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THEARTOFWOODWORKING

HOMEWORI$HOP
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WORKSHOP
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CHOO'ING A BRUSH ANATOMY
OFA PAINTBRUSH
Whilea eeaeonedfiniaher can apply I
a atain or topcoat ekillfully with vir' Handle Ferrule
tually any bruah, moat peopleare Can be made of plaatic A riqid, corroeion- I
better off buyinqa qood-quality tool. or hardwood;balanced reaiatant metal band
Thebruah ahowncut away at riqht
may coot more than a lower quality
and deoi4nedfor comforb that holda brietlea
and epoxyplug
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model,but it includeacerLain fea-
turea that willenaureconaiatently Retaining pin
Nailor rivet.that binde
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4ood reaulto. ferrule to handle
Thereare two kindaof bruaheaon
the market: natural- and aynthetic'
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Reaervoir
brietle ty pee. Natural - briatle
brueheeare made from boar, aable,
A apace that holda
finiahaa it ia beinq
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camel,ox or badqer hair, tsoar- Divider opread on by briatleo
briatle ("Chinahog") bruaheeare Taperedplu7 that I
ideal for applyinqvarnieh.)ther eeparatee bdatlea_
natural-briatle bruaheaare beat
auited to lacauer and ahellac,
into qroupo, forminq
a reaervoir
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Theyare a po6r choice,however,for
opreadin4 water- baeed fi nishee I
becauaethey may cauae the finiah
Epoxyplug -
to foam up.
gynth dtic-fil a ment bruahea a re Bondaferrule-endof brietlee I
made of nylon or polyeeter, or both. together with epoxyqlue
Theaebruaheeare your beat bet for I
applying water- baaed prod ucta.
Durableand flexible,they can alao Bristles I
be uaed with varniahand Natural bristlea or aynthetic
penetratin4 oil etains. filamente; tipe can be cut flat
or tapered to a chiael tip
I
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CHISEL-TIP
BRISTTES I
ANDSYNTHETIC
NATURAL BRISTTE
TIPS

Tipped
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Tapered Flagged
)traiqht-cut
tipo recom-
Tipehonedto a
fine point; ideal for
1plit enda hold
more finiah and
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mendedfor epread it more
oil-baaedproducto
water-baged Itkevarnish omoothlythan I
finiahea tipped or ta-
pered Lipe I
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T I P SO NB R U S HS E L E C T I O N I
. Paya littlemoreto geta superior-
q u a l i t yb r u s ha; b e t t ebr r u s hw i l l
bodiedproducts
a n dv a r n i s h .
lacquer
suchasshellac, a n db e n dt h e m ;t h e ys h o u l df e e l
f u l l a n ds p r i n gb a c kt o t h e i ro r i g -
I
improve yourresults. i n a lp o s i t i o n s .
. Avoidbrushes
o lf youwanta brushwithf laggedbris-
. Confirm thatthe bristles aredif-
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with hollowbristles. tletips,checkforbranch-like
splitends,
U n l i k es o l i db r i s t l e sh,o l l o w
o n e sd o f e r e nlte n g t hbsy r u n n i nygo u rh a n d
n o ts p r i n gb a c kt o t h e i ro r i g i n aslh a p e . l f y o ua r el o o k i n fgo r a t a p e r e d - downonesideof the bristles fromthe I
whenbent. b r i s t l eb r u s hm
, a k es u r et h a tt h e ferruleto thetip; the shorterbristles
. Fora good-quality,all-purpose
brush,
b r i s t r easr et h i c k ear t t h ef e r r u l e
e n dt h a na t t h et i o .
shnrrldsnrino rrn
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choose a chiseltip modelwith long r Makesurethatthe bristles aref irmly
springybristles-softforthin water- . B u yb r u s h etsh a t h a v eg o o ds p r i n g .
s i t hy o u rh a n d
S q u e e zteh e b r i s t l ew
setin the ferrule,whichshouldbe
securelyfastened to the handle.
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basedfinishesandstifffor heaw-
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THEARTOFWOODWORKING

WOOD
FINISHING
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I THE ART OF WOODWORKING

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I WOOD
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I FINISHING
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TIME-LIFE
BOOKS
I ALEXANDRIA,VIRGINIA
t ST.REMYPRESS
MONTREAL.
NEWYORK
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THE ART OF WOODWORKING was produced by THECONSUTTANTS
ST. REMYPRESS I
Michael Dresdner is a former contributing
PUBLISHER KennethWinchester
editor to Fine Woodworkingmagazine.He cur-
"Just
I
rently writes the Finishing"column for
PRES/DENT PierreLdveilld
AmericanWoodworker magazine.
I
SeriesEditor PierreHome-Douglas
Frank Klausz ownsand operatesFrank'sCabinet
SeriesArt Director FrancineLemieux
SeniorEditors Marc Cassini(Text)
Shopin Pluckemin,New Jersey.He contributes
to Fine Woodworkingmagazine and hasmade
I
HeatherMills (Research)
videotapeswith TauntonPress,including one
Art Directors Normand Boudreault,SolangeLaberge
Designer Luc Germain
on wood finishing. t
Research Editor Iim McRae
PictureEditor ChristopherJackon
Writers TamsinM. Douglas,Andrew lones
Paul McGoldrick ownsand operatesPianoforte
Inc.,a pianorestorationcompanyin Montreal, I
ContributingWriter LauraTringali Quebec.He is responsiblefor the maintenance
Contr ibuting I llustrators Michel Blais,Jean-Pierre
Bourgeois,
and concertpreparationof the pianosusedby the
Montreal SymphonyOrchestraand the National
I
RonaldDurepos,SergeGuibord,
Arts CenterOrchestrain Ottawa,Ontario.
RobertPaquet,facquesPerrault,
JamesTh6rien,focelynVeillette
I
Giles Miller-Mead hastaught advancedcabinet-
Administrator NatalieWatanabe
ProductionManager MichelleTurbide
SystemCoordinator fean-LucRoy
rnakingat Montrealtechnicalschoolsfor more
than 10years.A nativeofNew Zealand,he previ- I
ouslyworkedasa restorerof antiquefurniture.
Photographer RobertChartier
Index ChristineM. Iacobs
JosephTruini is SeniorEditor of Hoze
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Proofreader Iudith Yelon
Mechanixmagazine. A former Shopand Tools
Editor of PopularMechanics,he hasworked as I
a cabinetmaker,home improvementcontractor
Time-Life Booksis a division of Time-Life Inc.,
a wholly ownedsubsidiaryof
and carpenter.
I
THE TIME INC. BOOK COMPANY Wood Finishing
p. cm.-(The Art of Woodworking)
Includesindex.
I
TIME-LIFEBOOKS

President MaryN. Davis

ISBN0-8094-9912-6
rsBN 0-8094-e9
l. Wood Finishing.
(trade)
r3-4 (lib) tr
Publisher RobertH. Smith
ManagingEditor ThomasH. Flaherty
I. Time- Life Books. II. Series
TT325.W661992 I
Directorof EditorialResources EliseD. Ritter-Clough 684.1'043-dc20 92-32892
AssociatePublisher TrevorLunn
CIP I
MarketingDirector ReginaHall For information about any Time-Life book,
Editorial Director Donia Ann Steele
ConsultingEditor Bob Doyle
pleasecall I-800-621-7026,or write: I
ReaderInformation
ProductionManager MarleneZack Time-Life CustomerService
P.O.Box C-32068
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Richmond,Virginia
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@ 1992Time-LifeBooksInc.
All rights reserved. I
No part of this book may be reproducedin
any form or by any electronicor mechanical
means,including information storageand
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retrievaldevicesor systems,without prior
written permissionfrom the publisher,except
that briefpassages may be quoted for reviews.
I
First printing. Printed in U.S.A.
Publishedsimultaneouslyin Canada. I
TIME-LIFE is a trademarkof Time Warner
Inc. U.S.A.
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CONTENTS
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I 6 INTRODUCTION IIO DECORAIIVEFINISHES
II2 Toolsand accessories
I 12 SAFETY 113 Stenciling
I 118 Graining
20 PREPARINGTHE SURFACE 122 Marbling
I 22 Toolsand accessories
24 Planing 126 FINISHING TOUCHES
I 30 Scraping I28 Toolsand accessories
I 35 Sanding I29 Preparingto rub out the finish
43 Repairingsurfacedamage 130 Rubbingout a finish
t 50 Raisingthe grain
t 51 Filling the grain 136 CLEANING AND STORAGE
t 54 CHANGING THE COLOR 140 GrossARY
t 56 Toolsand accessories
57 Bleaching I42 INDEX
t 59 The varietiesof wood stains
I 60 Dve stains I44 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
64 Pigmentstains
I 68 Stainingwood
I 75 Pickling a wood surface
76 Chemicalstains
I 80 Fuming
I 82 PROTECTIVEFINISHES
r 84 Toolsand accessories
86 Choosinga protectivefinish
I 91 Finishingby hand
I 93 Settingup your sprayequipment
97 Working with sprayequipment
I I02 Anatomy of a sprayroom
I I04 Identifting and avoiding
sprayproblems
I 106 Frenchpolishing
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eboksdownloadrace.blogspot.in
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 INTRODUCTION

PaulMcGoldrickdescribes

FINISHING
APIANO
y careerin restoringpianosbeganlike a lot of opportunitiesin life-by chance.
When I was231 had a cabinetmakingshopin Montrdal;next door wasa
Parisian cabinetmaker, Jean GillesJozon.Jeanwasa cabinetmaker oftheoldtradition
andI spentmanyhoursin hisatelierleamingaboutdifferentfinishingmethods-tech-
niquesthathaven't changed for generations. I laterfollowedhim to Parisandspent
aworkingholidaythererestoring antiques.
ThroughmutualfriendsI metapianotechnician namedGillesLosier, andI began
doingfinishingworkonpianoshewasrestoring. In hisyouth,Gilleshada foreman
whocouldselect thewoodfor apianocase, installthesoundboard, stringthepiano,
cutthekeys,andassemble andregulate themechanism. Hecouldevensitdownand
playa tune.Sadly, craftsmen withthatrangeof expertise in thepianotradehaveall
butvanished.
Restoring pianospresents manychallenges: Theinstrument mustnot onlylook
great;it mustalsosoundsuperbandrespond wellmechanically. Theinstrument shown
in thephotograph isa7-footChickering andSonsgrandpianobuiltin Bostonin 1875.
I counted10differentwoodsusedin itsmaking,although theentiresurface isveneered
with Brazilian rosewood.
My firsttaskinvolvedfillingthegrainof thewoodwith a darkpastefiller.I then
applieda coatofsandingsealer, andnextsprayed oneightcoatsoflacquer. Tokeep
thefinalfinishthinandto levelanydepressions caused bythelargeporesoftherose-
woodveneer, I cuteverysecond lacquercoatingwith 220-gritsandpaper.
TheIegsdemanded special
attention. Theywere madefromlargeblocksof poplar
woodsoI hadto createmyownstain,blendingin justenoughyellowandredto sim-
ulaterosewood's hue.I sketched
distinctive in gain linesusingacombination of feath-
ersandbrushes, with thetop of thepianostandingnearbyasa guide.Thegrain
patterns in rosewood cangetquitewild,soyoucantakeartisticliberties in tryingto
simulate it aslongasyourespect a fewrules,suchaskeeping thegrainlinesrunning
parallel.
Thefinalcoatof finishwassanded with220-gritandthen400-gritpaper. All that
remained at thetimethisphotowastakenwasto rub thefinishto a softglosswith
0000steelwool,buffwitha cottonclothandapplyacarnauba-based wax.

PaulMcGoldrickfinishesand restores
pianosin hisshopin Montrdal,Qudbec.
 INTRODUCTION

ThomasMosertalksabout

LINSEEDOIL
y introductionto the craftof buildingfurniturewaswith l9th-Century
Americanantiquesandremnantsof antiques.I u'ouldbuy a chestof drawers
withoutdrawers, for example, andthatwouldleadme to figuringout how drawers
weremade.Because of my fascination with olderpieces, I wasattractedto buttermilk
paint,earlyvarnishes andFrenchpolish.
Graduallymy interestwasdrawnto theausterely elegantfurnituremadeby the
Shakers andoneof their favoritefinishes-boiledlinseedoil. I experimented and
cameup with my own wayof applyingthe oil andthenpastewaxto createa clear
finishlikethe oneusedon thepiecein the photograph.Madeof cherry,it is what
"Bob
I callthe Cratchetdesk."It'sa deskfor an accountant although
or schoolteacher,
it canjust aswellbeusedasa lecternor telephone table.It hasa draweranda remov-
ableoencilrack.
Linseedoil hasbeenusedto finishwoodfor centuries. Unlessit is appliedwith
a shellacor varnishbase,it penetrates thewood ratherthancreatinga membrane
overit. It is this penetrationthat I feelenhances the wood'sgrainand color,and
accelerates the development of a naturalpatina,which is causedby exposureto
sunlightandair.Thecolorthat is created, I feel,is far richerandmorehonestthan
anypigmentthat comesout of a can.Youjust haveto be a little patient.Youalso
haveto besureto startwith a well-prepared, polishedpiece.In manyshops,a finish
serves to concealflaws.I believethat a pieceshouldbevirtuallydefect-free before
youbeginto applya finish.
Therearethreemajorrisksassociated with boiledlinseedoil. Thefirst involves
safety. Leftin a foldedrag,linseedoil cancombustspontaneously, becomingalmost
explosive. Second, the finishaffordsno protectionfor wood againstwaterandother
kindsof stains.Thisiswhyweapplya pastewaxovertheoil asa sealant. Third,Iin-
seedoildoesnot sealwoodagainstmoisturepenetration thesamewaylacquers and
varnishes do.Oiledoiecestendto shrinkandswellwith theseasons morethanpaint-
edor lacquered pieiesdo.Soin designing furniture,thisexpansion hasto belaken
into account.
Theprincipaladvantage of a finishlikelinseedoil is itsrepairability.
Scratches,burns
andchipscanbesandedandpolishedwith theoil. In a shorttime,thecolorwill come
backandyou won't evenknow it wasaffected.But if a membranefinish-especially
oneappliedovera stain-is chipped,scratched or burned,moreoftenthannot it has
to be entirelyrefinished.

ThomasMoserispresident
andco-founder
of Thomas
MoserCabinetmakers, in Auburn,Maine.
headquartered
 INTRODUCTION

Prew Savoyon

THE,
CRAFTETHIC
hepieceI amworkingonin thephotograph isaSheraton-sryle, two-drawer work
table,typicalof earlyl9th-CenturyAmerican furniturebuilding.Knowinghow
to applytheappropriate finishtakesagoodappreciation of furniturestyle.Youhave
to approximate theoriginalasclosely aspossible-incoloraswellasin topcoatcom-
position.Thebestwayto getontotherighttrackisto studyfurniturestyles asthor-
oughlyasyoucan.Talkto people experienced withperiodpieces-museum curators,
serious collectors andrestoration or conservation craftsmen. Theyareusuallyvery
willingto sharetechnical information. Alsotry to seeasmanyoriginalexamples as
possible.
Forthispiece, I selected naturalandchemical dyesto makethecolorappropriate
to itshistory.Thetableismadeof cherrywithafiguredveneer appliedto thedrawer
fronts.Twodifferentcombinations wereused:logwoodextract(anaturaldye)and
potassium dichromate (achemical mordant)ontheveneer; andlyeandwalnutcrys-
talson thecherry.
Forthetopcoat, I padded a 3-pound-cut orange shellaconthewood.I likeusing
apadmadeupof awoolinteriorandalinenexterior, butotherfinishers preferpol-
ishingcloths-perhaps because good-quality linenishardto find.Thetechnique is
calledFrench polishing, butthetermcanbemisleading. Thereareseveral waysto apply
a French polish,someusingpumiceandoil to fill theporesof thewoodcompletely,
providing a mirror-likefinish.Thatisnotalways appropriate for allAmerican pieces.
I tracemyinterest in finefurniturebackto mychildhoodandmyparents whowere
collectors themselves. AsanadultI spenttwosummers workinswithaboatbuilder.
andmuchlaterstudiedwith George Frankin China.WhenI iarted collecting fine
furniture,I couldn'taffordthepieces I liked,soI learned to buildreplicas instead.
I believe thatcabinetmakers shouldconsider themselves ascaretakers of a sort.
buildingsomething thatwillbepassed downfromgeneration to generation.Youneed
to develop whatI calla"craftethic." Youhaveto lovewhatyoudo,notfor theresult
or for awage,butsimplyfor thesakeof findingthefinestwayof doingeachstep.

PrewSavoyspecializes
in furniturefinishingand
restoration.
He alsoteacheswoodfinishingat the
OldeMill CabinetShoppeinYork,Pennsylvania.
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SAFETY
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f, inishingcanbea dangerous business breath.Longer-termexposureposes quantityoflacquerthinnercancausea
I' if vou are not well informedand morepotentialrisks;someeffectsmay
properlyprepared.Fromwood fillersto not be apparentuntil you haveusedthe
life-threatening explosion.
All thisis not to suggest
that working
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waxes,polyurethane varnishes
andtung substancesfor monthsor evenyears. with finishingproductshasto be dan- I
oil, finishingproductsfrequentlydepend In additionto thehealthrisks,most gerous-only that it canbe if you takea
on toxic organicsolventsto do their
work.Without thepropersafetygearand
of thesesolvents
oil-derived
areflammable.Some
oroductslikelinseedoil can
cavalierattitudetowardstherisks.If you
sprayfinishes,considerbuyinga spray
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precautions, short-termexposure to these combustsDontaneouslv at room tem- booth (page.13) or constructinga spray I
solventscan resultin irritation to the peratureiithe vaporsaresufficiently roomofyour own(page102).Asmostof
skin,eyesandthroat,aswellasdizziness,
headache,nauseaand shortnessof
concentrated.Whenvaporized
enoughconcentration
in a small
of air, a small
the harm from organicsolventscomes
from inhalation,weara dual-cartridge
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Dual-caftridge reapirator
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Safety gogglea
Uae wheneprayin4 a finieh;
Uae whenoprayin4 a finiah or workingwith
chemicale;rnterchanqeable filtere and car- t
theae ventedgo7gleepre-- tridqee ?rotect aqainet epecific hazarda,
vent finiahinqfumeafrom
irritating the eyeo
Cartridgea purify air contaminated with I
toxins ao they are inhaled,then expel
them throu4h exhalationvalve;ftlter
preventoinhalationof duat I
Neoprene rubber glovea
Uaeto protect the akin
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whenoprayin1 or mixinq
cauatic finiahinqproducta; Claaa ABC flre I
o n ug -fitti nq a urqeon'e ertinguiaher
gloveoare auitable for
moat other finiehin4taeke
\) For puttin4 out a I
small frre in the ehop
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Rubberapron
poaal container
For temporary
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aafe diapooalof
Frovideeprotection
whenworkinqwiLh aolvent-eoaked t
a wood bleachor raqa;dampenra7a
chemicaletain with water firat I
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respirator(page14),particularlyifyou SPRAYING
SAFELY
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for morethan an hour.To Dreventeye
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unddonrub-
bergloveswhenworkingwith causticor
I toxicfinishingproducts.
Whenever possible,choose a product
I that combinesthefinishyou wantwith
low volatility and toxicity (page19).
t Workwith thewindowsoDenandusea
certifiedspark-prooffan to keeptheair
I moving.Thiswill helppreventthefumes
in your work areafrom reachinga toxic
I or flammablelevel.If you experience
drowsiness, fatigue,headache, blurred
I vision,weakness, numbness, irritationof
theeyes,skinor throat,shortness ofbreath
I or a lossof coordinationwhilefinishing,
stopimmediatelyand leavethe work
I areauntil the symptomsclear.After-
wards,ventilate theworkareathorougfrly
I andusea differentfinishingproduct.

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SAFETY
TIPS
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. D o n o t e a t ,d r i n ko r s m o k e
I w h e nu s i n gf i n i s h i n gp r o d u c t s .

. K e e pf i n i s h i n gp r o d u c t sa w a y
I f r o mc h i l d r e n .

r A v o i de x p o s u r e
t to organic
s o l v e n t si f y o u a r e p r e g n a not r
breast-feed i ng.
I o I n s t a l la t l e a s to n e s m o k e
d e t e c t o ro n t h e c e i l i n go f y o u r
I s h o pa b o v ep o t e n t i af li r e h a z a r d s ;
k e e pa f u l l y c h a r g e dA B Cf i r e
Usinga spraybooth
S p r a y i nagn yf i n i s h i n g m a t e r i apl r o d u c epso t e n t i a l tl o
y x i co r f l a m m a b lvea p o r so, r
e x t i n g u i s h en re a r b y .
I b o t h .E v e nt h e f u m e sr e s u l t i nfgr o ms p r a y i nw g a t e r - b a s er e
d s i n sw i t h l o w e ro r g a n i c
. N e v e sr t o r es o l v e n t os r c h e m i - s o l v e nct o u n t sc a n b e h a z a r d o uusn l e s st h e ya r ep r o p e r lvye n t i l a t e d .
I c a l si n u n m a r k e d containers.
C h e m i c aslo l u t i o nssh o u l da l w a y s
A s p r a yb o o t hm a k e ss p r a y i n cgl e a n ear n d s a f e r r, e d u c i n gh e a l t hh a z a r d bs y
b e s t o r e di n d a r k g l a s sj a r s t o
c o n t a i n i ntgh e o v e r s p r aayn df u m e s t, h e nf i l t e r i n ga n d e x h a u s t i nt h g e m .T h e r e
I s h i e l dt h e mf r o m I i g h t ,w h i c h
m a yc h a n g et h e i rc o m p o s i t i o n .
a r ed i f f e r e nmt o d e l sd e s i g n e fdo r d i f f e r e nst p r a y i n a g p p l i c a t i o nTs h . e yr a n g ei n
s i z ef r o mc o m p l e t e r o o m st o p o r t a b l m
e o d e l sl i k et h e o n es h o w na b o v ew , h i c hm a y
I r Do notflushusedsolvents down
b e y o u rb e s tb e t i f s p a c ei s a p r i o r i t yi n y o u rw o r k s h o p o r i f y o u o n l ys p r a ys m a l l
the drain.Consult the YellowPages p i e c e so f f u r n i t u r e .
I t o f i n d o u t w h oh a n d l e cs h e m i c a l
d i s p o s ai nl y o u ra r e a o , rcheck
B e c a u s oe f t h e t o x i ca n d v o l a t i l en a t u r eo f m o s tf i n i s h i n gp r o d u c t sa, l l s p r a y
w i t h y o u rl o c a lf i r e d e p a r t m e n t . b o o t h sm u s tm e e tO c c u p a t i o nSaal f e t ya n d H e a l t hA s s o c i a t i o( 0n S H A ) g u i d e l i n e s
I I n s o m es t a t e ss, p r a y i nigs i l l e g ailn u r b a na r e a su n l e s ys o u h a v ea p r o p e r lby u i l t
sprayroom(page102).
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USINGA RESPIRATOR
'l lnstalling thecartridges t
I W e aa r d u a l - c a r t r i drgees p i r a t o r
approved bythe National Institute of t
Occupational Safety andHealth(NIOSH)
whenever youspraylacquers orvarnishes I
t h a tc o n t a i vn o l a t i loer g a n isco l v e n t s ,
orwhenyoumixchemical stainsor work I
withammonia. (lf youhavea beard, you
needa fullfacemaskor hood). To install I
thecartridges onthemodelof respirator
shown, screw themontotheinletvalves I
(/eff).Always buycartridges in pairs,
andkeeptrackof thehours theyhave I
beenused.
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filters
L Usedustfiltersin conjunction with I
respirator cartridges if youaresanding
c h e m i c a tl lrye a t ew d o o do r a p p l y i nf gin- I
i s h r nmg a t e r i asl us c ha ss h e l l a cl a, c q u e r
or nonwater-based stains. Choose theappro- I
priate filterforthetaskat hand,thenfit
a filterintoeachretainer (rrghf). Snapthe I
retainer ontothecartrrdge.
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Testing
therespirator
I P l a c et h e r e s p i r a t o rn y o u rf a c e ,

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wtththe top strapoverthe crownof your
h e a dP . u l lo n t h e s i d e s t r a pusn t i lt h e
llllillltllllll lllj]ll1
tl]ltlllljlJlil llutlllullljllllllttiillillllJ
f a c e p i e coef t h e r e s p i r a t ofri t s s n u g l y .
I T e s t t h e d e v i c eb y b l o c k i n tgh eo u t l e t 1HO?TI?
v a l v ew i t hy o u rh a n da n de x h a l i ngge n t l y
Storing reegirator
4ffi .I

I (above). Thereshouldbe no air leakage

cartridges
a r o u n dt h e f a c e p i e c el f. t h e r ea r e a n y
Evenwaler vaVor
I gapsa , d l u s t h e s t r a p sf o r a t i g h t e r
can deVleteLhe
S E ;r. -.r
fii l f n p r p s s arrJ r' r ri vpr snv lv . a c pi h p f : e c n i p n p
purifyinq
I according to themanufacturer's
instruc- chemicals
tions,or replacetherespirator. in reepira- ,/.
r Lor car-
tridqee.
._.,.;,
t-'.....*._-*\ ;
I To extend
their life, et ore lhe
carlrid,qeein a d,ry,airliqhl
I environmenN, suchas a plastricfreez-
-\
er baq.KecordtrheamounN of Nimethe
I cartridgeehavebeenusedand replacethem
afLereiqhthoursof uoeor ae eoona6 you
I can emellthe finiehinq producLthrouqhIhem.

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SAFETY
I
I
()RCHEMICAL
I
UPA TOXICSOLVENT
CLEANING SPILL
Disposing ofsoiledrags t
lmmediately openall doors andwindows,
extinguish anysources of heatandturn I
offallelectrical sources. Wearing a rubber
apron,rubberboots,heavy rubbergloves, I
safetygoggles anda respirator, soakup
s-s thespillwithragsor paper
olace
towels; then
t h e mi n a m e t acl a nd o u b l e - l i n e d
I
I
withheavy-duty plastic garbage bags.Add
a smallamount of water to prevent sponta-
neous combustion. Youcanalsospread I
theragsoutside andallowthesolvent to
evaporate before disposing ofthem.Clean I
upanyresidue withtheappropriate sol-
v e n tl i s t e di n t h e c h a r tb e l o wl.f t h e t
product is extremely f lammable or poiso-
nousandmorethanonegallonhasbeen I
spilled, leave theworkareaandcallthe
firedepartment. Otherwise, dispose of the I
soiledragsfollowing theenvironmental
regulations in effecttnyourcommunity. I
I
THERIGHT FORA SPILL
SOLVENT I
PRODUCT
SPILLED REQUIRED
SOLVENT
I
M i n e r as lp i r i t s Household andwater
detergent I
Turpenti
ne Household andwater
detergent
Paintremover Household andwater;
detergent spiritsor paintthinner,
or mtneral I
andwater
detergent
thenhousehold
Denatured
alcohol None t
alcohol
Methyl None
Acetone None
t
t hr i n n e r
Lacque None I
stainor latexpaint
Water-based detergent
Household andwater
stain
0il-based spiritsor paintthinner,
Mineral thenhousehold andwater
deiergent I
or polyurethane
Urethane spiritsor paintthinner,
Mineral thenhousehold andwater
detergent
Varn
ish spiritsor paintthinner,
Mineral thenhousehold andwater
detergent I
Lacquer t hr i n n e r
Lacque
Denatured
alcohol (ethylalcohol)
or methyl
alcohol
I
Sh el l a c
L i n s e eodi l Mineral
spiritsor paint
thinner,then household andwater
detergent I
TungoiI spiritsor paintthinner,
Mineral thenhousehold andwater
detergent
woodbleach
acidortwo-part
Oxalic Water soda
andbaking t
Lye Water mixedin equalparts
andvinegar,
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16
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SAFETY
I
t
BEINGPREPARED
F()RA CHEMICAL
FIRE
I Using a fireextinguisher
T o c o n t r oal s m a l lc, o n t a i n ef idr e ,u s e
I a d r y - c h e m i cf iar el e x t i n g u i s hr e
a rt e d
ABC.Position yourself safely awayfrom
I t h ef i r ew i t hy o u rb a c kt o t h e n e a r e s t
e x i t .H o l di n gt h ee x t i n gi u
s h eu r pright
I o n a l e v esl u r f a c ep ,u l lt h el o c kp i no u t
o f t h eh a n d l e (inseta ) ,n da i mt h en o z -
I zleat the baseof theflames.Squeeze
the handleleverstogether andspray in
I a quick,side-to-side motion(right)
u n t i lt h e f i r e i s e x t i n g u i s h el fdt h. e
I flamesspread, leavethearearmmediate-
ly andcallthefiredepartment. Dispose
t of burned wastefollowrng theadvice of
thef iredeoartment. Havetheextin-
I s r r i s . h p rr p c h : r o o d

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I Checking a smoke detector
A smokedetector is an essential safety
I feature in a finishing shop. Testthedevice
onceeverymonth.First,press thetest
I button. Then,blowouta lit matchbelow
a vent,letting smoke enterit, or holda
I flamebelowit (left).Replace thebattery
if thealarmdoesnotsoundfor both
t t e s t s - o ri f i t e m i t sa c h i r p i nsgo u n d ,
indicating thebattery isworn.
t
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SAFETY
I
I
DECIPHERING
THELABELINFORMATI()N
t
lnhalation warnin4 Directione for uee 9afety precautiona
I
lndtcaLee1,ha1, Lheprod- Detailed inel;ruct,ione on how lneLruct;tonefor eafe han-
uc1;te exLremelyhaz' Lo uee Lhe product, tncludin4 dltn7 and etora7e ofthe I
ardousdurinqprolonged puiace preparat ion, mirinq product, incl ud inq praper
e x p o e u r ec; a u t i o n e
aqainef inLenLional
quant triee. appltc2Ti611
niquee and clean-up
9"16- venLilaLronand warntnq
e,7ne of prol6n4ederpo-
t
ah"ae nf lhe nrn,'lttrl eure 1;.ofumea
t
I
Emergency/Firat aid
proceduree
'gpectfiee Prod u ct identification
I
immedtaLe The Lype of product and
acLion Lo be Laken in an the brand name 7iven by I
emerqency involvinq ekin 1,hemanufact.urer to
or eye conLacL,inhala-
tion or inqeel,ion
idenLtfy Lhe producL I
t
VOC(Volatile Organic
I
Compound)rating Warning
A meaEureof Lhe amounL
lndicaLeswheLherLhe
nrn)t rrf ia rnrrnaitte
I
of volaLtleorqantc com-
flammable or Loxtc
pounda in Lhe producL, in I
percenl,, grame per liter
or pounde per qallon
I
I
Vapor preooure Product i ncom patibility Aative ingredients
lndicaLee Lhe force exerted by A ltat of frntehtnqproducto Indtcatea the common and/or chemtcal I
evaporaLed vapo16 on the aLmoe- l;hat; are chemtcallytncom' namee and proporl,rone of bol,h volatrle
phere dtrectly above Lhe ltqutd, pattble wt1;hthe product and non-volaLtlein4redienLetn 1,heprod- t
meaeured in milltmel;ereof mercury. uct, euch ae reetne, eolvenLs.driers and
The qreater Lhe vapor preeeure, Lhe
more volattle Lhe producL
flatLenere: aleo tndtcaLea wheLher Lhe
eolvenLis aenattiveto liqht and phoLo-
I
chemically reacLtve,whtch can crealie
atrbarne polluLante I
I
R e a d i nagp r o d u cl ta b e l
T h el a b e o l n a c o n t a i n eorf f i n i s hi s m o r et h a nj u s ta t r a d e m a r k t i n n ss n e c i f i e nd n t h e l a h e tl o s e t r r nt h e n r o n e vr e n t i l a t i o n t
a n da s e to f i n s t r u c t i o n lst.i s b o t ht h e k e yt o c o m p a r i ntgh e a n dw o r k i n cg o n d i t i o nas n , df a m i l i a r i zyeo u r s ewl f i t ht h ef i r s ta i d
i cist ht h o s eo f o t h e rp r o d u c tasn da g u i d e
f i n i s h ' sc h a r a c t e r i s t w i n s t r u c t i o ni ns t h e e v e n o
t f anaccident. I
t n r r s i n o i h p c , r r h c , l : n . ps . : f p l v n t h p s h n n T h e r ^ o m n n s i t el : h e l S o m es t a t e sa l l o wt h e u s eo f T r a d eS e c r e R t e g i s t rny u m -
r
' " Y i i ' "

s h o w na b o v ei n c l u d etsh e f e a t u r eyso us h o u l dl o o kf o r w h e n h e r sf o r a n r o d r r cst i n p r e d i e nttos n r o t e cnt a t e n t ecdh e m i c a l

e h n n q r n o : f i n i c . .h. i. n. bg rn.r n- uf ,u, L.- L{ , ^) u. ,L^i fl d
^ ^ r ^ . , ; ^ ; + . -, ^ + , ^ ^ \ / ^ ^ - - +
) L U T L T L ryd L i l 1 5 .v v u dr- f o r m u l a sl.f y o uf i n d t h e i n f o r m a t i oonn t h e l a b e lt o o v a g u e ,
i n g ,v a p o rp r e s s u raen df l a m m a b i l i t R y .e f e tro t h e c h a r to n r e q u e sat l V l a t e r i S a la f e t yD a t aS h e e t( l v l S D Sf )r o m t h e I
n : o p l Q i n d p i p r m r n p t h p l n v i r - r l vn f : n r n d r r r ^ t ':sr ^ t i v pi n o r c d i - m a n u f a c t u rief ro n e i s a v a i l a b l e A.n M S D Sw i l l e x p l i c i t l y
e n t sa n dc o m p a r teh e mw i t ht h o s eo f o t h e rs i m i l a rp r o d u c ttso d e t a r tl h e p r o d u c t 'hs a z a r d o ui n sgrslignla t s w e l la s p r e c a u - I
h e l py o uc h o o s e t h e l e a s t o x i cf i n i s h .F o l l o w t h e s a f e t yp r e c a u - t i o n sf o r s a f eh a n d l i nagn d u s e .
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SAFETY
I
I
CHOOSING
A SAFE
FINISH
I F i n i s h i ncgh e m i s t hr ya sc h a n g erda d i c a lilny r e c e nyte a r s . chloride f o, re x a m p l ei s,s u s p e c t eo df b e i n ga c a r c i n o g e n ,
Themostsignif icantadvance hasbeenthedevelopment of whilesomeglycolethershavebeenlinkedto birthdefects.
I w a t e r - b a sfei ndi s h eisn r e s o o n st oe b o t ht h e h e a l t hr i s k s K e e pi n m i n d ,h o w e v etrh, a tt h e h e a l t hh a z a r dosf a n y
posed b ys o l v e n a t sn dc l e a n - alier g i s l a t i tohna tl i m i t st h e f i n i s h i npgr o d u cdte p e n od n a n u m b eor f f a c t o r sM. o s t
T percentage of V0Cs,or volatile organic compounds, in sol- p r o d u c tosn t h e m a r k eat r ea c t u a l l b yenign w h e nu s e d
vent-based f inishes. Mostof theseregulations areprimarily o n l yo no c c a s i oann, dc o u l do n l yb ec o n s i d e r p eodi s o n o u s
t intended forf urnituremakers whousemorethanonegallon i f s w a l l o w eddi r e c t l yS. o m ec a ne v e nb e m a d en o n -
of finishperday,yet industry experts predictthatbythe t o x i cs; h e l l aics c o m m o n ul ys e da sa n i n g r e d i e innt
I m i d - 1 9 9 0V s ,O C - c o m p l if ai nni ts h ewsi l lb et h er u l er a t h e r confectioners'glaze.
thantheexception foreveryone in the UnitedStates. W h e nc h o o s i nagf i n i s h i npgr o d u c bt ,e a w a r e ofthe
I I n h a l a t i oi snt h e m o s tc o m m ow n a yt h a ts o l v e n tasr e combinatio a n dc o n c e n t r a t ioofno r g a n isco l v e n ti sn i t s
absorbed intothebloodstream, buttoxinscanalsobe ingest- m a k e u pp,a r t i c u l a ri fl yy o ui n t e n dt o u s et h es u b s t a n c e
I ed fromfoodandbeverages leftin theshop.Others canbe for extended periods of time;prolonged exposure maybe
a b s o r b eddi r e c t ltyh r o u gthh es k i no r e v e nb ys w a l l o w i n g h a z a r d o uTsh.ec h a r b t e l o wl i s t st h es o l v e n ct so n t a i n ei n
d
I v a p o risn s a l i v a . a v a r i e toy f f i n i s h i n p
g r o d u c tasn de v a l u a t et hse r e l a t i v e
ln theirmostpoisonous form,solvents cancausedamage toxicityof eachone.Always choose thesafestproduct for
I to thecentral nervous system andrespiratory tract.Methylene the j o b athand.
t
T Toxtc
sotvENTs
T FINISHING PRODUCT SOLVENT

