Being frank about finishes

How many of you take finish into account before you even decide on the wood you buy for a project?

There is really nothing more to post as you stated all the reason. I start by choosing the finish I plan to use (shellac, poly, lacquer, etc.) Then choose the wood because of it’s appearance and how I am going to glue it together and then follow the design.

-- Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly stupid.

One thing to consider is to finish the project after a dry glue up.

Tape off the areas that need glue, seal up and finish your project,
and then glue up your project.

Good thread Russell.

For me wood choice and finish choice are pretty much simultaneous. I don’t think “I want to use this finish, so what wood will go nice with it?”, as I think that is as much a problem as choosing wood first and then finish later. It is the combination that I take into consideration. I mostly build guitars, so I have done the dyes, stains, ebonizing, etc. and agree that there’s nothing wrong with doing stuff like that. I like working with shellac, water-based lacquer, solvent lacquers, wipe on varnish, etc., but have recently found that I hate polycrylic (just had to sand it off of nine smaller pieces last night, ugh).

In short, I try to visualize the whole project before buying any materials. Finish is a very big part of it. My main goal is to make projects that just ask to be touched and that deliver when they are. Now, that doesn’t mean I’m very good at it :)

-- Brian T. - Exact science is not an exact science

Waho6o9, yes, thick and thin masking tape is a must.

-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.

That’s always how you should start a project.

Once I realized this, and became really tired of being confused all the time about finishing, I bought every book on the subject and I setup a laboratory for experimentation. There are still some types of products that I lack experience with, but because I now understand what they are in theory, I have an insight into how those products will behave once I use them.

To me, that’s the key “trick”...become a student on finishing. Research it. Go to school.

The only other trick I can give is to make dewaxed shellac a part of your routine. It really is a universal product, whereas you can remove a lot of the compatibility issues and concerns you might have regarding finishing.

-- jay, www.allaboutastro.com

Jay, I have several packages of shellac. I may try it. My sign post out front had one coat and it’s holding up well.

-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.

I’ve never used shellac, but from what I’ve read dewaxed shellac
is the way to go. I should try some.

French polish is another system that I like the results from, that
mirror like look totally rocks. It seems complicated at first, but I think
once you get in down it will be easy.

I finish my pieces before I start. Unlike a lot of people, finishing is my favorite part of the project. I do start off with a wood species though; not a finish. After I have lumber rough dimensioned I do cut off a few pretty nice looking sections to test finish on. I don’t just do a quick test. I will finish the scraps as I were finishing the piece – multiple coats with sanding in between, if I am using oil/stain under the finish, blotch controllers, waxes, etc.

I also pre-finish my work. The results are SO much better. I tape off the areas that will get glue. Glue won’t stick to finish so it cleans up really easy and you don’t have to worry about contamination or extra sanding. Once the piece is assembled, I will apply a final coat of finish, buff it out and wax it (if I am doing so)

-- http://www.etsy.com/shop/KandJWoodCrafts

If those packages are flakes, Russell, you’ll want to let them settle after you mix them. This will let the wax drop to the bottom and you can separate it out.

There are certainly applications for waxed shellac as a film finish, but I’m talking about using dewaxed shellac (I like Zinsser Sealcoat in the can) as a bridge between oils/stains and film finishes. I even use the stuff to deliver color (as a toner) by using TransTint dyes with the shellac. I like the control it gives by sneaking up on result. This is especially useful when trying to color diverse woods to make the finish more uniform, which is something you can’t do just by staining the raw wood.

-- jay, www.allaboutastro.com

My favorite part about finishes is that each type of wood can be transformed in many different ways based on which finish you choose. I remember doing my deck a few months back, and my wife and I were stuck deciding between a transparent or semi-transparent finish from Storm System. Unlike paint, it was easy to see how both looked before deciding.

I am now doing different finishes. Learning more as I go.

-- Mother Nature created it, I just assemble it. - It's not ability that we often lack, but the patience to use our ability