Questions tagged [wood-finishing]
The wood-finishing tag has no usage guidance.
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Ventilation when using water-based stain & finish
With oil-based stains and finishes, reading SDS safety sheets makes it clear that safely using the products requires nitrile gloves, serious ventilation, and a respirator that can handle VOCs.
With ...
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1answer
28 views
Matte hardwood flooring
I had my floors refinished in a water based Matte sheen. They have no life. Can I add a coat of satin to at least give them a little shine?
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3answers
2k views
Paint Exterior Door that is in Sun
I have a Mahogany door that costs me about $700/year to keep it stained and covered in urethane. It is in direct sun and just takes a beating.
I don't want to put a storm door on it because the ...
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1answer
36 views
What is a good stain/finish for maple?
I have recently completed a one-step stool out if maple and am looking for a way to finish it. It will be used quite a bit so I'm looking for something durable. Preferably something that isn't too ...
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66 views
Polyurethane shows oil when touched?
I finished a set of pine 2x12's that will be shelves for a bookshelf using the following process.
Sanded the boards with 80, 120, and 220 grit
Stained the boards with Minwax oil-based Early American ...
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3answers
32 views
Switch Between Paint and Sealer for Sprayer
I have a Graco Magnum x9 airless paint sprayer. I have only used it for latex paint. I am planning to refinish my deck this spring with a sealer of some sort. Can I switch back and forth between type ...
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149 views
Help identify wood & stain for tongue & groove + beam cabin ceiling popular in Poconos (and possibly other woodsy areas)
I have cathedral popcorn ceilings in my house and am looking to reproduce a tongue & groove + beam type ceiling that is/was very popular in a lot of chalet type houses in the Pocono mountains (and ...
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1answer
178 views
Gooey build up on sandpaper when sanding
just started my first DIY project of finishing my 3 year old IKEA Gerton Beech Wooden table top. I have been using this as my computer table and it has become very dirty so I thought I'll use this ...
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1answer
28 views
Wax to finish and smooth out dining tabletop with deep gouges
I have an old wood dining table which I would like to sand down and refinish. Unfortunately it has many deep gouges in it. I am hoping that there is some sort of wax finish that I can use that can ...
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2answers
104 views
How can I fix dark floor stain absorption without starting over?
I stained red ok floor in 1935 house with jacobean. There were swirls in an area so thought I would orbital sand them away and just restain. Now it is very obvious ...i have sanded back with belt ...
2
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1answer
60 views
Can hand-rub poly be poured (in drops) then spread?
The last time I applied polyurethane, I chose a variety called "diamond something or other". It turned out that the diamond variety dries so quickly that if I apply a brush stroke one way and then ...
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1answer
1k views
Does tung oil odor last as long as linseed oil odor?
One week after two applications of linseed oil on a desk tabletop, followed by rubbing and wiping, the odor still fills the room, despite reasonable ventilation.
It's not particularly unpleasant, but ...
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2answers
224 views
How can I blend sanded cedar into the surrounding darker wood with a polyurethane finish?
I applied unfinished cedar tongue and groove wood, to my ceiling and I applied one coat of minwax fast drying clear polyurethane to it.
I noticed that one of the sections turned a light grey and ...
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2answers
226 views
How can I handle dry-looking areas in the table I'm refinishing?
I've stripped and sanded my dining room table, and have put down 5 coats of minwax gloss one step (classic oak color) lightly sanding between coats. The problem I'm having is that there are small ...
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2answers
2k views
How do I avoid a rough surface after applying polyurethane
I've looked at other answers to this question but still have a problem.
Application of multiple thin coats is always recommended but the only way I can get a thin coat uniform over a large piece is by ...
0
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1answer
55 views
Why (if at all) is finish paint necessary on interior wood surfaces?
I have a couple of doors that stick in an old home. They stick even worse when occupants hang coat racks or mirrors over the door. The doors, like the home, are old and have plenty of character, i.e. ...
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2answers
2k views
Raw linseed oil on counter top: drying time?
