Sanding & Finishing

Hard Wax Oil Finishes Versatile, durable, and easy to apply Hard wax oils make finishing a bit easier. They can be used on everything from hardwood floors to fine furniture. In recent years,hard wax oil finishes have roared onto the finishing scene, and for good reasons. They are dead-simple to apply and deliver excellent results, while containing low or no VOCS (Volatile Organic Compounds—potentially harmful solvents). Many woodworkers look at finishing as that somewhat annoying step you have to do after the fun part is over. Additionally, we prefer not to become finishing experts, learning about the intricacies of various types of lacquers, sanding sealer, catalyzed lacquer, polyurethanes—waterborne, or oil-based, shellac, dewaxed shellac... you get the drift. Most of us just want to find a way to get a predictable, high-quality finish applied with the least amount of effort and little chance that it will mess up and ruin our project. Hard wax oil finishes check all those boxes. What’s in the can? While the various brands of hard wax oil products vary significantly, they all combine waxes such as beeswax and carnauba, with an organic/vegetable-based oil of some sort. My favorite, Briwax, has a thick viscosity; think of it being halfway between a gel-poly and regular polyurethane. (Or perhaps like a really good gravy, but not nearly as tasty.) That viscosity answered one of my questions regarding its successful use in open-grained hardwoods such as oak and ash. I’ve had poor results using Danish oil on those species as the pores will weep uncured oil for a good while after application. (I find it annoying to have to go back and wipe up this excess several times after applying a coat.) I had no trouble with the Briwax on oak or mahogany. Slather and wipe. When applying hard wax oil, wipe on a generous amount of the product. Leave it on the wood for about 15 minutes and then wipe it off with a clean cotton cloth. A low-luster sheen. Hard wax oil finishes are a good choice for fine furniture, small projects and even do a great job on turned objects like this maple bowl. Application A universal component of achieving a great (or even a good) finish is surface preparation. I found sanding through 220-grit to be the minimum in terms of smoothing the wood. And by taking it up to 320-grit, the results were even better. Once the sanding is done, wipe away the swarf with a dry shop towel. When you open the can, it is important to give hard wax oil a thorough stirring, taking a couple of minutes to do a good job of it. Then use a clean cotton cloth, sponge, or ultra-fine synthetic abrasive pad to wipe on the product. Make sure to work it into all the nooks and crannies. When you’re done, the surfaces should look very wet and even a bit drippy. Allow the oil to sit on the wood for about 15 minutes. Then, using a clean cotton cloth, wipe off the excess, removing puddles and drips. Do not try to wipe it dry, a sheen should remain. It takes a couple of hours (depending on your shop’s temperature) before you can handle the finished piece, and 4 to 6 hours before you can apply a second coat. Err on the side of a longer wait to make certain of the best re-coating results. The long drying time is one of the downsides of hard wax oils (even the two-part types with an additive hardener suffer this shortcoming). But the good news is that dust nibs do not cure into the finish like film-coat products and are easily buffed away. I recommend a minimum of two coats for a tabletop or something that will get heavy use. Three coats are even better. Note: These directions apply specifically Briwax. Other brands of hard wax oil have their own (quite similar) recommendations for application. “Pop” goes the grain. Hard wax oil truly brings out the depth of highly figured wood. Here two pieces of crotch cut walnut from the same log section: one with hard wax oil, the other sanded but with no finish. Finishing Thoughts The results of your efforts will be a beautiful—both to the touch and to the eye—low-luster finish. Hard wax oil enhances any properly prepared wood surface but truly pops curly and other highly figured grain patterns as in birds-eye or fiddleback maple. Another benefit of this finish is that if it becomes worn, it is easily touched up. Cleanup is with mineral spirits. And be sure to dispose of the oily cloths properly to avoid a possible fire. I’ve found hard wax oils are a great way to finish your projects easily with consistent, great results. While I’ll continue to use a variety of finishes on my projects, if I was only allowed to choose one finish for the rest of my life, hard wax oil might just make the cut.

In this video, Ken Burton discusses the technique he uses for gluing up an outdoor patio slat-table top. This project was featured in Issue 112 (June/July 2023) of Woodcraft Magazine.

A recipe for enhancing your ring-porous projects Pockmarked with pores. Ring-porous woods such as red oak can display a smooth surface followed by a darker band punctuated with large pores and rough ridges. The cells in a tree perform an intricate symphony, harmonizing water, soil nutrients, carbon dioxide, and sunlight into a living composition that produces habitat, oxygen, shade, and beauty. But the music dramatically changes when a tree transitions into lumber. Some of the tree’s previously hidden features can display incredible beauty, but the walls of some empty cells appear as prominent pores that can be completely out of tune with your project. For example, if you apply a gloss finish to a ring-porous wood such as red oak, the smooth portions of the wood produced by the tree’s latewood growth reflect light evenly. But the prominent pore structure in the earlywood appears as dark craters or even furrows, spoiling the overall effect. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to fill the distracting pores so that you’ll have a uniformly smooth surface. The process relies on the simple ingredients painters traditionally used to make putty: oil and whiting powder—a pulverized form of calcium carbonate used as a mild abrasive and filler in paints. It’s available at most paint and hardware stores (see Buyer’s Guide, p. 60). The old-timers would dump a pile of whiting onto a mixing board, form a well in the center, pour in oil, and mix with a spatula until the mass congealed into a ball. Even though you’ll use identical ingredients, you’re not aiming to make a putty for filling nail holes or repairing dented or missing wood. Instead, you’re going to use the oil as a lubricant while you drive the whiting into the pores, creating an overall surface-smoothing treatment. And while the old recipe used a slow-drying oil such as linseed, you’ll update that with a modern oil finish that has a drying agent for a firm grip in the pores. Let’s get started. Pore-packing procedure Mix a few particular but easy-to-get items to form a paste. Oil the surface and then press the paste into the pores. Rub it in, squeegee it off, and let it dry. Then sand the surface smooth and seal it with shellac. A simple procedure, and there’s even room to experiment. Make the pad. To make an applicator pad, cut cotton cloth into 8" squares. Old t-shirts are ideal. Wad two of them into the center of a third one and bind it with a rubber band. Wet the work. After sanding the wood to final smoothness, squirt on enough oil finish to liberally wet the surface when you spread it with your applicator pad. Mix a slurry. Sprinkle whiting onto the oil, mixing it into a slurry resembling runny pancake batter. Add more oil or whiting to get the consistency right. Push the mixture into the pores with a figure-8 motion. Wipe the excess. Use a window squeegee to remove excess slurry. Stroke at a 45° angle to the grain direction. Wipe lightly with burlap scraps on edges and curved surfaces that you can’t squeegee. Check your progress. The surface will be slightly hazy, and a few squeegee lap marks are fine. The oil dries slowly, so you have plenty of open time. If the pores aren’t completely filled, apply a fresh dose of slurry. Sand the surface. After overnight drying, lightly hand-sand with 120-grit paper, frequently unclogging your sanding block. Sand just enough to remove the overall haze. Get too aggressive, and you’ll sand away the filler. Ready for finish. Use a vacuum to remove all dust, then apply a thin coat of gloss shellac to check your success. You can apply more filler over the shellac or move ahead to your first coat of finish. The dark side. To make a darker filler, keep some whiting in the mix as a binding agent but add rottenstone to deepen the tone. (Dark grey in color, rottenstone is powdered porous rock, usually weathered limestone mixed with silica, sold as a polishing abrasive.) You can premix the powders or do it on the fly. Explore decorative filler effects After you master the basic techniques of pore filling, you can expand your horizons to include decorative options. Whatever you add, it’s a good idea to always include some whiting to provide body and help the filler grip the wood. As with any new technique, preview the result on a small test panel instead of immediately slathering an untried compound all over a project. Exercising restraint is also a prudent approach. You have every right to satisfy your personal taste, but recognize that subtle effects are usually easier to live with than garish drama. PolyColor powders usually tint Alumilite casting resin, but they can also provide interesting results as part of a filling compound. You can generate effects that are colorful, metallic, pearlescent, or all of the above. You can even buy a powder that will glow in the dark. You can also experiment with powdered metals you buy in a crafts store or file yourself. These can add highlights of copper, brass, or aluminum to your project. At a completely different level, you can literally spice up your project by exploring the spectrum at your grocery store. Choose among the subtle tone of cinnamon, the warm glow of turmeric, or the blazing colors of paprika and cayenne. Have fun and happy filling. The spice is right. Here’s a board filled with whiting but then spiced with a pinch of paprika and a dash of silver glitter.

“I often use brass hinges, screws, and pulls in my work. I know I can buy products with various antique effects, but how can I customize my own colors and finishes on brass hardware?” —Regan Lumley, Henderson, NV One of the more fun and foolproof methods of adding color to metal is through the process of patination or chemically oxidizing a metallic surface to change its color. Patinas develop naturally over time when metal is exposed to the elements, as in the case of green copper roofs or dark brown bronze statues. But by applying a few different chemicals, we can expedite this process and control the color. Some commercially available patina solutions come premixed so that achieving a particular color is as easy as following the directions on the bottle. And there are methods of using common household chemicals that work well. But neither allow much customization of the end result. I prefer mixing my own patinas from crystalline solids that are easily diluted in water and can be mixed together to achieve a multitude of different colors. I’ve included a few staple recipes here, but if you want to experiment further, check sciencecompany.com for additional recipes and safety info. To start, ensure that the surface of the hardware is clean, which includes removing any clear coating applied by the manufacturer. I recommend soaking the hardware in acetone and then scrubbing the lacquer off with a brass wire brush. Patina recipes typically indicate whether they are a hot or cold application, meaning that the surface of the hardware needs to be either heated or left at room temperature before application. For hot applications, warm the hardware with a propane torch or heat gun on a fire-safe brick, or simply leave it in the sun for a few hours on a hot day.Once the hardware is prepped, it’s time to apply. Working in a well-ventilated area and wearing vinyl or nitrile gloves, mix your desired patina solution and use a bristle brush to paint a thin layer onto the hardware. Let it dry before applying another coat. Repeat this process until the desired color is achieved. If you don’t like the results, you can sand it off and try a different solution. Keep experimenting until you reach a patina you prefer. To finish, buff the surface with a white scotch-brite pad and seal your custom creation with lacquer or wax. Three common formulas These three basic mixes will get you started customizing brass hardware, but you can also experiment to see their effects on other metals. Some patinas work better on copper alloys, such as brass and bronze, while others work better on steel or nickel. Green patina 1 tsp cupric nitrate 1 pint distilled water hot application Brown patina 1⁄2 tsp ferric nitrate 1 pint distilled water hot or cold application Black patina 1 tsp sulfurated potash (liver of sulfur) 1 pint distilled water hot or cold application Crystalline solids can be purchased through sciencecompany.com (see Buyer's Guide, below). Painting patina. Handle heated hardware with pliers or tongs and apply patina with a natural bristle brush. Drive screws into scrap wood to secure them before patinating their heads to match the hardware. Buyer’s Guide Following available from sciencecompany.com Cupric nitrate, 100g — #NC-0303, $14.95 Ferric nitrate, 100g — #NC-11220, $13.95 Potash, Sulfurated, 500g — #NC-0729, $46.95 Sophie Glenn is a metal worker, woodworker, furniture designer, and sculptor based in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Soap finish is a shop-made polish with a long history of use in Europe and is becoming increasingly popular among furniture makers here in the States. It’s environmentally friendly and safe to use without PPE, and although it only provides moderate protection and durability, its simple formula, silky finished feel, and easy reparability tip the scale in its favor for many applications. Sarah Marriage walks you through the steps of creating your own Soap Finish as illustrated in Issue 109 (read the article here).