I W o o fdi l l e r( p a s taen dl i q u i d ) Petroleum

naphtha*,
mineral spirits*,
acetone**,
methylethylketone**,methyl
isopropanol**,
isobutyl
ketone***
t S t a i n(sa n i l i n w
ingstains;
e ,i p i n gN, G Rg, e la n dg l a z -
colorpigments)
Ethanol*,
mineralspirits*,
toluene***,xylene***,
methanol***,glycolethers***

(whiteandorange)
I Shellacs Ethanol*,
methanol***
(spray
Lacquers andbrush,sanding
sealers) Acetone**,
methyl
ethylketone**,
isopropanol**,
methanol***, glycol
xylene***, ethers***
I Lacque t hr i n n e r Acetone**,
methyl
ethylketone**, glycolethers***,
isopropanol**, toluene***
R u b b i nogi l s( D a n i sohi l ,a n t i q uoei l ) VM&Pnaphtha*,
turpentine**,
toluene***
I Drying oils(boiled oil,polymerized
linseed Mineral
spirits*,
turpentine**
t u n go i l )
I Varnishes (tungoilvarnish,
sparvarnish, M i n e r as lp i r i t s V
* ,M & Pn a p h t h a *
varnish stain)
I Polyurethanes (polyvarnish,
urethanestarns) M i n e r as lo i r i t s t*o. l u e n e * * *
Lacquer/varnish
removers Acetone**,
xylene***,
methanol***,
methylisobutyl
ketone***,
toluene***
T (pastewax,furniturewax)
Waxes Petroleum
naphtha*,turpentine**
I * product
Safest
** Mildlyhazardousproduct
*** Product if possible
to beavoided
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1' I
,,
1
lj
t'
I
: & . I
& '.:
*rif"a!
,r

i.tt /
i.
t:*l
I'i!r
T
'
. \ , J- t {{ , h. f'
.|
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I PREIARINGTHESre
I
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I
I ld-timewoodfinisherssmoothed enededge,however, whichcanscratch
wood with sharkskinand rush. thewoodasbadlyascoarse sandpaper.
I filled its poreswith plasterof Parisand Sanding with successively finergrits
pulverizedbrick, coloredit with mate- completes thesurface preparation. For
I rials such as iron filings and walnut hand-sanding a fairlysmoothsurface, a
shells.and finishedit with secretcom- typicalprogression is 150grit,followed
I binationsof oils and beeswax. Modern by220andthen280grit.(lfyoudidnot
finishingtechniquesaremundaneby smooththewoodwithacabinet scraper,
I comparison, but theobjectis thesame: youmightneedto startwith 80or 120
to bring out the beautyof the wood. grit.)Neverskipanintermediate gritor
I Whetherthis meansa glassyfilm on the youwill leavescratches in thewoodthat
surfaceof thewood or a finishthat soft- Amongits manyuses,thehandscraper thefinishwill magnifr.With anorbital
t ly glowsfrom within dependson the
typeofprotectionthewood needsand
canhelpclearawaydriedadhesive
aftergluingup a carcaseor drawer.
sander, usethesamegritsequence;
on hand-sanding
plan
with thefinalgrit to
I the effectyou wish to achieve.Because remove anywhorls. Afterfinalsanding,
"raise
tasteis involved,thereis no singleright answerto everyfinishing you maywish to the grain"andthen resand,to remove
I question.But all professional-quality finisheshaveonething the whiskeryfibersthat might otherwisepop up throughthe
in common:painstakingsurfacepreparation,which readies finishon thefirsthumid day.Thisstepis essential whenapply-
I thewood to acceptthe finishingmaterials. ing anymaterialwith a water,ratherthan solvent,base.
Theamountof time you spendon surfacepreparationand Whetheror not you fill the poresof the wood is againa
I the toolsyou usedependin'largepart on your'workhabits matterof taste.Ifyou like a natural-lookingfinishthat allows
"read
and your wood. Surfacesspeckledwith dried glueobviously you to thewood grain,"do not usefiller.Close-grained
I requiremore work to smooth.Looseknots,splitsand other
defectsneedrepairprior to finishing;sodoeseverydent and
speciessuchaspine and cherrydo not requirefilling in any
case,but ifyou wanta glassyfinishon anopen-grained species,
T chiselnick.Thewood probablyhasjointer andplanermarks, suchasoakor mahogany, you mustfill the wood.
which you can removewith shallowcutsusinga smoothing A washcoatmaybe appliedto the wood beforeor after
I plane.Theplanemustbeproperlyadjusted andsharp,soit cuts staining-or not at all ifyou areapplyinga penetratingoil fin-
woodfibersratherthantearingthemandrougheningthesur- ish.A washcoatcanbe nothingmorethan a half-and-half
I face.Ifthe woodhasan irregularpattern,soyou cannotavoid solutionof your final finishandthesolventrecommended by
tearingthe grain asit changesdirection,substitutea cabinet its manufacturer(for lacquer,usesandingsealer). Thepoint of
I scraper-athin, flat pieceof steelwitha burrededge.(Forulti- usinga washcoatis to preventthewoodfrom unevenor exces-
matesmoothnesof straight-grained wood,useboththesmooth- siveabsorptionof finishingmaterials.When appliedbefore
I ing planeandcabinetscraper.)Cabinetscraperstakepractice the final finish,thewashcoatkeepsthewood from drinking up
to sharpenand use,but oncemasteredtheycansubstantially the finish,therebyreducingthe numberof coatsrequiredto
I reduceyour sandingtime. Bewareof an improperlysharp- build up theproperthickness.

I Despitea modernbladeadjustmentmechanism that enables thetoolto sliceoffpaper-

I thin shavings, planeretainsthehandcrafted
thissmoothing qualityof a traditional
handtool.Producingsmoothsurfaces
is a crucialstepin finishingfurniture.

I 2I
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TOOLSAND ACCESSORIES
I
I
Honing guide 9moothing plane I
and anglejig For smooLhinqwoodaurfacee
For honinqplane
bladee.Deviceholda
with the grain, ueuallyprior to
scrapin4and oandinq.Blade
I
bladeat appropnaLe muELbe aharpenedand prop-
anqlefor honinqa erly adjuated before uee t
bevel;rotatinq the
wheelon Lop of t
the ji4 eete angleo
bef,ween15oand 35o
I
Grinding jig
I
For holdin4planebladea
in aliqnmentwith grindin4 I
wheeldurinq aharpeninq
Tri-burniaher
Uaedto form amall burr, or hook,on
I
cuLtrn4edqeoof ecraperafter honin4;
Mill baetard file combtnesround,trianqular and I
For equartnqcuttin4 ed4eo oval burnisherain one tool
File alamp
HoldE file perpendicula r of ecraperoprior Lo honin7 I
and burniehinqthem
to cutting edqeof ocraper
durtnqeharpeninqof t
ocraper, enaurinq atra i7ht
and square eaqe I
t
I
I
Combination
Block plane
For omoothin4end
aharpeningatone
Hand ecrapere
t
For eharpentn4planebladea.
4rain and chamfered Kecta ngula r acraper amootha
aur-facea;ueuallyueed
Coaraeside removeemetal
quickly;fine atde createg
flaL aurfacea:curvedmoaele I
with onehand workwellon contouredeur-
emoof,hed4e.Lubricated
wtth water or orldepending
facea,moldinqaand epindlee I
on the type of stone
I
I
I
Abraaive pade
An alternattveto eandpaperfor Cabinet scraper I
smoothinqwoodaur-faceeand abradinq For amooLhinqwood aur-facea,typically
inf,ermediatefinieh coata by hand;
abraaiveparticlee of aluminumoxtde
afLer planing;wellauited far levelinqknote I
and cuLtingawaydried qlue.Elade ocrapea
and etliconcarbtdeare bondedto evn-
LheLicfiber pade. Laat lonqerthan
a paper-Lhinehavtngfrom aurface:has
twin handleafor 4reater convenience and
t
sandpaper;can be waehedand reused control than hand acraper
t
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I PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
I

I Eelt eander
Towereander ueed to remove
I atock and eliminateflawa
from wood aurfacea. and
t for amoothinq.Iandinq
belta availablein qrite
from coarae to fine
I Random-orbit sander
Fowersander uaedfor fine amooLh-
inq and removinqawirlmarka left
I by belt or orbital aander; ideal for
contouredaurfacea

I
Orbital
t Cont'ouredeanding bloak
palm eander
Fowereander
Holda aandpaperfor
I amoothinqcurvedand
for omoothinq
aurfaceethat
5t'eel wool irreqularly ahaped eur- are difficult
I 9pectally made woodworkinqeteel facea by hand: featurea a
narrowardefor reachin7
to reach with
woolia oil-freeand featurea 6rqer 9anaer
into nqht epota
I lonqeretrande than etandard
varietiea: leeo likelyto
I FIat aanding block
Holds aandpaoerto
T smooth flat aurfacea
by hand
I
I
I
I Alcohol lamp and burn-in knife
Uaedto apply ehellacatick to
I damagedareag on woodaurfacea;
flame from lamp heato knife, which
I rn Lurn melLEahellac,drippin4it.
onto aurface

Grinder
I tharpenin4 wheel
Ganbe uaedto
I regrind bevelaon
planebladee
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PLANING
I
its end(page
I
f hoosingthebestwayto smootha toolto bringacuttingedgeto peakper- square 25,step1).Fora
\-r woodsurface is a matterof indi- formance. Fora nickedbladeor anold newbladeor onethathashaditsbevel
vidualpreference. Therearenoordained out-of-square oneyouwishto salvage, wornaway, honeanewbevelonthecut-
I
stepsor prescribed rules.Somewood- ting edge(step2). Tomaintaina keen I
workersplaneandthensand;others edge,honethebladefrequently on a
planeandscrape beforesanding. sharpening stone(step3).
Whicheversequence you decideto Before usinga plane,setthedepthof
I
follow,theobjectisto producea surface cut to removeonly a thin shavingon
thatisassmoothasglassandjustasflat. eachstroke.Because anexcessivedepth
I
Thissectionof thebookexplains the settingmayproduce gougesin thework
useof a smoothingplaneto beginthe piece,youshouldtestyoursettingfirst
I
process of preparing a woodsurface to on a scrapboard.Forbestresultson a
accept a finish. largesurfaceusea longplane;a short
t
A well-sharpened bladein a proper- onewill bemorelikelvto followexist I
ly adjusted planecanshearofffineshav- ingcontours.
ingsof wood.Youcanmakeall the Setaplaneon itsbottomwhenstor-
adjustments with only a screwdriver, Planingtheedgesof a workpiecewith a ingthetooltopreventtheironfromget-
I
despitetheplane'sapparently
cateddesign(below).
compli- smoothingplane-alsoknownasedge tingnickedbyothertools.Occasionally
jointing-is usuallydonebeforeplan- rub a thin film of light machineoil on
t
Planebladesrequireregularsharp- ing thefaces.Thisallowsyou to remove thebladeto preventrust.Onceayear,
ening.Althoughyoucanhonea blade any blemishes or depending ontheamountof use,take
I
from thefacesleft by
byhand(page 26),a grinderisthebest thejaws of a clampor a vise. thetoolapartfor a general cleaning. I
I
ANATOMY
OFA SMOOTHING
PTANE Late ra I a dj uati ng lever
Levercap
Centera the blade in the I
mouth of the plane by
Allowaquick
Cap iron aarew
Adjuete offaet diatance between
removalof cap
aettin7 the lateral, or
aide-to-aide, poaition of
t
iron and blade the blade
cutting edqe of blade and end of
cap iron; to avoid blade chatter, I
'la inch io ideal
6ap
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Leveraap acrew
)ecures levercap,
Cap lock
Holda lever
I
cap iron and cap in place
blade to fro4 I
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BIade Frog adjuetin7 earew

r
Alao knownaa olane iron. lnstalled Frog Turnedto alide frog back and forth; poei-
beveldown on fro4; for beat reeulta, 9upporbe tioned to eet cuttinq edge of blade about
I
ahould barely probrudefrom mouth blade 1/azinch from front edae of mouth
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24 r
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I PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
I
I SHARPENING
A PLANE
BTADE
WITHA MACHINE
I 1 Squaring theendoftheblade
I Usea trvsouare to check whether the
I cuttine g d g eo f t h eb l a d ei s s q u a r el f. i t
is not,square it ona grinder witha rough
I wheel. Withtheguardproperly positioned
a n dt h eb l a d e c l e aor f t h ew h e e sl ,w i t c h
I onthemachine. Holding thebladebetween
theindexfingerandthumbof yourright
I hand,setit beveluponthegrinder's tool
restandadvance it toward thewheeluntil
I yourindexfingercontacts thetoolrest
(right).Slidethe bladeside-to-side across
I thewheel, pressing lightly whilekeeping
yourfingeronthetoolrest.Thetip of the
I b l a d es h o u l sdt a yp e r p e n d i c ut o
l at rh e
wheelthroughout theoperation. Dipthe
I bladein wateroccasionally to prevent it
fromoverheating. Check thebladefor
I square regurany.

I
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t r) Creating a hollow-ground bevel
Z . S h a r p e n ian pg l a n eb l a d ei n v o l v e s
t threesteps: creating a bevel ontheblade's
cuttingedge,honing another bevelon
I partof thef irstone-calleda microbev-
el-thenremoving theburrthatresults
I fromthehoningprocess. Tocreate the
f irstbevel, clamptheblade topfaceup
I in a commercial grinding jigsetto create
a 30" bevel. Runthecutting edgeacross
I thewheel asyouwouldforsquaring the
; ej i gw i l lk e e pt h eb l a d e
b l a d et h square
t to the wheel(left).Checkthe cutting
edgeperiodically andstopgrinding when
I thebevel forms(lnsef). Asa ruleof thumb,
thebeveliscorrect whenmost
I of thesparks showering trom
t h eg r i n d ef ra l lo n t h et o p
I faceof theblade, rather than
belowit.
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I 25
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE I
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Q Honing themicrobevel
r-,f Place a combination
finesideuDona worksurface.
sharpening stone
Nailcleats
r
to thetableagainst thestoneto keepit
frommoving. Oneof thecleats should be
I
thesameheightasthestoneand4 to 5
inches Iong; thiswillallowyouto usethe
I
full length of theabrasive surface. Clamp
thebladein a commercial angle-setting
t
h o n i n g u i d ew i t ht h eb e v et lo u c h i n g
the stone.Saturate thestonewiththe
I
appropriate Iubricant-either wateror
a lightoil-untilit pools onthesurface.
I
Then,holding thehoning guide, slidethe
b l a d eb a c ka n df o r t hf r o me n dt o e n d
I
alongthestone(lefil,applying moderate
pressure untila microbevel forms(insef).
I
Continue untila burr-athinridge
of metal-forms onthef latface
I
o f t h eb l a d eT. h e nl a pt h e b u r r
a sy o uw o u l dw h e ns h a r p e n ian g
I
planeby hand(sfepbelow).
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SHARPENING
A PTANE
BTADE
BYHAND I
[apping thebun
Clamp thebladein a commercial guide I
(stepabove) andgrinda 30" bevelusing
thecoarse sideof thestone. Thenreoosi- t
tionthebladein theguideandturnthe
stoneoverto honethe microbevel. To I
remove the burrfromthe blade-a
process woodworkers call"lapping" the I
burr-remove the bladefromthe honing
guideandsaturate thestoneonceagain. I
Holding thebladeflushonthestone,bev-
el sideup,moveit in a circular patiernon I
the stone (righilunlilthe flat sideof the
cuttingedgeis smooth to thetouch.A I
fewstrokes shouldsufficeto eliminate
theburr.Testthesharpness of thecut- I
tingedgeon a pieceof paper; a sharp
blade willslicea sliverfromtheedse. I
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26 I
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I PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
I
I
Assessing a planeblade'scuttingedge
I Nomatter howwellit is adjusted,
a dullor poorly
enedplanebladewilldoa poorjobof smoothing
sharp-
thewood
t surfaces of yourfurniture.Moreover,itscondition willonly
deteriorate if youpersistin usingit, losingits beveled
I cutting edgeandpossibly evengoingout-of-square, as
in the bladeshown(far/eft).Sucha bladewouldneed
I to besquared andsharpened ona grinder.A well-sharp-
enedblade(nearleft)hasa vrsible bevelandmicrobevel,
I making iI a razor-sharpcuttingimplement. Thisblade
needs onlyanoccasional honingona sharpening stone.
I
I ADJUSTING
A PTANE
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Levercap ecrew
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Froq eetecrew
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Positioning thecuttingedge
t I Loosenthe levercap screwand removethe bladeassem-
b l y - i n c l u d i n gt h e l e v e rc a p ,c a p i r o na n d b l a d e - f r o mt h e
assembly in position
onthefrog.Thegapbetween
thefront
edgeof thebladeandthefrontof themouthshouldbeabout
t/rcinch.lf not,loosen about1Zturn,
I p l a n eT. h e nl o o s e tnh e c a p i r o ns c r e wa n ds l i d et h e c a p i r o n bothfrogsetscrews
o n t h e f a c eo f t h e b l a d et o l e a v ea g a po f a b o u t% o i n c h thenturnthefrogadjustingscrewwitha screwdriver
to set
I b e t w e e tnh e e n do f t h e c a p i r o na n dt h e c u t t i n ge d g eo f t h e theproper gap(above). in position.
Lockthe bladeassembly
b l a d e .T i g h t e nt h e c a p i r o ns c r e w .N e x t ,p l a c et h e b l a d e
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I 27
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
I
I
r) Centering thebladeand
t
Z- setting thedepth
H o l d i nt gh ep l a n a
of cut
e ss h o w ns,h i f t h e
t
lateral adjusting lever to onesideorthe I
otherto center thecutting edgein the
mouth. Tosetthecuttingdepth,turn
adjustment knobso
I
thedepth-of-cut
thatnomorethanaboulrhzinchof the I
cutting edgeprotrudes fromthemouth.
Checkthedepthof culby eye(right), I
t h e nc o n f i r m
t h es e t t i nbgym a k i nag
testcutona scrapboard. Theshavings I
should bepaper-thin; thefinerthecut,
t h em o r et r a n s p a r et n
Adjust thecutting
h tes h a v i n g s .
depth,if necessary.
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WITHHAND
SMO()THING PLANES
I
Usinga smoothing plane t
G u i d ea h a n dp l a n ea l o n ga w o o ds u r f a c e w i t hs m o o t he, v e n
strokes. Alwayscut with the grainof the wood;planingagainst I
t h e g r a i nw i l l t e a rt h e w o o d ,r a t h e trh a ns h a v i n gi t o f f c l e a n -
l y . l f y o uc a n n o d t e t e r m i nteh e o r i e n t a t i oonf t h e g r a i n ,l i g h t - I
l y s l i d et h e p l a n ep a r a l l e l taon e d g ei n o n ed i r e c t i o nt h, e n
r e p e a itn t h e o p p o s i t d e i r e c t i o nT. h ec u t t i n ge d g ew i l l c h a t - I
t e r o r c a t c ho n t h e w o o df i b e r sw h e ni t i s c u t t i n ga g a i n stth e
g r a i n .l f t h e g r a i no r i e n t a t i ocnh a n g eosn t h e s u r f a c es,w i t c h I
thedirection o f y o u rs t r o k et o f o l l o wt h e g r a i n T
. o s m o o t ha
s u r f a c es u c ha s a t a b l e t o pm , o v et h e p l a n eb a c ka n d f o r t h I
usinga seriesof straightpasses thatslightlyoverlap, as shown
inthediagram a t r i g h t .W h e np u l l i n gt h e p l a n eb a c ka f t e r I
e a c hf o r w a r ds t r o k et,i l t t h e t o o lt o o n es i d et o l i f t t h e c u t -
t i n g e d g ec l e a ro f t h e s u r f a c e . I
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
I
t
Smoothing a face
I Secure theworkpiece faceupona work
s u r f a c e0.n c ey o uh a v eo r i e n t etdh e
I plane withthewoodgrain, lineupyour
s h o u l daenr dh i pw i t ht h et o o tl o h e l p
I y o um a i n t a ifnu l l c o n t r ool f t h ec u t .
Gripping theplane withbothhands as
I shown, pushthetoolalong thesurface
awayfromyourbody.Applyf irmand
I s u s t a i n epdr e s s u dr eu r i n g
t h es t r o k e ,
pressing downonthefrontof theplane
I at thestartof thepass.Oncetheplane
iscompletely onthesurface, evenout
I thepressure, shifting thepressure to
t h e r e a rn f t h e n l a n ea i t h e e n d o f t h e
I Examine
stroke. theshavings asyouwork
andadjust depthif youwanta
thecufting
t finercut.Keepplaninguntilthesurface
becomes shinyandsmooth to thetouch.
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I
Smoothing endgrain
I U s ea b l o c kp l a n et o s m o o t ht h e e n d so f
a w o r k p i e c eT.h e r ea r et w ow a y so f p l a n -
I i n g e n d g r a i n ,b o t h i n v o l v i n tgw o s t e p s
c a l c u l a t etdo a v o i dt e a r o uat t t h e e d g e s .
I F o re i t h e rm e t h o ds, e c u r et h e w o r k p i e c e

t e n d u p . I n o n em e t h o db, e g i na s t r o k e
a t o n ee d g eo f t h e b o a r dg, u i d i n gt h e
p l a n ea l o n gt h e s u r f a c eu n t i l t h eb l a d e
I is abouthalfwayacrossthe end (left).
R e p e atth e p r o c e s fsr o mt h e o p p o s i t e
I e d g e .I n t h e s e c o n dm e t h o ds, t a r tb y
t c u t t i n ga c h a m f ear t o n ee d g eo f t h e
boardh , o l d i n gt h e p l a n e

t a t a n a n g l et o f l a t t e nt h e
corner(inset).Then make
a p a s sa c r o s tsh e e n t i r ee n d ,
I b e g i n n i ntgh e s t r o k ea t t h e
o t h e re d g e .
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SCRAPING I
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Q crapingwoodsurfaces is an inter- soyoucanreachcorners andtightspots smaller theshavings, untilfinallythetool
rJ mediate stepbetween planingand inaccessibleto a plane. produces onlysawdust. I
sanding. A sharpscraper canremove A scraper'scuitingedgesdullquick- Mostnewscrapers needto befiled
high spots,tearoutand glue lines, ly andrequireregularsharpening,which smoothbeforeuse.It mayhelpto apply I
smootha surface, andcleanup marks involvesfiling,honingandburnishing. alittlelubricatingoil onthecuttingedge
leftby a plane.Thetool is inexpensive, Thesizeof thescraper's shavingssignal ofthescraper beforeburnishing, butbe I
easyto useandrelativelysimpleto sharp- its condition:thedullertheblade,the carefulwith theoil: If it getson your
en.Tho commonlyusedtypesarethe handsorbenchit couldendupstaining I
handscraper-asinglebladeof steel- theworkpiece.
andthecabinet scraper,ablademount- Apartfrommaintaining thecutting I
ed in a metal or wood body that edges of ascraper, keepin mindthatthe
resembles a spokeshave.Thisimplement toolwill performwellonlyifyouholdit t
features wingedhandles for two-hand- atanangleto thewoodsurface andpush
edpushingor pulling. or pull itwhileapplyingafairamountof I
Scraper bladesaremadefrom thin pressure closeto ttrecuttingedge. Ifyou
sheets ofspringsteelandsharpened to holdthescraper almostperpendicular I
forma cuttingedge.Theyareavailable to thesurface andapplyhealypressure,
in differentthicknesses,depending on thetoolwill quicklyremove wood,but t
theworkyouwantthemto perform. it mayalsogouge, dentor scratch the
Thickscrapers aresuitablefor heavycuts; surface. Heldat moreof anangle,the I
light scrapersareusedfor finerwork. scraper removes lesswood,butproduces
Unlikea planeblade,thescraper hasa asmoother surface. Onemethodof find- I
hook-a smallflarealongthelengthof ing theright angleis to holdthetool
thecuttingedge(inset, page32).The Properlysharpened, a scraper almostparallelto theworksurface;begin I
hook'scuttingactionallowsthescraper will producefiner andshorter scrapingwhile gradually raisingtheangle
to bepulledor pushed in anydirection, shavingsthana plane. of thebladeuntilit bitesintothewood. T
I
SHARPENING
A SCRAPER
I
1 Filingtheedges square
I Tofileofftheexisting
scraper,
hookon a
clampthetoolin a visewith
t
onelongedgefacingup.Holding a
sharpmillbastard filefirmlywithboth
I
handsasshown,makeseveral passes
backandforthalongtheedgeof the
I
scraper,
pressure
ng moderate
exerti downward
untilthebundisappears and
t
theedges areflat.Toremove
periodically
filings,
tapthefileona firmsur-
t
faceor usea filecard.Turnthescraoer
overandrepeatthe process for the
I
otheredge. I
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30
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
I
I
I fiu|ltfilrililllttljJ
llillliltl]J
fillltJilllllltlll tllllll filtl]ll
I 5HO7Tt?
I Uoinga file clamp
Deeiqned Noholda file
I perpendicular to the edge
of a ocraVer, a fileclamp
I makesit, eaeytro remove
hooksand fileoLraight
I edqeeon Ihe trool.To use
the fileclamp,securethe
I ocra?erin a vieealong
wilh a woodblockon one
eideto keepit,riqid.lneerL
I I h e f i l ei n t h e c l a m pa n d
f i x i t i n p l a c eu o i n q l h e
I Lhumbscrewe on Iop of the
i m p le me n t . 7 oE i Loi n L he c la m p
I on lhe edgeof the ecraVerand file lhe ocraVer'e
ed4eunlil it,
feelesharp,takinqcarenot Io cuXyouroelfwhenNeeLinq.
I
I
r) Honing theedges
I L Secure a combination sharpening
stone finesideupto a worksurface with
I cleats andlubricateit asyouwouldwhen
honing a planeblade(page 26) Holding
I thescraper flatagainstthestone,rubthe
faceonthestone witha circularmotion
I (left).Applymoderate pressure
andcon-
tinueuntilanyroughness producedbyfil-
I ingdisappears. Turnthescraper overand
repeat fortheotherface.Tocomplete the
I honing, holdthescraper edgedownand
slideit backandforthdiagonally across
I thestoneuntiltheedgeissmooth with
sharpcorners. Repeat fortheotheredge.
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
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Q Burnishing theedges to starta hook
r.,l Placethescraoer f laton a work I
surface withtheedgeto besharpened
extending offthetable.Holding a bur- I
nisher at a slightangle to thescraper,
makeseveral passesbackandforth I
alongthe edge(left),applying strong
downward pressureto startturning I
overtheedgeintoa hook.Burnish the
othercutting edgethesameway;turn I
thescraper overandburnish theedges
ontheotherface. I
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Completing
thehook
I
Securethe scraperedgeup in a vise
Holdtheburnisher almost perpendicular
I
to theedgeandrunit along theedgein
onedirection untiltheedgeswells slight-
I
ly,turningoutward on oneside(right).
Forbestresults, applymoderate pres-
I
s u r eT. h e nh o l dt h eb u r n i s hseort h a t
t h eh a n d liesa t a 1 0 ' t o 1 5 ' a n g l e
I
abovethe edgeof thescraper andcon- I
t i n u eb u r n i s h i u
nng t itl h ee d g e
turns
over.Repeat theprocess to forma hook I
ontheothersideof theedge(inset), this
timeholding
hand.Thegreater
thehandle withyourother
thepressure youapply,
t
iho hioopr thp hnnk

Turnthescraper
over
I
andburnish
siie edsp
theoppo-
Tpsi thp .r ri-
t
tino pdooc nn a nipnp

of scrap wood,burnish-
I
ingthemagain, if nec- I
essary, untilyouhave
thehookyouneedfor
t h ej o ba t h a n d .
r
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
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I
I flllllllllllllllllllrulll1
ililllllllllllltllllullilllllllllllllltlllt
I 1HO?TI?
I Using a variableburnisher
l,oldinq
a o l d t n qa Oburnieher
u r n t e naaL
e tr tthe riqht.
I anglefor turnin4overa
hookon a ocraVerie no
I eaoylaok. Oneanswer
ie a commercial jiq Ihal
I provideoVrecioecontrol
of the burniohing anqle.
Theactual burnisher ie
I a carbiderod mounled
wilhinLhe body;a knob
I o n N h e N oapd j u o t o N h e
anqleof Nherod belweenOoand 15o.Iouse
I Nhe
L ne aburnieher, oecure
u r n t ? n e r? the
, e c u r eT ecraVer
, n eS c r a ? e rtin
n a vviee and
t 6 ea na :
f i I i t e b l a d e i n t h e b u r n i s h e r ' ee l o N :r u n n i n qt h e b u r n i e h e r
I back and f or\h alon4 the blade wilh moderale downward
?re6ourecreaLeea hook of NheapVropriaLean4le.
I
I
I SMO()THING
A SURFACE
WITHA HANDSCRAPER
Using a handscraper
I Secure thestockto a worksurface.
Standing at oneendof theworkpiece,
I curlyourfingers around thefrontof the
scraper andpress onthebackwithyour
I thumbs to makethetoolbowslightly
outward. Tiltthescraper forward about
I 20'fromthevertical andscrape the
surface in thedirection thatthebowis
I facing(left).lf thecuttingedgedoes
notbiteintothewoodproperly, adjust
I theangleof thetoolslightly. Workat
I t o t h eg r a i na, p p l y i n g
a s l i g hat n g l e
moderate pressure andmakinglong,
I fluid,overlapping strokes. At theend
of eachstroke, lift thescraper offthe
I surface before stopping. Youcanalso
pullwiththescraper, butbesureto
flexthe bowtoward you.
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
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WITHA CABINET
SMOOTHING SCRAPER
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1 Adjusting theblade r) Usingthescraper I
I lnstall thebladein thescraper withthehooked edge Z Secure theworkpiece.
Then,standingat oneendof the
facingforward andprotruding t/zzinchfromthesoleof the stockandholding firmlywithbothhands
thescraper withthe t
scraper. Lockthebladein placebyturning thetwothumb- hookfacingawayfromyou,pushthetoolwithmoderate pres-
screws onthefrontof thescraper clockwise (abovd. fhen surealongthesurface(abovd.
At theendof eachstroke, lift I
b o wi t s l i g h t lbyyt u r n i n tgh et h u m b s c r et hwa tp r e s s e s thescraper andturnthetoolupside-down
offthesurface io
against thecenter of thebladeattheback6f lls scr:ner dislodge
theshavingsandpreventthebladefromclogging. I
I
ltljulllllrl]l]llllllllllllllrllllllllllllllllfifillllr]l]llrlllllilIl I
I
1HO?Tt?
Uoingold oara?erblades
I
to cut half-blind dovetaile
Youcan aet eornemore t
mileage ou| of an old
ocra?erby uoin7it t
Nocomplelelhe eaw
cuNemadeto fashion I
half-blinddovelails.
Tlacelhe bladein the I
kerl and tap il with
a hammerunLilit,
reachesthe shoulder
I
lineof the ioinLThiewillmakeiN
eaeierLo finiehNhecut with a chisel, I
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SANDING
I
Q andingis the final stagein smooth- ingly finer abrasives to removethe informationon the differentsandpaper
I J ing a pieceof furnitureand is also scratches leftby thepreceding opera- gradesandgritsandwhento usethem.
indispensable in eliminatinganyblem- tion. Fora surface thatis to receivea Apart from selectingtheappropriate
I ishesleft by planesand scrapers. Both glossyfinish,youwill needto useapaper grit, you alsoneedto choosebetween
toolssometimesleavemarksandridges atleastasfineas320grit.Howhighup open-andclosed-coat paper.Theabra-
I on wood surfaces. Theycanalsocom- thegrit scaleyouclimbdepends on the siveparticleson closed-coat
paperscov-
presswood fibersandclosetheporesin finishingproductyouintendto apply er almost the entire surfaceof the
I thewood,inhibitingits capacity to prop- andtheeffectyouwishto achieve. Keep backing,and arebestsuitedto sanding
erly accepta finish.Sandingasthe final in mind,however, thatpolishinga sur- hardwoods.Open-coatpapershave
I stepopensclosedpores,allowingthe faceto a highglosswith anultra-fine morewidelydispersedparticles,cover-
finish to penetratethe surface. papermaykeep astainfrompenetrating ing only 40o/oto 700/oof the backing.
I A wide varietyof naturaland man- evenly. Referto thecharton page37for Theseareyour bestbet for softwoods
madesandpaperabrasives areavailable because theyarelessproneto cloggingby
I for thewoodworker, from naturalmate- moreresinouswood.
rials suchasflint, garnetand emeryto fu shownon thefollowingpages,sand-
I artificialoneslike aluminumoxideand ing canbe equallywellaccomplished by
siliconcarbide.Formostapplications, you hand or with power tools.Although
I needa sandpaperwith hard,sharp-edged handsandingis laborious,it allowsyou
particlesttratarenot easilydislodgedfrom greatercontroloverthe process, espe-
I their paperbacking.Garnet,siliconcar- ciallywhenworkingon contouredsur-
bideand aluminumoxidearethe abra- facesor in cornersandtight spots.
I sivesthat bestsatisfythesecriteria. Whichevermethodyou select,you
A typical sandingsequence begins canjudgewhetherthesurfaceis smooth
I with a 120-or 150-gritpaper,depending enoughby pulling a pieceof fine nylon
on whetheror not you useda scraper fabricoverthewood;the clothwill snag
I (page30).Youmayfirst needan 8O-grit Combiningtheconvenience of a on roughspots.Thenexaminethewood
abrasiveto eliminatedefectsor irregu- powertoolwith thefine touchof undera beamoflight playedacrossthe
I laritiesfrom a surface. Continuesanding handsandinga palm sanderreadies surfaceat a low.angle.The^lightwill
witha220-gritpaper,movingto increas- a cabinetfor a finish. expose anyremalnmglmperfecuons.
I
I SANDING
FLAT
SURFACES
Usinga beltsander
I Clamp theworkpiece downandinstall
a sanding griton
I beltof theappropriate
yourbeltsander. Holding thetoolabove
I thestockwithbothhands, switchit on
andgentlylowerit flatontothesurface.
I Guidethesander
workoiece
fromoneendof the
to theotherin smooth and
passes
I straightoverlapping thatfollow
thegrainof thewood(/efil.Keepthe
I sanderf latandmoving
thesurface
at alltimesuntil
is uniformlysmooth. Avoid
leavingthetoolononespotwhileit is
I running; it cancutintothesurface quick-
I ly,leaving a gouge. Cleanupthesand-
ingparticles (page42)beforerepeating
I withafiner-gritbelt.

