The Difference Between Good and Flawless You’ve applied your first coat of finish. It looks good. You’re tempted to add another coat and call it...

The Damage Everyone Dreads You set a cold glass on your grandmother’s mahogany table for thirty seconds. When you pick it up, a perfect white...

The Refinisher’s Nightmare Scenario A client brings you an antique dresser. One drawer front has water damage—finish completely destroyed in a six-inch circle. The rest...

The Client’s Impossible Request The call came on a Tuesday. A homeowner needed three new dining chairs to match a set her grandmother had purchased...

The Maple Problem Every Finisher Knows Maple looks beautiful in the lumber rack. Clean, tight grain. Creamy white color with those subtle figure patterns catching...

Oil Finishes: A Natural Approach Oil finishes penetrate into wood rather than sitting on top like film finishes. They’re easy to apply, forgiving of technique...

Wood Stain Fundamentals Stain changes wood color while allowing the grain pattern to show through. Unlike paint, stain penetrates the wood surface to some degree,...