Tips for Woodwork Finishes

When desiring a fine finish to your woodworking projects, taking the time to do it right is of the essence. So, as told by woodworkers with experience, don't rush the job. There is an abundance of woodworking resources and information available when looking for tips on finishes for your woodworking projects. Some notable ones are listed below.

The first is raising the grain. Instead of using water to bring out the grain of wood before your final sanding, you can use regular rubbing alcohol. It will save time as it dies faster than water and works just the same.

The second is logging your finish. In case you might ever need to repair a scratch, you should make either a log or possibly a label and keep it. Record the materials you used such as stains, and varnish, etc. Then if possible put a label on the actual project some place where it can't be seen. Otherwise, a log should suffice should you need to redo any type of finish and know what was used originally.

You can also make your own tack cloths. If you have some cheesecloth or a diaper, you can use turpentine to soak it in and then wring it out until it's fairly dry. If you paint on to it stripes of varnish, you can wring it out again and repeat until you have an amount of stickiness you like to sop up the dust from your project. If you store them in jars or ziplock bags, you can keep them from drying out.

If possible, the morning is the best time for finishing your projects before the dust from the day has had enough time to settle so your finish won't become a magnet for free floating particles of dust.