Does anyone have any particular expertise in finishing?

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  • dbhost
    Slow and steady
    • Apr 2008
    • 9209
    • League City, Texas
    • Ryobi BT3100

    Does anyone have any particular expertise in finishing?

    I might have missed it, but over the years, I know I have had to get my finishing results by trial and error. Which got me to thinking...

    Since Sawdustzone is an educational non profit after all, we should share the wealth of knowledge as it were, and what better place than to share your finishing tips, tricks, techniques and maybe even tutorials.

    I'd like to get enough of them, maybe even with pics, where I can collect them into some articles for our articles section.

    I have for example my master bedroom suite is one of those Hecho en Mexico sets that is some flavor of pine, and it honestly looks like it was finished with paste wax and used motor oil. Thankfully without that smell... I would LOVE to know how to replicate that finish...
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  • leehljp
    Just me
    • Dec 2002
    • 8429
    • Tunica, MS
    • BT3000/3100

    #2
    I am no expert on any finish for sure, but some things I learned long ago:

    1. spend as much time preparing for a finish and applying a finish as I do in building the project.

    2. A good spray paint room or tent is worth its weight in gold!

    3. Spray paint, even with a nominal system is light years better than a brush application (for me at least.)


    EXCEPTION: CA (cyanoacrylate - Super Glue) as a finish - I know how to polish and buff it to a super fine finish, including the thickness of it. But that primarily on pens and some small bowls. I couldn't do that of course on furniture.
    Last edited by leehljp; 07-08-2022, 09:32 AM.
    Hank Lee

    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

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    • Jim Frye
      Veteran Member
      • Dec 2002
      • 1051
      • Maumee, OH, USA.
      • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

      #3
      I prefer wipe on finishes. I don't have room, nor exhaust equipment, for spraying finishes. Wipe on takes a lot longer to complete, but lets me control things better. One thing I did many years ago was try a small can of Minwax dark liquid finishing wax. It went on very thin and was easy to buff out. It became hard to find and I bought a can of Minwax dark paste wax, but I found it hard to apply evenly and hard to buff out by hand. I melted the wax in a double boiler setup on the outside grill and poured it into a 2 liter soda bottle. While it was still in liquid form, I filled the bottle with mineral spirits to keep the mixture liquid. I also added a bit of Minwax Provincial 211 oil based stain. That was 25 years ago and I am still using the mix. The liquified wax goes on thinly and buffs out easily.
      Last edited by Jim Frye; 07-07-2022, 09:31 PM.
      Jim Frye
      The Nut in the Cellar.
      ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

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      • atgcpaul
        Veteran Member
        • Aug 2003
        • 4055
        • Maryland
        • Grizzly 1023SLX

        #4
        Originally posted by dbhost
        I have for example my master bedroom suite is one of those Hecho en Mexico sets that is some flavor of pine, and it honestly looks like it was finished with paste wax and used motor oil. Thankfully without that smell... I would LOVE to know how to replicate that finish...
        I don't think this is far from the truth. That's how a lot of the furniture sold along the roadside appear to be finished, too.

        Comment

        • capncarl
          Veteran Member
          • Jan 2007
          • 3564
          • Leesburg Georgia USA
          • SawStop CTS

          #5
          The barnwood dining tables I have built have all been finished with a wiping poly, with the exception of the dining room table I built for my wife which is finished with wax only.
          I thin the poly about 50/50 with mineral spirits and stir. Its rubbed it in with a soft cloth and then pull the rag across like a brush. Allowing the finish to dry completely I wet sand with 1000 wet/dry paper. Any streaks caused by the rag are easily sanded out. After a number of wipe on coats it’s done. The hardest part is the same hard part on any finish, that is the edges, but I find wipe on much easier. The finish I am looking for is a Mat finish, not a mirror shine. This method gives a deep mat finish.

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