Questions tagged [wood-finishing]

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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 ...
0 votes
0 answers
656 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 ...
0 votes
1 answer
35 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 ...
8 votes
4 answers
57k views

How soon can we stain a freshly-sanded deck after it got drenched in the rain?

My family and I are refinishing our deck. We live in area with wild weather so, even though it called for a week of sun, immediately after finishing sanding our deck (to a very beautiful underneath) ...
1 vote
1 answer
660 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 ...
1 vote
1 answer
477 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 ...
0 votes
0 answers
4k 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 vote
1 answer
87 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 ...
2 votes
2 answers
7k 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 vote
4 answers
9k 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 ...
0 votes
3 answers
3k 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 ...
0 votes
3 answers
3k 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 vote
2 answers
4k 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 ...
1 vote
1 answer
1k 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 ...
4 votes
1 answer
4k 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 ...
0 votes
1 answer
1k 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 votes
1 answer
292 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 ...
4 votes
4 answers
4k views

Oak doors stripped of paint - need to fill holes underneath before revarnishing/oiling

We've recently sent our doors for stripping of many years of gloss paint and lead based varnish. The oak doors came back looking largely fantastic. As the doors are very old, understandably they have ...
3 votes
1 answer
22k 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 ...
1 vote
1 answer
4k 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 votes
3 answers
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 ...
1 vote
2 answers
148 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 ...
6 votes
4 answers
7k views

Are small air bubbles on the surface while applying wood finish normal?

While finishing my door, I've noticed a lot of small air bubbles after applying the finish. I asked a painter about it and he told me it's normal, but it doesn't seem normal to me. Is this normal or ...
4 votes
1 answer
4k views

How do I finish a pine wood floor so that it can be waxed?

My house has pine floors in the kitchen and upstairs, and its finish has almost entirely rubbed off, and is now showing bare wood. I'm interested in applying a wax (or maybe oil?) finish on it (mostly ...
0 votes
1 answer
963 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?
2 votes
2 answers
1k 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 votes
2 answers
5k 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 ...
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the 'orangey' colour on this pine and how do I remove it?

I've recently bought some pine furniture which is well built and solid but needs a bit of TLC. It is also finished with something that gives it a kind of 'orangey' colour. It has some scratches and I ...
0 votes
1 answer
248 views

Which pH should I aim for when neutralizing restored/refinished antique surfaces?

I have recently used different chemicals to restore, refinish and treat various types of wall and millwork surfaces. E.g. I have stripped old paint using Peel Away 1 from plaster and antique millwork,...
2 votes
5 answers
22k views

What is a good finish for a plywood benchtop?

I just completed a simple workbench using dimensional lumber. The top is 3/4" plywood. What is a good—preferably clear—finish that would harden it and protect it from dings and scratches? I found an ...

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