Hand-Applied Finishes

Everything that has been said does not need to be repeated. There is an art to finishing. There are many finishes that can be applied. The visual feel of the cabinet or table is extremely important. Knowing when not to refinish or what types of finishes are appropriate to the piece your making may be important to you. It is to me, and this book has helped. As mentioned in the discription of this text, Jeff has a DVD and Video tapes if you need to "see one make one!" Jeff's one two punch is great. I can watch it and learn one way, then I can read about it to file more stuff in another part of my brain, then I can go ahead and make my mistakes, and check back with Jeff. Great book for New Woodbutchers that want a guide on the journey through ever more expensive wood projects.

A must have for anyone that finishes wood. I refer to this every time I get ready to finish a project.

This book covers hand finishes very well. I have other finishing books, but this one is the best. The topics are thoroughly covered, including diagrams and photos to help. Jewitt doesn't just cover one way to apply a finish such as shellac, he covers different ways to do it. And how to get different appearances from that finish (flat, satin, gloss). It's definitely made a big difference in the final quality of my projects.

Perhaps I am the only one who gets confused when about finishing. The instructions on the back of the can never answer all my questions. Here is a complete, concise explanation of what combinations of preparation, staining finishing and polishing combine to give the desired results. Jewitt discusses laquers, varnishes, oils and has perhaps the best explanation of how to French polish shellac I have found.

Our landlord left an old (1930s) Linden wood table in the basement. Linden wood is very soft and pale. The table had lost the veneer top well before we met it. Mr. Jewitt took us through the preparation stages, helped us decide what type of wood color to use (water-based dye), finishing method, and how to apply a hand-rubbed satin finish. Even if you don't know much about materials or methods, this book is easy to understand and walks you through the process. If you have some basic knowledge, it provides very interesting details on how various finishes cure and why they look different. I'd say that for beginners to intermediate wood-workers, this book is well worth the price. It deserves a front row on the workroom bookshelf.