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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
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Handsanding I
Attacha pieceof sandpaper of the appro'
p r i a t eg r i tt o a s a n d i n gb l o c k G . r i pt h e
b l o c kf i r m l ya n d s a n dt h e s u r f a c e with
lttlllllilllllilillll]lll]ltilllll[l]lllllllltllllilllilitilltruilfl t
s t r a i g h to, v e r l a p p i n gb ,a c k - a n d - f o r t h
1HO?Tt? I
s t r o k e sa, p p l y i n gm o d e r a t ep r e s s u r e
a n dw o r k i n g w i t ht h e g r a i no f t h e w o o d Shop-madeoandingblock I
(above,left), Keepthe blockf lat on the
CUIa woodblockthalyou can
s u r f a c ea t a l l t i m e s ,p a r t i c u l a r lwyh e n qrip comfortably.OnIhe top I
you reachan end or edge.To smootha face of the block,cuLlwo
s m a l lo r r e s t r i c t esdu r f a c es, u c ha s t h e narrowqrooveo, then cuI two I
a r e a sb e t w e etnh e s o i n d l e os f a c h a i r wedqe- ehapedwoodobripo
a s s h o w nu, s ea c o m m e r c i as la n d i n g NhaI fit, in Lheqrooveeenuqly.To
gluea fel|
I
^+l^t,
>LtL^
/^^^,,^
lauuvc,
-:^L+l
r tBr tL,t. provideeveneandinq?reooure,
or cork pad t o NheboLbomlace of the block. I
T ou s e t h e b l o c k , w r aa?p i e c eo f e a n d V a V e r
aroundit,,inoertNheendeinNolhe qroovee, then
tap in the wedgeoto holdNheVaVerin Vlace. I
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I PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
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ABRASIVE
GRADES
ANDGRITS
I Choosing sandpaper
SANDPAPER Therange of sandpaper gritsin the
I Grade Grit Uses chartat leftwillserve foralmost any
f i ni s hi n gj o b .W h e nb u y i nsga n p da -
I Medium 8 0 , 1 0 0 ,1 2 0 Initial
smoothing;
and scratches
removing
shallow
depressions
p e r ,c o n s i d ei trsc o m p o s i t i oAnl u. -
minumoxidepaperworksbestwith
I F in e 1 5 0 ,1 8 0 Intermed
iatesmoothing
a beltsander. Choose silicon carbide
Veryfine 220,240 Finalsmoothing
beforeapplyinga f inish
p a p eirn g r i t sa b o v 2e 2 0f o rf i n i s h
t Extrafine 280,320 Removing dust particlesand air bubblesbetween s a n d i nwgi t ha no r b i t asla n d e r .
finishcoats
I 360,400 F i n a sl a n d i n g
b e f o r ef i n a lc o a to f f i n i s h ;i n i t i a l
sandingfor highglossfinish
I S u p efri n e 6 0 0 ,1 2 0 0 Rubbingdownthe final coatof highglossfinish

I STEEL
W(lOL
Medium 1 Lightremovalof particlesand raisedfibers;
I smoothing
of shallowdepressions and scratches
Fine 00 Smoothing
beforeapplyinga clearf inish
I Extrafine 000 Smoothingbetweencoatsof finish;lightcleaning
of a finishor polish
and deglossing
I S u p efri n e 0000 Polishing;
waxing

I
I
I
lluljlJlllllll tllilltt]l]lllllllttllllljlltlll}ljltflltllllilltl]ll
I 1HO?TI?
Makinga aandpaperauttingboard
t To cul sheeleof oandpaperquickly
and accuraLely,ueea ohop-made 1,r)r \
I li.i';\
cuttinq board.Screwa hacksaw
bladeto a pieceof plywood ;:
rino'i'
I with a washerundereach .','*^*

I
endto raiseit eliqhNly
off the Vlywood.To t .-s-o
d , " c 4
cuTa sand?a?er
I sheet in half, ,./ .. ki**"*":
elideiI under
the blade.
I H o l d i n 4o n e
end down,Near
I the other part,of the \
eheetoff. Fora quarEersheel,
I marka lineparallel NoNheblade
Nhat,isone-quarLer ofLhewidlhof a
t e h e e Xf r o m t h e l e e l h . T h e n a l i g nl h e e n d
ol f,he eheet wilh lhe line and lear.
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I 37
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PREPARING
THE SURFACE I
I
SANDING
CURVED
SURFACES
I
Using a random-orbit sander I
Withitscompact andpliable sanding
pad,therandom-orbit sander is ideal I
forsanding contours suchasa cabri-
ole leg(left).Clampdownthework- t
p i e c ea n df a s t e n
a s a n d i ndgi s kt o
thesander's pad.Withthetoolclear r
of thestock,switchit onandlower
thepadontothesurface. Applying I
moderate pressure, workalongthe
length of theworkpiece in back-and- t
f o r t hp a s s eusn t rtl h es u r f a cies
s m o o t hR. e p o s i t i ot hne p i e c ei n I
theclampas necessary to smooth
^:i^^^-+ ^,,"+-^^^
duldutrrrL)ur iduc). I
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Hand sanding U s i n ga s a n d i nbgl o c k
I
Smoothing contoured
surfaces usingonlysandpaperrisks S e c u r et h e w o r k p i e caen d a t t a c ha p i e c eo f s a n d p a p et or
creating
blemishes onthewoodorf latteningoutthecurves a c o m m e r c i ac lo n t o u sr a n d i n gb l o c k .O n t h e t y p es h o w n ,
I
pressure. padthat
withexcessive
canfollowcontours
Fora shop-made
withoutoversanding,
sanding
wrapa sheetof
t h e e n d so f t h e p a p e ra r e p i n c h e dt o g e t h ear n d h e l d i n a
s l o to n t h e n a r r o ws i d eo f t h e b l o c k .F o rm o s tc o n t o u r s ,
t
thatyoucancomfortably
sandpaper arounda thicksponge
grip.Holdthepaper around thespongeandsandalong the
s a n dw i t h t h e c i r c u l a sr i d eo f t h e b l o c ka g a i n stth e w o o d
( a b o v e )F. o rc r e v i c e sa n d o t h e rt i g h t s p o t s ,w r a pa s h e e t
T
lengthof thesurfacewithf irmpressure. o f s a n d p a p earr o u n dt h e b l o c k ,h o l di t i n p l a c ea n d s a n d
w i t h t h e n a r r o ws i d e .
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I PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
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CONTOURED SANDING BLOCK
I Smoothing thecontours of a pieceoI
molding evenly without damaging its
I contours is a difficulttaskwithonly
sandpaper or a conventional sanding
t block.However, youcanusea short
sample of themolding to shape your
I ownsanding blockthatcorresponds
exactlyto the surfaceof the work-
I piece. Fashioning theblockrequires
bodyfilleror modeling rubber, used
I to makea moldof theorofile.
To prepare themold,nailtogether
I a smallboxslightly longer andwider
thanthesample molding andabout
I r/qinchdeeper thanthethickestpart
of themolding. Preparethefillerfol-
I lowing themanufacturer's instruc-
tions,then fill about halfthe boxwith
I it. Laya single ihicknessof plastic
wraDoverthebox.Whilethefiller
I
is stillsoft,press themolding sam-
T pleintotheboxandclampit firmly
against thefiller.Letthefillerhard-
I en,ihencarefully remove themold-
ingsample fromthebox.Sawoff
I theendsof thebox.
Totransform theboxintoa sand-
I ingblock,stretch a pieceof sand-
paperabrasive sideup across the
I molded sideof thebox.Usethe
molding sample to pressthepaper
I against the hardened filler,then
staoletheendsto the sidesof
I thebox.
Tousetheblock,clampthework-
I oiecedownandslidetheblockback
andforthalongthemolding (/eff).
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
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grooves
Smoothing andturnings I
Tosandnarrow grooves in turnedpieces
suchaschairspindles, oppositesideto smooth
theotherhalf.Tosandturnings or
usecommercial abrasivecord.Cuta pieceof cordlongenough largergrooves, tape(above,
useabrasive right),whichis wider I
to extend
a fewinches on eachsideandwrapit around the thanabrasivecordbuthandled identically.
Smooth intricate
groove.Pulloneendandthentheotherrepeatedly
thecircumferenceof thegroove (above,
to sandhalf
left).Workfromthe
turningsandmoldingsusingsteelwoolorabrasive pads. r
t
t
r]llilI1
illlltllltlilllfilltllllll}ulli]IlultllllilIlil1j
ilutjllfit1 t
?HO?TI? I
Shop-madeabraaivetape
1andingbelNeare an excellenl t
oourceof abraeiveLapeo.The
belbereadilyNearin parallel I
ebripe,makinqiL eaeyto
obtaina lenqthof abrasive
of Yhewidthyou need.)ince
I
uoinqabraoiveNapeinvolvee
crooo-qrain oandinq, uoeonly
I
slrios from fine-aritbells.
Coalrserabrasivis may leave t
ecrabchee and makeabraded
area6?roneNoabeorbinqmore I
slain Nhansurroundina areao.
t
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I PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
I
I IN TIGHTSP()TS
SANDING
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I panel's
Smoothing a raised edges
I Somesanding jobscallfora certain

I
r[ IltlfiIlllllllllijllltlillrilllllrrlltiltrinllllilI]illlllltlll] degreeof improvisation.
to smooth the beveled
Forexample,
edges of a
panel(above)
raised without rounding
I 1HO?TI? thesquare edgesof theframe, use
Findingflawo
N .$o. a pieceof sandpaper folded inthirds
I O o m e b t e m i e hoener h e
\2"
to aboutthewidthof the beveled
eurtaceof a Vieceof furni' section.Holdthepaper in a U shape
I Lure may noNbe aVVarent, to ./, ,; andplaceonefingerbehind it; the
LheLouchor underordinary foldedpaper cannotslipagainst your
I l i q h t , b u t b e c o moeb v i o u e t
in a floodof light.Tocheck
finger.
Sandtheedges, applying even
pressureandworking parallelto the
your workafLereandinqa work-
I piece,cleanoff the eandinqVarLiclee
woodgrarn,
(paqe42),then aim a beamfromaflaehlightaNIhe
I eurface,bouncing angle.griqhl
il otr LhewoodaNan oblique
directeunliqhtworkoequallywell.Clooely examine
Nheeur-
t f ace,bobbinq your headup and downolowlyIo benefiLfrom
everyanqle.Takenole of any flawoyou miesedearlier.
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE I
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CLEANING
SANDING
PARTICLES t
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Removing sanding dustfrom
I
a woodsurface
I
Cleanparticles
everystageof sanding
offwoodsurfaces
before
after
moving
ilIllluillIllrilllllrllr1
tlllfillllltltflfiIlllllilltltljlllllltllI]
onto a f inergritabrasive or applying
I
a f i n i s hR
. e m o vaesm u c hd u s ta n d 9HO7Tt? I
gritaspossible witha vacuum cleaner,
Makingataak aloth
ragor benchbrush(above, /eff).Then
w i p et h es u r f a ccel e a nw i t ha t a c k
Makea tack clothNomatchthe I
tiniehinqproducLyou inhendt o
clolh(above, nghf).Sweep yourhand
across thesurface to checkforany
uee.Fora water-basedfinieh,
oimVlydamVena cleanVieceof
I
remaining particles. Wipeagainwith cheeeeclothwilh waten Fora
thetackclothif necessarv. eo l ven I - ba eed f i n i s hd, a m pe n
I
trhecloth wiNhmineralspiiits,
then workina fewdropsof var- I
nioh.?queeze Ihe cloLhre?eat-
edlyunbiliNbeginoIo feelobicky. I
Add varnishwhenit,loeesits
Nackyfeel.)tore a tack cloth in I
a plaelic bagwith a labelidenti-
tyingit as eilher waNer-or sol- I
vent-based,
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REPAIRINGSURFACEDAMAGE
T
I Tl lawson a woodsurface canshow tfpes arepre-colored, you cantint filler Mostmodernpatchingcompounds
.F throughalmostanyfinish.In fact,a yourselffor a perfectmatch.Testthe areformulated to bechemically com-
I clearfinishlikelacquermaymagnify filler on a scrapof the targetwood patiblewith avarietyof finishes,but in
imperfections. Beforeyouapplya fin- beforecommittingyourselfto a par- caseswherethetwo products contain
I ishto a pieceof furniture,youneedto ticularformulation.In situationswhere thesamesolvent, thefinish candissolve
find and mendanysurfacedamage. a filler is inappropriate-because the thefiller.Usethechart below to help
I Mostdefects stickout,but youneedto damagedareais too largeor the filler choose theappropriate compound.
findandeliminate thelessobvious blem- would be conspicuous-youcanmend Forall your fixes,whetherlifting a
t ishesaswell.Tiy runningahandacross the defectwith a shop-madepatch dentor fillinga gouge, lightlysandthe
thewoodandfeelingfor them.Youcan fashionedfrom a wood scrapof the repaironceyouaredoneto levelit with
I alsowashthesurface withlowanglelight samespecies(page47). thesurrounding surface.
(page4) andlookfor them.
I Thebestapproach to a repairand
thematerials requireddependon the
I natureof thedamage. A suitable repair
for a dent,for example, isto lift it with
I steam(page4).However, if thewood
fibersaresevered ratherthansimply
t crushed, steamwill not work;a wood
fillermaybethebestremedy. Forsmall
I blemishes,waxor shellac stick canpro-
I ducea virtuallyinvisiblefix. Bothare
availablein.avarietyof colorsto match
manywooospecres.
I Youcanbuy specialburn-inkits
I for applyingshellacsticks.Thetypi-
calpackage includesa burn-inknife
with a gentlybent, stainlesssteelblade;
I an alcohollampfor heatingtheknife;
anda special solutionfor soaking a felt A traditionalshellac stickremainsoneof thebest
I blockthatlevelstherepairwiththesur- methodsof repairingminordamagein wood.
roundingsurface. Heatedby thellamefrom an alcohollamp,a
I Mostlargerblemishes arebestcon- burn-in knifemeltsa small bit of theshellac
r cealedwithwoodfiller.Althoughmany sticl<,whichfills theholelevelwith thesurface.

I W(l(lDPATCHING
C(lMP(lUNDS
I
TYPE CHARACTERISTICS USES G(lMPATIBILITIES
I Woodfiller or water-based;
Solvent- depending Fillinglargeholes,gouges, withmostfinishes;
Compatible
ontype,canbetintedwithstainor cracksanddents applybeforeor afterstain
I purchasedpre-tinted
Waxstick Wax-andresin-based; availablein scratches Maybe incompatible
Fillingsmallholes, with
I a varietyof colors.Setsquickly andcracks lacquer; applyafterf inishing
stick
Shellac Shellac- andresin-based; available dents
Fillingscratches, Maybe incompatible withalcohol-
or
I in a varietyof colors.Setsquickly andgouges lacquer-based finishes; applybefore
to forma hardsurface or afterfinishing
t Shop-made
filler Sawdust mixedwithbinder, Fillingnanowcracks,
gapsandsmallholes
withmostfinishes
Comoatible
suchashideglueorshellac;
canbe
I tintedwithstain

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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
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LIFTING
DENTS
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Repairinga dented surface I
Onewayto fix a dentin woodis to
swellcrushed
inalshaoe.
woodfibersto theirorig-
Turna household ironto
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll'fiItl|llll llltfllllll]illlilltllllllt I
its highest
setting andallowit to heat
9HO7Tt? I
uo.Meanwhile. soaka cleanclothin
water,foldit overa fewtimesand
placeit onthedent.Press
Gluingan edgeeplinter back I
thetip of
A emalleplinteron the edqeof a work-
theironagainst
(above),
theclothoverthedent
Viececan be qluedin Vlace,ao lonqao I
holding it in placeuntilthe iNie eLillafLached.Clamotrheetrockin a
clothsteams. Thesteamwillswellthe vieeand equeezeoomeqlueinto lhe qap I
woodf ibers,liftingoutthedent.Add beiweenNheeolinterand Lhewood.Then
waterto theclothasnecessary and preeeNhe eplinlerinto placeand secure
it wibhmaekinqtape.)nce the qlueio
I
avoidleaving theironontheclothfor
dry,removelhe IaVe and sandthe repair
toolong,whichmayscorch thewood.
fluehwilh adjacenteurtacee.
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
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FILLING
SMALTNICKSANDNAILHOLES
I A p p l y i nwg o o df i l l e r
C h o o sa e f i l l e rt h a t i s c o m p a t i b lw
ei t h
I t h e i n g r e d i e n at sn dc o l o ro f t h e f i n i s h
y o uw i l l b e a p p l y i n gU, s ea p u t t yk n i f e
t t o w o r kt h e f i l l e ri n t ot h e h o l ea n do v e r -
f ill it slightly(left),thenscrapeoff the
I e x c e stso l e v e li t w i t h t h e s u r r o u n d i n g
surface.Avoidspreading fillerontoundam-
I agedareas,whereit maycauseuneven
c o l o r i nigf a s t a i ni s a p p l i e d .
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Melting shellac stickwitha soldering gun
I Select a shellac stickof theappropriate colorandseta solder- b l a d eA. l l o w
t h ef i l l e tro c o o lT. ol e v et lh ef i l l e w
r i t ht h es u r -
inggunon Low.Holding thestickoverthehole,meltit with rounding surface, soakthebottom of a feltblockwitha small
I thetip of thegun(above, lefil.Dripenough of theproduct to a m o u notf c o m m e r c li e a vl e l i nsgo l u t i oann dl i g h t l ryu bt h e
f i l l t h eh o l eW
. h i l teh ef i l l e irss t i l l s o f ut ,s ea k n i f eo ra w o o d blockbackandforthacross therepau(above, nghf).Theslow-
I chisel to press it evenly intothedamaged area. Workcarefully acting solvent in thesolution dissolves excess fillerwithout
to avoidmarring thesurrounding areawiththeknifeorchisel harming thewood.
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
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Applying shellac stickwith
a burn-in knife I
Lightthealcohol
burn-in
torchandholdthe
knifeoverthewickforseveral
iitiiltllrillllll1
illrr]lllrlllliilllrll}ll11 ilI]iltrxlllllfilt
lll1 I
seconds. Withtheshellac stickover
thedamaged area,press the knife 5HO7Tt? I
against thesticksothatenough filler
Ueinga gluegun to apply I
meltsanddrrpsintothehole(above)
shellacstick
Reheat theknifeasnecessary until A qluequn offeroa oimplealternalive
the h o l ei s f i l l e d .
U s et h e k n i f et o lo a burn-inknifeor solderina aunfor
I
s p r e atdh e f i l l e r
evenly. F i n i s thh e repairinq damaqewith a ehellac
r e p a iwr i t hl e v e l i nsgo l u t i oann da stick. Ueea oharpknifeNo I
f p l i h l n n k (t Pnv ab vo e 1' .v 6
t ) whiltlea ehellacelick oo
that, iNfit 6 in Nhebarrelof "' I
y o u r4 l u e4 u n . I om e l L l h e -.'.
filler,pullLheLriqqerae
/.
/'
' / /
I
y o u w o u l d NaoV V l qy lue,
Ihen dripLhemelLedehellac
eNickonto Nhedamaqedarea.TressNhefiller
// I
/ /
inboNheholewiLha knifeor woodchiee|and
leveliNas shownon ?aqe45-uoinq a felN
t
blockand levelinq eolulion.
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46
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
I
I
PATCHING
A LARGER
HOIE
T thepatch
1 Making andoutlining
I Aneffective wayto menda larger
I holeona woodsurface is to cuta patch
a n da m a t c h i nm g o r t i soev e tr h eh o l e ,
I t h e ng l u et h ep a t c hi n p l a c eU. s i n ga
cut-offscrapfromtheworkpiece, or a
I p i e c eo f v e n e ewr i t hs i m i l agr r a i na n d
color,cut a patchthatis slightlylarger
I thanthehole.Givethepatcha diamond
t shape, lessconspicuous
or rectangular
thana square
patchafterthefinishis
r applied. Usea woodchiselto bevelthe
edgesof the bottomfaceof the patch,
thensandbothfaces.Place thepatch
I overthehole,aligning itsgrainwiththe
surface grain,andmarkitsoutline with
I a sharppencil(righil.
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I r) Chiselingthemortise
L Secure theworkpiece witha clamp
I if necessary.
Selecta woodchiselslightly
narrowerthanthesidesof themortise to
I cutalong theoutline.Tiltthetoolwithits
bevel facingupto produce ananglecor-
I responding to thatontheedges of the
patch.Remove theremainingwaste from
I theoutline withthechiselbevelfacing
down(left).Periodically
test-fitthepatch
I in themortiseuntilthemortise isslightly
shallowerthantheoatchisthick.
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47
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
I
I
Q Gluing downthepatch
r-,1Spread somegluein themortise I
andsetthepatchin place.Laya piece
of waxpaper overthepatch, thenposi- I
t i o na w o o db l o c ko nt o p .( T h ep a p e r
w i l l k e e pt h ep a t c hf r o ma d h e r i nt g
o I
theblock.) lf thepatchis located where
youcannot clampit directly, seta board I
a t o pt h eb l o c ka n dc l a m pt h ee n d st o
focustheclamping pressure onthepatch I
(left).Workquicklyto prevent the
patch f r o ma b s o r b i nmgo i s t u rfer o m
t h eg l u ea n ds w e l l i n g .
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PATCHING
A DAMAGED
CORNER
'l Preparing thedamaged area
I
I A d a m a g ecdo r n eirs b e s tr e p a i r e d
w i t ha p a t c hl.f t h ee d g e os f t h eb r e a k
I
areragged or sharp,usea woodchisel
t o c u t a s h a l l o wo,v a l - s h a pme do r t i s e
I
h d g e as r o u n tdh ed a m a g e .
w i t hs m o o t e
H o l dt h ec h i s ewl i t ht h eb e v efla c i n g
I
d o w na n dw o r kw i t ht h es r a i no f t h e
wood(right).
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48
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PRE,PARING
THE SURFACE
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T r) Installing thepatch
L Cuta patch thatroughly fitsthe
I mortise, thenshape it withsandpaper
ora chiseluntilit fitsperfectly. Spread
illrultlltl|ltll]llltllllllllilltilllfiijtlllllilljl]lltljljtjll]jll
t s o m eg l u ei n t h e m o r t i s ae n ds e t
1HO?TI?
thepatchin position, aligning itsgrain
I withthatoftheworkpiece. Usemask- Filling a
i n gt a p et o k e e pt h ep a t c hi n p l a c e damagedaorner
I whilethegluedries. Tolevelthepatch An alternalive
withthesurrounding surfaces, pare Nopatchin7a
I away theexcess withthechisel(above). aamaqedcorner
C u tw i t ht h eg r a i nk, e e p i nt h
g ec h i s e l is lo reconslrucL
I bevelsideuo. it wilh woodfiller.
SecureNheworkpiece\
T in a vise.Makea form
NokeepNhefillerfrom l\
ea4giiqbytaVinq,
I lntn ?teceol meLalor
6ffl\
,*./*-\

r VlaeLic,or a tonque
'depreooor
to thi sideof the
\\
\ \
slock.lf you uoea tonqe..de?reooor, placea etrip of waxVapei
I underneath Lo keepNhefillerfrom bondinqto the stick.Applythe
fillerwiLha ?uLIyknife,then LaVea eecoid form Lo the ilp\r,fra"".
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RAISINGTHE GRAIN
I
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Wetting thesurface
Every phase of working withwood-from
j o i n t i nagn ds a w i nbgo a r dt so p l a n i n g
I
andscraping them-compresses the I
fibersonthesurface. Exoosure to water
causes thefibers
ingthesurface.
to standup,roughen-
lf youintendto usea
t
water-based finish,wetthesurface to I
raisethegrainbefore applying thefin-
ishing solution. Spray wateronthesur- I
face(left),thenwipeofftheexcess with
a cleancloth.Allowthesurface to dry, I
thenlightlyscuffthewoodwithvery
fine(220-griI) sandpaper. Avoidover- I
sanding, whichmightexpose freshgrain,
making it necessary to repeat theprocess. I
Raising thegrainhasotherbenefits, such
asliftingshallow dents,exposing defects t
a n dh e l p i nagf i n i s ha d h e r e .
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ilu]lilj-tluuullllt
iltillti]l]llltilltultilt]iltluuilul]llillJ I
5HO?Tt? I
Coloringgrain filler I
Untrintedqrainlillercan
becoloredf,o malchor I
conlrast with Ihe slain
onYourworkoiece.For
waier-baseAfiller,usean
a t
oil-freepiqmenL in liquidor ?ow-
derform,suchas universallinl-
I
inqor dry earLhcolors.TinL an
oilbasedfillerwiNhan oil-based s\\\-.-
.'. ,.:.
. -.#
I
.' - -:-:
piqmenl,euchas arf,ieI'soil or
japancoloro,To prepare the filler, t
pourit.inhoa diehandadd a emallamounN of the colorin7aqent,
MlixtheIwo inqredienlewibha putty knife.Contrinue addinqcolor- I
inqaqenLunbilNhefillerNakeeon the d,eeired color.Teet,the filler
on a 6cra?boardbetoreaVVlying illo your workViece. Add more t
coloring aqenN NodarkenNhemixlure:add fillerNoliqhlenit.
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FILLINGTHE GRAIN
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f, illingthervoodgrainis theeasiest washcoat (pnge53),and finallyapply- soit willmatchastheivooddarkens r,vith
I t rvayto achieve a highgloss,mirror- inga fillerwitha conl.rastingcolor'. age.Youcanalsobuyuntintedfillerand
likefinishon open-grained species like Fillercomesin sereralcolors;choose colorit yourselfinthe shop (pnge50).
t ash,oakandmahogany. Grainfiller,also a shadeslightlydeeperthanthervood
knorvnasporefilleror pastewoodfiller,
Beforecommittingyourself to a partic-
ularsequence oLcolor,applythe filler
I is not arppropriatefor everyjob,howev- to piecesof scrapwood both before
er.A closed-srain woodhasno need andafterstaining, andchoose thebest
I for filler,andiome woodrvorkers avoid con-lDlltaIlon.
fillersaltoeetherin favorof a morenat- Forbestresults, makesurethat the
t t I

I ttrat looK. workpieceis cleanand dust-free. Then

Ifyou decideto fill thegrainofyour prepirethe fillerfollowingthe manu-
I wood,youshouldunderstand thevari- facturer'sdirections; it shouldhavethe
ousoptionsregarding ivhento applythe consistency of thickcream.
t filierandexactlywhattypeto use.Filler
is usuallyappliedbeforestain;if you
Because erainfiller canabsorba lot
of finish,ali,aysapplya washcoatto a
r chooseto stainbeforefilling you must
becarefulnot to damage thestainwhen
filled surfacebeforestaininsor finish-
ing it. Thewashcoat,consiiting of the
I removinsthe excess filler.Yetanother Applying n .filler to ttrtoperr-grttitted finishyou plan to r-rse dilutedby the
alternatirie
isto applythestainandfiller specieslike onk doesrtnre tlmrr appropriate thinner,creates a barrier
I togetheron therarvwood,althoughthe sitnplylill tlrc woodpores.ht corttrast betleenthe fillerandthe finish.With
resultis oftena flat, monochromatic with the rnturttl sttrfaceon the riglrt, sornespecies likemahogany, a washcoat
I appearance. To bring out the character theJiller added to the sartrple is advisablebeforefilling,to preventthe
of .t species
likenrahogany, tly stainirrg on the leJiltasaccerrtrtsted tlrc fillerfrom developing unsightlywhite
I thewood,thensealing thestainwith a wood'sgrairrpntterrt. spotsseveral monthsafterit is applied.

I
APPLYING
A FILLER
I 1l Brushins
onthefiller
-
I W i t ht h e w o r k p i e cfea c eu p o n a
I w o r ks u r f a c ep, o u rs o m eo f t h e f i l l e r
i n t oa c o n t a i n eAr .p p l yt h e f i l l e rw i t h
I a p a i n t b r u s h( l e f t )o r a b r a s i v ep a d s .
U s i n gb a c k - a n d - f o r tohv.e r l a p p i n g
T strokes,coverthe surfacecompletely
w r t ht h e f i l l e r w
, o r k i n fgi r s tw i t ht h e
I grain,thenacrossit. Examine the work-
n i e c er r n d edr i r e c tl i p h tt o c o n f i r m
I thatthe surfaceis covered thoroughly.
A p p l ym o r ef i l l e r ,i f n e c e s s a r y .
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PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
I
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O Wiping otfexcessfiller
I Once thefillerbegins to dry,losing I
itsshineandturning hazy, wipeit with
a pieceof cleanburlapfoldedintoa I
padtighil. Startingat oneendof the
workpiece, workwitha circular motion I
to packthefillerintothewoodpores
andremove theexcess. I
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Q Cleaning up
r.J Ona detailed workoiece suchasa T
raisedpanel,remove excess fillerfrom
hard-to-reachspotswitha sharpened I
tonguedepressor wrapped in a clean
pieceof burlap(lefl. Dabthe pointed t
endintocorners andalongedges to
remove excess filler.Allowthefillerto I
dry,thensmooth thesurface with220-
to 320-gritsandpaper. lf a second coat I
is required,
applyit thesameway.
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52
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I PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
t
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APPLYING
A WASHC()AT
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I 1t Brushins -
onthewashcoat
I Prepare a 50/50solution of thefin-
I ishyouintend to use,diluted withthe
a p p r o p r i at ht ei n n e B
r .r u s a
h l o n tgh e
I woodgrainto applya light,evencoat
of thesolution to thesurface bbove),
I
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t
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I r) Rubbing inthewashcoat
L tJsea clean.lint-free clothto
I workthewashcoatintothe pores
of thewood(lefil. Allowthewash
r coatto dry,thensmooth thesur-
facewithextrafinesandoaoer.
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':1".e-
!

n*Eq;

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I CFIANGNGTHECOLOR
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t rom the deep,clearandbright
tonesof dye-tintedstainsto the
Of course,
to bechanged;
notallwoodcriesout
somespecies arebest
I dense richness of thepigment-tint- left aunatureLlt ishardto imagine
edvarieties, thematerialsusedin improvingon therichpatternsof
I coloringwoodafforda greatdegree
of latitude.Sainsallowyouto make
rosewoo{Macassar ebonyor Grpa-
thianelmburl,justasit seems futile
I whitewoodscolorful,lightwoods
dar( plainwoodsfancyandsteaked
to altertheshocking
pleheart,
of pur-
intensity
padaukor Osage orange.
I woodsuniform.
Throughout thelonghistoryof
Butformostwoodworkers, oppor-
tunitiesto workwith perfectspeci-
t furnituremaking, stainshavebeen
calleduponto fool the eye.They
mensarerare.Thetypicalproject
involvesmakingdo with whatever
I havehelpedcommonwoodstake
on theappearance of moredesir-
materialsareavailable andafford-
Stainingallowsyou to dramaticallyalterthe able.Stainshelp to makethisfeasible.
I ableones,addingcolorandfigure
whereit waslacking.Theyhavealso
outwardappearance of wood.Thismaple
piano benchwasebonized,
Ebony-costlyanddifficultto
or coloredblacl<" wor( butsnikinglybeautifirl---offen
I produced colorsandpatternsthat
natureneverimagined.
with multipleapplicationsof tintedlacquer. aprimeexample ofthespecialeffecs
thatstainingmakespossible. Even
I Onetrick involvedinlayingmahogany
ternsof whiteholly.Thechallenge
surfaceswith pat- whenthewoodis available,
wasto darkenthe sur- impossible
thesmalltreediametermakesit
to obtainwideboardsandthenaturalinstabilityof
I roundingwoodwithoutdiscoloring
layin awashof potassium
theinlay,andthesolution thewoodvirtuallyassures
permanganate or dichromate.
thata good-sized
The will cracksooneror later.Fortunately,
pieceof ebony
a widelyusedstaining
"ebonizing"
I washreacted with thehightannincontentin themahogany, technique called givestheappearance ofebonyto
bringingoutrichredsandbrowns,but it leftthetannin-free morestableandaffordable woodslikemahogany andmaple.
I hollyunchanged.
Modernstainsfall into two broadcategories:
Perhaps moreimportantthanmerefakeryistheabilityof
thosecon- stainsto createnewwoodsbyaddingunlikelycolorsto famil-
I tainingdyesandthosewith pigments. Dyesimparttranslu- iar materials.
palette
But not all stainingis soblatantlyobvious.A
centcolorto wood,alteringnature's whileleavingthe moresubtle, butequallyvaluable useof stainisto addto fur-
I intricategrainpatternsvisible.Pigmentstainscontainopaque niturethatmostelusive of traits:age.Morethanone"antique"
colorants thatclingto thesurface of thewood.Pigments can hascometo marketwith adroitlyappliedmixturesof waxand
I beusedto addpatterns andcontrast to thewoodgrain,or to rottenstone, or evenshopdustandjapancolors,hidingthe
bringdefinitionandhighlights to corners andcarvings. factthatthe piece onlyrecently leftitsmakerthands.
I
I
I A colonialredanilinedyestainenlivensa palepieceof oak.
Whetherit colorsthewoodfibersor merelycoversthesurface
I with a layerofpigments,stainingcanchangethe lookof a work-
piecemoreradicallythananyotherstepin thefinishingprocess.