Q: I like the look of poly finishes, but they take a long time to apply, and my projects feel rough. How do I get a good, smooth – and fast – application using these wipe-on finishes? A: I prefer to use Minwax Wipe-On Poly for most of my projects. It’s absolutely my favorite among wiping varnishes for a variety of reasons. But first, here’s how to apply it. Start by sanding all of your surfaces to 220 grit and vacuuming away the dust. Then apply the first coat, which acts as a sealer and raises the grain. I like to flood on this coat (and the others) with a foam brush, let it sit for 5 to 20 minutes, and then wipe it off with thick paper towels (the kind sold for shop use). To prevent spontaneous combustion, be sure to lay oily rags out flat to dry before discarding them. Let the first coat dry for a couple hours, and then sand it lightly with 320-grit paper, folded in your hand, just until the surface feels smooth. Once again, vacuum away all dust. After that, you can apply any number of coats in quick succession, with just an hour or so between them. I usually apply three more at this stage. Because there’s so little time for dust to settle into the wet finish, you don’t have to sand between these coats. Once you like the look, let those multiple coats dry overnight, and you’re ready for one final pass. Sand once more with 320-grit paper, stir the can well, and apply one last coat, very thin this time, so it will dry even more quickly. If there are a few dust nibs in the final surface, just rub it with a paper bag to leave it buttery smooth. With this technique, you’ll have a nice, smooth-to-touch finish in short order. As a bonus, Minwax Wipe-On Poly is affordable and widely available at hardware stores and home centers. Additionally, for some reason related to its formulation, it adds a less yellow color to lighter woods than the brushed version, meaning I can use it for almost everything I build, dark or light. And last, like all wiping varnishes, Minwax Wipe-On Poly can be applied more thinly to the base of a table, for example, with additional coats added to the top for more protection and a deeper sheen—without making the two parts of the project look different. I prefer the satin variety of this finish, which doesn’t need to be rubbed out at the end to produce a soft sheen. But be sure to stir the can before each use. Flood it on. Start by sanding all surfaces to 220 grit and vacuuming away the dust. The bare wood will drink up quite a bit of finish, so apply the first coat liberally with a foam brush. Wipe it off. The key to quickly building this finish is wiping lightly. The goal is to get rid of drips and runs, leaving an even layer of finish without removing too much. Sand the first coat. Use 320-grit paper, folded into a pad, and sand lightly until the surface is smooth. Then vacuum away the dust.

A colorful, eco-friendly coating with historic durability Milk paint’s durability, ease of application, and visual characteristics have made it a colorful go-to finish for ages. Made popular for its use in venerated furniture styles such as Colonial and Shaker, it has withstood the test of time. Contemporary makers have embraced its luscious surface quality, durability, and environmental friendliness on pieces ranging from turnings to band saw boxes and furniture. It works equally well as a solid, single color, as a thin transparent wash, or layered with other colors to accentuate textured surfaces. I have been using and teaching about milk paint for several years and find a lot of people still have questions about how to take advantage of this wonderful finish. This article lays out my approach to using milk paint from mixing (it comes as a powder) to applying, and finally to finishing. I encourage you to explore this vibrant coating on your next project; your only limitation is your imagination. What is milk paint? Milk paint is comprised of fine powdered clay, pigment, lime, and casein, the protein found in the source of the paint’s name, milk. It is sold as a dry powder that you mix with water to reach a brushable or sprayable consistency. The added water acts as a catalyst to activate the chemical reaction between the casein and lime, resulting in a sticky adhesive substance that serves as the paint’s binder. Traditionally, the colors came from earth pigments which made for a softened, somewhat hushed color palette. Today, however, most manufacturers employ synthetic colorants to create a vivid spectrum of colors to choose from. At first, milk paint dries hard and chalky, but it is easily sanded and burnished to a silky sheen. Milk paint is also VOC (volatile organic compound)-free so it doesn’t emit toxins as it dries and can be disposed of easily by simply washing it down the drain or tossing it out. A colorful array. Modern milk paint manufacturers offer their products in a wide variety of colors with color cards and swatches available to help you choose. Endless variety and durability. You can create depth and pattern by applying multiple layers of different colors and painting over textured and carved surfaces. Safety First Milk paint is non-toxic, but while you are working with the powder, it’s important to take some precautions. Wear a good-fitting dust mask while mixing and sanding to avoid inhaling any of the fine powder. And wear safety glasses and gloves to protect your eyes and skin from the lime. Mixing milk paint Milk paint is mixed 1:1 with water by volume. In two separate cups, measure out equal amounts of dry paint and warm water. I prefer to use distilled water because varying pH-levels in tap water can cause milk paint to congeal in some instances. Add small amounts of the measured water to the dry paint and stir carefully to reduce kicking up the fine dust particles. Continue to mix the moistened paint until a smooth paste has developed. Incrementally add more of the water to the paste until it has all been incorporated. Let the freshly mixed paint sit for 10-15 minutes to allow all of the fine particles to “bloom” or become fully hydrated; a layer of fine bubbles will likely form on the surface of the paint, indicating the chemical reaction is taking place between the casein and lime. Prior to using the mixed paint, it should be strained to remove any small particles that did not fully incorporate. If your strainer is reusable, be sure to rinse it out immediately: dried milk paint will not redissolve. The finished consistency of the paint after blooming and straining should be like heavy cream. Add more water at this point to thin, if needed. Once mixed, milk paint has a short shelf life. Make only the amount that you plan to use that day, although I have had some luck refrigerating for short periods of time. A 1 to 1 ratio. Measure out equal amounts of dry paint and warm water. I like to use ribbed plastic cups for ease of measuring quantities plus the ribs help with mixing. First make a paste. Slowly add small amounts of the warm water to the powder. Stir the moistened paint powder until a smooth paste has developed. Press and rub the paste against the cup’s ribs to smooth out the texture. Filter out the grit. After allowing the mixed paint to bloom, strain it into a clean cup to remove any clumps. At this stage, it should have the consistency of heavy cream. Strain any leftover paint into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Applying milk paint Milk paint can be brushed or sprayed on nearly any surface (although the nuances of spraying are outside the scope of this article). I alternate between using foam and bristle brushes. I like wide foam brushes for broad and flat surfaces but prefer soft, natural bristle brushes for textured surfaces and for getting into corners. Generally, I find synthetic bristles are too stiff and don’t carry as much paint. Milk paint acts as its own primer so it is not necessary to prime the surface prior to painting. In fact, milk paint prefers a natural un-primed surface that is sanded to about 120-180 grit so that there’s enough “tooth” for the paint to adhere to. If painting on pre-sealed surfaces, tight-grained woods, such as maple or birch, or non-porous surfaces such as metal, add Extra-Bond (see p.60) to the first coat of paint. If painting a flat wooden form, apply the paint with the grain direction. If painting on the lathe, it’s important to use a very slow speed to prevent the paint from spraying everywhere. In all cases, it’s better to apply a few thin coats instead of a single thick coat of paint, which can easily drip, sag or catch debris from the air as it’s drying. I generally use three or four thin coats of milk paint on my work, but I have used up to seven or eight on textured items. Laying down a first coat. Paint a smooth coat over the surface of the wood and wait for it to dry fully prior to applying additional coats, about 20-30 minutes. You’ll know it’s dry when it appears flat and somewhat chalky. Building layers. After the first coat of paint has dried fully, lightly sand with 220 grit sandpaper to knock down any raised grain and to smooth the surface; remember to wear a dust mask while sanding. Continue adding as many layers of paint as needed for the effect you’re going for. The Importance of Making Samples I strongly encourage making paint sample boards to test different colors and techniques before committing them to a finished piece. Milk paint is quite durable, which can be both good and bad. It’s good for overall longevity, but it can be difficult to remove from surfaces, especially those with texture, should you make a mistake. I like to make several sample boards when I’m working on a project to inform my final decision-making process. Additionally, these samples are invaluable references to have on hand when working on other projects. I record the paint colors used, order of paint layers and sequence of processes on the backside of each sample board before I store them away. At this point, I have a library of sample boards that utilize a variety of color combinations, carving, texturing, and finishes. Shortening the dry time. A warm (not hot) hairdryer can speed up the drying process, but be careful not to overheat the surface or the paint may crack. Carving, texturing, and layering Milk paint is very versatile; it can take on a variety of appearances and it works exceptionally well over textured surfaces to accentuate variations. Typically, I paint on top of carved/textured surfaces instead of carving through a painted surface. Carving into milk paint will dull tools quickly. I like to use carving gouges, rasps, planes, and spokeshaves to shape surfaces that either highlight the form’s contours or that suggest other materials, such as grass. When I am painting over carved surfaces, I like to use layers of contrasting paint. I have found that, after sanding and burnishing, the color contrast amplifies the visual impact of the textured surfaces. Other effects such as crackling can be achieved through the application of specialized coatings and/or heat. See the Buyers Guide on page 60. And check out online Extras for more crackling techniques. Sand through the layers. Generally, the last color applied (blue, in this case) is the color that will settle into the deepest carved section. The underlying color (yellow), or colors, will be revealed through sanding and burnishing. Paint, crackle, pop. Using a product such as Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company’s Antique Crackle between layers of paint, you can achieve a variety of striking surface patterns. Or float a thick layer of milk paint across a surface and rapid-dry with a heat gun for a subtler effect. Sanding and finishing On its own, milk paint dries to a flat, lackluster, chalky finish. However, it easily burnishes to a smooth, buttery surface with a subtle sheen that is both beautiful and tactilely inviting. To create an aged effect, or to highlight a textured surface, build up layers of different colors before sanding some of them away with 220 grit sandpaper. Once you have finished sanding, burnish by rubbing the surface with fine steel wool, wood shavings, or synthetic abrasive pads. Finally, although milk paint is durable and hard, it is not watertight and it will water spot and absorb oils and other dirt. So a protective top coat will help to keep your paint looking fresh for years. Most clear finishes, such as penetrating oils, wipe-on polyurethane, and wax will work over milk paint, but be sure to test a sample first. In all cases, the finish will deepen the color slightly. Make the decision as to what topcoat to use based on the intended purpose/function of the object you’ve made. Burnish for beauty. Burnishing with steel wool polishes the dull, chalky dry surface to a buttery, silky sheen. Seal the finish. Although milk paint is durable and hard, it’s not watertight. To avoid water spots and other stains, add a few coats of a clear finish such as wipe-on poly for a final layer of protection. About the Author Kimberly Winkle is a Professor of Art and the Director of the School of Art, Craft & Design at Tennessee Technological University. Working with wood and paint, Winkle creates furniture and objects with a careful balance of form, color and surface pattern. This is her first article with Woodcraft Magazine.

Effective glue-ups often require using clamping cauls to pull joints home, especially when assembling casework. But holding long cauls in place while trying to clamp them down can be octopus work, especially on vertical surfaces. Since I don’t have extra arms, I use double-faced tape to do the job. It works great, but do yourself a favor and apply wide cellophane (packing) tape to your workpiece first, especially if it’s plywood. Otherwise, you may tear off the top veneer when removing the cauls. —Chad McClung, editor-in-chief

