A beautiful hand-rubbed finish can make even the simplest woodworking project look superb. In this book professional woodworkers and finishers share the secrets of brushing on varnish, padding on shellac, and rubbing out a silky oil finish that everyone will long to touch. These time-tested finishes and application techniques require no special tools and can be learned by anyone with a minimum of patience.

Whats inside:

• Preparing a flawless surface
• Choosing the right brush and how to use it
• Mixing your own shellac
• Padding on an elegant French polish
• Mixing your own oil stains
• Precisely matching an existing finish
• Rejuvenating old furniture with wax

THE NEW BEST OF FINE WOODWORKING series collects the best articles from recent issues of Fine Woodworking magazine. Organized by topic and fully indexed, these books make it easy to access the best woodworking ideas and information straight from the experts.

Introduction

1. Surface Preparation
Making Sense of Sandpaper
Sanding in Stages
Surface Prep: Why Sanding isnt Enough

2. Coloring Wood
Mix Your Own Oil Stains
Glazes and Toners Add Color and Depth
Dry Brushing Wood Stains
Fuming with Ammonia
How to Match a Finish

3. Oil Finishes
A True Oil Finish
A Hand-Rubbed Oil Finish
An Easy, Durable Finish

4. Varnish
Choosing and Using Brushes
Making a Case for Varnish
Oil-Varnish Mixture Is Durable, Easy to Apply
Wiped-On Varnish
A No-Brainer Varnish Technique

5. Padding and French Polishing
Padding Lacquer
Padding On Shellac
A Traditional French Polish

6. Special Effects
A Short Course in Gilding
Milk Paint
Three Finishes for Birds-Eye Maple
Creating an Antique Painted Finish
Finishing Mahogany
Making Wood Look Old

7. Restoring Finishes
Repairing a Worn Finish Without Refinishing
Burning In Invisible Repairs

After cutting, shaping and joining wood comes finishing, and with it, a sense of anxiety. If the finish is botched, all the work that went before is for nothing. Small wonder many woodworkers find a reliable method and stick with it. Thats part of the reason why traditional finishes are still widely used by woodworkers and finishers. Oil finishes, varnishes, and shellac are relatively easy to apply, and they give consistent results.

A well-finished piece of furniture sings. A gleaming varnish that pops the grain commands attention. A hand-rubbed oil finish has so much depth that it begs to be touched. Shellac has been used for centuries, and for period furniture, it has no peer. Even humble wax can impart a mellow glow that enhances as it protects.

For all the beauty these time-tested finishes offer, using them requires relatively little investment in tools and materials. You dont need expensive spray equipment or a compressor to apply traditional finishes. A good brush or even a rag will do. Learning to get good results with these methods is where the investment comes in. Some finishes, such as wipe-on oil finishes, are almost fool proof. Others like brushing glossy varnish or French polishing take some patience to develop the knack.

These articles from Fine Woodworking have been selected to help you master these time-tested techniques. Youll learn how to prepare wood for a flawless finish, color wood to pop grain and match finishes, use a brush properly, and pad on shellac. Traditional finishers like to come up with their own brews, and we offer a few recipes to inspire your own creativity. Weve also included information on using traditional finishes in restoring period furniture. Not only will the advice from these experienced woodworkers and finishers help you get the finish you want, getting there might be just a little less stressful.

Helen Albert
executive editor, Taunton Books