Understanding Wood Finishing

Back in the dark ages when I thought my worst problem in woodworking was finishing I bought about 5 books on the subject. Of course, once I had developed some effective finishing strategies (and realized I had a few other problems), they all went on the shelf, never to be read again. Problems come in circles, and now I needed to understand a bit more about shellac and polyurethane, and Understanding Wood Finishing was the book I grabbed first. Bob Flexner has written a surprisingly interesting book about the mysteries of getting wood to look like something else besides lumber. While there's plenty of material on various techniques, it's the time he spends on how finishes actually work that is really the outstanding value to this book. This is a great place to start figuring out the why's as well as the how's. The style is straightforward, as it takes you from preparing surfaces through all the variant finishes (oil, stain, film, water-based. Conversion, etc., etc., etc.). At each step we find out exact what the finish does and use that knowledge to determine the best way to go about the job. There's a long chapter on finishing different woods that I found very useful. And, coming fill circle, there's even a chapter on stripping finishes. Whether you're a beginner or heading out into parts unknown, this is an excellent addition to the woodworking library you would want with you if you were stranded in a woodshop on an island forest.

I purchased this book a few years ago on the recommendation of a friend and my wood technology professor (I am retired and took up woodworking about 6 years ago). Once I started using it, I gave away all of the other woodfinishing books I had purchased. It is that good. I find the modularization of the book one of the most helpful aspects. If I look up a problem I'm having or concerned about, I can find a short section that seems to deal directly with that problem. The book is no-nonsense and no-mystery and tries to explain why as well as how. This fits my need to know perfectly. I've also been to a two day seminar put on by Flexner. If you can imagine two, exciting days of this book with lots of color, that's the seminar. Bob wrote the book after getting years of nonsense and BS from finish "manufacturers." This book is the straight scoop, written with a real concern to demystify finishes and put the control into the hands of the woodworker.