Dress your outdoor woodwork for success When it rains, it pours. So you put on a raincoat—or go inside. And when the snows come, you bundle up. Sunny? A pair of sunglasses and maybe some SPF lotion. But your outdoor furniture and other woodwork don’t have such luxuries. Those pieces rely on you to store them inside or undercover, and when that’s not practical, to apply and maintain a protective finish. While no product will completely protect your projects from the rain, snow, and sun, choosing the right finish and applying it the right way is a critical opening gambit in the uphill battle of keeping your woodwork lasting long and looking beautiful. After all, the finish has to balance protection from the elements with an element of simplicity in both application and renewal. As you’ll see in the following pages, those finishes that offer better protection at the beginning can also be more difficult to maintain and refinish. And maintaining an outdoor finish may be necessary, but it doesn’t have to be evil. The trick is picking the right finish, then knowing how and—just as importantly—how often to maintain that finish to protect your projects and keep your wood looking good season after season. Oil-based varnishes Varnish has come to be a catch-all term for any number of film-forming finishes. Most oil-based “varnishes” consist of a drying oil (usually tung, or linseed), a resin (typically alkyd, or polyurethane) and a solvent (mineral spirits). Varying the type and ratio of those components affects characteristics of the protective layer formed by the film. Exterior oil-based varnishes—some manufacturers dub them “spar” from the days of tall-masted ships—contain a greater percentage of oils than their interior counterparts. This formulation means exterior varnish remains more flexible when cured, lessening the likelihood of it cracking or peeling from seasonal wood movement. Frequently, these finishes also contain UV blockers that inhibit the sun’s ultraviolet rays from degrading the wood beneath. The tradeoff is that exterior varnishes aren’t as hard or durable as interior formulations. Depending on the weather, a well-applied exterior varnish will last 2-3 years before it begins to look chalky. When it does, sand the surface and apply a fresh coat. Do this before the finish develops cracks; otherwise you may have to sand down to bare wood. Oil-based varnishes, which impart an amber hue to the wood, can be applied by brush or spray. When applying to bare wood, it’s often wise to thin the initial coat with mineral spirits (up to 50% with some products) to promote good adhesion. Water-based varnishes These film-forming finishes are also resin-based (alkyd, urethane, and/or acrylic) but use water as their solvent, making them environmentally friendlier and easier to clean up. Like their oil-based cousins, the outdoor formulations form a weather- and UV-resistant film that remains flexible. Although milky-white as a liquid, they dry clear with no amber cast. This tends to flatten the color and grain rather than enhance it the way an oil-based varnish does. Staining first can help, as can using amber-colored additives made for the purpose. Water-based varnishes can be applied over other non-oil-based finishes such as milk paint to add gloss and durability, but be sure to check for compatibility first. To apply a water-based finish, first raise the wood grain with distilled water (see tip on page 16) and then lightly sand away the raised fibers before brushing or spraying on 3-4 thin coats. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly, then sand and recoat. Clean up with water. Sealers: keeping water out While they are not a complete finish, sealers enjoy a symbiotic relationship with film-forming finishes such as varnish, enhancing their protection. Some sealers consist of two parts—a resin and a hardener. Mixing them creates a thin epoxy with an open time sufficient to allow brushing or spraying. Other brands are single-part liquids. Both soak deeply into the wood with the same goal: preventing water penetration and therefore rot. Sealers don’t provide UV protection, and need a topcoat to prevent sun damage and weathering. For optimum protection, seal all project parts (except glue-joint surfaces) with 2-3 coats after cutting the parts to size, but before assembling them. Once your piece is together, topcoat as normal. This added step may well be worth it for significant projects that will be left out in all conditions. Or consider using sealers locally, where they provide the most benefit, such as on the end-grain feet of outdoor furniture. Finishes for small projects While large outdoor projects that must endure the elements deserve a finish, smaller wooden outdoor-use objects such as tool handles used outdoors warrant protection as well. This calls for something a little different. Gunstock oils—based on linseed oil—are not just for firearms. These drying oils harden in the wood, not on it. This deepens the color and accentuates the grain while providing a durable finish that resists wear and moisture. GB Lin-Speed Oil can be applied with a lint-free cloth. Spread a thin coat so the wood looks barely wet. Let the finish absorb before adding successive coats—up to 8 or 10 to create a lustrous sheen. Repair or renew the finish as needed by simply rubbing on an additional coat or two. Milk paint: color & protection Traditional milk paint is a combination of lime (or borax), a pigment, and casein, a protein found in milk. These ingredients make it non-toxic, biodegradable, and fume-free. Milk paint also holds up well outside, and is nearly impossible to remove. Available in powdered form, you mix it with warm water to the consistency of a melted milkshake, then brush or wipe it onto sanded wood surfaces. Thinning it with extra water creates a more rustic “washed” look. The available colors tend toward barn reds, colonial blues, and linen whites. Mix it in small batches, as it doesn’t keep more than a day. One manufacturer offers premixed “milk” paints in similar, muted colors fortified with added acrylic resins. These water-based paints come in cans and share many of the non-toxic qualities of the traditional powders. Whether powdered or pre-mixed, milk paint provides a smooth, velvety finish without a sheen. Several coats may be required for complete coverage, which also provides UV protection. Adding a water-based varnish over milk paint will help maintain its color, enhance UV protection, and add some gloss. Stains: perfect for structures Stains represent some of the most effective and easily applied outdoor finishes around. While generally intended for decking and siding, they are also appropriate for most outdoor projects. Available as water-based, oil-based, or as a hybrid of both, stains come in variety of colors and in three types: transparent, semitransparent, and solid. Transparent stains contain the least amount of pigment, which allows the grain of the wood to show through, but which offers less UV protection. Transparent stains won’t peel, but typically need to be recoated yearly. Semi-transparent stains offer a little more protection and longevity (typically 2-3 years, with no peeling) while still allowing the wood’s grain to show. Solid (or opaque) stains very closely mimic paint, although they do tend to show the grain’s texture. They offer the most protection and longest lifespan (5-7 years) but can peel if the surfaces aren’t properly prepared. Oil-based stains tend to give the wood a more natural look. Water-based stains, with their acrylic resins, are better at resisting UV damage, but can raise the grain. The new hybrid stains combine the characteristics of oil- and water-based products. All of the choices can be applied by brushing, rolling, or spraying. Clean up according to the base solvent. Penetrating oils: working from within Unlike film finishes such as varnishes and paints, which form a barrier on the wood’s surface, penetrating oils soak into the wood and do their work from within. While there are myriad formulations with names such as “timber,” “teak,” and “outdoor” oil, they all have some similar characteristics. Oils maintain a natural (though darkened) look without adding a glossy coating, so there’s nothing to peel or flake. The flip side is that oils offer less protection than film-forming finishes, and eventually the wood will gray from exposure. Outdoor oils usually incorporate UV-blockers and some contain heat stabilizers and mildew inhibitors. Of all the available outdoor finishes, oil is undoubtedly the easiest to apply: wipe or brush on liberally, recoating every 6-12 months to maintain the protective barrier. Fortunately there’s usually no need to sand before reapplying additional coats. Selecting the right wood Regardless of the finish you choose, selecting the right wood is critical to the success of your outdoor projects. Start with a rot-prone species such as sycamore, and your hard work will soon fall apart even if you’re a stickler for maintenance. But choose wisely and you’re likely to see years of service from your projects even with a little benign neglect. Domestic species renowned for their decay resistance include cedar, cypress, redwood, white oak, and catalpa. Exotics include mahogany, teak, and ipe. Or consider using thermally modified stock (see page 52) such as southern yellow pine. The usual suspects. Top row, left to right: catalpa, cedar, cypress, white oak. Bottom row, left to right; mahogany, thermally-modified pine, ipe, and redwood.

From your floors, to your fences, to your cutting boards, to your children's toys, Osmo has a finish that's right for your project. Osmo uses carefully harvested natural oils (sunflower, soya, linseed and thistle oils) and hard waxes (carnauba and candelilla waxes) for it’s finishes. All of the interior finishes, once dry fulfill both the DIN EN 71.3 (suitable for children’s toys) and DIN 53160 (fast to perspiration and saliva) and as such is safe for humans, animals and plants. Including the Wood Wax Finishes, which are a great way to add some color to your project. The Polyx-Oil is a durable, all purpose finish for all interior projects from floors to children's toys. The Wood Wax Finish gives you a choice of color while still having all of the great benefits of a hardwax-oil finish. The TopOil is a fantastic, chemical resistant finish for cutting boards, countertops, and more! The Exterior UV-Protection Oil has 12X the UV protection as raw wood and will protect against mold and algae growth.

Teri Masaschi’s book is based on her finishing experience acquired over many years while restoring antique furniture and building antique furniture reproductions, along with teaching finishing classes. In the introduction to this book, Teri Masaschi writes that the fantastic array of finishing products on the market is what makes learning finishing somewhat complicated. “In woodworking, if a router bit is an ogee-style bit, that’s it – very straightforward. But in finishing, a stain is not just a stain. It could be oil- or alcohol- or water-based, dye or pigment or both, gel or penetrating or glaze. Choosing among the alternatives is never just black or white; advantages come with disadvantages. Some who’ve struggled, call finishing a ‘black art.’” To help the would-be finisher reading this book learn to control the outcome of his or her projects, Teri shares her experiences over 37 years of “falling into every pitfall and learning how to back out of them.” Until recently, Teri ran a full-time business of furniture restoration and finishing for other woodworkers, along with teaching and writing. Now she only does her own work, which is cleaning up pieces to resell and fun building projects with antique components, such as industrial iron bases with aged and distressed tops. She also built a number of antique furniture reproductions over the years. Choose a Finish First – at the Design Stage In the “How to Use This Book” section, Teri outlines the direction the book will take: a “Getting Started” chapter with the basics, including planning, followed by chapters in the same sequence as finishing – preparing the surface, filling the holes, grain filling, coloring, topcoating, rubbing out, and repairing and touching up. “The most important part of finishing starts at the very beginning of a project at the drafting table when the piece is being drawn and the cut list generated,” Teri writes at the beginning of Chapter 1. Then she offers a series of questions: What is the function of the piece? Will it need a super-durable topcoat? Will it have a special color to match? Will some parts need prefinishing? If the piece is built from random boards (not all from the same tree), what risks are there with color inconsistency? If there are sap streaks (white streaks), is it necessary to cut them out, plan around them, or plan on coloring them in? Is the piece going to be made from wood that is prone to “blotching”? Answers to these questions. Teri says, will lead the finisher to the features that need to be considered when choosing a finish. Most considerations, she notes, relate either to function or appearance. She then gives the reader an in-depth look at how function and form determine an appropriate finish. Illustrations cover qualities of topcoats, dyes and pigments, binders and solvents for pigments and for dyes. A Gallery of Finely Finished Furniture To illustrate the different needs that function and appearance pose for the finisher, Teri includes a “Gallery Of Finely Finished Furniture” images with explanations of appropriate finishes. See one of the images and explanations below. These three items, all replicas, have quite different needs. The Eli Terry Pillar and Scroll Clock will receive minimal wear, so a shellac or wipe-on oil, rubbed out with wax, will do well. The Pedestal Table is a target for drinks. Use a durable polyurethane, varnish, or lacquer on the top. The base can have a wipe-on finish to match the top. The Windsor Chair may receive hard daily use, depending on the household. Use a traditional varnish, polyurethane, or eight to ten wipe-on coats of gel varnish or polyurethane. (Photo from the Gallery of Finely Finished Furniture, courtesy of Teri Masaschi.) Trio of Replicas Test Sample, Finishing Plan, Tools, Brushes and Safety After setting requirements for a finish for your project, Teri says you are ready to make a test sample – a step that is the “supreme law” of finishing that hardly anyone does. Teri warns that six months of hard work can be ruined in an hour with the wrong finish – a disaster that a test sample would likely have avoided. She devotes an entire page to describing how to do an effective test sample. (See below; page image courtesy of Fox Chapel Publishing.) After choosing a finishing schedule, Teri encourages writing it on the project drawings before you cut any wood. She then explains in detail what to include when recording the steps for surface prep and prefinishing, coloring, topcoating, rubbing out, and repair and touch-up. Teri finishes Chapter 1 with important information about tools, brushes and their care, and safety – including the proper disposal of oily rags that she warns can ignite in as little as 15 to 20 minutes if left in a pile. She cites an instance where oily rags in a basement caused spontaneous combustion that burned down a house. In the next three chapters, Teri methodically guides the reader/finisher in preparing wood and exploring all the possibilities for coloring it. Getting Wood Ready After showing step-by-step how to sand wood to remove planer marks and leave only sanding scratches too tiny to see, Teri offers detailed instructions for filling various types of holes, cracks and voids plus matching fillers. Next she describes steps to control stain absorption in woods that are prone to “blotching” like pine, cherry, maple and sometimes birch. For open-grained woods such as walnut, ash, mahogany and rosewood, she explains the use of a filler, which she says is more effective than using finish as the filler. Coloring Wood In “Coloring Wood,” Teri offers a host of exercises to explore the wide variety of stains on the market and how to use them to achieve beautiful, creative results. Readers learn the differences between pigment and dye stains and how best to use them, plus some unusual applications for paint. “Paint can be understood as a pigment stain with so much pigment that even a fairly thin coat will totally obscure the wood,” Teri writes. “If we thin down a paint so much that the pigment no longer totally obscures the wood, we will have a wood stain the color of the paint. How about a fire engine red stain on an oak picture frame for a clown picture in a kid’s room? There’s potential for some very exciting, very attractive, very happy results if done carefully in the right situation. And it can be a lot of fun!” In what she labels “think outside the can,” Teri examines the use of glazes and color layering. According to Teri, glazes, usually applied to sealed surfaces, “add a subtle dimension of color to a surface or highlight carvings, moldings, or details, and they can add an antique look to a project.” Note: she says glazes never go on bare wood. Tiger Maple Mirror with beveled glass. (Photo courtesy of Teri Masaschi.) Three-Drawer Blanket Chest with Lift Top (Photo courtesy of Teri Masaschi.) Teri’s replica of a Chippendale Tiger Maple Mirror in the Gallery of Finely Finished Furniture has a sophisticated color layering scheme of stains and glazes to emphasize the figured grain and to reproduce the old maple look of a real antique. The finish can be shellac, wipe-on finish, or even aerosol lacquers. The finish is also crackled, contributing to the appearance of antiquity. Teri used an early 1800s method called vinegar putty paint for the Three-Drawer Blanket Chest with Lift Top that she built from wide pine boards and coffer pin hinges. It is featured in the “Painting Wood” section of “Topcoating.” Teri incorporates lists of tools and materials needed for each exercise, step-by-step instructions and related photographs, plus Helpful Tips, as she explains the various aspects of finishing. (Page image courtesy of Fox Chapel Publishing) Topcoating In Chapter 5, Teri discusses topcoats that provide a protective shield on wood that keeps dirt, grime, water, and scuffing damage to a minimum. She includes exercises to help the reader/finisher become equipped to make good decisions by providing experience in all of the basic types of topcoats and two of the three application methods: bushing and wiping. For readers who are eager to learn about spray finishing, Teri encourages them to find an instructor or a school that specializes in that type of finishing. Topcoats are organized by application method and then by composition of the finish: Brush-On Topcoats – oil-based urethane, water-based urethane, shellac, lacquer;Wipe-On Topcoats – varnish, Danish oil, gel varnish. Painting wood furniture seems like heresy to some woodworkers, Teri observes, but she says there are occasions when the wood is inferior, a client wants a certain look, or the style demands a painted surface. She offers instruction for using modern latex paint and milk paint for successful topcoating. She also includes an exercise using milk paint for distressing, an effect often used for antique reproductions. The final 10 pages of the Topcoating chapter provide instruction in successfully rubbing out finishes, which Teri says gives a whole project the look of a master’s touch. Rubbing out removes the subtle traces of the brush like the hand scraper removes the subtle traces of a perfectly honed and tuned plane, she writes. “Even if you never go beyond brushing varnish on bare wood, learn to rub it out. You’ll be glad you did,” Teri writes. However, she notes that rubbing out it is not appropriate for a reproduction primitive piece. Finishing Recipes Teri shares her finishing recipes and invites the reader/finisher to expand on them to suit his or her own preferences. She suggests recording any revised recipes for future use and keeping them in a recipe box. In “Frequently Used Recipes,” Teri includes recipes used for cherry, walnut, oak, mahogany, pine, and highly figured wood, plus “secret” wiping varnish recipes and mixing shellac from flakes. Abbreviated application instructions are included that she says assumes the finisher has familiarity with the techniques explained in earlier chapters. A Gallery of Glorious Woods and Colors (see page at left) includes more test samples with ingredients but without application instructions. Teri says she intends these recipes to stimulate the imagination of more experienced finishers. In addition to the colors shown here, in most cases two or three more recipes are given for each wood, and six in the case of the highly figured woods grouping. The red oak image here is tinted with Golden oak Danish oil. Other red oak recipes include different stains that produce variations in color. The same goes for all the Glorious Woods pictured here. Furniture Repair, Care and Restoration Before guiding the reader/finisher through repair and touch-up instructions, Teri outlines directions for cleanup so the finish in question can be seen clearly and undisguised. After addressing filling large and small holes, replacing color and over-finishing, and replacing finish, Teri includes six pages of detailed information about the care of furniture. She writes in the second paragraph, “Popular ‘wisdom’ on the proper care for furniture finishes is full of advertising nonsense. To sort out the valuable information, we have to ask why we finish wood to begin with. There are three reasons: “1-To make the wood beautiful “2-To protect the wood from grime, grease, and everyday mess “3-To minimize the expansion and contraction of the wood by providing a barrier against moisture from the environment.” She then addresses in-depth what types of products and processes best meet these three needs. This section will be of value to everyone who has furniture they want to keep looking good, regardless of whether it is high-end quality or a beloved family piece. Teri ends her book with a discussion of “Restoration and Conservation” that draws on her extensive background in not only restoring furniture but also building replicas of antique furniture. She offers helpful advice to people to determine whether to restore or conserve their antique furniture for optimum value. She said Antiques Roadshow has made owners of antique furniture hesitant to touch their “attic jewels,” because they have heard the high prices that similar pieces bring and that sometimes refinishing can lower the price. Teri uses an educational process to counteract this fear, a process that sometimes involves an inspection or appraisal of the piece of furniture in question. During the appraisal, the parts of the piece are examined closely and questions asked about its history. “Once you do your homework, the answer will be obvious,” Teri writes. Teri is surrounded by finishing products in this photo that appears on the back cover of Foolproof Wood Finishing: For Those Who Love to Build and Hate to Finish. Fox Chapel Publishing published the book in 2006. This updated edition was published in 2014. To learn more about Teri Masaschi, read Teri Masaschi: Finisher Extraordinaire and Much More!

