not you have stained the wood. From the left, water-based nish (varnish thinned half with mineral spirits), and a half-and-half mixture
finish darkens this walnut a little but doesn’t add any color; lacquer adds a of boiled linseed oil and varnish. Notice that the linseed and tung oils have
little yellowing; polyurethane varnish adds a little orange; and amber shel- oranged about the same and that the mixture of oil and varnish has dark-
lac adds a distinctly orange coloring. ened about halfway between that of the oils and varnish alone.
popularwoodworking.com ■
Flexner on Finishing
Refinishing woes. Fish eye (cratering) is one of the most serious problems
in refinishing. It’s caused by silicone from furniture polishes getting into the
Eliminate blotching. The easy way to eliminate blotching in pine is to apply wood and causing the new finish to wrinkle when applied. One easy way
a gel stain as I have done to the right half of this pine board. The left side is to avoid fish eye is to block it with a first coat of shellac, applied here to the
stained with a liquid stain. Gel stains are so effective on pine they should left side of the board. The only new-wood use for shellac as a first coat is
be called “pine stain.” over resinous knots in softwoods such as pine.
popularwoodworking.com ■
Flexner on Finishing
by bob flexner
What is Polyurethane?
Oil-based polyurethane is simply a type of
varnish. It’s common alkyd varnish made
with some polyurethane resin added. Alkyd
is the resin used in almost all varnishes and
oil-based paints. The polyurethane resin adds
scratch, heat, solvent and water resistance to
the alkyd varnish.
Pure polyurethanes (with no alkyd resin)
are always two-part products. They cure in
several ways: With the addition of moisture
(an example is Gorilla Glue), with heat (many
common plastics), or they are packaged as two
separate components that cure after they are
mixed (similar to the way two-component
epoxy adhesives work).
The two-component polyurethanes are
becoming more common in the furniture
No advantage. It’s not necessary to brush across the grain, as I’m demonstrating here, to work the fin-
industry because they perform well and have a
ish into the wood. The finish penetrates perfectly well by capillary action no matter how it is applied.
very high solids content, meaning less solvent
to escape into the atmosphere.
One-component, “uralkyd” polyurethane This isn’t to say you shouldn’t use water- In contrast, woodworking is physics. You
has become so dominant in the woodwork- based polyurethane. Just be aware that it is can see that a band saw is a band saw and not a
ing and home-consumer world that it’s now an entirely different finish – a water-based table saw (even though both have a table) and
becoming somewhat difficult to even find finish. This article deals solely with oil-based that a mortise-and-tenon is not a dovetail.
old-fashioned alkyd varnish. polyurethane. So authors and manufacturers have much
Confusion has been added in the last more opportunity to provide inaccurate infor-
decade or so with the introduction of water- The Myths mation, intentionally or not, about finishes
based finishes, some of which combine poly- Myths are much more prevalent in finishing than about woodworking tools and proce-
urethane with acrylic resins. These finishes than in woodworking because finishes are dures. And consumers are more vulnerable
are sometimes labeled “polyurethane,” with chemistry, and you can’t always “see” differ- to misinformation – that is, “myths” – about
no obvious reference to their being an entirely ences in chemistry. For example, polyure- finishing than about woodworking.
different class of finish, one that performs less thane and lacquer look the same, both in a Once a myth gets into print, it’s com-
well than oil-based polyurethane and has very can and on the wood, even though they have mon for it to be repeated endlessly until it
different application characteristics. very different characteristics. becomes “fact,” simply because everyone says
popularwoodworking.com ■
Flexner on Finishing
the finish “open” longer and give the bubbles the thinner. The second (and much longer) settle and stick to the surface. Painters don’t
more time to pop out. step is the curing, which is the crosslinking mind because dust isn’t a big problem for
Some brands of polyurethane, such as Min- brought about by the introduction of oxygen them, but it is for furniture finishers.
wax, bubble noticeably more than others, but from the air. Most woodworkers want their polyure-
this is rarely a problem because the bubbles When you apply polyurethane, you notice thane to reach a dust-free stage faster, not
tend to pop out quickly. that it stays wet on the surface for a short time slower, as evidenced by myth #4. What little
There are two ways to deal with bubbles as the thinner evaporates. Then the finish benefit might be gained in reducing brush
that won’t pop out. The first is to wipe off the goes into a tacky or sticky stage for an hour marking is more than cancelled out by
bubbled coat of finish using a rag dampened or longer. This is the length of time it takes increased dust nibs. (If you want to reduce
with mineral spirits, naphtha or turpentine. for the oxygen-induced crosslinking to occur. dust nibs, thin the last coat of polyurethane
You can do this for 15 to 30 minutes after Adding a faster-evaporating thinner doesn’t by 25 to 50 percent so it dries faster.)