I have a new pine countertop that I'd like to match some existing pine kitchen surfaces nearby. The previous owners of my house finished the existing counters with raw linseed oil, so I decided to ...
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0answers
36 views
Repair espresso stained oak furniture
One of those kids glow in the dark bracelets leaked overnight onto our nightstand and it dissolved the finish. I sanded it down to what I thought was bare wood, but the new stain is not taking very ...
0
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1answer
404 views
Does it make sense to apply a (Minwax) wax paste on top of a polyurethane/stain finish?
I have just finished a piece of wood that I intend to use as a writing/work desk with a polyurethane stain. I've seen some talk of it possibly being a good idea to apply a coat of rub-on paste wax on ...
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1answer
48 views
How to I apply a 'standard clearcoat 30 sheen' to some unfinished hard maple
I have some hard maple stair tread which according to the manufacturer has a 'standard clearcoat 30 sheen'.
I also have the stair risers, also hard maple, but that are unfinished. I wish to apply an ...
1
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1answer
75 views
Removing an unkown wood stain
So I purchased a new desk last weekend, and it needs a bit of restoration before I can use it.
I would estimate it to be around 80-100 years old (but could be older). I am fairly sure the finish ...
2
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3answers
46 views
What is this exterior wood finish?
We (our local athletic association) bought a pre-built building, but we had to relocate one of the doors. We replaced the panel with a matching piece, but we're not sure how to finish it so that it ...
1
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1answer
43 views
Is mixing shellac from flakes generally considered more cost effective than buy commercial stuff?
I know it depends on the market I am buying in and the cost of the various components. I've made a few items from mdf with shellac finish lately and I really like the way it works (clothes storage in ...
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2answers
2k views
Recipe for Limewash or Whitewash
I'm curious if anyone on here has a recipe to create limewash/whitewash for indoor use on wood? I will be making a kitchen back splash (actually, the whole wall behind the sink/countertop) out of ...
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1answer
2k views
Tacky Danish oil surface on stained Tasmanian Oak
I'm a newbie to woodwork and surprised myself by successfully creating an even Black Japan stain on some Tasmanian Oak. I then decided to finish it with Danish Oil. Somehow I arrived at the decision ...
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0answers
467 views
Wax over Shellac Wood Floor: Over waxed
I have a shellac'd** floor with a protective wax coat. The lightest traffic leaves smudges and marks. I buff it, and it looks great, until the next traffic comes up.
I tried paint thinner to remove ...
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1answer
28 views
Water based clear protective finish coarse first coat
I have already sanded about 600 sq/ft of white oak flooring that now feels very smooth. I applied a Minmax water based clear protective satin finish on a small area, with a roll. Maybe it's because it ...
1
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1answer
347 views
Matte finish for a pine desk?
I recently bought a pine tabletop from Ikea, unfinished but for a very thin layer of their BEHANDLA oil (which I think is just boiled linseed oil). It's going to be used as an office desk.
I bought a ...
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1answer
272 views
How can I clean and smooth the finish on an old table?
I recently bought a second-hand coffee table and I'd would like to clean and smooth the existing finish. It's exactly same table as this, so I guess it's a copy of a common model.
Below you see ...
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0answers
2k views
Is there a way to protect particle board cabinets from moisture/water?
I've been researching cabinet options and one of the cons of particle board or MDF cabinets is that they don't respond well to moisture.
So, is there a way for me to protect, finish PB or MDF ...
1
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1answer
69 views
Shou sugi ban treatment of external timber cladding
I'm considering a shou sugi ban (Japanese burned wood) cladding on the building I'm currently working on. I've done a quick test with a few small pieces of the board I'm thinking of using and the ...
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4answers
5k views
Finish a laser engraved piece of wood
I've laser engraved text onto a wooden plaque . The engraving has some finely spaced grooves. I want to apply a stain on it , sand it out so that the engraved portion is darker than the rest. I'm ...
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1answer
379 views
Is this red oak or white oak hardwood flooring?
I am planning to change a room that has laminate flooring to a room that has 3/4" hardwood flooring. The rest of the adjacent rooms and hallways all have hardwood flooring 3/4".