This 3-part special from our Woodcraft 101 Series features Eric Gorges, host of A Craftsman's Legacy on PBS and our own Craig Arnold. Craig shows Eric his top tips to getting the right finish.

This water based, non-toxic, pleasant smelling Unicorn Spit is a great way to add a splash of color to your projects whether it be wood, metal, glass, fabric, ceramic, or something else. You can use it full strength or dilute it up to 70% water to get the look you want. Put it on like a paint, a stain, a glaze, or use it to tint your water based finished.

Professional furniture builder and veneer expert Jonathan Benson shares his secrets for making gorgeous furniture with veneer, while saving money, in this comprehensive guide to making the most of an age-old technique. Benson writes: “During the past three decades, I have been lucky enough to work at a craft I love, to continue to explore new ideas in the studio, and to pass on that knowledge.” His work has been exhibited in 40 galleries around the country, he has taught woodworking at the college level for 10 years, held workshops and given lectures across the country, and written for and contributed to many of the well-known woodworking magazines. He also wrote a chapter in Furniture Makers Exploring Digital Technologies. Veneer, an attractive but thin slice of wood, can be glued onto furniture or a wall panel to achieve a high-end wood appearance at a fraction of the cost of solid wood. A technique dating back to the ancient Egyptians, veneering offers lots of options for unusual designs using book-matching, pictures (marquetry), geometric patterns (parquetry), inlay, and curved and bent features – all covered in-depth in Benson’s 160-page beautifully illustrated book. Benson uses pictures of furniture and veneering techniques, illustrations, lists of veneer terms, demonstration projects like “Shooting Veneers for the Tabletop,” sidebars like “Choosing Tape,” and STEP-BY-STEP explanations like “Hammer Veneering” to tell the story of veneering. With the exception of the two-page book spread and the mirror photo, the photos used in this blog were provided by the publisher, Fox Chapel Publishing. In Woodworker’s Guide to Veneering & Inlay, Benson puts to rest two misconceptions about modern veneering: it’s a complex art only mastered by the finest of craftsmen and it’s a glossy cover-up for shoddy materials and poor construction. He explains and demonstrates how woodworkers of all skill levels can produce very fine veneered furniture using basic woodworking tools, without a huge investment of money or work space. History & Why Veneer? Benson opens his book by tracing the history of veneering to Egypt, noting that examples of veneered pieces dating back to 3500 BC were discovered in the pyramids. Veneers about 1/4"-thick were cut with an adze, a tool similar to an ax with its blade turned perpendicular. Veneer was used because fine woods of interesting and contrasting figure had to be transported great distances, making them scarce, so cutting the wood into thin layers made it go farther. Also, veneer prevented problems like checking and warping in burls and the effects of wood movement. Over the centuries, man learned to cut thinner and thinner veneers. In the Industrial Revolution, the circular saw made it possible to cut 1/16" veneer in large quantities, so veneer soon became available to far more people. Unfortunately this resulted in some cheap, shoddy construction, which came to be associated with all veneering. Technology over the centuries has reduced veneer thickness to 1/28" in the US today. That means veneer can cover more surface area and far more veneer with a matching pattern can be produced, so larger areas can be covered with the same uniform pattern. The popularity of exotic woods in the first half of the 20th century resulted in some of the finest furniture being produced using veneers. As a result, Benson writes that for the last 200 years veneer has lived a dual existence as the best and the worst that wood furniture design has to offer. Fortunately, he says, contemporary furniture artists have turned again to veneer for both the beauty and luxury it offers, as well as economy and practicality. Author and professional furniture builder Jonathan Benson crafted this Desert Sun Sideboard that combines vintage Brazilian rosewood, curly maple, and ebony veneers. The 36" x 62" x 22" sideboard was created using simple tools and techniques covered in this book. Advantages of Veneer •The yield advantage of using veneers is 30 or 40 times that of a using a regularly sawn log, resulting in the best logs going to the veneer mill•Veneers may be the only form available for types of wood affected by deforestation and other environmental issues•It takes less lumber grown in the tropical rainforests to cover the same surface area when sawn as veneer; renewable and waste materials can be used as substrate•Design advantages: veneers make it possible to combine different woods in an infinite number of ways, regardless of the grain direction, making veneers omni-directional. If glued down properly, the veneer is just too thin to move in any direction, regardless of seasonal weather changes. Jonathan Benson’s set of three nesting tables combines purpleheart veneer with stained curly maple turnings. Although it might have been possible to make the curved side panels in solid wood instead of laminated veneers, Benson writes that the cost would have been prohibitive. From Forest to a Mirror Frame Project In the remainder of the book, Benson takes the reader logically through the veneering process: how the characteristics of wood affect its use in veneering; the art of cutting, matching and taping veneers; how to select and use substrates, adhesives and pressure and presses; edge treatments; problems, repairs and finishing; details of using inlay, marquetry and parquetry; bandsawing veneers, and finally, a Curved Mirror Frame project. The reader who is serious about learning to work with veneer should read this book from cover to cover before buying veneer, because as Benson moves through the chapters, he offers many pieces of advice that will avoid problems as a veneer project proceeds. For example, in “From Forest to Shop,” Benson offers a lot of helpful information about wood growth and movement, how veneers are cut, and finally storing veneers, where he offers what could be critical information if overlooked. Veneer that comes rolled tightly in a box should be unrolled when it arrives while still slightly moist and less likely to crack or split. If left rolled, it will likely dry in the rolled shape. Once unrolled, it then needs to be stored flat. Numbered Veneer Sheets Taped Ends of Veneer Sheets Benson suggests numbering the sheets in one corner with a pencil or chalk to allow you to create perfect matches later, no matter how mixed up the sheets become. If long-term storage is anticipated, he recommends taping the ends across the width with veneer tape or high-quality masking tape the day the veneer arrives, before it can dry out at all, to prevent splits. Cutting, Matching & Taping Veneers In this chapter, Benson introduces the creative steps. After rough cutting, “laying up” involves cutting, arranging, and taping veneer to a single sheet ready to glue down on a substrate. The two-page spread above includes four examples of arranging veneer:•The Club Chair by Pollaro Custom Furniture Inc. of Union, NJ, features book-matched burl veneers on the back and sides.•Noted furniture artist Silas Kopf used marquetry to create a school of fish picture that wraps around his curved desk.•The veneered chessboard in progress is an example of parquetry (cutting and assembling small veneer pieces into geometric patterns).•The light-colored maple band was inlaid into the veneered tabletop before the top was glued to a substrate. Benson writes in the chapter introduction: “There are not always hard borders between the four categories, and many creative ideas come from combining them in new ways. My motto is, ‘If you can imagine it, you can make it.’ ” The two leaves of Macassar ebony at right are book-matched, while the two at the left are slip-matched. The most common types of matching are book-matching and slip-matching, which rely on sheets or leaves of veneer cut from a log being kept in sequential order because each sheet resembles the next. In book-matching, two sheets are opened up and placed next to each other like pages in a book (above right). The figure patterns of the two sheets will mirror each other almost exactly, and the match can be continued by adding sequential leaves from a veneer flitch (a stack of veneer sheets sliced from a log and kept in sequential order). In slip-matching, the sheets are laid out next to each other in sequential order with the same side up, producing a repeated pattern (above left). This results in a pleasing design, a gentle unity that works in many applications. The remainder of this chapter describes and illustrates crosscutting veneers to length and ripping them to width, followed by creating a seamless joint between each sheet – a process known as shooting. Benson writes that shooting a straight, square and clean edge is essential to avoid ugly gaps in the finished surface. Benson prefers to use a shooting jig that is run over the jointer for shooting a straight, square, clean edge on veneer. Selecting Substrates & Working with Adhesives The substrate is the material the veneer will be glued onto. Benson writes: “A veneer surface can only be as good as its foundation. For centuries, the most common veneering substrate was solid wood, which has the problem of wood movement and consequent damage to veneer surfaces. Other substrates developed primarily to solve the problems of solid wood include plywood, particleboard, MDF and lumber core.” Benson offers criteria for substrate selection, as well as detailed information about the various types of substrates available. In the chapter about adhesives used for gluing veneer to a substrate, Benson discusses the history of glues, which were eventually replaced by other types of joinery in woodworking because of their long-term ineffectiveness. “Clever joinery, however, was never an option for veneering applications – veneers were usually attached using hide glue. Many antiques in my shop had only dust where the hide glue was originally, until I reglued the veneer,” he writes. More effective long-lasting synthetic glues were developed in the early 20th century. Benson includes tips for choosing a glue and discussions about several adhesives, along with a demonstration of how to spread glue. Pressing the Glued Up Panel, Edge Treatment and Final Steps Benson next takes the reader through the pressing process that binds the substrate, adhesive and veneer together. While large industries use hydraulic presses, Benson writes that since the Industrial Revolution, smaller woodworking operations have used presses featuring screws made of wood or metal. In the mid-1980s, vacuum presses began to replace screw presses in some workshops. In vacuum pressing, as the pump draws the vacuum, the bag flattens over the panel. A hard rubber roller is used to encourage it. For anyone just beginning with veneering, Benson says a few clamps and cauls (thick wood pieces to help distribute pressure) will work nicely. All pressing processes can be used to create curved forms or flat panels. The key to success is applying uniform pressure to the entire veneer covered area long enough for the adhesive to set and achieve a proper bond between veneer and substrate. The chapter about edging is another good reason to read this whole book before embarking on a veneer project. Benson writes: “Before applying the veneer to the substrate (covered in Chapter 6), you need to consider what type of edge your panel will have. This decision is important to make before you apply the veneer because in many situations the veneer will partially cover the edge. It is nearly impossible to slip the edge material under the veneer once the veneer has been glued down.” To determine edge treatment, Benson lists two considerations: visual impact and functional impact, and explains each one. Fixing any defects in the newly glued panels, followed by finishing, are next steps in the veneer process. After the veneer tape is removed, repairs are made if needed, and then the panels are scraped or sanded to prepare for finishing, which Benson writes is similar to finishing a solid wood surface. Non-penetrating finishes such as lacquer, varnish and shellac work very well on veneered surfaces. However, penetrating finishes that need to sink deep into the surface of the wood cannot make it past the glue line that bonds the veneer to the substrate and so do not get deep enough to work properly. A finish for veneer, Benson writes, needs to be hard enough to protect the surface of the wood on its own. Matching, Inlay, Marquetry & Parquetry In-Depth Next, Benson devotes two chapters to an in-depth look at methods for arranging veneer pieces that were introduced earlier in the book, beginning with complex matching – four-way match, four-way burl match, and radial match – as well as how to use inlay and borders with veneer. Marquetry – the use of small, thin pieces of wood to create a picture in wood – involves some special sawing techniques, which Benson covers, along with types of saws used, marquetry patterns, and “The Marquetry Sequence,” a series of sequential steps in the process of transferring a design to veneer. A Step-By-Step Parquetry Chessboard project is used to illustrate using the parquetry technique – cutting and assembling small pieces of veneer into geometric patterns. Tulips & Bees, a 54" x 20" x 35" side table by furniture artist Silas Kopf, combines elaborate marquetry techniques for the tulips and the bees themselves, with simple parquetry for fitting the veneer blocks containing the bees. Advantages of Bandsawing Veneers Benson includes a chapter about the benefits of bandsawing your own veneer, which he believes offers options not always available on the market. For example, he writes that only a few types of 1/16" veneer are available, and thick veneers are not available with unusual types of figure. A step-by-step guide to bandsawing veneers is provided in this chapter. Curved Mirror Frame Project Benson ends his book with a Curved Mirror Frame project to demonstrate the basic skills necessary to create a bent lamination using veneers in a small project, with only clamps to press the veneer. The curved frame pieces are a face veneer bonded to a bendable MDF and bending plywood inner layers. Benson describes this project as a good way to learn the basics of creating a curved panel and finishing off the edges, skills that will give you a new sense of freedom, creating design possibilities you might never have imagined. This blog just scratches the surface of all the veneering information that Jonathan Benson included in this “keeper” book. If you are interested in trying veneering or would just like to learn more about it, the Woodworker’s Guide to Veneering & Inlay is worth the investment.