I 55
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TOOLSANDACCESSORIES
I
together.
Usegraduated cylinders
and
I
I longwith an assortment of stains, apply.Solvent-based stainsshouldbe
A pigmentsand dyes,there are a cupsto measure out liquidsaccurately, spread on with natural-fiber
brushes; I
numberof implementsandaccessories and a scalefor determining precise usesynthetic brushes to applywater-
that everyfinisherneeds.A samplingof weightsof powders, crystalsandother based products.An oil-basedproduct, I
the mostusefulitemsis featuredbelow. drycomponents. suchasa pigmented wipingstain,can
Changingthecolorofwood involves Brushes, ragsandpadappli-
sponges, beapplied witheithertypeof brush. I
as much art as science, but in some cators
ofvaryingsizes arethemostcom- All oftheproductspresented in this
instances precisemeasuringis helpful. mon tools for applyingstainsand chapteraretoxicto varyingdegrees. I
For example,if you areattemptingto bleaches.
Brushes arecategorizedbythe 'v\hethermixingor applyinga stainor
matchan earlierstainingjob, it helps Thebrushyou
natureof theirbristles. bleach, wearsafetygoggles, neoprene I
to know the exactproportionsin which choosefor a particularprojectwill rubberglovesand a dual-cartridge
the original ingredientswere mixed depend on thesubstances youneedto respirator. I
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ANII{VEI{TORY
OFSTAINING
IMPTEMENTS
Pad applicator I
For applyin4atains even-
ly on wideeurfacee; type
ahownfeatureo rectan-
t
4ular pad with thouaanda
of ehorEfilaments and a I
foam backinq
For applyinqstaino
and bleachea.Synthetic bruahea Foam brush
I
made from nylon or polyeeter are more For applyinq ataina
durablethan naturaFbrbtb brushea without bruah marka; I
type ohownaynthetic
and diapoaable I
9ponge
For applyin4 bleachea I
and chemical Graduated aylindere
staina For preciae meaoure-
f-----"1 ment of liquid inqredi-
I
A 1 ente in atains and
\ L=;---'
\-==;'
Weighing
acale
bleachea I
I
For preciae I
meagurement
of powdere
and cryatala
I
in ataina and
bleachee I
I
I
Glaee jars
Clearjara uaedfor mixing I
ataine and bleachea;

High-volume, low-preaaure (HVLP) apray unit

brownjare uaed for I
atorinq aolutionsaince
For aprayinq on etaine; featurea a turbine whichblowa
a oteady etream of air throu7h a epray qun, forcin7
they blockout aome
of the li4ht
I
the atain through the 7un'a nozzleas a fine vapor
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56
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BLEACHING
t
I like poplarand
T) leaches arehishlvreactive chemi- hearftvood ofa species Woodbleachcanaffectyourtoolsas
I I) calsthat brea'kdown the natural makethem more uniform.It alsorids drasticallyasthe wood.Usea synthet-
colorantsin wood.For years,wood- woodof waterandruststains. ic brushor spongeto applybleach;a
I workershaveusedbleachto lishten Therearethreecommontypesof natural-bristle
brushwill eventually
dis-
the coloroftheir stock.Theeffeitcan woodbleach.Oxalicacid.soldin licuid integratein thesolution.Mix andstore
"deck
r bestartling.Mahoganytumsa toneof pale
rosewhen bleached;walnut becomes
form as is yourbest
brightener,"
choicefor removingstainsfrom wood.
bleachin glasscontainers;the
mayreactwith metal.Bleaching
chemicals
leaves
I creamyin color. Sodiumhypochloritewill do an excel- residues on woodthatcanbecomehaz-
Bleachinghas other applications, lent job of removingan anilinedye ardousairborneirritantswhenthesur-
I however,that go beyondsimplywash- stainfrom a workpiece. Thisproductis faceis sanded.Thethreemaintvoesof
ing out color.The process canbe the availableasliquid laundrybleach.But bleachcanall be washed awaybf rins-
I firststepin preparinga piecefor a spe- the most effectiveall-purposewood ing thewoodwith water.
cific stain,suchasa blond finishfor lighteneris two-partA/B woodbleach. Bleachcanbe dangerous ifhandled
I mahogany; it is alsousedto readya dark Usingthis varietyof bleachinvolves improperly,sofollowthemanufactur-
oakfor liming.In addition,bleaching is combininglyeandperoxide;the result- er'sinstructions.
Nevermix bleachwith
I an effectiveway to suppress the color ing effectis strongerthanthat of either
inqredienton its own.
anotherchemical,and alwayswork
with a freshbatch.
variationsbetweenthe sanwoodand
I
Naturalcherrv Nat.uralwalnut
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I i,,t;,,: "
.,j,iii::; ,
,
',1''r''
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t Bleachedcherry Dleachedwalnut
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CHANGING THE COLOR
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BLEACHING
WO()D
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F I
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Applying thebleach
I
C l e a tnh ew o r k p i e oc fea n yd i r to ro i l , I
thenreadythetwo-part
inga quantity of eachsolution
bleachbypour-
intosep-
ljlllll1
llltillllltfur][llltll11
tltlutllltt]i}l]tll]llt]llllitilll
arateglassbowls. Donotmixthetwo
I
p a r t st o g e t h et rh;e yw i l lb ea p p l i eidn 3HO7Tt? I
separate steps.Spread a generous but Lighteningwood wit"h6rain filler
evencoatof PartA onthewoodsurface Io liqhLenwoodwilhout bleachinq I
witha paintbrush ora rag.Lettheprod- it,,usean oil-baeed qrain
uctdo itsworkforabout5 minutes, then fillermixedwiNhsome I
applyPadB thesameway.Letthework- whitepigmenN. FireIapply
piece sitforat least4 hours, thenrinse a washcoaLto the work-
thesurface withwaterortheneutralizer piece(page53),Lhen
I
supplied withthebleach. Allowthework- ?re?area balch of I
piece to dryovernight before applying a filler (paqe51),
a d d i n qe n o u q h
stainorfinish.Two-part
lystrong enough
bleach is usual-
sothatoneapplication
w h i t ej a p a n o r
-f
/f , t
o t h e ro i l - b a s e d
issufficient;however, to lighten the o i a m e n l s l o o b l a i n T , h es h a d e I
woodfurther,repeat the process. you wanl,.You can applyIhe mixtureao you wouldany
grainfiller.IheVroceoo willaccenluateLhegrainof I
o?en-?ore epecieolikeoak,aeh,mahogany and elm.
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THE VARIETIESOF WOOD STAINS
I
I
Q tainingwasoncekeyto thecabinet- andbondto thewoodfibers.Pigment or impervious to fading,aspigment
I l) maker's subtleartof forgery.fumed stains
containfinelygroundcolored pow- stains.Dyestainsareexcellent for high-
with naturaldyes,chemicalmordants derssuspended in aliquidsuchaslinseed lightinggrain.Pigment stainsareopaque
I andsecret recipes,
cabinetmakers could oil.Theyworkmorelikeverythinpaints. andtendto cloudthegrain.Somenew-
imitatethelookof prized,exoticwoods, Whenapplied to wood,theliquiddries, er liquid stainscontainbothdyesand
I or givenewlybuilt chairs,chests and bindingthepigmentto thesurface. pigments, providingtheusefulproper-
cabinets thepatinathatantiques acquire Dyesforstaining woodaremostcom- tiesof bothqpesof coloringagents with
I withthepassage of time. monlysoldasanilinepowders, which addedease of application.
Today, camouflaging andenhancing mustbemixedwith a liquidbeforeuse Themostdesirable liquidbasefor a
I wood with stainsare still important (page68).Theirintensecolorscanbe staindepends ontheeffectyouareseek-
aspects ofwoodworking. Whetherastain combined in varyingproportions to pro- ing.Thedeeperthevehiclepenetrates
I penetrates anddyesthefibersofthewood, videavirtualrainbowof huesandtones. the wood,the darkerandricherthe
or merelycoversthesurface with a thin Pigment stainsareavailable in thesame resultingcolor.Because waterpenetrates
I layerofpigments, nootherstepin thefin- widerangeof colors, yetcomein ready- deepest, water-solublestainsaregener-
ishingprocess bringsaboutsucha radi- to-useliquid,gelor glazeform.Pigments allythebestchoicefor hardwoods. One
I calchange. Stainingcanhighlightgrain canalsobepurchased in concentrated drawback of water,however, is that it
patterns, maskhomelysurfaces, addcol- formasearthpigments orjapancolors; raises thegrain,necessitating further
I or or imparta uniformhueto different theconcentrate is addedto a ready-to- sanding of thesurface.
woodswithina singlepieceof furniture. usestainfor enhanced effects.Bothdyes
I All stainsconsistof a coloringagent andpigments canbemixedwith lac-
mixedin aliquid.Thetwobasictypesof quer,varnish, waxor shellac to provide
I coloringagents aredyesandpigments. coloredfinishes. Availablein easy-to-apply
liquid
Dyestainsworkmuchlikethecoloring Whenchoosing a stain,remember form, thegelstainshownin usebelow
I agents usedoncloth.Dissolved in water, thatmostdyestainsarebrilliantand pigmentsthat will imparta
contains
theypenetrate
oil or alcohol, thesurface transparent,butgenerally notaslightfast, dark brown mahoganytone.
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3 59
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DYESTAINS
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f-\ erivedfromplants,insects andani- yet combinedwith a solventarealso stainyouapply,thefactorthatwill deter-
I-/ mals,thewooddyesusedin the in eitherpowderor liquidform.
available minetheeventual colorof thewoodis I
18th Centuryrangedfrom concoc- Premixed stainsaremoreconvenient to theamountof dyein thesolution,not
tionswith exoticnamessuchasdrag- use,but mixingthemyourselfgivesyou theamountof solutionapplied. I
on'sblood,verdigris, madderrootand moreflexibilitywhenyouneedto pro- Water*oluble sainsareagooddroice
cochinealto moreearthytints extract- ducea particulareffect.A fourthtype for emphasizingthegrainofhardwoods. I
edfrom tea,urine,vinegarandwalnut of dyeproduct,knownasnon-grain- Althougha water-based stainwill raise
husks.A hundredyearslater,thefirst raising(NGR)stain,is onlyavailable in thegrain,manywoodworkers preferto I
anilinedyewasextracted from coaltar. liquidform.Thedyesin NGRstainsare takecareofthat stepbeforeapplying
Today,suchdyesaretheindustrystan- dissolvedin ananhydrous,or waterless, astan (page50.),therebysavinga sand- I
dard,usuallymixedwith oneof three solutionof organichydrocarbons, such ingstepthatmightaffectthefinalcolor
solvents:
watet oil or alcohol.Dyesnot aspetroleum.Whichevertypeof dye of thewood. I
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Mahogany Mahogany I
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60
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CHANGINGTHE COLOR
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Alcohol-soluble dyes,alsocalled thanmineralspirits.Anotherpotential Choosingtheright stainfor a project
"spirit
I stains,"
do not raisethegrainas problemwith oil-based stainsis their caninvolveexperimentation. Frompages
muchaswater-based stainsandthey tendenryto bleedthrougha protective 60 to 63 is a seriesof photosthat illus-
I producesomewhat brighterhues. finish.Althoughthisshouldonlyoccur tratethe effectsoffive differentdyestains
Oil-soluble
dyesaretransparent and if thestainis stillwetwhenthetopcoat on someof themostpopularhardwood
I alsonon-grain-raising.
Thedryingtimes isapplied, it isa goodpracticenonethe- species.The sampleson the far left are
of thesestainswill vary,depending on lessto useafinishwithadifferentsolvent unstained,followedby piecescut from
I thesolvent used.Mineralsoirit-based thanyourstain. the sameboard,eachone coloredby
stainsgenerally
havea slowdryingtime, Forbestresults, NGRstainsshould a differentdyestain.For further inforl
I whilestainscontainingtolueneor xylene besprayed onwood.Ifyou useabrush, mation on the characteristics and uses
dryconsiderably faster.
Thetrade-offis youwill needto adda retarder to the of stains,refer to the chart provided
I thattolueneandxylenearemoretoxic solution to extend itsdryingtime. on page70.

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CHANGINGTHE COLOR
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Liqht yellowmaple
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Cherry Cherry I
Natural Goldenfruitwood
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CHANGING THE COLOR
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Colonialdark red Hone5fione
amber Ebonyblack
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PIGMENTSTAINS
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Today,pigmentsareproducedsyn-
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I ny substance thatcanbereduced thin, paint-like coatingon the surface
l1' to a powdercanbecome a pigment of the wood. with bindersanddriersadded
thetically, I
thatwill impartcolorto wood.Minerals, Whereasdyestainscolorwoodfibers to helpthemadhere to thewoodasthe
ores,metallicoxidesandmanyother and tend to accentuatethe grain, pig- solvent dries.Pigment stainscomein I
naturallyoccurringearthcompounds ment stainsare opaqueand hide the liquid
different and gel forms. Themost
canall begroundinto veryfineparti- wood patterns.As a result,pigment popularandbest-known arepigment- I
cles.Oncetheyaresuspended in a sol- stainsareoftenusedfor glazing,grain- edwipingstains. These ready-to-use fin-
ventsuchasoil, varnish,pollmrethane ing and otherfinishingtechniquesthat ishingproducts contain a finelyground I
powders
or water,these become spread- compensate for the lackof distinct grain pigmentsuspended in linseed oil,which
ablepigmentstains.Becausetheparticles Datternsin certainvarietiesof wood. doubles assolventandbindingagent. I
aresuspended, ratherthandissolved Thesearedescribedin detailin Decora- Wpingstainsareslow-drying, allowing
in thesolution,pigmentstainsdryto a tive Finishes(page110). plentyof timeto spread themonor wipe I
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Walnut Walnut
Antique white Cherry Mahoqanyliqht I
wipingetain wipinqatain wipinqetain
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64
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off any excess.Either sprayedon or
I appliedwith a ragor a brush,theyare
particularlyusefulwhen the wood sur-
t faceis madeuo of heartwoodandcon-
trastingsapwood.
I Otherpopularpigmentstainsinclude
japancolors,glazingstainsandgelstains.
I lapancolorsoffer a morevibrant range
of huesthanwipingstains,but theyneed
I to be thinnedbeforeuse.Theycanbe
usedto tint otherstainswhenyou are
I trying to matchan existingsurface.
CHANGING THE COLOR
The main sellingpoint of glazing
stainsis that theyareheavierandthick-
er than wiping stains-and thus useful
for concealing grain.Gelstains,mean-
while,are easyto applyand they set
quickly,reducingdrips on verticalsur-
faces.Referto the chart on page70 for
more informationon theseand other
pigmentstains.
Pigmentsarealsoavailable in pow-
deredor concentrated form.Earthpig-
ments,like siennas, umbersandochres,
areminedfrom theearthandorocessed
in deoxygenated conditions athighheat
to bringout theirbrightcolors.Different
pigmentstainscanbemixedtogetheror
with powderedor concentrated varieties
to produceuniquecolorsandtones,pro-
videdthesolvents arecompatiblel an oil-
basedstaincannotbe mixed with a
water-based stain,for example.
Pages64to 67 illustratethe effectsof
variouspigmentstainson fivedifferent
typesofhardwoods.

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Goldenoak Mahoqanydark
I wipinqoLain wipinqetain

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CHANGING THE COLOR
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Eirah
FlakewhtLe
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japan color
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Van Dykebrown Kaw umber Durnt umber I
glaztnqot;ain qlazingstain 4laztnqotatn
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 CHANGING THE COLOR

Eirah Eirah Eirch

Chromeyellow Fermanentblue Euiletinred
japan color japan color JaPancotor

Oak
van Dykebrown Eurnt eienna
gel eLain 7el etain
 I
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STAININGWOOD I

oodworkersarequite naturally applying awater-based stain.Otherwise, Many stainscan be bought pre-

r
disappointed whena carefully thestainwill lift thewoodfibers, requir- mixed and readyto use.However, I

n
appliedandapparentlyuniform coating ingsanding thatmayremove thestain. if you enjoyexperimenting, you may
of stainproduces uneven alsopreferto custom I
resultson a pieceof fur- mix your colors.As

W
niture.Unfortunately,dif- shownin the photoat I
ferentpartsof thesame left,a teststrip canhelp

u
boardcannotbeexpected you producethe right I
to absorbliquid evenly. combination of ingre-
Unlessexposed endgrain dientsand determine I

W
issealed, for example, it the numberof appli-
-':-' I
will usuallytakein more ,. "::.''t'': .. cationsyou will need
ofastainthanfacesor t , - . .,. to make.
1
edges, nrakingtheends .- Frompaintbrushes I
appeardarker.Asshown and ragsto padappli-
on page69,sealing end catorsandsprayguns, t
grainis simplya matterof brushingon A teststriptakestheguesswork out therearealternatives in applyingstains
theappropriate sealerbeforeyou stain. of staining.Thissampleillustrates aswell.\{hichevermethodyou choose, I
There are other preparationsyou thefficx on wtstained oakof one, wearsafetygoggles andrubbergloves.
shouldmakeat thisstage. Whilea grain twoandthreecoatsof stain(ntoving It is a goodpracticealsoto don a dual- I
fillercanbe appliedeitherbeforeor fi'omlefttoright).Thebottomhalf cartridgerespiratorto filter out toxic
after staining,you need to raisethe ofthestripis topcoated to showhow f u m e sp r o d u c e da s a s t a i ne v a p o - I
grain of the wood (page 50) before thestainlooksundera clearfinish. rales(page19).
I
A STAIN
PREPARING I

^)f Mixing

in
theingredients
Whenworking
powder
withdyesor pigments
form,usea wooden
to mixsomeof the powder
stick
withthe
t
I
appropriate solvent in a glasscontain-
er (left).Applythestainto a sample
I
stripof thewoodthatyouwillbecol-
oring, Allowthestripto dry.Todarken
I
t h ec o l o or f t h es t a i na, d da s m a l l
amount of powder to thesolution. To
I
lighten thestain,mixin a littlemore
solvent. Make another teststrip,adjust-
I
ingthecolorof thestainuntilyouare
satisf iedwiththe results.
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68
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THEW()RKPIECE
READYING
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I S e a l i ne g n dg r a i n

lliir]iillj lt iljijliiiilllili,ii,itlj:ruu ruitjir* tlli ; i l i l $

U s ea r a go r p a i n t b r u stho a p p l ya
I s e a l e tr o t h e e n d g r a i no f y o u rw o r k -
p i e c eM . a k ec e r t a i nt h a tt h e p r o d u c t
I y o uu s ef o rt h i st a s ki s c o m p a t i b lwer t h
1Ho?TtP
t h e s t a i na n df i n i s hy o uw i l l b e u s i n g i, ''n(
I S p r e a do n s h e l l a cf o r w a t e r -o r o i l - ?reparing a nat'ural . * -un' ;"
b a s e ds t a i n so r f i n i s h e sf;o r a l c o h o l - walnut, stain -,-.^,s"'t+r-\
r b a s e dp r o d u c t s ,e a le n dg r a i nw i t ha n
o i l - b a s ewdo o dc o n d i t i o n eAr v. o i ds l o p -
To make,,broue d,e noix,',z
naluralwalnuN dyeeNainVopular
-.;[3*'-
.\
{r,r$

I p i n gt h es e a l eor n t ot h e f a c eo r e d g eo f in the 1BOOz, collecLeeveralqreen /

t h e w o r k p i e c et h; i s c o ul d a f f e c t h e h u a k sf r o mf a l l e nw a l n u l a , l e l l i n q i .
L h e md r ya n d t u r n b l a c k . ) o a k | h e i ' ' -
I evennessof the stai n.
huskefor a fewdayein a larqenon- i -_ ' -
stick steel pot filled wilh waler,
I ThensimmerNhemixNure
''
for several ' " : - :-
hourson a eLove, addinqoneIable- ! i . I ,
I eVoonof lyefor everyqallonof the i. ,,.
mixture.SotrIlelhe solulionin clear . ,
I g l a s s l a r e a n d l e a v el h e m i n b r i q h t
\=
e u n l i o , hul n l i l l h e m i x f , u r ed a r k e n ef u r -
I N h e rS . L r a i n L h ed y e L h r o u q ha n o l d c l o t h
a n d r e - b o t t l e i t , d i e c a r d i n qL h e h r s k e , A p p l i e d ,
w i l h a b r u s h , " b r o u ed e n o t x "V r o d u c e ea r a n q e
I o f r i c h b r o w nl o n e s o n w o o d .

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CHANGING THE COLOR
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A GALLERY
OFSTAINS
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TYPE AVAILABLE
FORM ANDUSES
CHARACTERISTICS PREPARATION
AND
APPLICATION I
DYESTAINS
Water-based Powdered
; water-sol
uble Penetrating;
notverylightfast;transparent; Raisegrain.Addto water,
strain.
I
starn tendsto raisegrain;goodforhard-
brilliant; Applywithbrush,ragorspraygun.
woods; compatiblewithanyfinish I
S p i r ist t a i n Powdered
; alcohol-sol
uble Penetrating; driesquickly,
notlightfast; Mixwithalcoholandstrain.Brush
buttendsto leavelapandstreakmarks orwipeon.Bestforsmallareas. I
0ilstain Powdered;
oil-soluble Penetrating;
transparent;
doesnot Dissolve or spiritpetro-
in mineral
obscuregrain;slow-drying;
bleeds;needs leumdistillate
andsirain.Apply I
goodforsoftwoods
sealercoatof shellac; withnylon-bristle
brushandwipe
off excess, I
N G Rs t a i n L i q u i dd;i s s o l v e
i nd Doesnotraisegrain;transparent
and Thinto desiredconsistency.
methanol
distillate
andpetroleum
solution
goodforveneers
lightfast; Applywithspraygun.lf applying
witha brushor rag,useretarder.
I
Penetrating
stain
oil L i q u i dd; i s s o l v e
mineral spirits
i nd Penetrates
lightfast;
open-grained
transparent;
wood;moderately
easyto apply;colors
Applywithbrushor rag.Wipe
off excess
afterdesired
coloris
I
canbemixed; doesnotraiseor obscure achieved.
grain;bleeds;needswashcoat;goodfor t
softwoods
Varnish
stain L i q u i dd;i s s o l v e
i nd Highlytransparent;lightfast;
non-penetrating;Applywitha ragandwipeoff, or t
varnlsn addsfiller,colorandglossin oneoperation; usea spraygun.
goodfor lowergrades of lumber I
PIGMENT
STAINS r
W i p i n sgt a i n L i q u i ds;u s p e n d iendo i l Lightfast;
willnotbleed;non-penetrating; Applywithbrush, gun.
ragorspray
andmineral spirits opaque;tendsto hidegrain Wipeoff excess
afterdesired
color t
is achieved.
Earthpigment Powder; soluble
in any Easy to use;lightfast; hides
opaque; M i xw i t ho i lo rv a r n i s A
h .p p l y I
l i q ui d grain;goodforwoodwithindistinct
grain withbrush, ragor spraygun.
ortintingprotective
finish I
lanan nnlnr Liquid;concenirated
in Excellent
fortintingvarnish,
stain,lacquer Applywithsynthetic
brush.
varn
ish I
Gelsiain L i q u i ds;u s p e n d iend to use;hidesgrain
Easy Applywithrag;wipeoff excess
petroleum-based gel afterdesired
coloris achieved. I
Glazing
stain L i q u i ds;u s p e n diend Excellent
forfiguring,
shading,or conecting Applywithbrushor rag;allow
varnish sapstreaks;hidesgrain;wears
hardfinishcoat
off;needsa to set.Wipeoffwithgrainif
desired.
I
Water-based
stain
L i q u i ds;u s p e n dienda n
acrylicandwaterbase
Non-penetrating;
lightfast;
canbe mixedtogether;
brilliant;
non-toxicand
colors Raisegrain.Applywithbrush,
ragor spraygun.
I
non-f
lammable
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I APPLYING
A STAIN
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WooD
I STAIN
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. \
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---\'
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./r-Y
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I Brushing onstain
I Dipa cleanpaintbrush intothestain,
lll1
rlllilltl|llillll| llltill filltllllll]llllllltlll filtiltilIlfilj coating abouthalfthebristle lengh.
I Tominimize lapmarks,
facewithstainandbrushalongthe
floodthesur-

I ?HO?TI? w o o dg r a i ni n l i g h te, v e ns t r o k e s
(above). Once thesurface is completely
Controlling the flow of et ain
I AlLhouqhfloodinqon stain ie Nherecom- covered, wipeit witha clean,
freeclothto evenoutthe colorand
dry,lint-
mendedpracNice whenworkingon a horizon-
t lal sur'face,
is verNical
doin4the samewhenNhewood
willresultin drippinq, and make
s o a ku p e x c e slsi q u i dF
coverage withan alcohol-based
. o ru n i f o r m
stain,
t a meooof your projecLOneanswerie
lo rig up a cleanmetalcan lo regulate
wipethesurface
afterbrushing
assoonas possible
it on.
t h e f l o wo f l i q u i df r o m y o u r b r u s h .
I TunchNwoholeeon oppooite
I 7i:;,":
:,i::3r::f;^in:"[;:
M
t 2?'
[t:,"ni|il",xy
;:::(,*:w
drawthe bristlee'acroee
Nhe | -$::;
I e,que,ezinq
y1ire, anyexceoe \tr .
\.!$...
liquidbackintrolhe
can.
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CHANGING THE COLOR
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Wiping onthestain
I
F o l da c l e a nd, r y ,l i n t - f r ecel o t hi n t oa
padandsoakit withstain,squeezing out
I
theexcess untilthepaddoesnotdrip. I
Wipethestainonthesurface, working
WooP parallel to thegrain(/eft).Ruboffthe I
STAIN excess witha cleancloth.
r
I
Using a padapplicator
I
F i l lt h ew e l lo f a p a da p p l i c a t o r
trayhalffullof stainandpullthe
I
padovertheroller, loading it with
t h el i q u i d D
. r a wt h ea p p l i c a t o r
I
a l o n gt h ew o r k p i e cf oel l o w i n g
thegrain(below), wetting thesur-
I
faceliberally.
to wipeawaytheexcess.
Usea cleancloth I
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I WooD -=/'/
/ '/' -
I STAIN /-,/'-- / J--
t
--\=*7
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I Dipping a small
To colora workpiece
workpiece
that is too
I lllllllrlll ullllullrllrJlI]IlljllljlllllllllltllltIlll1
ljlli]lllll s m a lflo rb r u s h i nogrw i p i n gd,i pi t
rightintoa container filledwiththe
I stain(abovd.Holdthe pieceover
9HO7Tt? thecanto lettheexcess liquidrun
I Gettin7 stain into tight, epote off,Thenholdthepiecebythecor-
n e r sa n dw i p ei t w i t ha c l e a nc l o t h .
Keepa selectrion of smallbrushes
I on handlo straincorner6,moldinqo,
carvingoand lrim that a clotrhor
I a laraerbrushcannol reach.For
brushestrhalare smallerthan
lhoee foundin mosl hard-
I wareslores, try an art
:. \
'...
r \ ouVVly
ohop.

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CHANGING THE COLOR I
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Spraying
Prepare
a stain
thespray gunfollowing the
t
manufacturer's
a pieceof f urniture
instructions. Tostain
liketheoneshown
lllllllllll lll llllllfilil lji lll lil i]lJllllllllilIlIIlilllilllllil I
a b o v eh, o l dt h eg u na b o u 6t t o 1 O
inches fromthesurface withthenozzle 1HO?TI? I
perpendicular to thewood. Starting at
thetopof thepiece, squeeze thetrigger
Supportsfor drying I
AfEer st aininqa workpiece,
to applythestain,moving thegunfrom
sideto sidein overlapping sweeps until
let it dry evenlyand I
blemish-free on a beI
youreach thebottom. Formoreinfor-
mation o n a d l u s t i nagn du s i n gs p r a y
nf

nnrla
ahnn-ma)P

Cttl lnttr
Gttn-

2-inrh-
I
e q u i p m e nr te, f e tro p a g e9 3 . B e f o r e equarewoodblocksand
s p r a y i nags t a i nc, o n t a cyto u rl o c a l drivea smallnailIhrouqh I
a u t h o r i t i teose n s u rteh a ty o u rs p r a y the middleof eachone.
areasatisfies localsafety regulations Arranqetrheblockson a t
(page102). levelsurtacewith the nail
t i V e p o i n t i n qu Vs o l h a l I
they willeupporL the work-
niPaP ea: ila rnrncra
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PICKLINGAWOODSURFACE
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ickling,or liming,refersto anyone thebulkof thestain,leavingtraces in
I of a number of antiquingtech- moldingsandcorners.
niquesintendedto impartan agedand Oncethepickledstainisdry it should
I weathered look to lisht-coloredwood. be sealedwith a light topcoat.Youcan
pickleeitherbareor stainedwood sur-
Traditionally, woodriorkershavepick-
I led furniturewith suchchemicals as iaces,but ifyou haveuseda water-based
nitric acid,lyeandlime.Asshownbelow, dyeon the wood,you will alsoneedto
I however,you canachievecomparable sealit prior to applyinga latexpaintor
resultsby applyinga coatof whitepaint, A pickledfinishcangivea newly glaze.Picklingcanbe attempted with
I pigmentedwhiteshellac or whiteglazeto mlde chairthetime-worn anyspecies, but the processworksbest
the workpiece.The trick is to wipe off appearance of a vintageantique. with oakor oine.
I
I APPLYING
A PICKLED
FINISH

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I 'l Applying 11 "Aging"thesurface
thewhitestain
I I Usea ragto spread whitepaintorstainonthesurfaces. Z to givethewoodan antique appearance, usea ragto
W h i l et h ep a i n ti s s t i l lw e t ,w i p eo f f t h e b u l ko f i t w i t ha ruba mixture andpastewaxoverthesurface
of rottenstone
I burlaprag,leaving a whitishglazeonflatsurfaces andstreaks (abovd.
Wipeofftheexcess witha burlaprag,takingcareto
of white in crevices andcarvings (above). Letthestaindry. leave
someresidue in thecrevices
andcarvinqs.
I l f t h ee f f e c its t o op r o n o u n c eadb,r a dteh es u r f a cw eith
220-grit sandpaper untilyouobtainthelookyouwant.
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CHEMICALSTAINS
I
p eforethe adventofsyntheticdyes,
I
antiquereproductions to producea The term mordantcomesfrom the
"to
I) staininewoodwasan art form ihat warm goldenhue.But in combination Frenchverbmordre,meaning bite." I
rivaled aljhemy. With natural dyes with chemicalmordants,naturaldyes Mordantsdo two thingsfor naturaldyes:
derivedfrom plantsand insects,and canbringout a rainbowofsuperb,bril- Theychangethecolorofa dyethrough I
chemicalmordantsextractedfrom tin, liantcolors.Thephotosbelowandoppo- a chemicalreactionwith eitherthedyeor
iron,aluminumandchrome, staining siteillustratetheeffectsofa fewselected the wood.They alsohelp a dyepene- I
requiredknowledgeofbotanyandchem- dyesand mordantson four popular tratewoodandbind with thefibers.
istrv aswell asexoerience
with wood. hardwoods. The species is indicatedin Somenaturaldyesareavailable as I
Appliedby thimselves, naturaldyes bold tlpe with the dyeor mordantlist- powderedextracts, but othersmustbe
producepleasantshadesof red and eddirectlybelowFormoreinformation extracted from naturaloroductsin the I
brown on manyspecies of wood.Tea, on a full rangeof mordantsandnatur- shop.Mordantscomein crystal,pow-
for example,is usedoccasionally on al dyes,referto the charton page78. der or liquid form.Whenpreparinga I
I
t
; :.: - - . " "
. ":::..
' ..::... I
,,',t*,:.:
';'tt::;t"
t
n/a-.::..,. -,.
: I
...:.,,, .
':li .
' -"lL:!i:
I
;,1|j,1:.''
.#i:,,'"'
';::-: ,f*di:t::':,
-.,.:,f' I
*r*ot'''
=l
^*.-!
I
r'

',*i
f
,-,'r*d' I
,:- :'
Ash
ToLaaatum dichromate
T
LOqWOOA Logwood and
and tannic acid copper aulfate
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-)
.,. 1
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Cherry
Fotaeeium perma nqa nate Drazilwood
andalum I
paLaooium
dichromaLe
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76
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chemical stain,mix a 15percentsolu-
I tion of thedryingredients anddistilled
water.It is betterto maketheconcen-
I trationtoo weakthantoo strong;it is
easierto darkenthewoodthanto light-
I enit. Allow eachcoatto dry complete-
ly beforeapplyingthenext;colorcanbe
I misleading whenthestainis wet.
Somenaturaldyescancauseallergic
T reactions,butmostarerelativelybenign.
Manychemicalmordants,however, are
I causticandsometimes toxic.Prepare
and
CHANGINGTHE COLOR
applytheseproductscarefully, wearing
safetygoggles, neoprene glovesanda
rubberapron.A dual-cartridge respira-
tor is a mustfor a mixtureproducing
toxicfumes.Do not spread a chemical
stainonbleached woodor youriskcre-
atingpoisonous chlorinegas.Toavoid
splashes whendilutinga mordant,add
thechemicalto thewater,alittleatatime.
Thereareno hardandfastrulesfor
applyrngchemicalstains.Typically, the
dyesolutionisspread onthewood,then
themordantis addedwhilethe dyeis
stillwet.Thesolutionsshouldbemixed
separately and appliedwhen cool.
Experimentation is the key to good
results;
keeparecordofyourrecipes and
thecolorstheyproduce.
Chemicalstainingis becominga
dyingart.Manyproductscanbefound
onlyatphotography andchemical sup-
ply houses.But if youareafterstriking
and uniqueeffects,they canbe well
worththetroubleof seeking themout.