application without a problem. You won’t speed this crosslinking. Additionally, because Penetrol is an oil,
damage the coat underneath, and you don’t In fact, adding naphtha probably has no it can’t help but weaken the durability of
have to get all the polyurethane removed. noticeable effect on the drying of the finish polyurethane – though not enough to cause
Simply wipe until what is left is smooth and beyond the impact of thinning described at a problem in most situations, so far as I can
bubble-free. the end of the second myth. tell. (See the next myth for the way to elimi-
The second method is to let the bubbled ■ MYTH #5: Thinning with Penetrol nate brush marks.)
finish dry and sand it level before applying reduces brush marks. Painters have added ■ MYTH #6: Slant the panel to reduce
another coat. Thin this coat enough with Penetrol, a widely available additive, to oil brush marks. I read this myth for the first time
mineral spirits so the bubbles have time to paint for decades to reduce drag and brush only recently. The idea is to get brush marks
pop out. marking, especially when painting in hot or to flow together by tilting flat panels such as
The disservice caused by attributing bub- cold weather, or in sunlight. But until recently tabletops 5° or 10° off the horizontal.
bles to shaking rather than to brushing is that I had never seen Penetrol recommended for Not only is this a tricky procedure that
users become frustrated and lose confidence use in polyurethane, which is usually applied will lead to sagging if you aren’t careful to
when they follow directions and still don’t indoors in more ambient working conditions keep the finish thin on the surface (similar
avoid the problem. and brushes easily without drag. to the difficulty brushing vertical surfaces),
■ MYTH #4: Thinning with naphtha Penetrol is a slow-drying oil product that but the procedure doesn’t make any sense. It’s
makes polyurethane dry faster. Naphtha lengthens the tacky stage of polyurethane and not gravity causing one brush-mark ridge to
evaporates much faster than mineral spirits oil paint. This creates more time for dust to sag into another that reduces brush marking.
or turpentine. So the logic behind this myth,
which is fairly new, is that the finish will dry
Penetrol. Adding
faster if the thinner evaporates faster. Penetrol (a widely
But, like all varnishes, polyurethane available addi-
dries in two steps. The first is evaporation of tive for oil paint)
to polyurethane
slows its drying
so dust has more
time to settle and
stick to the finish.
Any possible gain
in reduced brush
marking is more
than cancelled out
by the added dust
nibs.
popularwoodworking.com ■
Flexner on Finishing
by bob flexner
Refinishing
Furniture
Repair, strip and refinish
to restore old pieces. Stripper types. There are five categories of strippers. From left to right: high-percentage methylene
chloride, low-percentage methylene chloride, strong solvent and no methylene chloride, refinisher
(no methylene chloride and no wax), and NMP (n-methyl pyrrolidone).
new (as the maker or factory intended old finish or paint. Stripping also does solvent, non-methylene-chloride
it to look); make the furniture look old less damage to the wood and to color strippers, but without wax to slow
but in good shape (usually with a satin that may be in the wood – color that is evaporation).
or flat finish and maybe some glaze in the result of the wood aging or a stain ■ NMP (packaged in plastic contain-
recesses); or make the furniture look that had been applied. ers with n-methyl pyrrolidone listed as
like something else (for example, 5 ■ There are two broad categories of an ingredient).
change the color). All three are legiti- products that can be used to strip old 7 ■ Denatured alcohol will dissolve
mate approaches. paint or fi nish from furniture: paint and remove shellac, which was used on
stripper and the solvent for the finish. almost all furniture finished between
(Heat guns and caustic lye strippers are the 1820s and 1920s. Lacquer thinner
very risky on furniture because of the will dissolve and remove lacquer, which
damage they can cause to the wood, was used on almost all furniture fi n-
veneer and glue joints.) ished after the 1920s. Keep the solvent
6 ■ There are five large categories of in contact with the finish using wetted
paint strippers. The primary differences rags or paper towels. When the finish
are strength, speed and toxicity, which has dissolved, wipe it off.
tend to correspond. From strongest, fast- 8 ■ It’s rare that much sanding is
est and most toxic, the categories are: required after the finish has been
■ High in met hylene ch lor ide stripped. Sanding with fine sandpaper is
(labeled “non-flammable” an d notice- necessary only to check that all the fin-
Test for finish. To determine if an old finish is
ably heavier). ish has been removed. Any remaining
shellac or lacquer, dab on some denatured
■ Low in methylene chloride (labeled finish will gum up the sandpaper, telling
alcohol or lacquer thinner. Alcohol dissolves
shellac. Lacquer thinner dissolves lacquer. I “flammable” with methylene chloride you that more stripping is necessary.
used alcohol here, so clearly, this is shellac. listed as an ingredient). Usually, the less sanding the better.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 60
off the finish. Lacquer was constructed using hot hide glue.
can be removed the Read our recipe for “Liquid Hide Glue.”
same way using lac- TO BUY: Get Bob Flexner’s new book,
quer thinner. “Flexner on Finishing.”