A psychological study in assembly According to pioneering psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, there are five stages of grief that apply to all people regardless of age, gender, and walk-of-life. Well, after eight years of making furniture and helping teach nearly a thousand students, I posit that there are also five universal “emotional stages of gluing-up” that anyone undergoing a furniture assembly faces. So if you recognize yourself in the following descriptions, don’t worry. Take heart that you’re not alone. You’re human. You’re just another woodworker trying to get it together. Anticipation. You’ve made all the parts. Countless hours have been invested in measuring, cutting joinery, dry-fitting, and sanding. Things are looking and feeling good. You’ve cleared a bench and gathered all your clamps, cauls, and other necessities. You’re excited and ready. A smooth dry-fit that requires only a simple tenon trim goes better than you expected, confirming that all your careful work was worth it. Anxiety. You’re preparing for the real deal. All the parts are organized on the benchtop, and you’ve staged every clamp at-the-ready. You review your gluing strategy: coat the mortises first, then the tenons, and assemble from left to right. You’ll use your favorite glue brush, of course, because it’s obviously good luck. A hammer, block, and a wide beater chisel are at hand just in case. Flop sweat is building as you inventory everything one last time. You grab a snack to postpone the inevitable. Panic. You are mid-glue-up and nothing is closing the way it did during rehearsal. You are somehow two clamps short. Huh? It’s only been three minutes but the squeeze out is already starting to harden on your front stretcher. Arghh! You’re supposed to have eight minutes of open time! You start to wonder why you even like woodworking. Maybe you should just quit now, burn this botched piece, and call it a good run. Recovery. You’re sweating, upset, and sure the project is ruined. But your frustration has abated just enough for the logical part of your brain to kick in. It can’t get worse, right? So you try one more thing: you bust out a clever clamp maneuver you saw in a video once several years ago. It works! It corrects those misaligned parts and closes that gap that wasn’t budging. You manage a sigh of relief. Acceptance. Okay, so there’s a slight gap where the tenon shoulder didn’t completely pull home. But no one will notice except you, especially since it’s under the top overhang. The piece is also slightly out-of-square, but you can tweak the drawer front a bit to compensate. And that raised grain caused by splashed water during a manic glue wipe-up is nothing some 220-grit hand-sanding won’t take care of. Alright, then, whew!

Here’s how to add color without sacrificing clarity, and make figured grain really POP! Early in my woodworking career, I lived by the maxim that I would never artificially color the wood I was using. It was my firm belief that the wood should speak for itself and any attempt to add color was unnecessary. In a large part, that belief stemmed from bad experiences that I had with pigment-based stains. Too often I would see the wood grain obscured by a stain application, rather than enhanced. My feelings about coloring wood changed when I decided to give dye stains a try. Dye stains allow me to achieve the deep rich browns on a piece of mission furniture or the wonderful amber tones on classic Shaker pieces. The difference between dye stains and pigment-based stains is all about particle size. In a traditional pigment-based stain, each pigment particle is 1-2 microns in size. Dye particles are roughly 60% smaller. The larger pigment particles tend to stay on the wood’s surface. This results in obscured grain, and distracting contrast on open-grained woods. Dye stain, on the other hand, can penetrate more deeply and allow more grain detail to show. This creates a color effect that can be deep and intense, without blocking grain patterns. The ability of dye stains to penetrate more deeply makes them especially effective at emphasizing the natural chatoyance of figured woods like curly maple. The dye stain technique shown here has become my standard treatment for showing off figured grain. Dye stain options I like to work with concentrated liquid dyes for several reasons. For starters, I like the range of colors and wood tones that are available. Ease of use is another positive, especially with regard to making custom colors. But dye stains come in other forms that may be more suitable, depending on your needs. Premixed dye stain is the easiest type to use, but it’s also more expensive. Powdered dye offers the same advantages as concentrated liquid dye, but for accurate mixing with water or alcohol, you’ll need a digital scale. Get set to work with dye stain The gear shown here is what I use to color wood with concentrated liquid dye stain. The color wheel comes in handy when you want to combine colors to create a custom blend. Paper cups are useful for mixing and making small test batches. Surface prep is the first step Sanding has an extra purpose when using dye stain: In addition to smoothing the wood surface, it needs to enhance the penetration of the dye. Sanding with too fine a grit can actually reduce penetration. Medium grit for maximum penetration. Prior to making the first application of dye stain, sand the wood with a medium-grit like 120. If necessary, sand by hand to remove swirl marks. Then go over the wood surface with a shop vac to make sure all sawdust is removed. Mix and apply When you’re working with dye stains, it helps to think about concentration, formulation, and experimentation. The concentration, or mixing ratio of dye to water, will determine the intensity of your stain. To alter a standard dye color, create a different formulation by blending in another dye color. By mixing small test batches, as shown at right, you can experiment on scrap wood, and fine-tune your concentration and formulation. Make a test batch. I rely on a calibrated syringe to get the mixing ratios right when using concentrated liquid dye. It’s wise to make a small quantity of dye first to test the color effect. Blend your brew. To make a quart of my favorite stain for maple, I combine equal parts of “Vintage maple” and “Honey amber” to make an ounce of concentrated dye. Then I add distilled water. A mason jar with a positive-sealing lid will prolong the shelf life of your dye. Flood on the color. I use a lint-free, 12" square cotton rag to apply dye stain. Flood the wood surface with dye to ensure maximum penetration. Work quickly to avoid lap marks. If they do occur, applying more stain should remove them. Wipe off all excess after a few minutes. Sand lightly with 180 grit. This final sanding step removes raised grain and the topmost layer of stain. The dye that has penetrated deep into the pores remains in place. After sanding lightly with my random-orbit sander, I remove the swirls by lightly hand-sanding with 180-grit on a sanding block. Apply the second coat. Flood on the color again, then wipe off any excess. When the dye dries, it will look dull. Don’t worry—the pop returns when you apply clear finish. Protect and beautify. Using a water-based clear finish over water-based dye stain can result in some bleeding of the dye. To avoid this, I apply a thin coat of shellac after the stain has dried, then topcoat with a water-based varnish. Results to dye for. Keep your samples! By creating a catalog of dye effects (record your mixing formula on the back of each piece), you’ll know just what to aim for on the next project.