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Fotaaaium
I Permanqanate

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Mahogany Mahogany Mahogany
I Lo7woodand 9umac and Loqwoodand alum
potaaoium dichromate copper aulfate
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CHANGING THE COLOR
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MORDANTS
CHEMICAI DYES
ANDNATURAL
I
MORDANT FORM
ANDCHARACTERISTICS PRODUCED
COIORS
Alum Whitemineral
salts;non-toxic Purplishanddarkcrimson tones
I
Ammonia 28%liquidsolution;
highly
toxic (Forfuming)Darkvioletbrowns
browns withbrazilwooddye
withlogwooddye;lightyellow I
Copper sulfate
( b l u ev i t r i o l )
Bluecopper highly
crystals; toxic (Forpreserving
logwood dye
wood)Darkgrayandolivetoneswith I
Fenous
sulfate
fnnnnorasl
highly
lroncrystals;
reacts
toxic;
withtanninin wood
Steelgrayto bluishtones;
oyeor alum
ebony-like
blackwithlogwood T
Hydratedlime
(quicklime)
oxidecrystals;
Calcium toxic Antique
andwalnut;
suchascherry
limedfinishon hardwoods
withvinegar
mustbe neutralized
I
Potassium
carbonate Potash mildlytoxic
crystals; of greens
A range withalumandfustic I
dichromate Orange
Potassium chromecrystals;extremelytoxic; Deepredsto richbrowns; wellwithanilinedyes
combines
reactsto hightanninconient I
Potassium Violetpotashcrystals;
mildlytoxic (Forebonizing)
Turnswoodwithhightannincontent
a
permanganare purplish
brown I
Sodiumhydroxide Whitelyepowder; toxic Darkens withvinegar
chenyandoak;mustbeneutralized
Stannous
chloride moderately
Whitetin crystals; toxic dye;pinkwithalizarin;
Lightredwithbrazilwood combines I
wellwithmanydyes
T a n n iac c i d Yellowpowder fromhemlock
extracted tannincontentin wood
Boosts I
andoak;mildlytoxic
I
DYE
I{ATURAL FORM
ANDORIGIN PRODUCED
COLIIRS
Alizarin dyeor theactivecoloring
A synthetic
"Turkish
red";crimson, yellow
orange, andbrown, I
agentof madderroot dependingonthemordant
Alkanetroot dyefrom
An ancientorganic (ForFrenchpolishing)
Graytoneswithalum;a rangeof reds I
the borage
family withlinseedoil
Annato Seedsfroma Central tree
American 0ranges andgoldswithchrome,
tin or alum;oakbrown I
withlye
Brazilwood A popular
dyefromseveral of
species Vibrant andpurples,
reds,browns, depending onthemordant I
SouthAmerican trees
redwood
Coch
ineal Driedtropical
insects of redmixedwithalum
Manyshades I
Cutch An extractof the heartwood
of lightfast
Various of brown,frombeigeto chocolate
shades
theAsianacacia tree I
Dragon's
blood A resinfromthefruitof the rattanpalm Bright,lightfast
reds
Fustic of
Anextractfromthe heartwood Orange-yellow to greenish-yellows
on itsown;yellows
I
theAmerican mulbenytree w i t ha l u m
lndigo fromIndian
A dyeextracted Deepblue;yellow-white withsodium hydroxide
I
indigoplants
Logwood American
AnextractfromCentral grays,
Lightfast browns, bluesandpurples,
blacks, depending
I
campechehardwoods onthemordant
Madderroot Extracted
fromthe rootsof Reds, andyellows,
blues,browns onthemordant
depending
I
theEurasianmadder plant
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78
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CHANGINGTHE COLOR
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APPLYING
A CHEMICAL
STAIN
t
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t
M i x i n gt h ei n g r e d i e n t s
I I n p r e p a r i nagn a t u r adl y es o l u t i o on r a

I
c h e m i c am l o r d a n ty,o uw i l lg e n e r a l lbye
f o l l o w i ntgh e d i r e c t i o nssu p p l i e w
d ith
' ]l, iiiii:i,u, tili'lJlu ]]uiiulll ,liidi ilii'.ilirillijililll
t h e c o l o r i n ag g e n t B
. u ti t i s i m p o r t a n t
t to hc vprv nrp.isp in nnmhininothpcp
5HO7Tt?
i n g r e d i e n t sM. e a s u r o
eu t t h e d r y i n g r e - A chemicalstain for ebonizing
I d i e n t sw i t ha s c a l ea n ds e tt h e ma s i d e Tomakeyourownsf,ainfor lurninga woodblack,oub-
i n a d i s h .l f y o u rr e c i p e
c a l l sf o r b o i l i n g merqea ef,eelwoolpad and a few ruoty nailsin a larqe
T n
v rr h
r rnut L uv rveui Lo U
r r. \ / n | a 2n trc^ ^ r,^+|r^ r^
_yvu uor I UJC d nCLLIC LU
q l a o oj a r f i l l e dw i b hc i d e r v i n e g a r .
LeI lhe mixttre sif,, uncovered,
, -\foryll:
h e a tu p t h e l r q u i dF. i l l am e a s u r i n g
u n t i l i N t u r n e c l o u d ya n d
T c u p w i t h t h e v o l u m eo f w a t e ry o un e e d ,
q r a y :L h i e e h o u l dL a k e
i. h. ,p, n. , n n r r r i t i n i n : o l z c . : ^ - . nAur u
r rL^
L|u
T--' b,--) ldr
a b o u l a w e e k .T h e nE L r a i n
t d r y i n g r e d i e n t so t h e w a t e rs l o w l y
( a h n v e )s t i r r i n pt h c s n l u t i o nw i t h a
l h e s o l u t i o nN h r o u g ha i.,
i).,&
r^.offee filt.er Tn -nnnlv
Y Y ' J 1.16.
"
I w o o ds t i c ku n t i lt h e p o w d e dr i s s o l v e s . al ain annnne aarteral
j

A p p l yt h e r n i x t u r teo y o u rw o r k p i e c e coals of iNon the wood,

t w i t h a s y n t h e t i sc p o n g ef,o l l o w i n g
the l e t r t i n qe a c h a p p l i c a t i o n
p r o c e d u rfeo r w i p i n go n a s t a i nw i t h a dry before ?rtttnq on ":,.!*fi.lrya:,1u
I cloth (page 72). Lhe nexN.Af|er the
:.-:...-:....
l a e l c o a L ,b r u s h o r
I s o m e l i q u i da, m m o n i a
or flood Lhe sufiace
w i t h w a L e rt o n e u f , r a l -
I i z e t h e a c i d ,i n t h e v i n e -
q a r . T h e ns a n d N h ew o o d .
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FUMING I
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,l r.! - ,l .r rr ' rL lr 'r ^L \.rhl ( 'l ,r (. r' \.rr\ r. " j S t i C SO l -i . l 1 1 l 1 O - Ammoniacanbe appliedby either You cirn firme wood rvith regular
{.,..-.r
niais itstendenq,to reactlviththe sponging or brushingtheliqLrid
or by suf- household aulrollia, but aqueous I
tirnninin lvood.Exposed to a pieceof ftisingthelr,oodin ammonia vapor inside irr,avai
ar.r.l.r-u'u-r p-
Iablefr"omchenrical sr"r
furniture,thisrvater-soluble liquidrvill a shop-builttent. This secoud option, ply hor-rsesin ir 28 perceut lvorks
scllution, I
darkenthervood,gir,ingit theclassic bok calledfuming,hasdefiniteadr,antages. rulrchr.norequickl1,. Bothproductsare
of anantique.In oakandcherry,aumo- Theprocess colorsexposedsurf,lcese\.elt- caustic and harmftrlto theeyes, skinirnd t
niarvillbringoLrta vatrietv of huesrang- ly rvithoutlap marksor streaks. And respilatory s,vstem;concentrtrted amtlo-
ing from light hone,vto dark brorvtr. althoughthefhmespenetrate the ivood nia ftrmes cau e\renbe fhtal
if inhaled. If I
Depending on thean-u'rturt of exposure, more deeplythan brushed-on liquid possible, fi.rme rvoodoutdoors; rveirr
rub-
t h e c h e n r i c .rrvl i l lt t r r r r : o t t t cs p c c i e s ammonia,fuming doesnot raisethe bergloves, safety goggles arnda dual-car- I
ahrostblack. grain,sinceno liquidcontacts the rvood. tridge respirator.
T
Nat,ural maho1any NaLural walnuL NaLural oak I
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Fumed maho1any Fumed walnut Fumedoak
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CHANGING THE COLOR
t
I
EXPOSING
FURNITURE
TOAMM()NIA
FUMES
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I Using a fuming tent
Builda woodframethatis a littlelarger
r thanyourworkpiece.
etsto reinforce
Usetriangular
thecorners anda bar
brack-

I clampto holdthecorners square asyou

nailtheframetogether (above). Remove
t anymetalhardware fromyourworkpiece
beforp e l a c i n igt i n t h ef r a m eo; t h e r -
I w i s et,h ea m m o n w i ai l lt a r n i sthh em e t -
al.Tocomplete thetent,drapea black
I plastic tarpovertheframe.Useduct
tapeto sealanyopenings in thetarpand
I gather it tightlyaround theframe,leaving
o n ef l a po p e nF. i l ls e v e r ad li s h ew s ith
I ammonia andsetthecontainers inthetent
(right).Sealthef lapandletthefumes
I workfor about24 hours, checking on
theworkpiece periodically andtopping
I upthedishes withfreshammonia. Remove
thepiecewhenit hasthecoloryouwant,
I k e e p i ni gn m i n dt h a ti t w i l ld a r k ean l i t -
tle moreafterit is exposed to theair.
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81
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PROTECTT\tr
FINSHES
I
I
I nlike a cabinetmakingprojectin microscope, woodloolslikeabundleof
whichwoodis cut awayuntil you straws-woodabsorbs finishat differ-
I aresatisfied with theshape thatremains, entrates.Applyinga uniformcoating
afinishisbuilt up layerbylayer.Simply of a finishoftenresults in whatappears
I put, finishingis theprocess of spread- to beunevencoverage. Thereasonis
ing a fluid overwoodto dry in thin that endgrainabsorbs morefinish,
I sheets. Andwhileit is a slowerandless leavingits surface lookingbare,while
dramaticstage of aproject,ttreendresult the adjacentfacesand edgesappear
f is equallyimportantin producinga adequately covered. Thesolutionis to
beautifulpieceof furniture. floodon a coatof finishandallowdif-
I Perhaps themostimpressive aspect ferentamountsto betakenin by the
of a finishis theamountof protection endandflatgrainareas. Thewoodwill
t it will provide.Mostcommercial finish- A varnishtopcoatbringsout theluster thenbe properlycovered whenyou
esarenothickerthanthepageof aboo( of an oak table.Finishinga pieceby wipeoffthe excess.
I yettheymustguardthewoodonwhich handdemandscare.Loadingthebrush Overtime,finishers musthavegrown
theyrestfromdirt, moistureandeven with toomuchfinish,particularly impatientwith thethin coatsthatwip-
I mild abrasion. whencoatingverticalsurfaces, can ing produces, andbrushes wereintro-
Theearliest clearfinishes wereprob- resultin driDsand runs. ducedto theprocess. Brushes enable you
I ablyappliedin thesimplest way-wiped to getintothemostinaccessible of carv-
on with whatever wasat hand.A true oil finishconsists of ingsandcrevices, to applyfinishquicklyin thickercoatsand,
I nothingmorethannaturaldryingoilsfloodedontothewood. notincidentally, to keepyourhandsclean.Today, with thevar-
Theexcess is thenwipedoff,leavinga thin film to dry.One iousbristletypesandbrushconfigurations available, thereis
I or twocoatssealthesurface andsubsequent layerscanbebuilt a brushfor virtuallyeveryvarietyof finishingproduct.
up to almostanythickness or sheen.Eventoday,theterm Applicationtimeswerefurtherreduced startingin the1920s
"hand-rubbed
I finish"conjures upanimageoflusterandqual- withthedevelopment of thespraygun.Spraying isby farthe
ity.Shellac, anaturallyoccurringresin,canbehandledin much quickest wayto applya finish,blanketing thewoodin a cloud
t thesamewayasoil. Oneor twocoatssealthewood,butyou of finelyatomized fluid.Buttechnology comes with itsdraw-
cankeepaddingcoatsto develop thedeep,glosysurhceknown backs. Spraygunscanbewasteful, for asubstantial portionof
I asFrenchpolish(page106). thatcloudgenerally misses itsmark.Oneof thegoalsof fin-
Mosttopcoats canbeapplied by hand,andwipingranks ishingequipment designers is to createa newgeneration of
I asoneofthebestandeasiest waysto ensure thin, evencov- spraygunsthatpreserve theirtraditionalspeedofoperation
erage of a woodsurface. Because of its structure-under a whilecurbingwastefulness.
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Sprayingmakesquickworkoffinishingintri-
I cateturnings.Quick-dryingfinishes
like lac-
querandshellacareidealfor thistechnique.
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TOOLSAND ACCESSORIE,S I
I
, \ s i v i t h r l l t h e o t h e rs t a g eos f a
l1 finishingproject,the.rpplication Commeraial spray booth I
stagervill be helpedalongby a few For eprayin4 amall work'
specialized accessories. Ifyou havethe piecee. Made of aheeL
meral. Featurea filtero
I
patienceand energyto applya little Lhat collect overopray
elbowgrease, thereareir wideassort- and an exploeton-proof I
mentof cloths,padsandbrushes for fan and chimneyLhat
cor,ering a surface. Clothsandpadscan exhauaL fumee ouLeide
Lhe workehop
I
be madeandprepared in theshopfrom
old sheets or linen;you canalsofash- I
ion your own foam brv,sh(pnge92).
Brushes comein differentstyles, sizes I
and priceranges. Shouldyou opt for
thebristleoverthefoamvariety,a high- I
qualitybrLrshis a good,long-term
investment. It will outlasta cheaper I
brush,but, rnoreimportantly, it will
alsoproducea betterfinish. I
Therearretwo principaltypesof
spraysystems on the market.Until I
lecently, theonlysystemavailable fea-
tured a col.npressor hookedup to a I
sprayguu.Today,the morecompact
high-r,olurne, low-pressure (HVLP)sys- I
temisbecorringmoreprevalent. With
lessoverspray andhencelesswaste, the I
HVLP is moreeconomical to operate
andeasier on theenr,ironment. I
With both spraysystems, you need
to cor-rttrin thefumesandexhaustthem I
safeiy.The commercialspraybootl-r
shorvnat right is a goodalternative, t
providedtheworkpiece issmallenough
to fit insidethebooth. I
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B4
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I PROTECTIVEFINISHES
I

I High-volume, Iow-p reeaure

epray 6y6tem
I Featureean electric turbine
that eupplieea qreat deal of
air at. low preggureto spray
I 7un;ailowehiqhpercentaqeof
ftniehto contacL workpiece
I
Vieaoeity cup
I Helpoin mixinqfintehLo
proper coneteLencyfor
I eprayinq.Cup ie drpped
rnto fintehand filled with
I liquid;Lhetime iL takee
cup Lo empty throu1h
holein bottom ehould
t correepondt.o elapoed
Ltmeapeciftedby manu-
t facturer

I Y-\
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Foam brush
An rnexpenaive optton for applyinq
finteheawithouLleavinqatreaka or
otray briatleo on aurface; ideal for
contoured eurfaceaand tiqht. 6pot6
-=<-,
----===i--Z---r.-

--
Nat.uralor oynthet.ic
I brretleafor applyinga ftniah:
spreadaa thicker, more even
c'oat than foam bruah
I Conventional epray eyetem
Compreeoorouppileeatream of pree'
t aurtzedair throu4hhoeeto oprayqun.
Atrre7ulatorcontrols volumeand prea-
aure of ar; requlator includeefilter that
I rernovegmora|.ure and other tmpurittee

I
I
?pray gun and cup
I Cupaerveeaa ftnish reser-
voir; euction feeda finish
I Lhroughmetal tube to qun,
wherecompressedair atom'
izeathe liquidinto a mtet
I whentn4qer io pulled

I 8s
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CHOOSINGA PROTECTIVE
FINISH
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T h. protective finishyouchoose for nowavailable in two formulations: sol- preparingandapplyinga water-based
I a projecthasa lot to do with your vent-andwater-based. Yearsago,sol- finishmaydifferfrom themethods used I
personal tasteandtheeffectyouwishto vent-based productsmonopolized the for is solvent-basedcounterpart. Always
achieve. Theprincipalfeatureofa prod-
uctliketungoil,for example, isitscapac-
marketplace,
concerns
but recentenvironmental referto themanufacturer's instructions
havespurredthedevelopment for mixingandapplyinga topcoat.
t
ity to penetratewood,givingthesurface of water-based finishes.Solvent-based Whichever finishyouselect,apply- I
awarmglowandaccentuating thegrain finishesaregenerally flammable;water- ing it entailsmorethansloppingon a
andits pattern.A varnishor polyure-
thanetopcoatprovides a higherdegree
basedproductsarenot. Anothersell- fewcoasoftheproductandlettingthem
ingpointof water-based finishes
isthat dry.Thewoodsurface hasto beprop-
t
of protectionby dryingto a plasticJike
film;however, itwill alsomaskthesur-
theydo not release
the atmosphere
toxicsolventsinto erlyprepared: Ifyouwantto fill thegrain
exceptwhentheyare (page50)of an open-pore species like
t
facedetailsto somedegree. sprayed, andthuscomplywithincreas- oalgyouwill needto dosobeforeapply- I
Manyprotective finishes,including inglystringentair qualitystandards in ingthefinish.Beforeapplyngalacquer
varnish,polyurethane andlacquer,are stateslikeCalifornia.Theprocedures for topcoatto anopen-pore woodsurface, I
a sealercoatmaybe in order.Finally,
youwill needto bleachor stainthepiece I
aheadof timeif changing its color(page
54)ispartofyourgameplan.
Beforepreparingyour tools and
t
openingup your containerof finish,
makesurethat anyfiller,washcoator
I
stainis completelydry.Asa finalprepa-
ration,gooverthewoodsurfaces
t
with
a tackclothto besuretheyarefreeof
sanding particles
anddust.'
I
Theprocedures for applyinga top- I
coatdependon the productyou are
usingandthe applicationmethodyou
haveselected. Pages 87to 90detailthe
I
stepsfor applyingawiderangeof prod-
uctsbyhando5whereappropriate, with
I
thehelpof sprayequipment. I
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Easyto apply,a coatof polymerized I
tungoil is wipedonto thesurfaceof this
cherrytoy chest,protectingthe wood I
andgiving it a warm luster.
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86
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I PROTECTIVEFINISHES
t
I DRYING
OILS
I Drying oils,suchaslinseed, tungandwalnut oil,area group
of natural finishesthat cureto forma relatively hardfilmona APPLICATION
SEOUENCE
I woodsurface. Tungoil, alsoknown asChina woodoil,isoneof 1.Wipetheoilonthesurface witha cloth;it shouldbe
the mostpopular dryingoil f inishes. Extracted fromthe nut applied straight
fromthecontainer.
I of thetungtree,theoil is available in pure,modified andpoly-
2. Lettheoil soakintothewood(typicallyfor 15 min-
merized form. utes),thenusea cleanclothto wipeofftheexcess.
I Because it contains noadditives, puretungoil is a good
choice forfinishing children's toysandeating utensils suchas 3. Letthesurface dry,usually
overnight.
I saladbowls. lf youareplanning to useit, checkthelabelto 4. Sandthesurface with400-gritpaperandremove
makesurethatthecontents are100percent pure.Themain sanding particles.
I benefit of modif iedtungoilsisthattheycontain chemical 5. Repeatsteps1 to 4 as manytimesas neces-
a d d i t i v et hsa ta l l o wt h e mt o d r ym o r eq u i c k l yP. o l y m e r i z e d thefinishyouwant.Depending
saryto achieve on
I tungoil undergoes a special heattreatment; it driesfasterstill thewood, yielda semi-
fivecoatsof oil willtypically
andproduces a glossier sheen. glosssheen.
I Drying oilsarereactive f inishes, meaning thattheydryand 6. Letthesurfacecureforat leasta weekbefore
rub-
harden whenexoosed to air-evenin a sealed container. bingoutthefinish(page126).
I Whenyoustorea drying oil,usea containerthat is assmall
a sp o s s i btl oe r e d u cteh ev o l u moef a i rt o w h i c ht h eo i l i s
I exposed. A coupleof othersuggestions arediscussed in the
ShooTiobelow.
t
I
I lllllllllll llfllllltll]fillfillillilrittjllilltllllfitli]llilltllltilll
I 9HO7Tt?
I ?reventing reaat ive finisheo
from drying out,
I Io expooea reactivelinieh
I o a e l i I I l ea i r a s V o o o i -
I ble,pour iL introa collapei-
ble VlaeLicconlainerlike
Nhoeeueedfor pholo-
I graphicchemicale(far
ri7ht),Collapoe the folds
I of NheconLainer to expel
a l l N h ea i r , I h e nc a Vi t
I Li4htly (near riqht). lf you
are keeoinaa reactive finieh in
I a 7 l a o oc o n L a i n e r d, r o p e n o u q h
small sLonesor marbleeinlo Nhe
I liquidIo raiseillo lhe levelof the
brim,trhen ocrewonlhe caV,Whicheveroloraqe
I methodyou choooe,fix a labello NheconNainer
identifvina lh e co nlenNs.
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I 87
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PROTECTIVEFINISHES
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VARNISH
I
Varnish is a highlydurable protective coat- I
ingforwood,moreresistant to heatand APPLICATI()N (BRUSHING)
SEOUENCE
alcohol damage thanproducts likeshellac 1. Dilute
thevarnish andspread a thincoatonthesurface witha high-
t
andlacquer. Whether youarebrushing it quality
bristlebrush; workfirstagainst thegrain,thenwithit.
onor usingspray equipment, it isalsorel-
2. Letthesurface
I
dry,typically
for 12 to 24 hours.
atively easyto apply.lf youarebrushing,
tryto workwitha whitewallora window 3. Sandthesurface witha self-lubricating 240-or 280-griIsandpaper. I
in backof theworkpiece. Thereflected 4. Repeat 1
steps to 3, usinga stronger dilution
of varnish
andsandingthe
lightwillhelpyouseeif youareskipping witha f inergritsandpaper
surface (280-to 320-grit). t
anareaor if youarepicking updust. 5. Brushonan undiluted coatof varnish.
Varnishes wereoncemadewithnatural 6. Letthesurface dryandsandwith400-gritsandpaper.
I
resins andoilslikelinseed oil.These materials
havesincebeensupplanted bysynthetic 7. Repeatsteps5 and6 twoorthreetimes. I
resins, buttheoldsystem of classifying 8. Letthesurface
curefor 24to72 hours
before
rubbing
outthefinish.
varnish based ontheorooortion of oil-to- APPLICATI(1N (SPRAYING)
SESUENCE
I
resinstillprevails. Accordingly, varnishes
aredesignated aseithershoft,medium or to theproper
1. Dilutethevarnish (page96)
viscosity I
longoil.Long-oil varnish isslowdrying, 2. Setthespraygunat lowpressureto minimize andpooling.
overspray
producing a softandelastic coating. 3. Spraya thincoatonthesurface. I
Short-oil varnishis hard,andglossy-
4. Letthesurfacedry,thensandwith320-gritsandpaper. I
goodforwithstanding abrasion. Medium-
5. Repeatsteps3 and4 twoorthreetimes.
o i lv a r n i sohr o v i d easf i n i s ht h a tf a l l s
between thetwoin glossanddurability. 6. Letthesurface
curefor 24 Io 72 hoursbefore
rubbine
outthefinish. r
I
POTYURETHANE
I
Polyurethane is a transparent,varnish-like
finishthatis I
durable, abrasion-resistant andeasy to apply.Formulated APPLICATI()N (BRUSHING)
SEOUENCE
withsynthetic resin,it driesmorequickly thanvarnish, l. Applya thinandevencoatwitha paintbrushor pad
I
making it an idealchoice whenyouhavelimited timefor applicator,
always withthegrain.
brushing
thef inishing work.Likevarnish, polyurethane canbe I
2. Letthesurface
dryforabout2 hours.
brushed orsprayed onfurniture.
Polyurethanes areavailablein a variety
of lusters,
rang- 3. Sandthesurface witha 320-to 400-gritsandpaper. t
ingfromflatto glossy. Becausetheydo notrelease toxic 4. Repeat steps1 to 3, abrading
thesurface witha finer
solvents intotheatmosphere whiledrying, poly-
water-based gritsandpaper. t
urethanes aresaferfortheenvironment thantheirsolvent- 5. Applya finalcoat,givingthesurface18 to 24 hours
based counterparts. lf youplanto spraya water-based to drybeforerubbing outthefinish. t
polyurethane, besureyourspray equipment isscrupulously
clean; oilwillcontaminate thewater-based product. APPTICATION (SPRAY]NG)
SEOUENCE I
1. Spray theworkpiece asyouwouldforvarnish, allowing
30 to 60 minutes forthecoatto dry. r
2. Sandthesurface witha 320-to 400-gritsandpaper.
3. Applytwomorecoats,usingprogressively finergrit
t
sandpaper to abrade
thesurface
4. Waitat least18 to 24 hoursbefore
aftereachapplication.
rubbing out
r
t h ef i n i s h .
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BB I
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t PROTECTIVEFINISHES
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SHELLAC
I Shellac is a natural f inishproduced from
thesecretions of thelacinsect, whichis APPLICATION SEOUENCE (BRUSHING)
I indigenous to Indochina andIndia. The 1. Eitherbuyor preparea 1-or 2-pound-cut withwhichto applytwo
shellac
bugsfeedontreesapandexpela resin orthreewashcoatsto thesurface (page53i.Brushthefinishonquickly
I thatformsa protective shellaround their andevenlywithasfewstrokes aspossible, workingwiththegrainonly.
bodies. Eventually thismaterial builds up Avoidoverlappingthebrushstrokes.
I andisdeposited ontreetwigsandbranch- 2. Letthesurfacedry,typically
forat least2 hours.
es;it isthenharvested andprocessed.
I In itscommercial forms, shellac is
3. Sandthesurface witha self-lubricating
360-or400-gritsandpaper.
Remove
sandingparticles.
available bothasa liouidandin f lakes.
I Liquid shellac is ready foruse,butthe 4. Brushonanother
coat,usinga 3-pound-cut
shellac,
thensand.
f lakesmustbemixedf irstwithdena- 5. Applythreeor morecoatswitha 5-pound-cut
shellac,
sanding before
each
I turedalcohol. In someregard, however, application.
theflakesarethemoreconvenient form 6. Allow24 to 72 hours
of drying
timebefore
rubbing
outthef inish.
I of theproduct sinceyoucanprepare only
APPTICATION (SPRAYII{G)
SESUENCE
asmuchof thesolution asyouneedfor
I a particular project. Bothtypesof shel- 1. Prepare withtheproper
a solution consistencyforspraying
followingthe
lacareavailable in a variety of shades, manufacturer's
instructions;
a 1-or 2-pound-cutshellac lf yo-
istypical.
I ranging fromdarkbrownandorange to youmayhaveto diluteit.
areusingliquidshellac,
blondandwhite. 2. Adjust
thespray gunfora lightcoatto keepdripsandrunsto a minimum.
I Shellac isalsoclassif iedaccording 3. Sprayontwoor threewashcoats.
to its "poundcut,"whichrefers
r amount of resininthesolvent.
to the
A 1-pound-
4. Letthesurface
lubricating
dryforabout30 minutes,
thensandit wiiha self-
360-or 400-gritsandpaper.
Remove sanding particles.
cutshellac, forinstance, hasonepound
I of resinforeachgallonof solvent. 5. Sprayonthreeorfouradditionalcoatsusinga moreconcentrated
solution
Shellac comesin different grades, andsanding betweenapplications.
I depending onwhere andwhentheprod- 6. Letthefinishdryfor48 to 72 hoursbefore
rubbing
out.
uctwasharvested. Coarse shellac has
I bitsof twigsandbugs; thesuper-refined
variety isvirtually pureliquid.
I While shellac provides a durable fin-
ishthatprotects woodfromhumidity
I andabrasion, it doesnotstandupwell
to water, alcohol or heat.Likeothersol-
I vent-release finishes, shellac formsa
milkycloudona surface-called blush-
I ing-if it issprayed in highhumidity or
withexcessive moisture in thesolvent.
I Keepthesolvent in a sealed container.

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I A viscositycupis usedto testtheconsistency
of afinishfor spraying.Properdilution of
I thefinishwill ensurethatit coatsa workpiece
uniformlyandwith a minimumof dripping.
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PROTECTIVEFINISHES
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LACOUER
I
Lacquer hasbeenusedasa protective I
APPTICATION (BRUSHING)
SEOUENCE finishforwoodfurniture in theFarEast
1. Dilutethesanding sealeraccording to themanufacturer's instructions
and for more than 2000 years, butit didnot T
applyit to theworkpiece. Letdryandsandwith320-gritpaper. become oooular the in West untilthe
2. Dilutethe lacquer witha retarding solvent asspecifiedbythemanufacturer.
17thCentury. Thefirstlacquers used I
(Theretarder keeps thelacquer fromhardening tooquickly.) d u r i n g
C h i n a 'Cs h o ud y n a s t
w y e re
derived fromnaturalresins; today's I
3. Coattheworkpiece withthefinishusinga soft,long-bristled brush.Work products areformulated synthetically.
al a 45 angleto thesurface
brushstrokes.
andbrushwiththegrain.Donotoverlap
Lacquer canbe brushed ontoa sur- I
face,butbesureto usea brushwith
4. Letthelacquer dry(typically2 hours), thensandwitha self-lubrrcating bristles setin rubber, otherwise thesol- I
360-to 400-gritsandpaper. Remove sanding particles.
ventin thefinishmaycause thetoolto
5. Repeat steps2 to 4, usinga slightly moreconcentrated lacquersolution. shed.Therapiddrying timeof lacquer I
6. Applyat leasttwoorthreeadditional coats.Avoidbrushing undiluted alsomakesit well-suited forspraying.
lacquer onthesurface; youshouldaddat leasta smallamount of reiarder A lacquer topcoat hardens to a clear I
to thelacouer. a n dd u r a b lfei n i s hl.t i s a g o o dc h o i c e
7. Letthefinishdryforat least24 hoursbefore rubbingit out. forfurniture thatmaybeexposed to I
wateror highheat.
APPLICATI(lN SEOUENCE (SPRAYING)
Unlikepolyurethanes andvarnishes, I
1. Dilutethesanding sealeraccording to themanufacturer's instructions
and whichformseparate layers witheach
applyit to theworkpiece. Letdryandsandwith32O-grit paper. n e wc o a t i n ge,a c ha p p l i c a t i o n f lac- I
2. Prepare a dilutedlacquer solutionwiththesolvent recommended bythe querdissolves the previous coatsto
manufacturer andsprayit ontothesurface. Makesurethelacquer hasthe c r e a taes i n g l fei l m .F i n i s h eur s u a l l y I
proper consistencyforspraying; usea viscositycup (page90. tryto limitthemselves to fourcoats
3. Letthefinishdryforaboutan hour. of lacquer. Butthesearegenerally in I
addition to oneortwocoatsof sanding
4. Sandwitha self-lubricating 320-gritpaper.
s e a l eT r .h et h i c k ear l a c q u ef irn i s hi s I
5. Repeat steps2 and3, sanding thesurface (Thisstepis optional.)
lightly. builtup,thegreater theriskof crack-
6. Spray onat least3 morecoats, diluting eachapplication withonlya small i n g .H o w e v eorb, t a i n i nagm i r r o r - l i k e I
amount of retarder
andsanding thesurface witha 360-gritpaper. lacouer finishonsoecies likerosewood
7. Letthef inishdrycompletely before rubbing out. oroakmaysometimes involve asmany I
as10 aoolications. Finishers in ancient
Chinawereknown to applymorethan I
3 0 0 c o a t so n a s i n g l e p i e c eo f f u r n i -
ture.To prevent cracking, theywould I
carefully abrade thesurface aftereach
n e wa p p l i c a t i ohna dd r i e da n dt h e y I
kepteachcoatasthinaspossible.
Lacquer isavailable in a range of I
sheens fromf latto glossy. Therearedif-
ferenttintsto choose fromaswell,and I
a clearformulation thatheightens the
grainandcolorwithout altering thehue. I
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FINISHINGBYHAND
I
I r"fi- hereareessentially
threemethods WIPING()RPADDING
ONA FINISH
I 3- of applyingprotective finishesby
hand:wipingthe finishingmaterialon
I with a clothor sponge, paddingit on or
usinga brush.Themethodyouchoose
t shoulddependon thetypeoffinishyou
areapplying. Wiping,for example, isthe
r bestwayto applya dryingoil. Varnish,
polyuretl-rane,shellacand lacquerare
t betterappliedwith a brush.
Sornefinishingproducts,called
I paddingfinishes, aremadeto bepadded
onto a surface;theyprovidesomething
I approaching the lusterof Frenchpol-
ishedor laccuered woodwith consider-
t ablylesseffort.However,
finishes
because these
do not readilybuild up into a
I thick coating,theystill requirea fair
amountof time and work to apply.As
I a result,they are most often usedto
touchup damaged finishes.As finishes
t for newlybuilt ftrrniture,theyarebest
suitedto ornamental details,turnings
I or smalluieceslike the tableshown
below Toreducethe amountof time Usinga clothor sponge
I requiredto build up a paddingfinish, W e ta c l e a nc l o t ho r a s p o n g w e i t ht h e f i n i s ha n dw i p ea t h i n c o a to f t h e l i q u i d
firstapplya sealercoatofvarnish, shel- ontothe surface(above).Makesureyou coverthe woodsurfaces completely. Let
I lacor laccuer. t h ef i n i s hs o a ki n t ot h ew o o df o r s e v e r aml i n u t e st ,h e nu s ea n o t h ecr l e a nc l o t ht o
w i p ea w a yt h e e x c e s sC. h e c kt h e m a n u f a c t u r e ri 'nss t r u c t i o nf so r d r y i n gt i m e s ,
I t h e na p p l ys u b s e q u e n
cot a t st h e s a m ew a y .

I
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t
,r
Workingwitha pad
I U s ea p i e c eo f l i n e na n d s o m ew o o lt o
m a k ea f i n i s h i n p g a da s y o uw o u l df o r
I Frenchpolishing(page106). Poura liI-
t l e o f t h ef i n i s ho n t h e p a d .t h e nt a p i t
I a g a i n stth e p a l mo f y o u rh a n dt o g e t
t h e p a du n i f o r m ldya m p .W i p et h e p a d
I a l o n gt h e s u r f a c e
f o l l o w i ntgh e d i r e c t i o n
of the grain (left).Overlapyourstrokes
r u n t i ly o u h a v ec o v e r e tdh e e n t i r ew o r k -
n ipep a
V,vuu u 'n
, vd t h o c r r r 'f u: ueuo h
r r ^o ^
^ ^-^^+h
) d )llluutll,

I g l o s ssyh e e nC. o n s utlht em a n u f a c t u r -

er'sinstructions fordrying times, then
I a p p l sy u b s e q u ecnota t sP. a d d i nf g
in-
ishes usually require several applications.
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PROTECTIVEFINISHES
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Brushing ona finish I
S e tt h ew o r k p i e cs e l i g h t layb o v yeo u r
worksurface soyoucancoverthewood
r i g h t o t h eb o t t o m w i t h o ustl o p p i n g
lllll]llllltlllJilljllllllllllllllllllllllllllllrlllilltlll llrlllllllll I
f i n i s ho nt h et a b l e F . o ra s h o p - m a d e
1HO?TI? I
stand,propthecorners onwoodblocks
withsmallnailsdriven
youareusinga bristlebrush,
through them.lf Afoam brush I
dipabout Youcan makeyour
o n e - t h i rodf t h eb r i s t l el e n g t hi n t h e o w nd i e V o e a b l e I
f i n i s ha n db r u s a h l o n tgh eg r a i nl e a v i n g foam brushesto
behind
temptation
t h i n ,e v e nc o a t sR
to spread
. e s i st th e
thef inishthickly
suit anyjob at,
hand.Ueeecrap
t
o rt h el i q u i dw i l lr u n ,s a go r p o o lT. o woodfor Nhehandle
and a Vieceof polyure'
I
avoid airbubbles andlapmarks onthe
Ihane foam for lhe aoolicalor.
surface,
s i b l eU
useasfewbrushstrokes as pos-
. s et w e e z etros r e m o vset r a y
Youcan buy polyurethane foam at t
f a b r i ca n d u p h o l o t e r oy h o p oC
. utthe
bristles fromthef inishbefore it hasa
foamto Nheeizeyou need,lhentold if,overone I
c h a n cteo d r y .A f o a mb r u s hw i l lc u t e n do f L h eh a n d l ea n d s l a o l ei Ni n o l a c e U
. ee
downontheproblem of lapmarks. eciseorsto NrimLhefoam to the riahl orofile t
for your workpiece.
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SETTINGUP YOURSPRAYEQTJIPMENT
I
ith a bit of practice,sprayingis
I a highly efficient method of AI{ATOMY
OFAI{HVIPSPRAY
SYSTEM
applyingprofessional-looking finishes. Air hose
I High-volume,low-pressure (HVLP)
Spray gun and aup
Connectaepray qun to
systems offerthebesttransferefficien- turbine;atoree in turbine
Finiahflowa from cup to
I cy-that is, they land a high percent- qun whereair turno liq-
whennot in uae
ageofthe sprayon the workpieceand uid into a miet, direct-
I wastelessasoverspray. Sincethey use in4 it at the workpiece;
low-pressure air to createa mist of fin- cup unacrewafrom 7un
I ish, HVLP systemsalso createless
"bounce
back"than conventional sys-
t tems.Bouncebackoftenoccurswhen
sprayingis donein an enclosedspace:
I The oversprayreboundstowardthe Turbine
spraygun ind'settleson othersurfaces. Featureaa 7-amp motor
I The keyto successful sprayingis to that poweraa fan die-
keepyour equipmentproperlyadjust- charqin4[ow-preaeure air
throu4hthe air hoae;Lur-
I ed.With both HVLP and conventional
bineia liqhtwei7htand
systemsthe adjustmentsaremadewith compact compared to
I theactualsolutionyouwill beusing,so the compreaaoraused
you will needto start the processby on conventionalayatemo
I preparinga batchof finish (page96).