Initially I planned ...
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2answers
3k views
How do I avoid taking off the finish at the corners when sanding between coats?
I just refinished a dresser with a tinted poly finish to roughly match the other wood tones in its new room. I didn't do the greatest job in many aspects - it was my first experience with poly and I ...
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3answers
2k views
How to finish wood stair treads?
I ordered the wood for my staircase and now I need to decide on which product to use.
Some people recomened polyurethane or some water base resin, but I don't like that (I think it might crack and/or ...
1
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1answer
808 views
How to make a wooden box with a hidden lid
My aim is to make a wooden box that doesn't look openable, such that a cursory inspection and handling would not give away that it had a lid at all. A sort of diversion safe that will be placed ...
0
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1answer
736 views
How should I paint accents over oil-based stain?
[I apologize in advance if this sounds more like an art question; looking across SE this site seemed to be the best fit for my question.]
I'm refinishing a bass guitar that I stripped down to the ...
0
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1answer
271 views
Strong wood coating?
I made a magnetic knife holder out of wood and coated with Arm-r-Seal oil urethane but after 3 days of curing it seems it'll get beat up too fast. What's the strongest I could use?
Is this a good ...
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1answer
2k views
How can I protect pine from yellowing?
I have read that pine can begin to yellow very quickly. I am wanting to use pine as an office desk top and want to prevent this yellowing from occurring.
Would a oil- or water-based sealant be the ...
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0answers
98 views
What finish type is most often used for furniture drawer interiors?
I recently completed building a cabinet drawer to convert a free standing vanity into a dresser. I'm aware that drawer interiors are often left unfinished, but it's quite humid where I live and I ...
0
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3answers
2k views
How should I refinish vintage wooden closet doors?
I have old closet doors that look like this:
The lacquer is worn out and aged and they look really bad but there are no visible scratches or dents. I am thinking of replacing the aged hardware ...
3
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1answer
15k views
What to use to finish my desk from IKEA?
This may be an easy question, but everything I am finding on the Internet is kind of confusing (I am a computer guy not a carpenter!). Essentially, I want to know what I could use to finish my ...
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2answers
3k views
How do I fix bare spots on my table after applying polyurethane?
I polyurethaned my table and when it dried, it had spots. That is the best way to explain it. It looks like the eraser-sized spots are bare wood, almost like something made the polyurethane push away ...
1
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1answer
2k views
Can you use Danish Oil after using linseed oil?
I've fitted my kitchen with beech worktops and I was recommended to use boiled linseed oil. Now I have read that Danish oil is the preferred oil for kitchen use, and it dries quicker.
The linseed oil ...
3
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3answers
2k views
How do I know if my wood front door's finish is weather proof?
We just moved into a new home. The wood front door is semi-sheltered by a small porch. The front of the house has southern exposure and has the most exposure to the weather. There was an unsightly ...
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2answers
94 views
Why are there sheen differences between woods?
I hired a painting contractor to stain and poly my new windows. He used (2) coats of oil based polyurethane, but after the second coat, the finish was rough on the pine sashes. The oak jams and casing ...
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3answers
16k views
In what way does varnish protect wood?
When researching wood finishes, I often see that varnish is attributed with the ability to "protect" wood. In what way does varnish protect wood? From scratching? From fading? From moisture? From ...
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1answer
484 views
Spilled teak oil in sink, now it's dry
I teak-oiled my table, and put the teak oil can in my sink. There's now a can-shaped ring of dried teak oil in my stainless steel sink. Also some on my granite counter top. Question: what should I do?
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2answers
964 views
Clear wood finish with minimal color/sheen change?
I often use a poly to finish my wood projects. It helps the grain pop, adds a bit of depth and even with a satin finish, you get a bit of 'sparkle' which always looks great.
But I now have a project ...
3
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2answers
3k views
How to clean a 100 year old piano
I have recently inherited a 100 year old piano that has not had any love in a long time. I have tried to clean it with vinegar and water but it persists in being VERY sticky. I don't want to harm it ...