Have you read the children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? It’s a popular favorite written as a “circular tale” by Laura Numeroff. She tells about a little mouse who wants a cookie…then he needs some milk to go with it…then he needs a straw…then he needs a mirror to check his milk mustache…and on and on. Sometimes home improvement is like that. You paint your walls, then your flooring looks blah. So you put in new flooring, then your furniture looks outdated. Et cetera. But you’re usually stuck with a brick or stone fireplace – one area that people are often afraid to tackle. Even if you give your walls a fresh coat of paint, the brick’s still there. Sure, you can rip it all out and redo it in a more modern look. Or you could reface it with drywall. But those are big jobs that may require more skills than the average homeowner has. An easy, budget-friendly fix is to whitewash the brick. Whitewashing is a very easy technique that can mute red tones in brick or change the color, while preserving the natural variations of the brick or stone. This look can work equally as well in just about any style home: coastal, farmhouse, contemporary, industrial, or French country, to name a few. A MODERN MAKEOVER Before – the homeowner felt the knotty pine bookcases and dated tan fireplace were not her style. I recently had the opportunity to update a friend’s built-in bookcases and fireplace. We discussed her preferences with her newly painted “light gray with a tinge of blue” walls. She ultimately decided on General Finishes Perfect Gray Milk Paint for the bookcases and a “whitewashed” look on the fireplace with GF Seagull Gray, a very soft gray. You could use any shade of white, ivory, taupe or gray, or whatever best suits your taste. I have even seen it done in a charcoal color. The color palette below, left to right: Seagull Gray, Perfect Gray and the homeowner’s new wall color. Painting the built-ins alone really modernized the homeowner’s living room. But the tan sandstone fireplace still screamed the ’50s to the owner, and so we continued with the next phase of improvement: the fireplace. FIREPLACE There are several methods out there to get the wash onto the bricks, but it’s pretty straightforward. However, there are some tips that will make it go a little smoother. This tutorial will share how I achieved my results, as well as several other ways to do it. SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED: Water-based paint Water Mixing container Large scruffy brush Small brush Water misting bottle Rags Staining pad Drop cloths Gloves PREP: 1. Clean the brick. It’s important to get dust, ash and debris off the surface for best results. If the fireplace is a true working fireplace, it may require more cleaning than a gas or open fireplace. Since this homeowner’s fireplace had faux logs in it, the stone was pretty clean. I used a wet rag and wiped across the surface. Other ways: Vacuum cleaner attachment, stiff brush or broom, dishwashing liquid and water, TSP/Krud Kutter. You will also want to remove, if possible, any decorative gas logs or moveable parts inside the fireplace, so you can paint that area as well. This may not be necessary if it has built-in doors or a dark insert. 2. Protect other surfaces. This paint method is messy and drippy. Make sure you cover any surfaces that you do not want to get paint on. At the very least, put down large towels or drop cloths on the mantel, hearth and surrounding floor. Watch for splatters on the ceiling and neighboring walls and wipe them off quickly. 3. Prepare your wash. The basic formula is 50% water/50% water-based paint. It will be VERY soupy and that’s what you want. Measure if you like or just eyeball it like I did. I used regular tap water with a mix that was more like a 2:1 water to paint ratio. You could also use a mixing container with measurements on the side. It also needs to be wide enough to accommodate your large brush. TECHNIQUE: Start whitewashing your brick. Once you have your wash mixed in the proportions you like, you’re ready to roll. That first brick is the toughest because “yikes, what if I don’t like it?” I’m going to confidently say you will LOVE it! And it’s so easy. 1. Start in an inconspicuous spot and give it a test. Go lightly and see what you think. Adjust your mix as needed (see Tips section below). One thing to keep in mind is that the brick or stone will absorb the water and become a little more transparent as it dries.2. Work in small sections of just a few bricks at a time, starting at the top of the fireplace and working your way down. You will avoid dripping paint onto your completed areas this way.3. Lightly mist the section where you will be applying paint to help the wash bond a little better to the bricks and soften the edges of your brushstrokes.4. Dip your large brush into the stirred wash mixture, only about 1/3 of the way up the bristles. Remove the excess “drippage” on the side of your container. This will alleviate some drips and runs and also gives you better control of how much paint you are applying. 5. Work the wash into the grout or mortar lines first, holding your brush tilted downwards as best you can. You don’t want the wash dripping back towards the end of the brush and onto your hands or elsewhere. 6. Next begin applying your mix to the brick faces in the same manner. I used a kind of stippling/swirling technique to work the paint into the uneven surfaces.7. Use your smaller brush to fill in hard-to-reach areas and edges up against the ceiling or wall.8. Continue in a similar fashion in small sections until you have completed the entire fireplace, including the mantel and hearth. The mantle and hearth could also be offset in a contrasting color. I used the same wash for this mantle and hearth, brushing it on in long, even strokes. Since this fireplace did not have doors or an insert, I also painted as much of the inside as I could, which really added a nice finishing touch and made the fireplace look clean and fresh.9. Check back on your results the following day to see if you need to enhance the color on any of the stones after the paint has fully soaked in. TIPS FOR BEST RESULTS: If you feel like the wash is too heavy on your brick, simply dilute your mix with more water. If you want your paint to be less transparent, try a higher paint-to-water ratio. You could also do two coats if you would rather achieve your results more gradually. If you have time, it’s a good idea to let your test area soak into the porous surface and dry before you continue in order to see the final effect. A staining pad works great for catching drips and evening out the color as you are applying your thinned paint. A rag can also do the trick. Dab or blot the area vs. wiping for a more natural texture when soaking up any excess. If you find that you have applied too much color in an area, mist that spot thoroughly and blot up the excess with your rag or staining pad. Step back and assess your work occasionally as you go to make sure the color wash is consistent. You can add another coat where it seems too transparent. Stir the water in your bucket as you go. The paint may settle on the bottom. If you find that your water or brush is getting dirty, it’s time to wash your brush out and make a fresh mix of thinned paint. If you want to work with a partner on this job to make it go faster, I would suggest having one person do all of the painting so the technique will stay the same overall. The other person could follow behind to catch drips and do the “dabbing.” A FEW DIFFERENT LOOKS: You can achieve slightly different results using any of these methods. Use more coats of thinned paint on some bricks, but not all. This creates a bit of a weathered look. Apply a slightly different color of paint wash to some of the individual bricks for a more variegated appearance. Lightly dab paint onto a dampened brick surface with a wadded up rag, staining pad or car sponge instead of a brush. For a marbled kind of look, lightly stipple a second color like a soft gray over the whitewashed bricks, highlighting the raised areas. To allow more of the underlying brick to show, use a dry-brushing technique over the surface. Lightly sand some of the bricks after whitewashing to allow the original color to show through. THE BIG REVEAL The homeowner is absolutely thrilled with her updated built-ins and fireplace. No longer does her living room appear old and dated, and the texture and character of the stone remain intact. The whole wall is lightened and brightened with a fresh, modern color palette that changes the entire room. Whitewashing, graywashing or whatever-color-you-choose-washing can truly transform the appearance of your fireplace and the room it’s in. This popular, super-simple look is very easy to achieve for next to nothing. Find paint and supplies at your local Woodcraft store, or shop online at woodcraft.com. We hope you’ll be inspired!

When General Finishes released 12 new colors earlier this year, it was like Christmas Day for restorers and DIY junkies. Any color you want can be achieved by mixing colors, but it’s so much easier to just open a can and have the color you want. The colors are amazing. Beautiful shades in gray, blue and even ballet pink. I was instantly attracted to blue moon, a bluish teal color. I purchased the paint, not knowing what I would use it on but knowing that I would find something eventually. The opportunity came when I found a small dresser at the local Habitat for Humanity Restore. The Restore is a great place to find used furniture, and it supports a great cause. This piece will go in the office as a place to store items, replacing an incredibly cheap piece of furniture that has long outlived its usefulness. It was the perfect size, with lots of drawer space. Of course with any piece of older furniture, a good cleaning was needed. I used Krud Kutter, a water-based, nontoxic formula that helps to remove dirt and degloss surfaces to help paint adhere better. This product will make your furniture sparkly clean and ready for a new look. I applied the paint with Black Dog Salvage’s Round furniture brush. I love how solid these brushes are and how well they apply paint to the surface. They come in three sizes, which makes it convenient for any project you are working on. The blue moon applied well on the first coat, but I decide to do a second coat to make sure it was covered completely and gave the full color I wanted. It’s a tough choice whether to keep the original hardware or to replace it. I decided to keep the original hardware because I thought it matched the piece well. The pulls were a rusty-goldish color and I painted them silver to give it a little more updated look. The base was unattached to the main piece of the furniture, which surprised me when the Restore guys loaded it in my car. Since it sat straight on the ground I decided I would add some feet to the base to make it stand up higher and give it a more modern and sophisticated look. Painter's Pyramids are a great way to elevate your work and makes painting easier Saved money and updated the existing hardware with a coat of silver paint Adding feet to the dresser gave it more height and added a modern touch The General Finishes Blue Moon did not disappoint! It is a beautiful color and was perfect to transform this piece of furniture into a modern, unique piece.

My dad purchased an older home that he eventually tore down, but there were a few treasures to be found amongst the rubbish before that occurred. A Lane cedar chest was one of them, and it still had the original documentation in it. After he cleaned it up a little, it wasn’t half bad, other than the smell inside. I didn’t get a true “before” pic but trust me, it was gross. I had been wanting something for the end of our bed, and this chest was going to be the perfect fit! When I brought it home, I kept the chest open for several weeks to air it out, but it kept a funky smell. We’ll address that in a minute. Inside of cedar chest with papers still intact The chest was Virginia Made by Lane I chose to paint it to match my décor so I used a blend of General Finishes Perfect Gray and Key West Blue Milk Paints. But the first thing needed was a thorough cleaning of the surface with some Krud Kutter. Paint used: General Finishes Milk Paint - Perfect Gray and Key West Blue Use Krud Kutter to clean and degloss surfaces before painting. Next I removed all of the hardware (besides the lock) and set it aside. I taped around the lock itself to avoid getting paint on it. An “oops” moment occurred when some of the trim pieces came off, but no worries. A little Titebond Ultimate Wood Glue did the trick. I removed the hardware and set it aside. Woopsy! A couple pieces of trim came loose while I was cleaning the chest. Titebond Ultimate Wood Glue to the rescue! Then I was ready to start painting. One coat of Perfect Gray went on first. Normally I would probably do two, but I knew I would be adding more paint in order to achieve the blended look. For the next step, I started on the upper sections of the front of the chest, adding some of the Key West Blue in the middle part of each square. With the brush I used for the Perfect Gray, I came back and lightly blended the blue into the gray. I did the same thing on the two faux drawers. One coat of GF Perfect Gray Milk Paint Starting to blend the Key West Blue in with the Perfect Gray I continued on the bottom edge, the sides and the top of the chest in the same manner. Now, if you try this and the blended areas don’t look good to you, give them a spritz of water and reapply. I did that more than once. The entire piece got two coats of Flat GF High Performance Topcoat. The eight little knobs got a refresh with Rust-Oleum Dark Bronze Hammered Paint. I found some different hardware for the faux drawers in my stash and spiffed them up to match. Once dry, I screwed all of the hardware in place. The old knobs got refreshed with Dark Bronze Hammered Paint from Rust-Oleum. The faux drawer hardware was switched out and painted to match the knobs. Now, remember the funky smell? I used some Howard Orange Oil Wood Polish on the interior of the chest and not only did it remove the smell, but the cedar looks gorgeous now. This product contains real citrus oils to clean, polish and preserve the beauty of the wood. Isn’t that pretty? And here is my treasure in its new home. I think it’s perfect! Don’t be so quick to declare something as junk. Often a little elbow grease is all you need to polish that diamond in the rough! For more tips on color blending, read How To Achieve Beautiful Blended Finishes. Need some help turning your find to fantastic? Stop by your local Woodcraft store for advice on the products, tools and supplies you need to get it done right. We’re here to help! We hope you’ll be inspired!

My husband just loves it when I bring home furniture to redo. (Insert sarcasm.) Sometimes it takes me a while to get to them so they just take up space. Many of you can probably relate. Well, I finally got around to painting this little stand, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. He even liked it! Here is the before picture. I would say this is something from the ’80s or ’90s, but it is a solid piece of furniture. All it needed was a facelift. The colors I used for this makeover are General Finishes China Blue, GF Westminster Green and a purply mix of Black Dog Salvage Blue Ridge and Appalachian Sunset Furniture Paint. Sounds a little weird, but stick with me. After cleaning it up and removing the hardware on the front, I gave the entire piece, inside and out, a coat of China Blue. For the next step, I worked on one section at a time so the paint was still wet. I started with the door panels. Now, listen up—this is important. If you try this, pour some of each color paint into a separate container or cup AND use a separate brush for each color. As you are dipping and blending, the colors will naturally mix on your brush but you don’t want to dip a dirty brush back in with what is left in the can. Use a different brush for each color and pour paint out of the original container to avoid color contamination. Brush 1 - China Blue Brush 2 - Westminster GreenBrush 3 - Black Dog Salvage purple mix - will go in the center area So, with a different brush than what I used for the China Blue, I highlighted the inner edges of the panels with Westminster Green, blending where the two colors met so there was no demarcation line between the blue and the green. Sometimes I went back to the China Blue brush and alternated until I liked how it looked. With a third brush, I used the purply Black Dog Salvage mix for the center of the panels. I used the same technique on the sides, top and inside of the stand. When that was dry I used some gold Gilders Paste, similar to Briwax Gold Gilt Cream, to highlight the edges a little. I just put it on with my finger and ran it along the edge of the area and around where the door handles would go. I thought that would go well with the new gold handles. I gave the entire piece two coats of General Finishes High Performance Topcoat in Satin finish and then attached the updated gold hardware. I think the sheen of the topcoat and the gold handles, along with the interesting paint treatment, give this project a more contemporary look. For more tips on color blending, read How To Achieve Beautiful Blended Finishes. Do you have a project or two sitting around waiting for you to become inspired? Grab a paintbrush today and let’s get started! Let Woodcraft help you with all of the supplies you need: General Finishes Milk Paint, Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint, topcoats, brushes, rags, sandpaper, glue…you name it. We’re here to help! We hope you’ll be inspired!