I
ANATOMY
OFA CONVENTIONAL
SPRAY
SYSTEM
I Air preaeure gauge

I Tocompreeaor

z--'-
I Air re1ulator
)eta volume
of air pumped
I to gun
Hoee
I m Hiqh-preaaureair from
comPre69or,otroraqe
F\

t
I
Fluid cup and lid
aaaembly
ffi fl
ti
tank and air re4ulator
paeeeethrou4h hoee
to epray qun

t
Fluidcup holdafinish:
uouallyone quart or
leao;acrewe on to
llt,l
epray qun in front of IJ
I 5pray gun

ffi
trigqer. Compreaeedair
atreaming throu4h gun Atomizea finieh into a opray; fea-
I createa a vacuumthat turee fluid adjuetment acrewfor
eiphonofiniahfromcup oetting flow volume and apreader
I upto 1un.Lidaeaembly
clampeto cup
adjuotment valvefor regulatinq
epray patrtern

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PROTECTIVEFINISHES
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ANHVLP
ADJUSTING SYSTEM
thespraypattern
I
1 Adjusting
I Fillthecuowithfinishandscrew it
to thespraygun. Forthe model shown,
I
turnthesystem onat theturbine,then
adjusttheaircapto produce eithera ver-
I
or circular
tical,horizontal spray pattern.
Asa ruleof thumb,usethe verticalset-
I
tingto spraytopsandotherhorizontal
surfaces, settingto
andthe horizontal
I
spray vertical
surfaces.Thecircularpat-
ternis widerthantheothertwoandcan
I
be usedon anytypeof surface. Testall
threepatternsonscrapwoodbefore turn-
t
ingyourattention to theworkpiece.
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r) Adjusting theflow
L to setthevolume of finishto be t
sprayed fromthegun,turntheflow
adjustment knob.Holding thegunnoz- t
zleabout8 inches froma testsurface,
pullthetrigger to startthespray. The t
finishshouldcover thesurface evenly
without drippingor pooling. lf thecoat- t
ingistoothin,increase theflowbyturn-
ingtheknobcounterclockwise; if the I
f inishdripsor pools,decrease thef low
byturningthe knobin theopposite I
Tochange
direction. thesizeof thespray
pattern, eitherincreaseordecrease the t
distance between thegunandthesur-
face.Thismaythrowofftheflowadjust- I
ment,however. Moving theguncloser
to thesurface mayrequire a decrease I
in theflow;similarly, asyoudrawthe
gunawayyoumayhaveto increase I
thef low.
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94
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PROTECTIVEFINISHES
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ADIUSTING
A CONVENTIONAT
SPRAY
SYSTEM
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I 'l Setting
theairpressure
I I Attach theairIinefromthecompressor to theairinleton thefluidcupoffthespraygunandturnonthecompressor,
theregulator. Theninstall thehose, connecting oneendto the allowingthetankto pressurize.
Opentheoutletvalveonthe
I a i ro u t l eot nt h er e g u l a t a
onr dt h eo t h e tro t h ea i r i n l e to n pressuregaugeto the levelspecified
bythe manufacturer
thegun.Toadjust theairpressure onthemodelshown, take (above), about50 psi,
typically
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PROTECTIVEFINISHES
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I
r) Adjusting thespraypattern andflow
L r , l t h ef l u i dc u pw i t hf i n i s ha n d I
attachit to thespray gun.Adjust thespray 9 p readeradjueLmentvalve
pattern andtheflowof thefinishin the I
s a m ew a yt h a ty o uw o u l df o ra n H V L P
system (page94).Turnthefluidadjust- I
mentscrewcounterclockwise to increase
t h ef l o wa n dc l o c k w i st oe d e c r e a si te. Flutd I
Usethespreader adjustment valveto set adjuetment
thesizeof thespraypattern(right),turn- 6CTEW I
ingit counterclockwise to produce a larg-
er pattern andin theopposite direction I
to narrow thescopeof thespray. t-
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A FINISH
PREPARING
Adjusting theconsistency ofa finish
I
A f i n i s hm a yn e e dt o b et h i n n e tdo t h e
proper consistency before it canbesprayed.
I
Todetermine theconsistency of a f inish-
i n gp r o d u cdt ,i pa v i s c o s ict yu pi n t ot h e
I
fluid,thenliftit outandtimehowlongit
takesforthecupto empty(left).lf the
I
timeexceeds theinterval specif iedbythe
t
m a n u f a c t u rdei lru, t e h ef i n i s hw i t ht h e
I
appropriate solvent. the Test solution as
manytimesasnecessary, but make sure
I
thatyougetit to theproper consistency.
Before fillingthefluidcup,strain thefin-
t
SOLVENT ishthrough a paintfilterto remove impuri-
tiesthatmightotherwise clogthespray
I
system ormarthefinish.
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96
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WORKINGWITH SPRAYEQUIPMENT
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I
D othyourownsafery andthatof your withfederal,stateandmunicipalrequire-
I D neighbors shouldbe a majorcon- ments.Pages 102and103showa typical
cernassociated with sprayinga finish. sprayroom with someof the elements
I Do not fail to put on the appropriate that may be necessary. However,it is
gearfor thetask:safetygoggles, rubber essential to checkyour localregula-
I gloves,a rubberapronand a dual-car- tionsbeforeoutfittingyoursprayroom.
tridgerespirator. If you cansmellthe \Ahileyouareactuallyspraying, hold
I finishingproductthroughyourrespira- your arm straightout in front ofvour
tor, it is not doinga goodenoughjob. body.Whenever possible,keepthe gun
r Adjustthedeviceto fit properlyon your
face,changethefiltersor replacetheres-
asnearlyperpendicular to thewoodsur-
faceasyoucan.Asillustrated in thedia-
I pirator.Referto the chapteron safety grambelow,a surfaceis covered with a
(pnge12)formoreinformationon pro- seriesof back-and-forth strokesthat
I tectingyourself. The ideal distancebetweerta spray overlapeachotherandtheedgesofthe
Whetheryouareusingwater-or sol- gun nozzleand the stu'faceto be wood.Beforeactuallysprayingthe fin-
I vent-based products,you mustsetup sprayedis about B inches.Youcnrr ishon a pieceofftrrniture,practicea lit-
your sprayareaand exhaustthe fumes LLse
your outstretchedfingers to tle on somecardboard or scraowood
t yougenerate in a mannerthatcomplies quicklygnugethe distance. untilyouhaverefinedyourtechnique.

I
S PR AY IA
NFGI N IS H
I Applying a full andevencoat
T h ed i a g r a m a t l e f ti l l u s t r a t eass p r a y i n g
I s e q u e n cfeo r a p p l y i ncgl e a rf i n i s h e sT. h e
t k e yi s t o s t a r ta t o n ec o r n e a r n d m a k ea
s f s t r a i g h ot ,v e r l a p p i npga s s etsh a t
s e r i eo
I w e n dt h e i rw a yt o t h e o p p o s i t e corner.
T h r sf i r s ts e r i e s h o u l dr u n a c r o s st h e
g r a i no f t h e w o o d .T h e nm a k ea n o t h e r
I seriesof passes, thistimeworkingparallel
to the grain.As youwork,release the trig-
I gereachtimeyoupassoff theedgeof the
w o o dT . o e n s u r ea n e v e nc o a t ,h o l dt h e
I g u n p e r p e n d i c u tl a o rt h e s u r f a c ea n d
k e e pi t m o v i n ga t a l l t i m e s .
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PROTECTIVEFINISHES
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A SPRAY ROOM DOTLY
Towheela workpiece in andoutof I
yoursprayroom,andto moveit
around without having to sethands I
o n t h ed r y i n g w o o du, s et h es h o p -
builtdollyshown at rightandbelow, I
T h ed i m e n s i o innst h ei l l u s t r a t i o n
willyielda dollythatis large enough t
for mostfurniture projects.
C u ta p i e c eo f % - i n c hp l y w o o d I
forthebase, thenscrew thecorner
blocks in place. Screw a caster onto I
eachcorner block. Tosetupthe
d o l l yf o rt h e p i e c et o b es p r a y e d , pointing up sotheywillsupport the workpiece aftersprayingit, useyour t
d r i v en a i l st h r o u g thh e c e n t e r s corners of theworkpiece. footto movethedolly.Youcanalso
of fourwoodblocks. Position the T o u s et h ed o l l ys, e tt h ep i e c e attacha towropeto the baseand I
blocks onthebasewiththenailtios onthenails.Toavoidtouching the useit to pullthedollyalong.
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Spraying theflatsurfaces
I Tofinisha pieceof furniture, startwiththeoutside surfaces, edgeclosest to youandworktoward theopposite edge(abo-
firstspraying thetopandthenthesides.In preparation for ve,left).Forthe sides,setthe air capto the horizontal
t thejob,setthe pieceslightly above yourworksurface, prop- spraypatternposition andworkwiththegunperpendicular
p i n gi t u p o nw o o db l o c kw
s i t hn a i l sd r i v e tnh r o u gthh e ma s to thesurface(above, right).To ensureevencoverage, hold
I shownoverleaf. Forthetop,besureto adjusttheaircapto yourarmoutstraight to maintain a uniformdistancebetween
the verticalspraypatternpositron (page94) andusea spray thegunandthewood.Always workin straightlines;circular
t patternthatworksfirstacross thegrainandthenwith it. sprayingpatternswillleavetheedges witha thinner
coating
Holding thegunat a slightangleto thesurface, startat the thanthecenter.
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t Spraying theinside surfaces
T oc o v etrh e i n s i d e o f a p i e c eo f f u r n i -
T t u r e ,s t a r tw i t ht h e l e a sct o n s p i c u o u s
s u r f a c eF.o rt h ec a b i n est h o w nf ,i r s t
I s p r a yt h e u n d e r s i doef t h et o p ,b e g i n -
n i n ga t t h e b a c ka n dm o v i n tgo w a r d
t t h e o p e n i n ag t t h e f r o n t .B ec a r e f u l
notto aimthesprayat yourself. Spray
I t h ec o r n e r st h, es i d e st.h e b a c ka n d
f i n a l l yt h e b o t t o mo f t h ec a b i n e t ,
t
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PROTECTIVEFINISHES
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A TURNTABTE FOR SPRAYING
Tosprayallthesurfaces of a pieceof I
Deartn4 acceaa hole Turntableptece
f u r n i t u rw
yourequipment,
e i t h o uht a v i ntgo m o v e
usetheshop-made r
turntable shownat right.Thedevice
consists of twopieces of plywood I
w i t ha " L a z yS u s a nb" e a r i nfga s -
tenedin between. Thesetupallows I
a pieceof furniture to berotated at
anyspeed asit is beingsprayed. I
To maketheturntable, cuttwo
piecesof 3/q-inch plywood slightly t
larger thanthewidthof thepiece
of furniture to befinished. Setthe I
baseon a worksurfaceandcenter
thebearing ontopof it. Onthebase, I
marktheaccess holeandthefour
screwholesin theinnerringof the I
bearing. Boretheaccess holethrough
thebaseanddrillfourpilotholes, I
thenaitachthe bearing to the base
withscrews. Tofastentheturntable I
piece, setthe baseontopof it with
the bearing sandwiched between I
thetwopieces of wood.Aligning the
edgesof the pieces, slowlyrotate I
thebaseuntiltheaccess holein it
linesupwithoneof thefourscrew t
holesin theouterringof thebearing.
Screw thebearing to theturntable t
pieceandrepeat the process at the
otherthreeholes.
I
T o u s et h et u r n t a b l e cu, tf o u r
s m a lw l o o db l o c k as n dd r i v en a i l s
I
through them.Settheworkpiece on
t h et i p so f t h en a i l st,h e ns l o w l y t
rotatetheturntable withonehand
w h i l eo p e r a t i nt hges p r a g y u nw i t h
I
the other(right,bottom).
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100
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I PROTECTIVEFINISHES
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Spraying contoured surfaces
I Whenspraying, treatcontoured
surfaces,
suchaschairspindles andlegs,asif they
I werefour-sided objects.Holdingthegun
at a slightangle to thewood,sprayeach
I s i d ei n t u r n .

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THESPRAY
CLEANING EOUIPMENT
I Cleaning thespray gunandfluidcup
To keepyoursprayequipment in good
I w o r k i nogr d e rc, l e a nt h eg u na n df l u i d
cupaftereachuse.Forthe HVLPsystem
I s h o w nu,n s c r etw h ec u pf r o mt h eg u n
Fluid nozzle
andpouranyf inishleftin thecupintoa
I 9uction containe f or rs t o r a goer d i s p o s aTl .h e n
tube poura smallamount of theappropriate
I aeaembly solvent intothecupandreattach it to the

I \)+\t gun.Spray
Repeat
thesolvent intoanemptycan.
asmanytimesasnecessary until

I q thesolvent comes outclean.Wioethe

o u t s i doef t h ec u pa n dg u n ,t h e np u l l
thesuction tubeassembly fromthegun.
I \\
R e m o vt eh ea i rc a pb y u n s c r e w i int g s
)) retaining ringfromthegun;soakthetwo
I pieces briefly in solvent. Clean thef luid
nozzle, suction tubeassembly andaircap
I {
witha softbrushdampened withsolvent
r (/efil.Reassemble
f l u i dc u ot o i t .
thegunandscrewthe

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ANATOMY OF A SPRAYROOM
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Tube-axialfan
Air filtere
ExhauaLaatr from room Lo the
outdoora;rnountedon exteriar
t
KemovehazardouoparLiclee Automatic
wall. Featurea explaoion-proof
from air: madeof non-com- motor and epark-reeieLantpro-
aprinkler eystem I
buattbtemaLertal.At leaat. Water eprinklere
peller;availablefrom induatrial
four 20" x 20" filLeraarrayed
edge-Lo-edge requtredto pro-
ouppliero.Moveolarqe volumee
acttvated by emoke
or heaLfrom a ftre
t
of air efficientlyuoinga mtnimal
videadequaLepratecLian;
needto be cleanedand
a h^t rn t nf pl prr rir i+r'
I
replacedre4ularly

Fire
ertinguiaher
thould be
I mountedin - r =- - - : t : = = :
a convenienL L:::,-L:J
locationy =-lr:.: -=..:
:

'ffi
\
l
A/
,,-Bia
| : =i:-
t l
.,.-:--:l:
-a-l-fl
L -,- =L--= - i
1::1::'1F

..j=I

I
I

Airflow meter

l!!l
Aleo knownaa manometer.Vtaual
readout indtcateeair velocityLhrou7h
Lhe fan; whenvelocttydrope belowa Light owitch
cerLatnlevel,ftltera ahouldbe replaced MuoLbe exploaton -proof, I
or incapableof produc'
Workpieae
inq eparkoLhat could
i4nil;evaporo
I
thould be poeitioned
betweenepray 1un and
fan; no large objecLe
Waete can
For temporary otor-
t
a7e of combuetible
ahouldtmpedeairflow
betweenworkpiece wa6te;madeof eteel I
and fan with tight-fitttn4 ltd
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T) ecause of thehazards associated with Theillustrationat leftshowssomeof
I D s p r a y i n fgi n i s h e st h, ep r a c t i c e
is theelements thatmightbe incorporat-
Light fixture strictlycontrolledby law.Youcannot, ed in a typicalsprayroom.A powerful
I Featureetncandeacentbulbin a for example, setup a furniturespraying electricfan pulls air from the room
eealed4laee 7lobethat prevenLe facilityin your garagewithout ade- througha paneloffilters,whichremove
vaporein room from ignittn7
I quatelyguardingagainstfire and envi- toxicsubstances beforetheair isexhaust-
ronmentalcontamination. ed.Thewallsareconstructed in sucha
Wall
I Can be made of con-
Spraying generates toxicand flam- wayasto preventthespreadoffire.The
crete, aheet metal or mablevapors,solventsand particles, electricalsystemis explosion-proof: the
I fire-rated drywallcov- makingthe air in the immediatearea switches, outletsand fixtureswillnot
ered wtth aheet metal harmfulto breatheandpotentiallyexplo- createa sparkor producea voltagelev-
sive.Toxicvaporsmustbe filteredout el that couldcausean exolosion.
beforetheair canbeexhausted; andthe Beioredesigning a spiayroom,there
sDravareamustbecontained in theevent areseveral importantpreliminarysteps.
oi fir.. Althoughwater-based products First,consultyour local,stateand fed-
poselessof a fire hazardthan solvent- eralinspection authoritiesto makecer-
basedfinishes, makingthema saferalter- tainyourdesigncomplieswith thefire,
nativefor thefinisher, bothtypesproduce electrical,buildingand environmental
harmfulvaporswhensprayed. codesin effectin your community.For
If you want to sprayfurniture,you example, your sprayroom will haveto
havetwo ootions:Youcanusea com- meetNFPAandOccupational Safetyand
mercial booth (pageB4) or you can HealthAdministration(OSHA)safety
build a sprayroom.Thelatteralterna- guidelines. Alsocheckwith your home
tr tive is a complexundertaking,howev-
er.Accordingto one of the regulatory
insurance carrier.Youmaydiscover
operatinga sprayroomvoidsyourinsur-
that

tl-.:=..' agencies, the NationalFireProtection ancepolicy.Ifyou stillseefit to proceed,

Association (NFPA),a sprayroommust consulta ventilationengineer who can
r_!_::___ be fully enclosed and featurea power-
ooeratedventilationsvstem.
giveyou expertguidanceon properly
situatinganddesigning your system.

.t-':':l
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ROOM
SAFETY
TIPS
. Consultthef iredeoartmentaswell . Keepthewalls,floorandothersur-
aspertinent local,
stateandfederal facesof yoursprayroomscrupulously
authorities
before choosinga sitefor cleanto prevent
toxicorf lammable
sub-
yourairexhaust outlet.
Dependingon stancesfromaccumu lating.
Air regulator theareain whichyoulive,levelsof cer-
taincontaminants mayberestricted by . Always wearprotective safety gear
specific
regulations.In general,
locate whenspraying: longpants,a long-
an outletto avoidexposingpassersby, sleeved shirt,safety goggles, rubber
I Air compreaeor
andpetsto theexhaust.
children g l o v e sa,r u b b earp r o n
carlrid,ao rpsniratnr
a n da d u a l -
?reaat trizea air fnr anra o C h e cw
k i t hy o u rl o c aal u t h o r i t i e s
I eyetem.Located ouLaide aboutnoiseregulations; theventilation . Replace airf iltersregularly,
asindicat-
' nrr 'A-\ t r ' r A A m ' a i e h 'n -a e- - 'r t- r1t n t n q
a system in yoursprayroommaycreate ed bytheairflow meter.
noiselevels thataredeemed excessive
I throuqh wallconnectatt Lo
air requlaLorinaideraom
forresidential areas. o Dispose of usedairfiltersaccording
to localfireregulations.
I . Donotwearclothing
usedduring spraying
orsafety
outside
gear
ofthespray . Storefinishing productssafely
room;storetheseitemsin a metallocker. (page136).
I

103
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IDENTIFYINGAND AVOIDINGSPRAYPROBLEMS
I
oodspraying technique alonedoes
t
I
\J not guarantee first-rateresults. I
Otherfactors,includingthecharacteris-
ticsof thesprayroom,theequipment or I
eventheweathercanalsoinfluencethe
qualityofthefinish. I
A clean,dust-free workareaisessen-
tial.Oneansweris to vacuumregular-
ly. If yousprayfrequently, you should
t
consider settingasidepartofyourwork- I
shopfor drying.To preventanydust
fromsettlingon a newlyfinishedwork-
piece,provideyourselfwith several
t
makeshiftdustcovers. Thesecanbe I
nothingmorethanpiecesof plywood
sittingatoptall supports. Whenyoufin- Fisheye I
ishspraying apieceof furniture,placeit
undera dustcoverto catchanydustthat I
mightotherwise fall on theworkpiece.
Humidityandwarmtemperatures
canwreakhavocon finishes, leaving
t
shellac with a milkylookor causing
querto dry poorly.Keepingtheroom
lac- t
at the right temperature-roughly I
72o-isnot quiteasdifficultascontrol-
linghumidity.It isbestto doyourspray- I
ingon a dry day.
Evenwith optimumconditions
propertechnique, snags
and
will arisefrom
I
timeto time.If thereis a problemwith I
thesprayingsystem, consultyourown-
er'smanual.Mostmanufacturers pro- I
videdetailedtroubleshooting guidesfor
their equipment.Thefollowingchart
detailssomeofthemostcommonspray-
Crazing t
ingproblems, theircauses andwaysto I
preventthemfromoccurring.
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DEFECT DESCRIPTION
ANDCAUSE PREVENTION
T Crazing Finecrackscausedby solvent
or material Makesureyourthinnerandfinishingmaterials
are
incompatibility. compatible,
according
to the manufacturer's
t soecif
ications.
Checking Subtle,grid-like
cracksin the finishcausedby a rapid Keepthe finishedworkpiece
in a temperature-
I shift in temperature.
lf the workpiece is exposed to control
ledenvironment.
warmtemperatures andthensuddenly broughtintoa
I coldroom,thef inishwill contract
thanthewood.
at a differentrate

I Blushing Milky-white
cloudsin thefinishusually
whena finishis sprayed
occurring
on a humidday.
Sprayon drydays;keepthe temperature
A retarder
constant.
addedto the finishingmaterialon humid
dayswill allowthefinishto drymoreslowlyandcoun-
I teractthe problemof thetop layerdryingtooquickly.
Orangepeel A rough,"orange peel"texture, the resultof holding Holdthegunat the properdistance fromthework
I the sprayguntoo closeor too far fromthe surface, surface-about8 inches-andadjustthe air pressure
usingtoo littlethinneror settingthewrongpressure forthefinishthatyouarespraying; checkthe material
I for the materialbeingapplied. viscosity.
Run A largedripthat runsdowna vertical
surface
after Movethegunevenlyandmorequickly.Reduce the
I too muchfinishhasbeensprayed in onespot. materialfeedadjustment andensurethatthefinishis
thinnedto the properconsistency.
I Sag Similarto a run,butcoversalargerarea. Holdthegunat the correctangleandkeepit moving
at an evenpace.Reduce the material
feedadjustment
I andcheckthatthefinishisthinned
to sprayconsistency.
0verspray Materialthat driesbeforeit reaches
the workpiece Holdtheguncloserto thesurface or reducethe
becauseit is beingsprayed fromtoo far away. air pressure.
I
Fisheye Small,circular, occasionally
iridescentshapes Wipetheworkpiece with naphtha
anddilutedammo-
causedbycontamination fromsilicone
or waxfrom
I bladesor tools.
niabeforefinishing.
Avoidtouching
the workpiece
youhavecomeintocontactwithsiliconeor wax.
if

Pinholes
I Smallholescausedby spraying
or by spraying
at too higha velocity
too closeto the worksurface.
Adda moisture retarder
to the finishingmaterial;
will slowdownthe dryingtime,allowing
it
thefinishto
flowoverthe holes.Reduce the air pressure
andmake
I sureyouareusingthe properspraying technique.

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FRENCHPOLISHING
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f, renchpolishing isatrme- After thetopof thistablewas
I' honored methodof fin- Frenchpolished,thelegswere I
ishingthatinvolves padding givena similarlookby brush-
on shellac with a cloth.The
resultis a lustrous. almost
ing on threecoatsof shellac
and thenwipingon afourth
t
three-dimensional finishtyp- coatwith a pad. I
icalof fineantiquefurniture.
Thelookdoesnotcomeeas-
ily, however.Frenchpolish-
t
ingtakestimeto masterand I
a lot of elbowgrease. Forcommercial washedbedsheet will work fine),shellac Thentheporesarefilledwith pumice.
woodworking shops, thelaborandtime flakes,denaturedalcohol,mineraloil, On the secondday,additionalcoats I
requirements generally ruleoutthistype pumice and polishing compound. of shellac arepaddedon to buildup
((6s1"-1ls
of finishfor mostjobs;it is mucheasi-
erto relyonlacquers andmodernspray
Shellacis measuredby the
numberof poundsof shellacflakesdis-
thebodyof thefinish.Onthethirdday,
the oil film is removedwith a clean
r
equipment. Still,for anamateur wood- solvedin eachgallonofalcohol.So,a cloth.Thisis thetimeto examine the I
worker,Frenchpolishingcan be a 5-poundcut refersto 5 poundsofshel- surface undera lightandbuildup the
rewarding way-somepuristswould Iacdissolvedin a gallonof alcohol.For bodywhereyou noticedull spotsor I
arguetheverybestway-to finishaspe- Frenchpolishing,we a 2Vz-to a 3lz- open8ram.
cialproject.Althoughthefinishdoes poundcut,althoughyou will, of course, Ifyou cannotaffordthetimerequired I
notstandupto water,alcoholor heat,it be dealingin quantitiessmallerthan for aFrench polish,therearesubstitutes
isrelativelyeasyto repaironcethepiece a gallon. calledpaddinglacquers thatprovidea I
is completed. Theprocess consists ofseveralsteos similarlookwithoutthesamelevelof
Thematerials requiredfor French that aredoneto the followingscheduie: effort.Padding lacquersarefrequently I
polishingarewoolandlinenrags(pieces On the first day,a coatof oil is applied usedto reDairoldfinishes, but canalso
of old sweaters and shirtsor a well- to thewood andthe excess is wipedoff. beappliedto newwood. I
(|NTHESHELLAC
PADDING
I
a pad I
1 Making
I Takea pieceof woolroughly 3 inches
square andfoldthecorners toward the I
center, stretching
thewoolwitheach
fold.Thensqueeze thewoolpadintoan I
ovalandadda fewdroosof 2Vz-to 3t/z-
pound-cut shellac.
Disperse theshellac I
throughout thewoolbycrumpling thepad
in yourhand,thenplaceit in themiddle I
of a single
thicknessof coarse linen.Add
severaldropsof alcoholIo the pad(right). I
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106 t
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 PROTECTIVE
FINISHES

r') Preparing thepad

L torFrench polishing
ff'ffi'"llr{l-lll'ffi Gather thelinenaround theballof wool
andtwistthelinenuntilthepadis held
firmlyin place(above, ieff).Thentap
9HO7Tt? thepadagainst thepalmof yourhand
to spread outtheshellac andalcohol
Making a pumiaediapeneer
jome finieherou6ea oalt andforma flat surface(above, right).
shakerto oprinkle on pumioe lf thepadistoowet,squeeze outthe
for Frenchpoliehing(page1OB, excess liquid.(When notin use,thepad
otep 3),Ycjucan also fashion should bestored moistin anairtight
a moretraditionaldisoenser. container to preventit fromstiffening.)
?oura smallamount,of pumice
into a pieceof linen.FolAthe
linenoverand lie the too wilh
a emallpieceof etrrinqio form
a ball.To useLhediopeneer,
ehakethe baq,oprinklinq a
smallamount,of oumice
NhrouqhLhecloLhand onNo
the wood.

r07
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FINISHES
PROTECTIVE,
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Q Filling thepores
(above).
I
r-,, Applya sealer
coatof shellac
witha brushandallowit to Payparticularattentionto the edgesso as notto leave
dry.(Thisprocedurecanbedonebefore making thepad.)Then t h e mu n t o u c h e A d .t f i r s t t, h e p u m i c ew i l ls o u n ds c r a t c haysy o u I
sprinklepumice ontheworkpieceandshake a smallamounton r u b .T h em o r et h e p o r e sf i l l , t h e l e s ss c r a t c htyh e p u m i c ew i l l
thepad.Gripthepadtightlybetween yourfingers andthumb s o u n dC . o n t i n uteo p a d ,o c c a s i o n a sl lpy r i n k l i nogn f r e s hp u m i c e I
andworkthe pumiceintothewoodwithanyof thestrokes a n da d d i n gm o r ea l c o h oul ,n t i lt h e p o r e a s r ec o m p l e t efliyl l e da n d
shownin thediagram below; choosetheonethatproves most thesurface hasa mattelook.Depending on the sizeof the work- I
comfortable. Keepthepadmoving whileit is onthesurface
to p i e c et,h i sp r o c e d u rmea yr e q u i r e 30 minuteo s r m o r eA . f t e rf i l l -
preventthealcoholonthepadfromIeaving a markonthewood ingthe pores,setthe workpiece asidefor a day. I
I
POTISHING
PATTERNS
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I PROTECTIVEFINISHES
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Buildingupthefilm
I Prepare a newpadanddaba dropof oil ontoit witha fin- driedyouwillnotice a milkyclouding of thesurface,asin the
gerto provide for padding
lubrication thesurface (above,
left). upperhalfof theworkpiece in the pholo(below).Thisis the
I Polish withthesamestrokes usedto fillthe pores.
you Use oil usedto lubricatethepad;having risento thesurface it
lightpressurewitha wetpad.Asthe paddriesandthefriction mustnowberemoved. Moisten a padwithalcohol andrub
I increases,applymorepressure. Recharge thepadwithshellac thesurface withlongstrokes (orpolishwitha fine glazing
andalcohol, asneeded. Repeat the process untilthelookof the compound) untiltheoildisappears. Thiswillreveal
thefinai
I finishpleases youandthepolishing streaks disappear(above, lookof the French polishasshownin thelowerhalfof work-
righil.SeIasidetheworkpiece f or a day. Aftertheshellachas piecein theohoto.
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DECORATT\C
FINSHES
I
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I ecorativepainting tracesits ingresults areusually obtainable with
historybacktoabout3000BC, alittlepatience. Theglaze isbrushed,
I whenartisans h Egfpt,hrdiaandthe ragged, combed, sponged, or even
Orientleamed to transform ordinary qpatteredoveranopaque base coatIn
I materials andobiects intoomamental alldecorative finishesexcept stencil-
ones ttroughmarblinggrainingsten- ing,thecolorof thebasecoatisvis-
I cilingandotherpractices. Alongwith iblettroughtheglazewhich imparu
moreftaditional prizes of thetrading to thefinishadeep,subtleglow.It is
I route,thetechniques of decorative generally a goodideato mix more
paintingwerecarriedto theWest, Stencilinghas
developedfrom a crude interior glaze than youthinkyouwill need,
I wheretheyhavecycled in andoutof decorating
techniqueinto a minor art form. because it is nextto impossible to
fashion dor,vnthroughthecenturies. Thetop rail of thisBostonrocker,stenciledwith matchsucha finishexactly. Thereal
I Stenciling, in particular, foundfavor bronzepowder,is typicalof 19thCenturydesigns. challenge of decorative painting
amongtheearlycolonistsof North is in the patterningof the glaze.
I America.Colonialfurnituremakers usedstencils to embellish Stenciling istheleastcomplex technique-youcanjust stip-
theirinexpensive chairs; householders of modestmeans sten- plethecoloronoverthebasecoatwith a brushor a sponge,
t ciledtheirroughfloorsandplasterwallsto mimicthebeau- workingthrougha paperor acetate template.Marbling
ty of thewallpaper andrugstheycouldnotafford.Duringthe andgrainingaremoredifficultto execute, because both
t Victorianera,artisans bothin theUnitedStates andabroad colorandpatternmustbefairlyrealisticfor thefinishto
tookinspiration fromthefuts andCraftsMovement, elevat- beattractive. In marbling,thismeansyoumustfirst cre-
I ing thefaux(or false)finishes-marbling andgraining-to atea believable cloudofbackground colors,thenshoot
therealmofhighstyle.In thehandofanexpert, apotofglaze it throughwith natural-looking veins.Because the pat-
t anda feathercouldtransform blandtabletops andsmallbox- ternsof heartwood and sapwood arelessfree-flowing
esinto richmarblelook-alikes; a deftlywieldedgrainingbrush thantheveinsin marble,grainingrequiresevenmore
I couldgiveanitemof plainpinefurnituretheluxuriouslook skill thanit takesto disguise woodasmarble.In both
of walnutburl. cases, finishingwill gomoresmoothlyif you continual-
I Whilethetechniques andmaterials of stenciling
changed ly referto a sampleof thematerialyouaretryingto sim-
little overtime,themethodology of marblingandgraining ulate. With any decorativefinish, alwaystest the
I grewevermorerefined.Close-mouthed professionalskept appearance ofthe glazeoverthebasecoatbeforebegin-
their tradesecrets closeto thevest,evencarryingthepar- ning work;with marblingand graining,practicepat-
I ticularsof theirartistrywiththemto thegrave.Novices may terningon largepiecesofillustrationboarduntil youare
notbeableto duplicate thefinishes of themasters, butpleas- confidentof yourtechnique.
I
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In contrastto theviolentnaturalforcesthat createrealmar-
I ble,thisbirdfeatherrequiresa defttouchto transformtinted
oil paint and a ghzecoatinginto a marblefinish on wood.

