4.61

5

Jan 25, 2014

4.5/5; 5 stars; A

In the introduction Bob Flexner states that he originally wrote this book because there is so much confusing information out there about finishing wood. He spent a lot of time researching the chemistry of products on the market, going to educational seminars, and applying his knowledge. I was hooked right from the beginning because I too have have tried to make sense of the shelves and shelves of wood finishing products with instructions which all seem to contradict each other. 4.5/5; 5 stars; A

In the introduction Bob Flexner states that he originally wrote this book because there is so much confusing information out there about finishing wood. He spent a lot of time researching the chemistry of products on the market, going to educational seminars, and applying his knowledge. I was hooked right from the beginning because I too have have tried to make sense of the shelves and shelves of wood finishing products with instructions which all seem to contradict each other. I have a substantial amount of oak cabinetry which is due for re-finishing as well as some furniture and really don't want to mess it up.
This book is incredibly informative and easy to read. I am listing the chapter headings because that is probably the best way for anyone reading this review to decide if the book contains what they need:
Chapter 1: Why Finish Wood, Anyway (sanitation, stabilization, decoration)
Chapter 2: Preparing the Wood Surface ( extensive info on sanding, cleaning up mistakes)
Chapter 3: Tools for Applying Finishes
Chapter 4: Staining Wood (guide to stains, dyes, bleaching, common problems and solutions)
Chapter 5: Oil Finishes
Chapter 6: Wax Finishes
Chapter 7: Filling the Pores
Chapter 8: Introduction to Film Finishes
Chapter 9: Shellac
Chapter 10: Lacquer
Chapter 11: Varnish
Chapter 12: Two part Finishes (catalyzed finishes)
Chapter 13: Water based Finishes
Chapter 14: Choosing a Finish
Chapter 15: Advanced Coloring Techniques
Chapter 16 Finishing the Finish
Chapter 17: Finishing Different Woods
Chapter 18: Caring for the Finish
Chapter 19: Repairing Finishes
Chapter 20: Exterior Finishes
Chapter 21: Removing Finishes
...more

3

May 27, 2017

Decent overview of the various finishes available at a typical North American big-box store and how they work. There's not really anything here you won't soon pick up through osmosis if you spend any time at all interacting with woodworking communities, but that's largely because of how influential this book has been anyway.
Flexner doesn't really have a sense of how finishes are used elsewhere in the world or before the late 19th century, is bizarrely bad at using oils to the point that it Decent overview of the various finishes available at a typical North American big-box store and how they work. There's not really anything here you won't soon pick up through osmosis if you spend any time at all interacting with woodworking communities, but that's largely because of how influential this book has been anyway.
Flexner doesn't really have a sense of how finishes are used elsewhere in the world or before the late 19th century, is bizarrely bad at using oils to the point that it unfairly biases him against them and leads him to make some deeply indefensible statements (including that oil—specifically Watco Danish Oil—can't harden wood because by itself it cures softer than wood), and repeats a couple of common myths (most prominently the particularly shitty one that all finishes are food-safe once they're cured; he even has the gall to call the correct notion that it isn't true a common myth), but if you just want to make your garage project look okay without having to order anything online, there are certainly worse places to start than this book. ...more

5

Sep 22, 2018

Comprehensive, a great book to own as you want to be able to read through it front to back but also have the opportunity to reference again later on.

For some reason I found some techniques described in here less memorable than same methods as listed in The Furniture Doctor by Grotz - I know the intentions of the books are not the same, the scope of each is different too. Tone is very different. Best thing to do I think would be to own both!

5

Oct 06, 2018

Excellent information

The author knows his stuff because he has done the testing and research that we don't have the time or inclination to do. He dispels some of the myths and mysteries of finishes and wood and makes it all easy to understand. Highly recommended.

5

Feb 18, 2019

An excellent reference on finishing. It gets a little deep in the weeds if you're not interested in a particular technique, but great if you want to learn to do a particular treatment.

5

Jan 02, 2015

I loved the first edition of this book that came out in 1994, & this edition is even better. I love how he goes through & explains how various types of finishes actually work, & meanwhile debunking many manufacturer's marketing claims (some of which are outright lies) about the performance of their products. For example, did you know that some cans of so-called "tung oil" actually contain zero, zilch, nada tung oil? And that "Danish Oil" is just an overpriced wiping varnish that you I loved the first edition of this book that came out in 1994, & this edition is even better. I love how he goes through & explains how various types of finishes actually work, & meanwhile debunking many manufacturer's marketing claims (some of which are outright lies) about the performance of their products. For example, did you know that some cans of so-called "tung oil" actually contain zero, zilch, nada tung oil? And that "Danish Oil" is just an overpriced wiping varnish that you can make yourself for less money? Or that so-called "wood conditioner" is not needed most of the time? Wood does not need "conditioning" before finishing. Depending on the wood & the type of effect you hope to achieve, you may need to seal the wood before staining, but I personally prefer to seal with super blonde shellac. I also like how he debunks the myth of so-called "food-safe" finishes. I highly recommend this book to anyone who plans to take up any finishing or refinishing project. ...more

5

Dec 08, 2013

I finished reading this book cover to cover and found it not only fascinating (yup, I'm a nerd), but also necessary if you have any hope to finish wood. It is simply too confusing a topic with too much misinformation to be able to do it without the help of an expert.

4

Mar 07, 2015

One of the best of the books on finishing, it's only slight downfall is that finish manufactures reformulate and repackage their products with great abandon, so some of the products have changed or don't exist.

5

Mar 17, 2009

As a new stainer, I found this incredibly informative and interesting. (Note that I mostly only read the sections on wood prep, stains, staining, and finish + application techniques.)

4

Apr 25, 2015

I don't know about a perfect finish, but after reading this my project looks a lot better than they used to