Gray is here to stay. The popularity of gray home interiors is still going strong because it’s classic, neutral and versatile — what’s not to love? The gray trend is a blank canvas to coordinate with décor and accessories in nearly any color or style. General Finishes recently brought out several new paint colors, including three from the gray family, so here is an informative comparison on the variety of gray paint available at Woodcraft. Use any of these colors for updating your cabinetry, painting interior doors or transforming something old into new again. Not quite 50 shades of gray, but certainly plenty to choose from. GENERAL FINISHES First, let’s look at General Finishes Milk Paint. When updating their color palette for 2019, GF kept trending colors in mind, as well as traditional favorites. Considering this, they added three new grays to the mix. As they like to say, “grays are the new off-white.” Here are seven colors on GF’s gray spectrum. Millstone is on the warm side of gray, more of a “greige” leaning on the beige side — a popular neutral. The lightest of the three new shades is Reverent Gray, similar to Benjamin Moore’s favorite Revere Pewter. Seagull Gray is one of my go-tos, a barely-there gray that coordinates well with others. Empire Gray was a top seller in GF’s Chalk Style paint line, which has been discontinued, so they opted to reformulate it and introduce it in the Milk Paint line this year. Perfect Gray, the third new gray for GF in 2019, is a mid-tone gray with no overtones of blue or green. Driftwood and Queenstown Gray are tried-and-true signature colors, the two deepest grays of the bunch. RUST-OLEUM Rust-Oleum offers three shades of gray in their Ultra Matte Chalked Paint family. Aged Gray is a soft gray hue that is lovely on its own, but could work together with either or both of the other two offerings. Country Gray strikes the middle chord in the trio – a slightly darker gray that’s a nice neutral. Charcoal, the darkest of the three colors, is a deep, smoky gray. BLACK DOG SALVAGE FURNITURE PAINT The versatility of Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint lets you mix and create tons of colors from the 16 signature colors. Available in three sizes (quart, pint plus and half pint) so you can just buy what you need for mixing. [You can find all BDS recipes here.] Galvanized is their pre-mixed gray but we selected another seven recipes for “mixing it up” to create other shades. 611 Steam combines 2 parts Clean Canvas, 1 part Dog Bone and 1 part Galvanized for a whispery gray. Going slightly warmer, Putty uses 1 part Dog Bone and 1 part Galvanized. Silver Lab is a rich, elegant gray mixed from 3 parts Galvanized, 2 parts Dirt and 1 part Black Dog. Mountain Mist is a misty gray combo of equal parts Galvanized and Roanoke Rain. Tranquil gray Fog uses 3 parts Roanoke Rain and 1 part Black Dog. Gunmetal is a deep, blue-gray comprised of 1 part Blue Ridge and 1 part Dirt. Coal Dust rounds out the list – 2 parts Black Dog and 1 part Galvanized. WHAT’S YOUR SHADE? With so many options, you’re sure to find that just-right shade of gray for your next project at your local Woodcraft store or online at woodcraft.com. Let us help you with not only paint, but other supplies and advice, to get the best results that you deserve. Come and see us! We hope you’ll be inspired!

Even mismatched furniture pieces can be used together when you have a cohesive color scheme to tie them together. That’s exactly what we did when Sugar Maple Boutique owners Nikki Logston and Michelle Willoughby asked me to help them get ready for a second store opening in Vienna, West Virginia. One year ago they opened their first ladies’ clothing and accessories store in Marietta, Ohio, and I shared how we used an old wooden door and some cabinets to create a unique and beautiful retail counter. This time, the look is a little more glam. Here’s what we were working with: two antique store finds, two tables bought when another business closed, and one newly built retail counter. The mission: make them all work together. Project #1: The Counter As with the previous store, Nikki’s husband Kevan built the counter—this would set the tone for the other pieces. He constructed the frame using two base cabinets, poplar plywood and a butcher block top. Additional details were added to dress it up, like decorative wood trim, medallions and faux raised panels, which he created with wall panel molding. Nikki found set of ornamental bookends on sale at Cracker Barrel that became corbels under the extended countertop. Base cabinets, poplar plywood and a butcher block top were used to create the retail counter. Decorate wood trim, medallions and faux raised panel dressed up the front and sides of the counter. The first step was to paint the entire thing (sans countertop) with General Finishes Snow White Milk Paint. (Shown here, with one coat.) The countertop was next and it was painted with General Finishes Lamp Black Milk Paint, followed by three coats of GF High Performance Satin Topcoat, allowing adequate drying time between coats. The bottom part of the counter was painted with GF Snow White Milk Paint. The Lamp Black countertops really popped against the Snow White. Moving on – time to add the glam factor. General Finishes Pearl Effects are a fun way to add shimmery pearlescence to your painted projects. For this piece, I used Champagne Pearl and the silvery Argentine Pearl. The pearls are water-based, just like the milk paint, so that makes for easy cleanup. I did a light dusting of Argentine across the decorative trim pieces, the corbels and around the faux raised panels. I went over that with the Champagne to hit the high spots and also dragged some of the pearl down the front and sides to give the whole thing a touch of glimmer. In a few places, I went back over it with Snow White Milk Paint so it all blended nicely. Let’s pause right here to discuss two things: those lighting fixtures (gasp!) and the gorgeous backdrop Kevan made. The countertop is lit up by two crystal rectangular chandeliers that are real show-stoppers. The custom wall behind the counter is set off with a shiplap design in three colors of weathered wood. He capped off the sides with the dark trim. Clear sparkly knobs were added onto the drawers and doors of the counter to complete the look. Project #2: Computer Desk The girls needed an area behind the counter for their computer and printer, so Nikki found the buffet-style piece at an antique store. It was also painted with Snow White and Lamp Black for the top, as well as the Champagne and Argentine Pearl Effects. All of these projects were going on simultaneously, I might add. Projects #3, #4 & #5: Display Tables Nikki and Michelle were able to procure a couple of display tables when a nearby Elder-Beerman department store was closed and liquidated. These rectangular tables—actually a dining table and bench—were originally cream-colored and light wood tops. They were both painted with Snow White Milk Paint and with Lamp Black tops like the counter. The white legs got the Champagne shimmer treatment. These two tables now hold clothes and shoes in the retail area. Before - cream-colored and light wood tops Lamp Black top and Snow White legs to match the other pieces A smaller off-white table was one of the antique store finds, and it followed the same look as the larger table and bench. This little beauty is used for some of the jewelry in the boutique. Nikki found four large picture frames to upcycle into jewelry display areas. Kevan cut thin wood to fit into each frame. Then, they were all painted black and “shimmered” with Champagne Pearl. Project #6: Wall Hanging Sugar Maple Boutique has a cool tree of life wall hanging in the first store that is the centerpiece of their backdrop. So when Store #2 came along, the girls were luckily able to find the exact same one again at Hobby Lobby. As with Store #1, they asked me to make the wooden circle frame match the rest of the store’s décor. Here is the transformation (below) – before, after painting with General Finishes Seagull Gray Milk Paint, and finally, after adding GF Pitch Black Glaze and GF Champagne Pearl Effects. A light behind the sign gives it a pretty glow of color to make it stand out even more. Now it ties in perfectly with the look of the new location. - Before - Base coat of GF Seagull Gray After Pitch Blaze Glaze and Champagne Pearl Other Special Touches In the dressing room, Kevan built a partition to split the room into two individual changing areas. Nikki and Michelle painted both sides of the divider with a gray base. I came in and added some dimension with light dry brushing of General Finishes Pitch Black Gel Stain and Champagne Pearl Effects. We also blinged up the three large mirrors in that room to coordinate. Later Kevan installed carpet on the floor. Chandeliers and pretty curtains were hung, and each space has a cute little velvety chair for the convenience of shoppers. New divider was constructed Base coat of gray, then dimension added with GF Pitch Black Glaze and Champagne Pearl After - a lovely dressing room for shoppers As with Store #1, Blonde Mountain Designs came in and added their special touches, including a large “hello beautiful” across the overhang leading into the dressing rooms. Nikki rescued a large candleholder from the trash pile and gave it new life as a necklace holder. She added a dowel rod through the middle, capped the ends with wooden balls, and secured a large wooden finial on top. After she painted it black like the frames, I came in and added a touch of champagne shimmer. The showroom area features this fan-freaking-tastic crystal chandelier and an enormous mirror flanked by two stylish chairs. The big mirror got “shimmered” with Champagne Pearl. Doesn’t this make a sweet little resting spot or place to try on amazing shoes? "Hello beautiful"! Nikki upcycled this trash find into an awesome necklace holder Look at that mirror, would you? Thanks again, gals, for allowing me to be part of your marvelous journey. I am so proud of you and your success! xoxo For affordable ladies’ fashions in all sizes (XS to 3XL), jewelry, shoes and accessories, local shoppers can find Sugar Maple’s new boutique at 1505 Grand Central Ave, Suite 1, Vienna, West Virginia. Follow them on Facebook for the latest styles and special events. Their other location is 248 Front Street, Marietta, Ohio and can be found on Facebook here. I loved the challenge of taking mismatched pieces and creating a cohesive look that flows together. Sometimes all it takes is a little paint and imagination! We hope you’ll be inspired!

Oil-based wood stains offer several advantages over water based stains for woodworkers and refinishers. Longer open time and thicker-bodied formulations allow for effortless spreading and blending, producing rich, dark, uniform colors. But General Finishes figured out a way to get their water-based stains to work like oil-based stains, but with easy water cleanup, low odor, low VOC and noncombustiblity. It’s the best of both worlds! Woodcraft carries a full selection of General Finishes Water Based Wood Stains, including nine new colors just off the truck! Available in pints and quarts, the new shades complement the existing line and offer even more choices for DIYers and furnituremakers. Antique Brown Cabernet Graystone Graphite Hickory Onyx Provincial Sedona Tobacco Also available: Antique Oak, Black, Black Cherry, Brown Mahogany, Espresso, Natural, Pecan, Walnut, Weathered Gray and Whitewash. General Finishes Water Based Wood Stains can be intermixed with each other or with paints and topcoats for full customization. This formulation reduces blotching on soft or hard-to-stain woods like pine, maple and cherry. For tips on applying GF Water Based stains, check out this informative video by General Finishes. Ready to get to work? Let the staff at your local Woodcraft store help you gather up the tools and supplies you need to make your project a reality. Or shop online at woodcraft.com for these and many more great products from General Finishes. We hope you’ll be inspired!