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TOOLSAND ACCESSORIES I
I
Marine eponge Grainingcombs
I
For removingexcego For deeigningwoodgrain
4lazeand eoftening patternz on a workpiece;fea- I
7rain and marbled ture metal or rubber teeth
patterna; featurea
a naturally rou4h
I
aurface
I
t
I
9wivel
knife
A precieion
I
artiet'a knife
with a awivelingtip for Badger softener I
cuttinq contoura of atencila A epecialty bruah
uaed for aoftening
qrain and marbledpat'
I
terns, and amoothinqout
d ecorative finiahea;made
Camel's-
hair aword
I
of fine badger hair atriper bruah
Afine, aoft bruahuaed I
to apply individualveina
or qrain linea in freehand
graininqand marblinq
I
1tenciling bruoh
For applyrnqpaint or
I
bronzepowderethrou1h
atencil openin7o;haa atiff Hog'a-hair I
ho4'o-hair briatlee that briatle bruah
helpprevent paint from For applyinqthe I
bleedinqunder atencil bage coat and
removingetainin4
qlaze whenproducinq I
woodqrain patterna; ite
flaqqed briotle tipa promote t
Bloak cuahion grainer maxtmumcoveraae
For creatinq wood7rain
patterng on a workpiece. qlaze in marbled
I
finiahea;workabeat when
Fulledand rocked alonq
the eurface of a qlazed eli7htly woraefor wear t
workpieceat any anqle;
featurea a rubber face I
I
I
Orainin7 rollera
For producing wood I
qrain patterne on a
workpiece;pulledacroee
a qlazed surface
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STENCILING
I
u..rsincethe
F l8yptiansin ancient Assimoleasa fine-veined leafor as eitherstencilboardor acetate. Because
I IJ tlmesbegandecoratrng mummy complexis a multicolored, repeating acetatecanbecleaned with mineralspir-
caseswith stencils,
suchdecorativepat- motifof fruitsandflowers,a stencilcan its and reused,it is moredurablethan
I ternshavebeena ubiquitous featureof beappliedto a pieceof furnitureeither paper.The translucentmaterialcanbe
furnituredesign.Theyhaveappeared before
or afterthelastcoatof finish.The boughtat mostdraftingsupplystores.
I oneverything fromshields
to chairsand stencilis typicallyreduced
or enlarged Stencildesignscanbe sprayedon or
toychests. from a masterDatternandcut from appliedwith a specialshort-bristledsten-
t cilingbrush.WhileearlyAmerican set-
tlers stenciledwith milk paint, any
I thick-bodiedpaint,suchasquick-dry-
ingjapancolorsor anoil-based or acrylic
I paint,will fit the bill equallywell.Bronze
powderscanbe combinedin the same
I stencilto yield a varietyof metalliccol-
ors within a singledesign,creatingthe
I illusionof light and shadow-a tech-
niquemadefamousby the Hitchcock
I chairsof themid-1800s.

I Designsaregenerallystenciled with eitherpaint (above,left)or bronzepowders

(above,right). Theapplicationtechniques aredffirent, asaretherangeof fficx.
I Bronzepowders, for example,cancreatea burnished,three-dimensional look.

I
MAKING
THESTENCIT
I a pattern
1 Enlarging
I Onewayto produce a largerversion
I of a patternforstenciling is to usea pho-
tocopier withanenlargement feature;
I another wayis to transfer theshapeusing
a grid.Drawa gridof squares overthepat-
I tern,usinga ruledstraightedge to make
allthesquares exactly thesamesize.(The
I smaller youmakethesquares, theeasier it
thepattern.)
t willbeto reproduce Then,on a
blanksheetof graphpaperoracetate, make
a larger grid,increasing thesizeof the
I /"J \ squares bythesameamount youwishto
I
I
qtrEff
4'--

-:/-,
'--''
S' ,

v/
enlarge

squares
thepattern.
needa stencildesign
Forexample, if you
thatistwicethesize
of the pattern,makethesecond setof
twiceaslargeasthefirst.Topro-
ducethestencil design, drawineachsquare
I Z----//-7
of theenlarged gridthepartof thepattern
thatis in thecorresponding square of the
I smaller grid(left).Tomakea stencil small-
erthantheoriginal pattern,followthesame
I steps,butmakethesecond gridsmaller
(!tt \
thanthefirstone.
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I 113
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DECORATIVEFINISHES
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r) Cutting outthepattern
L f ransfer yourdesignto a piece I
of stencilboardoracetate.
s t e n c ibl o a r du, s ec a r b o n
Withthe
paper;
lllriltulrfiljllllilltllltllltflllllllllllllllflrllllJlllllll1
rlljllll I
foranacetate stencil, simplyplace
thesheetoveryourdesign andtrace ?HO?TI? I
i t i n i n k .l f y o u d
r e s i gwn i l li n c l u d e
morethanonecolor,makea sepa-
ratestencilfor eachcolor.Usea
Trojecting a ?attern
AnotherwayNoreproduce a stencilin a differenLeizeinvolvee
r
VrojeclinqNhe deoiqn onXoa wal| First Iake a phoboqraVh of lhe
swivelknifeto cut outthe pattern, patlern ueingelidetilm.Ioavoiddistnrtion,ehoot,fromdirecNly in I
pullingtheknifetoward youbbove). fronLof Nhepat1ern.)nce Nhefilm is develoVed uoea slideprojec-
Keepyourfreehandoutof the Ior Nodieplaylhe patlern on a wall.The t--- I
blade's oath. -
dislance betweenLhe projeclorand Lhe 1 .r ,
Aeterminethe sizeof the imaqe,
wallwilldef,ermine imaqe
- ||I . d?.S:b
"S€4"
I
ToNransferLhepattern,projectthe ' g$g^-.@"
imageonto a pibceof etencil board
or aceXateand lrace overit,.
i o*{&3/6 I
r
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DECORATIVEFINISHES
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PAINTSTENCILING
t
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'l Taping
I downthestencil
I Tohelpalignthestencil precisely,
I llltfitlll11
lllliltltllllllllltfilttlllilltIIJtlllllllfllJ
ilIjilIlrlll drawa reference linecentered
eachsideof boththeworkpiece
along
and
I 1HO?TI?
t h es t e n c iTl .h e ns e c u r teh es t e n c i l
to theworkpiece withmasking tape,
I A curefor bleeding
making surethereference linesmatch
up properly (abovd.
To prevenN wet,paint,from bleedingundera slencil,
I Nemporarily bondIhe etencilIo your workViece.
7pray Nheundereideof NheeNencil wilh
I an aeroeoladheeive,Nhen placeiN
in Voeilionon Nhework'
I piece,preooinqout
any air pocketo.
I A p p l yt h e V a i n i
a5 soona5 ?o5-
t sibleso thal you
can peeloff the
stencil beforeil
I adhereepermanenNly,
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DECORATIVEFINISHES
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thepaint
Applying
T r a n s f etrh e s t e n c idl e s i g nt o y o u rw o r k p i e cbey s p r a y i n g u s ea s t e n c i l i n gb r u s h s, e tt h e w o r k p i e cfel a t o n a w o r ks u r - t
or brushing on paint.lf youarespraying, maskthesurfaces f a c ea n dd i po n l yt h et i p so f t h e b r i s t l eisn t h e p a r n tT. h i sw i l l
surrounding thestencil withpaper andsettheworkpiece edge r e s u l it n a l i g h tc o a ta n dt h u sr e d u c eb l e e d i n gH. o l d i n g the I
upona worksurface. Holding anaerosol paintcanabout6 to b r u s hp e r p e n d i c u lt ao rt h e s u r f a c ej a
, b t h e b r i s t l e su p a n d
10 inches fromtheworkpiece, directthespray at thestencil downon the stenciluntil the woodis covered(above, right), I
untiltheexposed woodiscoated lightlywithpaintbbove,lefil. r e l o a d i ntgh e b r u s ha s n e c e s s a rlyf .y o ua r eu s i n gm o r et h a n
T o p r e v e npta i n ft r o mb l e e d i nugn d etrh es t e n c i lk,e e pt h e onestencilto applyseveral colors,let eachcoatdry before I
n o z z l lee v ew
l i t ht h es t e n c i l a nsdp r aiyn a s t r a i g h
l i tn eT. o s p r a y i nogr b r u s h i nogn t h e n e x t .
I
Removing
thestencil
T o a v o i da n y b l e e d i n gr,e m o v et h e
I
i l h i l et h ep a i n itsw e t .P e etlh e
s t e n cw
m a s k i ntga p ef r o mt w oa d j o i n i ncgo r -
I
ners,thengentlyliftthestencil offthe
workpiece, pulling upthetwosides even
I
/.aI,. ly (left).Avoidsliding thestencilalong
I
SLs
t-v:=7/
thesurface

coating
or youmaysmearsomeof
paint.Oncetheparntisdry,remove
adhesive residue
theworkpiece.
withnaphtha before
any
top-
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116
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I DECORATIVEFINISHES
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POWDER
BRONZE STENCILING
t 1 Positioning thestencil
I Drawthestencil onacetate and
I cutoutthepattern. Place thebronze
powder in a bowlorona palette and
I setit aside.Prepare theworkpiece by
applying a thincoatof slow-drying var-
I n i s ht o t h es u r f a cyeo uw i l lb es t e n -
c i l i n gL. e tt h ev a r n i sdhr yu n t i il t i s
I firmbutstilltacky.Place theacetate
i n p o s i t i oonnt h ew o r k p i egc leo s s y
I s i d ed o w ns ot h a ti t a d h e r et so t h e
surface(left).
a
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-
Rubbing onthepowdel
I W i t ht h ev a r n i ssht i l lt a c k yw, r a pa
p i e c eo f c h a m o iosr a c l e a ns, o f tc l o t h
I around yourindex finger anddipit intothe
bronze p o w d e r
R . u bt h e p o w d eorn t o
I thesurface exposed bythecutouts in the
stencil. Rubtheareas you wish to high-
I r
l i g h rt e l a t i v ehl ya r d ; u b m o r el i g htly
you
on areas wantto shade. Applyaddi-
I tionalpowder asnecessary untilthesur-
faceis colored to yoursatisfaction, but
I work q u i c k l y
t o k e e pt h ev a r n i sfhr o m
d r y i n gc o m p l e t ebl ye f o r e y o ua r ef i n -
I ished. Then peel offthestencil. To high-
lightthethree-dimensional quality, apply
I several layers of bronzepowder, separated
bythinlayers ofvarnish. When youarefin-
I ished stenciling, protect thesurface with
twofinalcoatsof varnish
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GRAINING
I
I
f rainingis a process in whichthe blemorehighlyfiguredwoofulikecher- A colorglazeis thenappliedandthe
\f appearance of onetypeof woodis ry,oakandmahogany. grainpatternis tracedinto theglaze I
re-createdonanotherfor decorative
pur- Graininginvolves several First, with specialgrainingtoolssuchas
stages.
poses. Onspecies
technique
withmutedgrain,the
canbeusedto imitatethetex-
the surfaceis paintedwith a flat base combs, raymarkers,
coatandthe baseis allowedto dry. Finally,a protective
mottlersandrollers.
topcoatis added.
r
tureandwarmthof more
exoticspecies. Butgrain-
Grainingglazescan
beprepared in theshop,
I
ing canalsocamouflage
visualdefects-likeawood
butcommercial, ready-to-
useglazingstainsarejust
t
patchusedto repairadam- aseffective; theycanbe I
agedsurface. Wth practice, tintedwith japancolors
exoerimentation andcare-
you
frrlstudyof thespecies
to producevirtuallyany
youwish.Theglazes
I
shade
wishto emulate,you can you makeyourselfwill I
producea diverse rangeof usuallyconsist of onepart
styles,fromtheclosegrain
of beechto thefree-flow-
boiledlinseed
partsvarnish;
oil andtwo I
theyaretint-
ingpatternof pine.
Grainingwasespecial-
edwithartists'colors.
needaheavy-bodied
You
con-
t
ly popularin the 1800s sistency,but not soheavy I
amongwestward-moving thatthedryingtimeisslow
Americanpioneers. Withhardwood in A deftlywieldedartist'sbrushanda grain- or thegrainpatterns will tendto flow I
scarce supply,woodworkers harvested ingrollercombinedto etchavivid pattem backtogether. Youcanbuyspecial addi-
softwoods andgrainedthemto resem- ofheartgrainonapieceofparticleboard. tivesto speed up thedryingtime. I
GRAINING
A SURFACE
BYHAND
I
1 Preparing andapplying theglaze t
I Tinta container offlatoil-based
withartists'colorssothatit matches
oaint
the a
hueof thewoodyouwishto imitate.
Spread a layerof the paintonyourwork- t
pieceasa basecoatandallowit to dry.
Thenapplya graining glazeonthepaint- t
edsurface witha foambrushor padappli-
cator.To beginthe process of creating
a I
grainpatternon thewood,wrapa soft
clothtightlyaroundthreeof yourfingers, I
thendrawtheclothalongthesurface sev-
eraltimes,drawing thin,wavy,parallel I
lines (right).
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I
e r) Refining thegrainlines
I ArLieL'ebrueh
L fo makethegrainlinesfromstep
I a littlemoredelicate, dipanartist's
I brush ora camel's hairsword striper in
theglaze, anddrawit slowly along the
I surface withintheoriginal lines(left).
Forbestresults, holdthebrushat an
I angleto thesurface. lf youwishto sim-
ulatea knotonyourworkpiece, rubin
I linesfora roughovalordiamond shape
d h e r yeo uw i l lb ea d d i ntgh e
a r o u nw
I knot.Experiment withthebrushuntil
thesurface hasthegrainpattern you
I areseeking.

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I Q
Drawing
in knots
r.,l Wrapa clotharound onef ingerand
I dipthefingertipin theglaze.Thengently
touchthesurface to makeIheknol(righil.
I Tosmooth outthe oatterns andblend
themintothebackground, brush thesur-
I facebackandforthwitha soft,drybrush
following
thedirectionofthegrain. A badg-
I er softener
is idealforthisstageof the
process.0ncethesurface is dry,applya
I topcoat,thenpolishit withrottenstone
andpastewax.
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DECORATIVEFINISHES
t
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W()RKING
WITHGRAINING
TOOTS
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1 Simulating
I Spread
othergrainpatterns
a basecoatof tintedpaintandthena glazing stain to theedges(above,left).Toreproducethebroadgrainpattern
I
the procedures
following
the random
described
grainmarkings
on page118.Tosimulate
of oak,runa ray
characteristic
typicalof mahogany,
alongthesurface,
drawa metalor rubber
creatinga series
graining
comb
wavybutparal-
of slightly
I
markeralongthesurface lines,parallel
of theboardin straight lel lines(above,
right). I
I
I
I
r
I
I
r) Blending in thegrain
L Wnletheglazeisstillwet,gently draw
t
a soft,drypaintbrush,suchasa badger
softener,backandforthoverthesurface,
r
followingthe directionof lhe grain(right). I
Thiswillfanoutthegrainlinesandgive
thesurface
appearance.
a moreuniform andnatural I
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I DECORATIVEFINISHES
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A BLOCK CUSHION GRAINER
I Witha molding jigandsilicone rubber,
youcanmakea blockcushion grainer
I to suityourneeds. Forthejig,cuta cir-
cularblockof 1%-inchthick woodthat
I willfit onthesandrng diskofyourelec-
tricdrill.Screw theblockto thedisk,then
I installthediskin thedrillchuck. Attach
a commercial drillstandto a %-inchply-
I woodbase, theninstall thedrill.Clamp
thebaseto a worksurface andsecure a
T shortscrapof 2-by-4justin frontof the
blockto serveasa toolrest.Cutnotches Drill/ V Jig baoe
I in the2-by-4forclamps.
Toshape thewoodblock,lockthedrill
I in the0n position andholdthetip of a
smallskewchiselagainst therotating
I surface, etching a %-inch-deep groove
intothewood.Restthechiselblade on
I Ihe2-by-4to keepit steady. Cutonthe
left-hand sideof theblockto prevent the
I chiselfrombeingkickedup.Carve a
series of concentric grooves in theblock
t (above,right),varying theirwidthsandthe
intervals between themto suitthegrain
I pattern youwishto desrgn. Closely spaced
grooves will produce a hardwood look;
I grooves thatarespread fartherapartare
betterforsimulating softwoods.
t Tomaketheactualgrainer, remove the
blockfromthesanding diskandcoatits
I grooved facewithpastewax.Thenapply
a 7a-inch-thick layerof silicone rubber
I overthewax.Lettherubber curefor

r about24hours,
(below,
thenpeelit offtheblock
righil.frimtherubberimprint
andglueit to a rounded pieceof 2-by-2
I witha plywood handle. Remove anyresid-
ualpaste waxwithnaphtha.
I Thetoolis usedthesamewayastradi-
tionalgrainers (page120),butremember
I to pushit alongthesurface witha forward
rockrng motion.
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I t21
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MARBLING
I

f n thepast,whenstructural consider- rock cool and crystallize.

I ationsruledout theuseof realmar-
ble,fauxmarbre,or falsemarble,finishes
werecommonlyusedasa substitute
everything
on
fiom wallsandfloorsto man-
telsandfurniture.
Realmarbleis a bv-productof intense
naturalforcesthatoccurwhenlimestone
is meltedundergreatheatandpressure.
Mineralsrunningthroughthe molten
\
I
The resultis
layerupon layerof veinscoloredwhite,
blackand otherhues,whichtogether
form a latticethat is somehowboth
opaqueandtranslucent.
Of themanytechniques
ing theappearance
for replicat-
oimarbleon wood,
mostinvolveworkingwith two or three
coloredpaintson a wet,glazedsurface.
Toolsfor manipulating thepaintsrange
from ragsto newspapers to sponges,Fine
r
brushesor a featherarethebestimole-
mentsfor simulating thedepthandpat-
l
ternofthe veins.
As a rule of thumb,the colorson a
t
marbledsurfaceshouldbe limitedto a
maximumof three,includingthe base
I
color.Thechoiceof colorsisbestrestrict-
ed to the naturalcolorsfound in mar-
I
ble.The constituentoartsof marble
actuallyflow during the formationof
r
the stone,and it is vital to capturethis
appearance offluidity.Toproducea real-
r
isticdesign,work with goodreference I
photographs or keepa sampleof thereal
thingon hand. l

I
I
Whiteandgreenntarbledwood
simulates
theJluidappearance
I
and mistydepthof realmarble.
I
MARBLING
WITHA BRUSH
t
1
Applying theglaze I
I Forthebasecoatof a whitemarble
f inish,brusha coatof white,semigloss I
o i l - b a s epda i n o
t n y o u rw o r k p i e ca esa
b a s ec o a ta n da l l o wi t t o d r y .T oe l i m i - I
nateanybrushmarks, lightly sandthe
surface witha 320-grit sandpaper. Tint I
a container of whiteglazewitha small
amount of oneof theartists' colors that I
y o uw i l lb eu s i n gi n t h ef i n i s hT. h e nu s e
a clothora creased pieceof newspaper to I
coatthepainted surface wilhglaze(righil.
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I DE,CORATIVE
FINISHES
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I r) Sketching -/
in themarble veins --/
t L Wntlethesurface
someof theartists'
is stillwet.squeeze
colorusedin stepI --'" i ,''
" / t t '

t o n t oa p a l e t t eD. i pa na r t i s t s ' b r u isnht o

thecolorandusewavystrokes to paint
I imitatjon-marble veinsin theglaze(above).
Theveins should aooear to wander random-
I lyaboutthesurface, forking rightandleft.
R o l l i ntgh eb r u s hb e t w e eyno u fr i n g e r s
t whileyoupaintcanalsoproduce
youhavepainted
a realis-
tic effect. Once in allthe
I veins,remove theexcess glazeandsoften
t h ev e i n bs yp u l l i nags o f tc l o t hd i a g o n a l l y
t across thesurface (ighil.Repealthe process
to paintin moremarble veinsin a second
I color.lf youwishto layer onadditional veins,
reverse theorderof thecolors, or mixthem
I together to provide contrast anddepthto
thesurface.
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DECORATIVEFINISHES
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n<. Smoothins
theoattern
r
r - , 1 W h i l et h e s u r f a c ei s s t i l lw e t ,g e n t l y
d r a wa s o f t ,d r y p a i n tb r u s h s, u c ha s a
r
badgersoftener,backand forthacross I
the veins(right).Conlinueuntil the sur-
f a c el o o k sm i s t ya n dt r a n s l u c e nO t .n c e I
t h e s u r f a c ei s d r y ,l e t i t s i t f o r a b o u I 2 4
h o u r sa n da p p l ya c o a to f s e m i g l o sosr I
h i g h - g l o spso l y u r e t h a n va e r n i s hP. o l i s h
t h e w o r k p i e cw e i t h a s o f tc l o t h . t
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FEATHERING
A MARBLED
SURFACE
1l Sketchins
broad
veins I
-
I F o ra g r e e nm a r b l ef i n i s h s. p r e a d
a b a s ec o a to f g r e e np a i n ta n d t h e na I
g l a z et i n t e da l i g h t ecr o l o ro n y o u rw o r k -
p i e c ef o l l o w i n gt h e p r o c e d u roen p a g e I
122 t\'in: hird fp:thpr inin thp olazp
I
i r i r v ! i ' v
b i v 4 v

a n dd r a wi t d i a g o n a l al yc r o s tsh e s u r f a c e
t o p r o d u c eb r o a dm a r b l e - l i kvee i n s( / e f f ) .
S m o o t ha n d s o f t e nt h e p a t t e r nb y b r u s h - I
i n gt h e v e i n sl i g h t l yw i t ha m a r i n es p o n g e ,
a b a d g e sr o f t e n eor r a s o f tc l o t h .W h i l e t
t h e s u r f a c ei s s t i l l w e t , p r e p a r ea n o t h e r
b a t c ho f g l a z ea n dt i n t i t l i g h t e rt h a nt h e I
f i r s tc o a t i n gA. p p l ya n df e a t h e trh i s g l a z e
t h e s a m ew a yy o ud i d t h e f i r s to n e ,b u t I
t h i st i m e ,m a k et h e v e i n sc r o s so v e rt h e
o n e sa l r e a d iyn p l a c e . I
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DECORATIVEFINISHES
I
I
r) opening upthepattern
I I lo produce a mottled effectonthe
surface,dipa clean, paint
stiff-bristled
I brushintoa containerof mineral spirits.
Holding thebrusha fewinches abovethe
t workpiece,runa gloved f ingeralongthe
bristles,
moistening
theveinswitha f ine
I spray(right).

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r Q Completing thepattern
r-,, Dioa birdfeather in whiteartists'
I colorandallowtheexcess to driooff
to prevent anyblobbing. Thenusethe
I feather tipto sketch in a series of thin
whiteveinswithinthebroadveins
I already onthesurface. Whenallthe
fineveinshavebeenpainted, smooth,
t v a r n i sahn dp o l i s thh es u r f a caes
described in step3 on pageI24.
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FINSHNGTOTICHES
I
I
I Ithoughwoodworking cat- Thedifference between arubbed
alogsaboundwithawidevari- satinfinishandonethatisbuffedto
I ety of rubbingcompounds and a glossdepends on thegrit of the
fancyelectric polishers, puristsstill abrasive youchoose. Rubbingcom-
I relyonthecenturies-old
"rubbing
processof pounds, for example, containpar-
out" a finishwith tradi- ticlesthat leaveminutescratches
I tionalabrasives.Rubbingafinishto on a surface. Coarser-grit com-
a satinsheenwith pumice,a pow- poundsproducea fairlylargepat-
I dered form of volcanicrock, ternthatmakes thesurface appear
impartsa softlook suggestive of dull,or satin.Finer-gritcompounds
I brushed brassandleaves thewood Thevarnishtopcoaton this lgth-Centuryfarm- leavemarksthatareharderto see,
smoothand silky to the touch. house-style tablewasrubbedout with extra creatinga glossierlook.Virtually
I Takingtheprocess yetanotherstep fine steel
wool and buffedwith pastewax. anything thatabrades canbeused
furtherwith an evenfinerpowder for rubbingout.In additionto rub-
I calledrottenstone removes theabrasions caused bythepumice bingcompounds, finishers
relyon sandpaper, steelwooland
to addanextrameasure of shine-evento glossytopcoatsof nylonabrasive pads.In eachcase, thesizeofthe scratchpat-
I varnishor lacquer. terndictatesthelevelof sheen.
Thenotionof rubbingouta meticulously appliedtopcoat If rubbingout hasan inherentproblem,it is the risk of
t with abrasive compounds mayhave anincongruous ringto it. rubbingthroughthefinish.Sincetheprocess involves grind-
But the final coatof finishon a pieceof furnitureseldom ingsmallamountsof thethinlylayered topcoat,thereisalways
I leaves thesurfaceclearandperfectlysmooth.It is not unusu- thepossibilityof cuttingright throughthe coatingto the
al for thetopcoatto bespeckled with randomdustanddirt wood.Youneedto beespecially carefulneartheedges. With
I particles thatsettleon thefinishbeforeit dries.In addition, somevarnishes,
"signature" rubbing through even the very top layerwill
some of thetool usedto applythefinishmaybe create a blemish.Theresulting outlineof thecutarea,called
I visible.Evenwhenbrushes areadroitlyhandled,theyoften a "halo"or "witnesslinel' is a faintbut visiblereminderof
leavebehindfaintbristlemarks,anda sprayed surfacemay justhowthin eachlayerof a finishreallyis.
I showatexturesimilarto thatof anorange peel.Thefirststep Whilemostof therubbingout process is a removalof
in therubbingprocess thereforeisto levelthesurface asper- material,thelaststepputsa tiny amountback.Waxinga
I fectlyaspossible. Thesmoother it is,thebetterthelookand surfaceaddsan ultra-thinlayerof protectionatopthe
feelof thetopcoat.Oncethesurface islevel,it canbebuffed rubbedtopcoat,impartinga little moresheenanddura-
I to almostanysheen. bility to thefinish.

I
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I
Fittedwith a lamb'swoolbuffingbonnet,a random-orbit
I sanderserves asan electricpolisher,rubbingout thefinish
and thenbuffingthetopcoatto a high-gloss sheen.
I
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-
TOOLSAND ACCE,SSORIE,S I
I
Lubriaant
I
Kubbingoil
Keepepumtcefrom remov-
inq fintehwhenaLeelwoolor
)peeda up rubbingouL proceee;uoed with eandpa-
per or pumiceetone to achtevea hiqh-qloaeftntoh
t
abraetve pado are ueed Lo
rub ouL fintoh;potaearum' I
oleate type re1enLleenouqh
to be ueedas cleaner Pumiceetone I
I
Medtumcoaree (2F)
and fine (4F) qradee
oprinkledon aurface I
Paste wax and ueed with felt
Duffed on eurface block;made from I
afLer rubbin7ouL qround up lava
1;oproducea water- I
regietantand lonl'
Iaoting lueLerfiniah;
blendedwaxegare
I
often made wtLh
carnauba,a hard, Felt.block I
naLuralwax,mtxed Felt-coveredhard-
wtth parafftnor
beeewax
wood blockfar I
epreadtng
,rubbin4
co,mP,ouna on nn'
tSnea 6urface
t
Kubbingaompound
An abraeivepaate epeciallyformulat.'
ed for rubbtn4out lacquer,varntehand
t
ehellacfiniahea;applrcdwtth a raq or
electric polteher
Rottenatone I
A fine abraeivepowdereprinkledon
aurfaceaff,erpumtceto achtevea hi7h-
qloeeoheen;uaedwith felt block
I
I
I
Lamb'a wool
buffing bonnet I
lnetalledon elec'
Electric polieher trtc poltoher I
Ueedwtth bufftn4
bonnetand rubbing I
compoundto worK
on larqeaurfaces
I
'i;..'
\i ii' Rubbingpada I
9uper fine pad
ueedaloneor wtth
lubrtcant,suchaa I
Steel wool rubbin7otl;made
)uper fine or OOOO from durable poly' I
qrade ueedfor rub- eater frber
bin4ouLa ftnioh I
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PREPARING
TO RUBOUT THE FINISH
I
ff avinggracedyourworkpiece with
I I I a finalcoatof finishandwaitedfor
it to dry,you maybeimpatientto move
I on to the nextstep.However,beforea
topcoatcanbe rubbedout, it mustfirst
I dry andset,soasto be hardenoughto
beworkedoverwith veryfine abrasives.
I Beforerubbingout yourworkpiece,you
mustwaitfor thetoDcoatto cure-that
I is, you must allow it ampletime to
becomeashard asit will set.Without
I time to cure,you arelikelyio scratchthe
finishduringthe rubbingout phase.
I No two finishestakethesameamount
of time to cure.The durationof the
I processdependson severalfactors,
includingthetypeof finishingproduct
I you use,thenumberof coatsyouapply,
and the amountof time that elaoses
between subsequent coats.Forexample,
shellacandthewater-based finishes
can
usuallybe rubbedout after24 hours.
For lacquer,the wait is more like 48
hours,whilevarnishtakesthreeor four
days.Oil finishescanrequireweeksto
cure.The greaterthe numberof coats
thelongerthecuringtime.
on a surface,
But remember that a finishcuresmore
rapidlyif more time is left for drying
behveencoats.Alwaysreadthe instruc-
tionsbeforeapphng a finish;a suggested
curingtime will usuallybe indicated.
The typeof sheenyou end up with
afterrubbingout a finishhingeson the
abrasivesyou use.For a satingloss,use
400-gritpaper,thenbuffthesurface. Use
0000steelwoolinconjunction with 400-
grit paperfor a semigloss. An evenfiner
grit sandpaper, suchas600,combined
with rubbingcompoundwill resultin a
high gloss.Thesameeffectcanalsobe
achievedwith a 600-gritpaper and
pumiceor rottenstone.
Startby abradingthe topcoatto a
mattesheen.If you choosea wet/dry
sandpaper, select a grit thatis finerthan
the oneusedto preparethe surfacefor
thefinalcoatof finish.Thenextsteoisto
removedustandsandingparricles (page
42),Ihenrepeattheabradingprocess sev-
eraltimeswith successively finer-grit
papers.For a dull- or flat-lookingsur-
face,stopat 400-gritpaper.Moveup to a
highergrit for a glossier finish.

I
TESTING
A FINISHT()SEEIF IT IS CURED
I Checking thefinish
Perform thefollowrng simpleteststo
I determine whether a topcoat hascured.
T r yt o d i ga f i n g e r n ai ni lt ot h ef r n i s ho n
I an inconspicuous partof theworkpiece
(lefil.Youshouldnotbeableto leave an
I indentation. lf youdo,thefinishneeds
a d d i t i o ncaul r i n tgi m e S
. m e lils a n o t h e r
I goodindication. lf youcandetectthe
o d o ro f t h es o l v e notn t h ew o r k p i e c e ,
I t h et o p c o ai ts n o tr e a d fyo r r u b b i n g
o u t .O n c et h ef i n i s hp a s s ebso t ho f
I thesetests,sanda hidden arealightly.
lf thepaper
I clogs,
curing.lf thepaper
allowmoretimefor
glidesoverthesur-
I face,turning someof thefinishto powder,
thetopcoat is fullycured.
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129
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RUBBINGOUTAFINISH I
I
f herearetwo competingschoolsof usingwateronshellac, however;it will
J. thoughton thebestwayto rub out turn thefinishwhite.Paraffinoil. the I
a finish.The traditionalapproachis to traditionalrubbingoutlubricant, is a
painstakinglywork pumiceand rotten- betterchoicefor shellac
topcoats. t
stoneoverthetopcoated surfacesusinga
felt block. A lesshideboundmethod I
involvestheuseof oneor moremodern
abrasives, suchasrubbingcompounds, I
steelwool or sandpaper, and may even Rubbingout withfine steelwool
makeuseof an electricpolisher.Both and 400-gritsandpaperaddeda I
methodshavetheir advantages. Working semiglosssheento thewoodsample
with pumiceand rottenstoneis labori- at right. Tocreatea glossierlook, I
ous,but wins thewoodworkingpurist's evenfiner abrasiveswouldbeused.
stampof approval.The modernway is I
easierand cutsdown on elbowgrease,
but somearguethat it involveslesscraft. A GUIDE
T(lTHELAST ()FFINISHING
STAGE I
Both methodsaredemonstrated on the
pagesthat follow I
Whicheverrouteyou take,keepin
mind that thefinerthe abrasive you use, I
the glossier you
the sheen will produce.
The photo aboveshowsonesheenyou I
can achieveusingeitherrubbing out
technique. Any lustercanbe enhanced I
by buffing the finish with wax. But do
not rely solelyon the wax to heighten I
the gloss;it will not turn a satinfinish
into a semigloss, for example.Instead, I
the wax will only intensify what is
alreadythere.Althoughall the surfaces I
of a workpiecewill haveto be rubbed
out, pay particularattentionto tops, I
sincetheyarethe mostvisiblefeatures
of mostfurniture. t
If you chooseto go the traditional
route,you will needto usea lubricant t
with thepumiceandrottenstone. Water
and oils,like paraffinand mineraloil, I
arethemostcommonlyusedlubricants.
Working with waterofferstwo advan- I
tages:It cutspumicemorerapidlythan
oil, speedingup the process,and it also Strokes suitable fora flatsurface I
doesnot leaveany oily residue.Avoid Fortabletops andotherflatsurfaces, keepevery strokeparallel to thewood
grain,asshownin thediagram at right.Startneara corner andmovein a I
straight linealongtheedge,rubbing thesurface withmoderate pressure
f r o mo n ee n dt o t h eo t h e rA. l t e r n a tdei r e c t i o nwsi t he a c hs u b s e q u e n t I
strokeuntilyoureachtheotheredge.Keeptheabrasive moving; thefric-
tionresulting fromrubbing a single spottoolongmayleave thefinishslightly I
burned. Avoidmaking arc-like strokes, whichareaptto makeanyscratches
onthesurface morevisible. I
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130
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FINISHINGTOUCHES
I
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W()RKING
WITHCONT()URED
SURFACES
t Rubbing outa contouredsurface
Forrounded surfaces thatareawkward
I to workwitha rigidabrasive pad,usea
shop-made rubbing padthatwillfollow
t thecurves of yourworkpiece. lf youare
working withpumice, sprinkle it onthe
I surface witha short,stiff-bristledbrush.
Thenwrapa sheetof sandpaper around
I a thicksponge smallenough to comfort-
ablygripin yourhand.Clasp thepaper
I around thesponge asyou ruboutthefin-
ishon the surface(right).Withsome
t youcanalsousesteel
typesof finishes,
woolor a commercial rubhins nad
t
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RUBBING
OUTA FINISH
WITHROTTENSTONE
I
1 Applying thelubricant
t I Dipthetipsof yourfingers
ofthelubricant andsprinkle
in a bowl
severaldrops
t on thesurface
Wearrubber
to be rubbedout(lefil.
gloves if youareusingoil
a sa l u b r i c a n t .
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131
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FINISHINGTOUCHES
t
I
r) Abrading thesurface
L Snat<e a littleoumice ontothesur- I
face,thenbeginlightly abrading thesur-
facewitha felt block(/eft).Follow the t
p a t t e rsnh o w no n p a g e1 3 0 .l f y o ud o
n o th a v ea f e l tb l o c kw, r a pa p i e c eo f I
burlao around a scrao of wood. Continue
r u b b i ntgh es u r f a cuen t i la m i x t u roef I
therottenstone andlubricant forms.Use
a softclothto wioeoff a smallareaof I
t h es u r f a cpee r i o d i c at lol yi n s p e ct ht e
finish. Youwantto make certain thatyou I
arenotrubbing through thetopcoat.
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/ I
).
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Q Removing thepumice andlubricant
r-,1Wioeoff theabrasive andlubricant t
witha cleanclolh(right). Check thesur-
f a c es h e e nt ;h ef i n i s hs h o u l dh a v ea t
s a t i nl u s t e rY. o uc a ne i t h esr t o pt h e
p r o c e sast t h i sp o i n to r r e p e aitt t o I
obtaina slossier sheen.
t
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FINISHINGTOUCHES
I
T ()PTI()NS
MORERECENT F()RRUBBING
OUT
T U s i n ga n e l e c t r i p
c olisher
F i t a b u f f i n gb o n n eot n t h e m a c h i n e ' s
I p o l i s h i n dg i s ka n d s p r e a da w o o dr u b -
b i n gc o m p o u n o d n t h e b o n n e tS . t a r tt h e
I p o l i s h enr e a rt h e c e n t e ro f t h e s u r f a c e
a n dw o r ko u t t o w a r dt h e e d g e sm , oving
I the bonnetcontinuously (left).Electric
p o l i s h e rws o r kq u i c k l y s, o s t o pt h e t o o l
I oftenandwipeoff a smallareaof the sur-
f a c ew i t h a c l o t ht o c h e c kt h e c o n d i t i o n
t o f t h e t o p c o a tO . n c et h e s u r f a c et a k e s
o n a s a t i nl o o k ,y o uc a ne i t h e rs t o pt h e
I p r o c e sos r c o n t i n u ew i t h a f i n e r - g r irtu b -
b i n gc o m p o u nfdo r a g l o s s i elru s t e r .
I
-
T
\'1 ,l
T
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I
t
t
I
I l]ltljlljjlrlltlllrllilll|1
lllrllllililllrr]l1
llr]Irllttll11
llllilll
I 1HO?TI?
t Keepinga bufling
bonnel grit-free
I TarLicles of dust or qril ),
on a buffinqbonnef, can
I ruina Nopcoaf, durinqLhe
rubbinqoul proceee.To
I maKeeureyour ,onnet
6tayo clean,neverseLil
.e='i=E=HrF#

downon poLenLially duety

I surfaces. InsNe ad, resl K .-.. "*.
=AE--.-
"- .'c*_1
"
I f

t i l o n a c l e a np l a o N ibc a q .
Sef,weenfiniohinqjobo, otore
F- '\
I
".1^
'\.-
'\
Fl '-,,
,Z'
\'- . -"-
- znF-P
t h e b o n n e t ,i n a s e a l a b l e \;: --'--' .J'
I nlaalir han
-^_-

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FINISHINGTOUCHES
I
T
t
Using rubbing compounds
Scoop upa littlerubbing compound with I
a cleanclothandrubit alongthewood
surface (righilasyouwouldpumice. Once I
y o uh a v ea b r a d etdh ee n t i r es u r f a c e ,
wioethecomoound offthesurface with I
another cloth.Fora glossier sheen, repeat
the process
Toobtaina softer
witha f iner-grit compound.
glossthanis possible
t
w i t hr u b b i ncgo m p o u nsdo, m e finishers I
r u bo u tt h ef i n i s hw i t ha l u b r i c a a
nntd
s u p efri n es t e ew l o o ol r a c o m m e r c i a l I
r u b b i npga d .
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CLEANING
ANDREPAIR
TIPSF()RFINISHES I
FINISH CLEANING
TIPS REPAIR
TIPS I
Lacquer Wipeusingcleancloth Repaircracks withlacquer slick(page 45)orshop-made lacquer I
dampenedwithlightdetergent, puttybyletting a smallamount of lacquer
dryto a honey-like
consistency.
potassium or naphtha;
oleate Forwhitespots, carefully
digoutthedamage witha puttyknifeandapply
avoidusingthinners lacquer thinneruntilthewhiteportion turnsclear;thenapplylacquer I
stickor putty,letdryandsandlightly.
Shellac Wipeusingcleancloth Lightly
sandawayscratches.
T
dampened withnaphtha; Repairdiscolored bypadding
areas thesurface
withshellac
asin
Avoidusingwater; it willturn French (page106).
polishing I
shellacwhite
Varnish Wipeusinglightdetergent, Repair orgouges
smallcracks stick(page
withlacquer 45).
t
potassiumoleateor naphtha;
avoidusingmethylhydrate I
Oils Usenaphtha on polymerized Sandawayscratches,
thenrecoat
withoil.Recoat
discolored
or dullareas. I
oilfinishes;
usesoapand
wateron pureoil surfaces
I
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134
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FINISHINGTOUCHES
I
I
WAXING
FORA PROTECTIVE
SHEEN
I Applying thewax
1
I A c o a t i no g f w a xw i l l p r o t e cat
I rubbed-out topcoat fromdamage, but
s e l e cat p r o d u cwt i t ha c o n s i s t e n c y
I thatisslightly thicker thana liquidor
creamwax.Scoop a bit of thewaxonto
I a cleancloth,thenspread a thin,even
coatonthesurface, rubbing thewaxinto
T onesmallareaat a Iime(right).lf youtry
to workontoo largea surface areaaI a
I time,thesolvent in thewaxmayevapo-
ratebefore youcanrubit overthesurface,
I causing thewaxto harden premature-
l y . L e tt h ew a xd r ya c c o r d i nt o gt h e
I m a n u f a c t u r einr 'sst r u c t r o nt ys p, i c al yl
abou1 t 5 minutes.
t
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t
I r) Buffingthewax
L A u Ow i t ha c l e a nc l o t hu n t i lt h e
I waxed surface shines. Forcontours or
surfaceswithdetails, asshownat left,
I buffthewaxwitha stiff-bristled brush,
givingthewoodshort,briskstrokes.
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I
AND STORAGE
CLE.A].dING I
I
,\ finishingprojectis not quitefin- darnpenthe ragsand placethem in a exposed to air,shouldbestoredin airless
A isheduntilyoucleanandputaway sealed rnetalcontainer. Thiswill isolate containers. Ratherthankeepinga small I
yourbrushes, storethesolvents, anddis- thern from anv sparksor flamesand volumeof a reactive finishin a largecon-
poseof anyoilyrags.Whilefoambrush- quicklystarveanyspontaneous fire of tainer.transfertheoroductto a smaller I
esareusuallydiscarded aftera single needed oxygen. Thesafest wayto dispose one,exposing theliquidto lessair.A bet-
use,bristlebrushesandpadapplicators of oily ragsis to firstspreadthemout to ter solutionisto buyfinishingproducts I
canbe cleanedand reused.With the dry out ofdoors. in smallercuantities or to storethemin
propercare,a high-qualitybrushcan Storefinishingproductsin sealed, collapsible plasticcontainers (page87). I
providemanyyearsof service. properlylabeled containers.Avoidusing Do not flushany finishingproduct
Butgoodcleanup habitswilldo more bottlesor jarsthat normallycontain downthedrain.Evena water-based fin- T
than protectyour investment; theyare food or liquids;a visitorto your shop ish canposeproblemsby coagulating
alsokeyelements of shopsafetyandenvi- couldmistakea chemicalproductfor in drain pipesand backingup your I
ronmentalresponsibility. Tokeepfinish- something drinkable. plumbingsystem. To disposeof small
ingproducts outof thereachof children,
storecontainers in a lockedmetalcabi-
Alwaysstorestainsand finishesat
roomtemperature; a water-basedprod-
quantitiesof a productlet it sit in an
uncovered containeroutsideuntil the
t
net.Avoidthrowingout wet,oily rags uct will be ruinedif allowedto freeze. solventevaporates. Forlargervolumes, T
with thetrash;thisincreases theriskthat Reactive finishes suchastungoilor var- consultthe wastedisposalservicein
theywill catchfire.Fortemporarystorage, nish,which eventuallyhardenwhen your community. T
I
CLEANING
ANDSTORAGE
TIPS
o Avoidstanding o Afterbreaking o To disposeof a water-based
t
a brushon itsbristles; in a newbrushor finish,
thismaybendthempermanently
r u i nt h eb r u s h .
and
for storage.
, r a pi t i n p a p e r
c l e a n i nagu s e do n e w pouror brushit ontoscrapsof cardboard;
let it dryand discardthe cardboard. t
. Breakin a newbrushbysuspending
upto theferrulein a solvent thatis com-
it . Salvagea hardened
thebristles
overnight
brushbysoaking
in a mixtureof 2
. Insteadof discarding a containerof
usedmineralspirits,recycleit. Let the
I
p a t i b lw
e i t ht h ef i n i s hy o uw i l la p p l y . partsxylene,1 partacetoneand1 part solventsit in a coolspotfor a weekor
Soakthebristles forabout10 minutes, denaturedalcohol.Usea brushcombto two,then decantthe spiritsthat have I
thencleanthebrushwithdetergent and removefragments of hardenedf inish risento the top in a cleancontainer
warmwater. fromthebristles. and disposeof the residue.
I
I
T
SH()PAIDSFORBRUSHES
Aruahaomb Bruah bucket and lid t
A metal combfor An airtiqht 6tora0e con-
cleanin4eolidftntEh Latnerfor ouopending I
reaidueefrom brueh bruehesin a eolvent;
bristlea featurea plaettc cltpe
that hold bruaheewith
I
the brietleaabovetha
bottom ofthe contatner t
I
Eruah apinner I
UaescenLrtfu1alforce to epin eolventfrom
brueh briatlea:one end ofthe devtceholdathe
bruah whilethe pump-likehandleat the other
I
end createe the epinningaction
I

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I CLEANING AND STORAGE
I
I
A BRUSH
STORING OVERNIGHT
I
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Soaking brushes in solvent
I Thereis nopointcleaning a brush(page
13B)n youplanto useit thefollowing lllltlllllllllllilllilltlllllliltlljlllllltJllllrlll,lrllilulJ
lt]jilii
I day.Instead, suspend thebrushin the
appropriate solvent forthef inishing prod-
I uctyouareusing: forvarnish, a mixture 1HO?TI?
of turpentine andvarnish; forshellac,
?unahingdrip holee
I denatured alcohol; forlacquer, lacquer
lNLakesverylif,Lletime for the rim
t h i n n e fr o; ra s t a i na, " b r u s h
keeper"
of a can of finishto fill uo with lia-
I solution of 2 partsrawlinseed
(Foroil-based
oilandI uid.Theresult,is ofLena' meoty
partturpentine. finishing dripVing and a oVlaohwhenthe lid
I products, justwrapthebrushin plastic ie IappeAcloeeA,To keep
wrap.) Whensoaking a brush, submerge a conlainerfrom over'
I o n l yt h eb r i s t l e a
s ,n dn o tt h ef e r r u l e , flowinqits rim,puncha
making suretheyaresuspended above serieeof holeearound
I thebottom of thecontainer. Keepthe iXecircumference wiLha
b r u s hi n a c o m m e r c ibarlu s hb u c k e t n a i l . T h iw
e i l la l l o wl i q u i d
(page136),or hangit froma nailin a Nofall Nhrouqh Lheholee
I backinNoIhe conNainer.
shop-made rack(above).
I

r37
 I
CLEANINGAND STORAGE
I
I
I
CTEANING
A BRUSH
1 Rinsins thebrushinsolvent I
I Submerse thebrush's bristles
in the
appropriatesolventforthefinishingprod- I
uctused(page16).Swirlthebrushin the
solvent,pressingthebristles
againstthe I
sidesof thecontainer.Workthesolvent
through withyourhands
thebristles until I
thebrushis clean(left).foremove allthe
residuefromthebrush, washthebristles t
in a solution
of milddetergentandwarm
water,thenpulla brushcombthrough I
themasmanytimesasnecessary (below).
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r CLEANINGAND STORAGE
I
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r) Spinning thebrush dry
I L to rida brushof solvent, shakert by
handor usea brushspinner. In bothcas-
I e s ,h o l dt h eb r u s h
i n s i dae 5 - g a l l ocna n
to catchthesolvent asit sprays fromthe
r hrictloc Tn rrcp a sninnprJ P " " ' u l
insprt tho hrrrch

h a n d l ei n t ot h e d e v i c ea n d ,h o l d i n g the
I b r u s hi n t h ec a n ,p u m pt h e h a n d l teo s e t
it spinning ( / e f f )C
. o n t i n uuen t i l t h e r e
is
I n o l o n g ear n ys o l v e nftl y i n go f f t h e b r u s h .

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r AG
ST O R I N BR U S H
Wrappingthebristles
I A well-cleanedbrushcanbestored indef
i-
nitely.
Wrapthebristles
a fewtimesinthick,
I absorbentpaper.Avoidusingplasticwrap,
whichwillkeepthebristles fromdrying
I properlyandmayleave themlimp.The
papershould coverthebristlescompletely,
I extendingbeyond thetipsandoverthefer-
rule.Usea rubber bandto holdthewrap-
I perin place,makingsuretheelasticgrips
theferrulerather
thanthebristles(rrehil.
I Hangthebrushupto dry
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A-B
Abrasive Eithera coarsepowder,or
a pieceof paperor fabric coatedwith
grit particlesusedto smoothwood
in preparationfor finishing or to
abradefinish coats;includessandpa-
per,abrasivepads,steelwool, pumice
and rottenstone.
I
I
GLOSSARY I
I
Curing: The processbywhich a finish Graining:A decorativefinishingtech-
hardenscompletely,leavingit ready niquein which a specificgrain pattern
is replicatedon a preparedsurface.
I
for rubbing out. Curing time varies
accordingto the type of finish and the
numberof coats. H-r-J-K-L I
Heartwood:Wood from the centerof
Cut The numberof poundsof shellac a log; generallydarkerthan sapwood. I
flakesdissolvedin eaih gallonofdena-

Aniline dye:A lightfast,permanent

syntheticdyederivedfrom coaltars;
solublein water,alcoholor oil.
Artists' colors: Rich, coloredpig-
mentsmixed in linseedoil: usedto
tint paintsand stains.
Basecoat:An undercoatof glazeor
paint appliedasthe first stepin many
decorativefinishingtechniques.
Bleach:A liquid that chemicallyalters
wood; usedto lightenthe color.
Bleeding:The tendencyof a stainor
grain filler to seepthrough to the top-
coat.Bestavoidedby applyinga wash
coaton the stainor filler.
Brazilwood:A natural dyestuffextract-
ed from the SouthAmericanredwood
tree;usedin chemicalstainingofwood.
Bristlebrush:A paintbrushwith bris-
tlesmadefrom the hair of animals,
suchasox,badger,boar or sable.
Bronzepowder:Metallic,powdered
pigmentusedin stencilingor for oth-
er decorativefinishes,suchasgilding.
Burnisher: A rodJike tool usedto
sharpenscrapers.
C lustroussheen.
Catalytic finish: A two-part finish
comprisingresinsand chemicalcata-
Iysts;the resinsreactwith the catalysts
to oxidizeand hardenthe finish.
tured alcohol.A 3-pound-cutshellac,
for example,contains3 poundsof
shellacfor everygallonofalcohol.
D-E
Distressing:A finishingtechnique
that involvesaddingscratches,
dents
and otherblemishesto the wood or
topcoatto simulatethe well-worn
look of an antique.
Driers: Chemicalsaddedto a fin-
ishingproductto speedup the
drying time.
Dryingoil One of a group of organ-
ic oils that hardenwhen exposedto
the air;tung oil andboiledlinseedoil
areexamples.
Dyestuff:A naturalcoloringagent
extractedfrom plantsor animalsand
usedasa basefor dyestains.
F-G
Fisheye:The tendencyof a finish to
showsmallcirculardepressions when
contaminatedby siliconeor wix.
Flat finish: A finish with no sheen:
onethat containsflatteningagents,
which reducelight reflection.
Frenchpolishing: A traditional fin-
ish typicallybuilt up with many
layersofshellacto producea deep,
Gelstain:A blendof pigmentsand
dyesin a gelthat becomesliquid
whenstirred.
IfVLP: Abbreviationof high-volume,
low-pressure; in finishing,a system
r
for sprayingthat useslargevolumes
of air at low pressureto turn a liquid
t
into a fine mist.
I
fapan color: Highly refinedcolored
pigments;usedto tint stainsor I
protectivefinishessuchasIacquer
or shellac. I
Lacquer:A tough,clearsynthetic
finish usuallyderivedfrom nitro- I
cellulose;driesquicklyto a flat or
glossyfinish. I
Lightfast Describesa stainor dye I
that doesnot readilyfadeafterpro-
Iongedexposureto light. I
Long-oil varnish:Varnishcontaining
100poundsofresinfor each40 to 100 I
gallonsof oil, resultingin a product
that driesslowlyto a durableand elas- I
tic finish. Seeshort-oilvarnish.
M-N-O
I
MSDS:Abbreviationof manufac-
turer'ssafetydatasheet;the infor- r
mation describes the flammabiliry
volatility and healthhazardsofa I
finishin! product.
I
Marbling: A decorativefinishing tech-
niqueusedto imitatethe appearance
of marble.
I
Mineral spirits: A petroleum-based I
solventcommonlyusedfor thinning
variousfinishesandfor cleaningappli- I
cationtools.

Mordant A chemicalsubstance
I
Crazing:The tendenryof a finish to Glazs A heavy-bodied stainusedin that
fractureerraticallyasit dries;results decorativefinishessuchasgraining changesthe color ofwood; often used
from solventincompatibility. and marbling. in conjunctionwith naturaldyes.
I
Glossyfinish: A finish with a reflec- I
tive,shinysurface. i I
I
140
I
I
I
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I
I
NGR stain:Abbreviationof non-
I grain-raisingstain;NGR stainsare
madefrom anilinedyesin a waterless
I solutionof methanoland oetroleum
products;theyaredesigned to avoid
raisingthe grain of wood.
I lubricantwhen rubbingout finishes.
OrangepeehThe tendencyofa top-
I coatto takeon the textureofan
orangepeelwhen the finish is sprayed
I poorly or at the wrong viscosity.
t Overspray:Dried finish particlesthat
adhereto the surface,or finish spray
that missesthe workpieceand is dis-
I persedinto the air.
I P-Q
Padding:A techniquefor wiping on
t a finish with a cloth pad.
Photochemicallyreactive:Describes
I a finishingproductthat breaksdown
in its chemicalstructurewhen
I exposedto light.
I Pickledfinish: An antiquefinish con-
sistingof a light-coloredglazewiped
overa basecoat.
I ShellacA clearfinish derivedfrom
Pigment Finelyground,coloredpar-
I ticlesof earthor metallicoxidessus-
pendedin a liquid to createa stainor
I a tint for protectivefinishes.
I Polymerized tung oil Tirng oil that
hasbeentreatedwith heatto acceler-
ateits drying time.
I long-oilvarnish.
PolyurethaneA synthetic,durable,
I oil-modified urethanevarnishthat is
resistantto abrasion;availablein lus-
I tersrangingfrom flat to glossy.
Pumice A volcanicrock that is ground
I to a powderyconsistencyfor useas
an abrasive.
I areexamples.
R Wood filler: A putty productusedfor
I Raymarker:A tool usedto produce
grain patternstypicalofoak.
I Reactivefinish: A finish that hardens
when exposedto the air; tung oil, var-
t nish and polnrrethaneareexamples.
I
I
I
t
Rottenstone:A fine abrasivemade
from pulverizedlimestoneusedto
rub out finishesto a high gloss;tex-
ture is finer than that of pumice.
Rubbingoil A light oil usedasa
Rubbingout The processofabrading
a topcoatto levelthe surfaceand add
sheento the finish.
S-T-U
Sandingsealer:A preliminarycoat
for a lacquerfinish.
Sapstreak Pocketsof pitch in wood
that tend to bleedinto a finish unless
first sealed.
Sapwood:The live wood nearthe
outsideof a log; generallylighter in
color than the interior.Seeheartwood.
Satinfinish: A finish of intermedi-
atesheen;not asdull asa flat finish,
nor asshinyor reflectiveasa high-
glosssheen.
the naturalsecretions
of the lacbeetle;
soldreadyto useor in flakes,which
arethen mixedwith denaturedalcohol.
Short-oil varnish:Varnishcontaining
100poundsofresinfor each5 to 12
gallonsof oil, resultingin a product
that driesto a hard,glossyfinish. See
Smoothingplane:For shavingwood
surfacessmoothand level;longerthan
jack plane.
the average
Solvent-releasefinish: A finish that
forms a solid film afterthe solvent
hasevaporated; shellacand lacquer
Solvent A liquid usedto dissolve
anothersubstance; examplesare
turpentine,mineralspirits,toluene,
acetoneandwater.
r4l
Stain:A finishingproductusedto
color wood; may containdyes,pig-
mentsor chemicals.
Thckcloth: A cloth dampenedwith
an oil-and-varnishmixtureor with
water;usedto removesandingparti-
clesfrom wood surfaces.
Tlrnnicacid:A naturallyoccurring
acidfound in wood; changescolor
when exposedto certainchemicals.
Thinner: A solventusedto reduce
the consistenryof a finish.
Topcoat The final finishingproduct
appliedto the workpiece.
Tungoil A water-resistant drying oil
derivedfrom the seedsof the Chinese
tung tree;availablein pure,modified
and polymerizedforms.Also known
asChinawood oil.
Universalcolor: Concentratedpig-
mentsusedto tint protectivefinishes,
suchasvarnishor lacquer.
V-W.X-Y-Z
Varnish:A clearfinish madewith
syntheticoils that excelsat resisting
waterand alchohol.
VOC rating: Indicatesthe amount of
hazardousorganicsolventsin a finish;
providedin percent,gramsper liter or
poundsper gallon.
Washcoat A coatof diluted finishing
materialfor sealingwood pores.
Water-basedfinish: A product in
which the solventis primarily water.
Wipingstain: A non-fadingstain
containingpigmentssuspendedin oil.
repairingsurfacedamagein wood, or
a pasteusedfor filling opengrain.
 I
I
INDEX I
I
Pagereferencesin iralicsindicate D I-I-K
an illustration of subiectmatter.
Pagereferencesin bold indicate
Dents:
Repair,44
Insurance: I
Sprayrooms,103
a Build It Yourselfproject. Dollies,98 lapancolors,65, 66-67,70
Dovetailioints: .,lgs:
I
A Using old scraperbladesto cut half- Blockcushiongrainers,l2l
Abrasives,35,37, 128
Abrasivecord,40
blind dovetails(ShopTip),34
Drfrng oils,87, 134
Supportsfor drying (ShopTip), 74 I
Turntablesfor spraying,100
Making a sandpapercutting board Preventingreactivefinishesfrom Variableburnishers(ShopTip), 33
(ShopTip), 37 dryingout (ShopTip),87 I
Rottenstone, 127,130,131-132 Dyes,5t 59,60-63,70 L-M-N
Shop-madeabrasivetape(ShopTip), 40
SeealsoPumice
Natural dyes,69,76-79
Seea/soStains
Lacquers,
Liming,75
90,134 t
Ammonia,80-81 Linseedoil, 9, 87
Antiqueeffectfinishes,55 E-F Marbling, 110,122-125 I
Pickling, T5 Ebonizing,55 Tools,l12
B
A chemicalstain for ebonizing
(ShopTip), 79
McGoldrick,Pari,6-7
Metric measures:
I
Belt sanders,23, 35 File clamps,3-l Conversion,backendpaper
Blades.SeeCabinetscrapers;Hand Finishes.SeeDecorativepainting; Mordants, T6-79 t
scrapers;Planes Polishing;Protectivefinishes;Stains Moser,Thomas,8-9
Bleaching,57-58
BIockpIanes,22, 29
Fire:
Extinguishers,12,17
Natural dyes,76-79
NGR stains,60, 6l
I
Bronzepowderstenciling,113,117 Safetyprecautions,12,17
Broue de noix. 69 Sprayrooms,103 O-P-Q I
Brushes,fr ont endpaper, 83 Frenchpolishing,106-109 Paddinglacquers, I06
A foambrush (ShopTip),92
Buffing,126,128,135
Making a pumice dispenser
(ShopTip), 107
Palm sanders,23, 35
Pastewood filler. SeeGrain filler
I
Keepinga buffing bonnet grit-free Fuming,80-81 Patchingcompounds,43,45-46
(ShopTip), 133 Filling a damagedcorner I
Build It Yourself: G (ShopTip), ae
Graining
block cushiongrainers,l2l
Gelstains,65,66-67,70
Glazingstains,65, 66-67, 70
Using a gluegun to apply shellac
stick(ShopTip), a6
I
Protectivefinishes Grain: Pickling,75
sprayroom dollies,98 Raising,21, 50 Pigmentstains,55, 59,64-67,70 I
turntablesfor spraying,100 Grainfiller, 21, 51-53 SeealsoStains
Surfacepreparation
contouredsandingblock, 39
Coloring grain filler (ShopTip), 50
Lighteningwood with grain filler
Planes, 20,2I,22,24
Adjustment, 27-28
r
Burn-in kits,43,46 (ShopTip), 58 Sharpening, 24,25-27
C
Graining,lll, 118-120
Tools,112,l2l
Planing,21,28-29 t
Polishing:
Cabinetscrapers,22, 30,34
Sharpening, 30-32 H
Waxing,127,135
SeealsoBuffing; Rubbingout
I
usinga file clamp(ShopTip), 3l Half-blind dovetailioints: Polyurethanes, 88
usinga variableburnisher
(ShopTip), 33
Using old scrapeibladesto cut half- Porefiller. SeeGrain filler I
blind dovetails(ShopTip),34 Powertools. SeeSanders;Sprayers
Using old scraperbladesto cut half-
blind dovetails(ShopTip),34
Hand scrapers, 21,22,j0, jj
Sharpening,j0-j2
Productlabels,l8
Protectiveclothing, 12
r
Chemicals: usinga file clamp (ShopTip), 3l Protectivefinishes,83,86,87-90
Ammonia.80-81
BIeach.57-58
usinga variableburnisher
(ShopTip), 33
Application techniques,83, 86 I
brushing,83,92
Mordants, T6-79 Using old scraperbladesto cut half-
Spills,l6 blind dovetails(ShopTip),34
flooding, 83
Frenchpolishing,106-109 I
SeealsoSolvents:Stains High-volume,low-pressurespray padding,9l
Chinawood oi1,86,87
Cleaningtechniques,136-I 39
systems,93,94
Holes:
spraying,82, 83,97- 101,I0O
sprayingproblems,104-105
t
Chemicalspills, 16
Finishedsurfaces, 134
Filling
filling a damagedcorner
wiping,83,9l
Cwing, 129 t
Decorativepainting, I I I (ShopTip), 49
Tools.l.l2
SeealsoGraining;Marbling;
Patching,4T-49
HVLP spraysystems,93,94
I
Stenciling
I
I
I
t42
I
t
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I
I
Tools.85 Sandingblocks: Pigmentstains,55, 59,64-67,70
I a foambrush (ShopTip),92
sprayers,84, 85,93-96,101
Contouredsandingblocks,39
Curvedsurfaces,38
Preparation,68
preparinga naturalwalnut stain
viscositycttps,89,96 Shop-madesandingblocks (ShopTip), 6e
I Tlpes (ShopTip), 36 SeealsoStaining
{rfrng oils,87,134 Sandpaper.SeeAbrasives Stenciling,111, 1I 3-I 16
I lacquers,90,134
polyurethanes, 88
Savoy,Prew,l0-lJ
Scrapers.SeeCabinetscrapers;
A curefor bleeding(ShopTip), l15
Bronzepowder,113,117
shellacs,
89, 10G109,134 Hand scrapers Patterns,backendpaper,I 13-114
I varnishes, 83,88, 134 Scraping,33-34 projectinga pattern(ShopTip), 114
SeealsoBuffing; Rubbing out; Waxing Scratches: Tools,I 12
I Pumice,130,131-132
Frenchpolishing,107-108
Repair,134
Shellacs, 89,134
Surfacepreparation,2 I
Repairs,43-49
Making a pumice dispenser Frenchpolishing, 106-109 filling a damagedcorner
I (ShopTip), l0Z making a pumice dispenser (ShopTip), 49
(ShopTip), l0Z gluing an edgesplinter back
I R Shellacsticks,43, 45-46 (ShopTip), 44
Raisingthe grain,2l, 50 usinga gluegun to apply shellac SeealsoPlaning;Sanding;Scraping
Random-orbitsanders. 38 stick(ShopTip),46
I Reactivefinishes.87 ShopTips: T
Preventingreactivefinishesfrom Decorativefinishes,114,115 Tack cloths:
dryingout (ShopTip), 87
I Repairs:
Protectivefinishes,87,92,107
Rubbingout, 133
making a tack cloth (ShopTip), 42
Tools:
Finishedsurfaces. 134 Safety,l5 Decorative painting, 1I 2
I Surfacepr epar ation, 43-49
gluingan edgesplinterback
Staining,58,69, 71,73, 24,79 Protectivefinishes,84-85,92
Surfacepreparation Rubbing out, 128
(ShopTip), aa
I Respirators,12,14-15
grain filler, 50
repairs, 44,46,49
Spraybooths, 13,84
Sprayrooms,102-103
Storingrespiratorcartridges sanding,36,37, 40,41, 42 Staining,56
I (ShopTip), .15
Rottenstone, 127,130,I 31-132
scraping, 31,33,34 Storage,136,137,139
Smokedetectors.17 Surfacepr eparation,22-23
Rubbingcompounds,J33
I Rubbingofi, 126-133
Solvents:
Productlabels.18
Variableburnishers,33
SeealsoAbrasives; Brushes;Cabinet
Tools,128 Protectivefinishes,86, 103 scrapers;Hand scrapers;Planes;
I S
Safetyprecautions,12-19,84,102-103 Sanders; Sandingblocks;Sprayers
Toxicity, 19,86,103 Tung oil, 86,87
Safetyprecautions,12-13 Wastedisposal,12,13,16
I Bleach.57 Sprayers, 84, 85,93-96 u-v-w-x-Y-z
Dual-cartridgerespirators,12, 14-15 Cleaning,10.1 U.S.measures:
I storing respiratorcartridges
(ShopTip), 15
Viscositycups,89,96
Spraying,97,99, 101
Conversion,backendpaper
Vaporpressure,18
Fire,12,17,103 Dollies,98
I Mordants,77 Problems,104-105
Variableburnishers,33
Varnishes,83,88,134
Protectiveclothing, I2 Spraybooths, 13,84 VOC (Volatile OrganicCompound)
I Spraybooths, .13,84
Sprayrooms, 102-103
Sprayrooms,102-103
Turntables,100
rating,18
Walnut oil, 87
Sanders, 23,35,38 Staining, 54,55,71-74
I Buffingbonnets,126,128,133 Controlling the flow of stain
Walnut stains:
preparinga natural walnut stain
keepinga bufEng bonnet grit-free (ShopTip), 7l (ShopTip), 6e
I (ShopTip), 133
SeealsoAbrasives
End grain, 69
Gettingstaininto tight spots
W a s hc o a t s , 2 l , 5 l , 5 3
Wastedisnosal:
Sanding,35-36 (ShopTip), 73 Solvenis,12,13,16
I Curvedsurfaces,3& 40 Pickling,75 Waxing,I27, 135
Finding flaws (ShopTifl, al Supportsfor drying(ShopTip), 24 Wax sticks,43
I Removingdust particles,42
making a tack cloth (ShopTip), 42
Tools.56
SeealsoBleaching; Fuming
Wiping stains,64-65 70
Wood:
Tight spots,4l Stains: Color,55
I SeealsoSanders ChemicaI,T6-79 Grain.5l
a chemicalstainfor ebonizins Wood filler,43,45
I (ShopTip), 79
Dyes,5t 59,60-63,70
Fillinga damagedcorner(ShopTip), 49
naturaldyes,69,76-79
I
I
t r43
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I
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I
Theeditorswishto thank thefollowing

SAFETY
I
DeVilbissSprayBoothProductsCo.,Barrie,Ont;
Chris A. Minick. Stillwater,MN I
PREPARINGTHE SURFACE
AdjustableClampCo.,Chicago,IL; AmericanTool Cos.,
I
Lincoln,NE; Blackand Decker/EluPowerTools,Hunt Valley,MD;
Delta InternationalMachinery/PorterCable,Guelph,Ont.; I
Hitachi PowerToolsU.S.A.Ltd.,Norcross,GA;
LeeValleyToolsLtd., Ottawa,Ont.; RecordToolsInc, Pickering,Ont.;
StanleyTools,Division of the StanleyWorks, New Britain, CT;
I
3M Canada,Dorval,Que.;VeritasToolsInc.,Ottawa,
Ont./Ogdensburg,NY I
CHANGING THE COLOR
AdjustableClamp Co.,Chicago,IL; JonathanB.Kemp,H. BehlenCo.,
I
Amsterdam, N.Y.;OldeMill CabinetShoppe,York, PA;
WagnerSprayTechCorp.,Minneapolis,MN t
DECORATIVE FINISHES
AdvancedEquipmentManufacturingCompany,Inc.,Chicago,IL;
I
LeeValleyTools Ltd., Ottawa,Ont.
I
PROTECTIVEFINISHES
DeVilbissRansburgIndustrialCoatingEquipment,Barrie,Ont.;
DeVilbissSprayBoothProductsCo.,Barrie,Ont.; I
The HydrocoteCo. Inc.,EastBrunswick,NJ;
WagnerSprayTechCorp.,Minneapolis,MN I
FINISHINGTOUCHES
Delta InternationalMachinery/PorterCable,Guelph,Ont.; t
H. BehlenCo.,AmsterdamN.Y.;3M CanadaInc.,
Dorval, Que. r
CLEANINGAND STORAGE
LeeValleyTools Ltd., Ottawa,Ont. I
Chris A. Minick, Stillwater,MN

Thefollowingpersonsalsoassistedin thepreparation
I
of this book:
I
ElizabethCameron,DonnaCurtis,LorraineDor6,
Kent J. Farrell,Kam Ghaffari,Michel Gigudre,
SergeGuibord,BrianParsons, Maryo Proulx
I
I
I
PICTURECREDITS
Cover PaulMcCarthy/Au Puitsde Lumidre
I
6,7 RonaldMaisonneuve
8,9 GraceHuang t
10,11Ian Gittler
I
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I
I
r44
I
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I WORKSHO
GPU I D E
I
U.9, AND METRIC
I CONVERSION U.S.MEASURE CONVERSION
FACTOR METRIC
MEASURE
To find the metric meaeure
I equivalentof a U.9.measuretn Weight
the left-hand column,multiply Pound 0.454 Kilogram
I by the converaionfacf,or tn f,he
center column.To find the U.9. Ounce 28.350 Gram
meaaureequivalenLof a metric (Liquid)
Volume
I meaeurein the riqht-hand column,
divideby Lheconveraionfactor. Gallon 4 Quarts 3.785 Liter
I 1 6P i n t s 3.785 Liter
1 2 8F l u i d o u n c e s 3.785 Liter
I
Quart 2 Pints 0.946 Liter
I 32 Fluidounces 0.946 Liter
Pint 16Fluidounces 0.473 Liter
t H a l fp i n t 8 Fluidounces 0.236 Liter
I Fluidounce 29.573 Milliliter

I
I
STENCIT
PATTERN
I Thte fruit -bowl pa|Lern wae
a commonly uaed mol)f on
I 19th Century furniture, To
make a etenctl from iL to
I decorate your own furnt-
il rre fnllntt, f.he alena

6tartinq on pa4e 113.

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\.rN0%o o o 0
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!