A simple strategy for a showroom-quality finish. Having worked as a professional finisher who has relied on the creative use of color for several decades, I’m surprised by the number of woodworkers that I meet who treat “paint” as if it was a dirty word. The truth is, the right combination of colors can be used to either make a piece stand out as a scene-stealing showpiece, or blend in to an established décor. Paint does more than simply look good. Practically speaking, “paint grade” building materials—such as poplar, pine, birch plywood and medium density fiberboard (MDF)—cost significantly less than furniture-grade hardwoods. Paint even enables builders to combine dissimilar materials. Hidden under a thin colored skin, these different materials blend together, redirecting attention to the piece’s shape and overall proportions. A piece of this size can be finished in a weekend, but bear in mind that there’s a bit more to the process than beating it with a brush. On the next few pages, I’ll show my approach for prepping, followed by my sequence for applying paint and stain. Finally, I’ll tie it all together under a tinted clear coat. Prep makes perfect Surface preparation is important, but many folks spend more time sanding than they should. For a project this size, this step shouldn’t require more than a few hours. (If you’re planning to finish this piece over a weekend, do your prep work in the morning. The piece should be ready for its first coat of paint and stain later that afternoon.) To start, round up your gear, and then give the piece a quick inspection. Take care of the defects that paint won’t hide first. These include glue drips, surface irregularities, knots, and large cracks. (Although I prefer water-based putty because it’s easy to sand and dries more quickly than solvent-based filler, for major defects, you can use epoxy or auto-body filler.) Next, fill the smaller cracks and nail holes as shown. Give the filler time to dry, then scuff-sand the entire piece. One grit is all it takes. 150-grit sandpaper levels high spots and creates enough “tooth” for the paint to hold on to. The bare wood surfaces should only need a light touch. Give the pre-primed materials a quick hit, too. (I discovered that some factory-applied primers are too slick for the paint to stick.) After using a power sander, hand-sand the spots that the machine might have missed. Finally, clean off your project. A brush and blow gun can get the job done, but a vacuum and tack cloth are far less likely to create a cloud of dust. Give your defects the finger. For filling nail holes and small cracks, my go-to tool is my index finger. This method is a little messier, but it offers more control than a knife, and is easier on the wood. Putty knives are handy for other chores, like scooping filler from the container and smoothing over larger holes. Swipe more, sand less. Wiping away excess putty with a wet rag is quicker and easier than waiting for a glob to dry and then levelling the spot with a sander. Water-based putties shrink, but because they dry so quickly, you can spot a divot and add more putty on the first side after finishing the second. Start with a quick spin. Power sanders speed though light sanding but can create a choking cloud of dust. An in-line vacuum helps clears the air and enables the abrasive to work more efficiently. Finish up by gently breaking sharp edges (inset). A soft sponge hugs the curves. Sanding sponges conform to match convex and concave profiles. I find that sponges don’t cut as aggressively as sanding discs or sheets. To compensate, I select a slightly coarser grit. This disc’s not done, yet. Slightly worn sanding discs can be repurposed for use as a detail sanders. Pairing the disc with a paint stirring stick backer helps it get into narrow coves and tight crevices T ape keeps your colors in control. Any brand-name painter’s tape will keep your paint within your lines. For a good bond, pull the putty knife along the tape, tilting the blade slightly and applying moderate pressure. Painting’s the easy part I think that water-based finishes offer the easiest and safest path for small-shop woodworkers to achieve professional-looking results. Compared to solvent-based finishes, waterbornes dry faster, are easier to clean up, and won’t make your house smell like a chemical factory. Another plus: sticking with water-based finishes enables you to combine different paint colors, stains, and top coats without any worry about compatibility issues. General Finishes Milk Paints are designed to work straight out of the can, whether you’re planning to use a roller, brush, or sprayer. (To keep this job moving, I used all three.) After applying the first coat, give the piece a few hours to dry (preferably, over night) before applying the second. Waterbased finishes dry quickly, but don’t rush it. Your project can be moved out of the shop in a few hours, but give the finish a week before filling the shelves. A bargain brush does the job. When painting large surfaces or trim work, a quality brush earns it’s keep. When simply stabbing paint into corners, I prefer using inexpensive chip brushes. Finish the corners with a roller to blend in brush marks. Make a clean break. Painting the shelves isn’t difficult, but removing the tape can be tricky. For a clean edge, try to peel back tape when the paint’s still wet. If the paint starts to peel, cut the intersection with a utility knife. Blend in the bumps. To erase drips or other minor imperfections, I use a 500 - 600-grit sanding sponge and a light touch. Spraying makes it simple. The quickest and easiest way to get a smooth finish is with a high volume, low-pressure (HVLP) sprayer. Homeright’s SuperMax gun ($99), is a great way to take your finishing to the next level. Aside from the speed, the light sprayed-on coat allows the wood grain to show through in a way that I couldn’t achieve with a brush. When spraying the front, I used a cardboard shield to keep the paint out of the case (above). Stand-out shelving. Staining the solid-wood edges is an easy way to adds interest to the case’s interior. Apply the stain with a foam brush, then wipe off the excess. Use color to attract extra attention. A simple two-color treatment enhances the depth created by the built-up sides. Wipe the section with a rag to blend in brush marks. Finishing a Finish Applying a clear coat is an extra step, but the added protection and depth of color that it provides make it worth the effort. To add extra richness, I added a few tablespoons of stain to the finish (below). This simple subtle toner helped tie the project together.

The idea of incorporating family heirlooms into your home appeals to a lot of people. A mix of old and new décor can actually work very well together to create a space that is warm and inviting with a comfortable lived-in look. Woodcraft’s graphic designer Tara Piggott reimagined a travel trunk built by her grandfather into a beautiful storage trunk for her home. Travel trunks—wooden crates often covered with leather, animal hide or embossed tin—were a way for early Americans to carry belongings when traveling. Tara’s grandfather built this trunk for his sons (her father and uncle) to use during their travels on their Boy Scout trips and other adventures in the ‘70s. Let’s see how she transformed it. THE MAKEOVER 1. Remove hardware. Using a small screwdriver, the hardware was removed and then set aside. Tara wanted to maintain the authenticity of the piece so she chose to re-use the original vintage hardware. However, she had her husband sandblast it to regain the shine. (Shown here before.) 2. Clean trunk surface. Due to the age of the trunk and the fact that it had been in storage for some time, it needed a good cleaning before paint or stain could be applied. Krud Kutter and some Star Wipers rags did the trick. 3. Mix custom color. Tara mixed her own custom paint color using Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint. Using 2 parts Dirt, 2 parts Patinio Greenio and 1 part Go Green, she created this beautiful fresh shade of green to complement her décor. Custom color in a fresh shade of green Go Green, Dirt and Patinio Greenio Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint 4. Paint outside. She painted over the outside of the trunk with her new shade, using a round Black Dog Salvage furniture brush for a smooth finish. 5. Paint inside. Tara wanted to spiff up the inside as well so she chose a black cherry water-based stain from General Finishes, which she applied liberally with a foam brush. The stain soaked into the wood and particle board leaving a warm, rich tone on the inside of the trunk. Inside before stain Sprite the kitty was a big help. 6. Apply glaze effect. To add a darker green aged effect on the trunk, Tara mixed some General Finishes Van Dyke Brown Glaze Effects and Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint Go Green to get the shade she liked. She then wet distressed with that mixture, brushing it on with a chip brush and wiping off the excess. Apply stain liberally. Wipe off to your desired look. Painter’s Pyramids held the trunk up off the table for ease of painting and staining around the bottom. Very handy item for painters and refinishers! 7. Add legs. The original trunk did not have legs but Tara planned to use it for storage like a little bench. It took several tries to find the right legs, but she ended up with a set of 6” chunky wood ones that she liked. She attached those to the bottom four corners of the trunk. She also reattached the hardware. Here is the completed trunk decorated in a vintage-style Christmas vignette. How wonderful to be able to enjoy a piece of furniture from the past in a new setting! Treasures like this hold even more special meaning if they are from your own family. Tara’s grandfather had a woodworking shop in his basement where he would build and repair all sorts of items over the years. She was able to keep some special pieces made by him, including an end table, a sideboard and a desk and chair. Do you have antiques or family furniture from the past that you would like to incorporate into your home? Stop by your local Woodcraft store and let us help you with the tools, supplies and inspiration to restore, reimagine or refurbish them. We hope you’ll be inspired!

An unlikely alliance of fire and wood creates a strikingly beautiful surface. The Japanese call it shou sugi ban. It translates to “burned cypress plank,” and is a traditional approach to treating home siding in Japan. Charring the surface of the wood creates a beautiful black finish that protects not only against rot, but also insects, who evidently hate the taste. It may seem counterintuitive, but this shallow, quick burning of the wood makes it fire resistant as well. I’ve found that shou sugi ban is a great, tactile finish for interior work as well, and that it imparts a truly striking color and texture to a two-tone furniture piece like the table on page 36. Although cedar and pine are the traditional materials of choice for outdoor woods, I find that open grained, ring porous hardwoods like oak and ash lend a more refined look in their textures. Shou sugi ban is not a difficult skill to learn, very little equipment is required, and the style is currently very hot. Safety Alert To be absolutely fire-safe, you could burn outside on a concrete slab. However, I prefer to work inside in an area cleaned of sawdust, shavings, and wood scraps. If you can, begin the process with the piece upside down, targeting the raised section of the inverted piece, as I did with these table legs. For small pieces and panels, raise the work on cinderblocks. Of course you’ll want to keep water and a fire extinguisher at hand just in case. Finally, don’t work tired or mentally impaired; you need to stay alert when playing with fire! onlineEXTRA See a short video of the author succumbing to his pyromania: The right wood makes all the difference I consider red oak the perfect candidate for this finish, although white oak and ash also take very nicely to it. The striking appearance is as much about texture as color. The coarse, open grain and clear delineation between latewood and earlywood in these species make the treatment really pop. The “cut” of the wood makes a difference too, as seen in the photo. Before charring, sand the work through 180 grit. It may seem ridiculous to spend time sanding something that you’ll put a flame to, but charring doesn’t remove machine marks, and they don’t look good burned or not. Tools and equipment For the burning, I use a portable propane tank from the hardware store. It’s inexpensive and provides plenty of fuel for the job. I outfit it with an adapter on an extension hose to allow better maneuverability and flame control. For cleanup, choose a brush with stiff plastic bristles, which will remove soot without scarring the wood. To touch-up offset areas or recesses that are hard to burn properly, you can employ black aniline dye or a fine-tip black marker. Clean and safe. When using flame in the shop, work in a clean, uncluttered area, and keep water and a fire extinguisher at hand just in case. With a table like this, invert it and burn the upended sections of the legs before righting it to finish the rest. Burning creates the color With the work at the ready, adjust your torch for a strong flame. Then, working in short, overlapping passes, play the flame over the surface. The trick to achieving a consistently flat, black char is to target small areas at a time, moving along as soon as the surface catches fire, after which the flames should immediately die out. If you’re getting anywhere near the point of needing to douse the project, work on fine-tuning your firebug sensibilities. Linger only as long as necessary, and avoid holding the flame too close to the work. Go slowly over the piece, working one section or component in turn, paying attention to the flash point frequency as you move. You’ll find that quartersawn grain burns much more evenly and easily than flatsawn surfaces, so adjust your pace to suit. It can be difficult to get a solid black burn at the juncture of offset joints or other recesses without overcooking the wood, so leave them for touch-up later with dye or a marker. Scrutinize completed surfaces and revisit any areas that haven’t been fully blackened. Brushing brings out the texture The next step is brushing, which cleans away the majority of the soot while creating texture. This is due to the fact that early growth burns away more readily than the late growth. Brushing also helps to more evenly distribute the color. It’s not a complicated process, and it goes pretty quickly; just scrub vigorously in the direction of the grain. Finishing includes a bit of touch-up Now’s the time to touch up around any offset joints or other recesses that you couldn’t burn properly. You may be able to reach into these areas with a fine-tip marker, but applying dye with an artist’s brush is a better bet. I used to dye the entire piece after burning, in order to fill in any insufficiently charred areas. However, I’ve found that it’s kind of cool to see a bit of the oak color peeking through when lit with warm sunlight. It creates a bit of subtle warmth that the dye would remove. Next, I suggest wiping the whole piece with boiled linseed oil. (Be sure to properly dispose of your oily rags, or you may have another type of fire to deal with.) After allowing the oil to cure for 5 days, I top-coat the piece with 3 or 4 coats of a satin wipe-on polyurethane, rubbing out with 0000 steel wool between coats.

The Japanese call it shou sugi ban. It translates to “burned cypress plank,” and is a traditional approach to treating home siding in Japan. Charring the surface of the wood creates a beautiful black finish that protects not only against rot, but also insects, who evidently hate the taste. It may seem counterintuitive, but this shallow, quick burning of the wood makes it fire resistant as well.

Top table. This faux galvanized top is a perfect companion for the Sofa Table featured in this issue. With basic ingredients and a little magic, you can transform MDF into metal. There’s something appealing about the look of galvanized sheet metal. The mottled gray and silver surface that gives galvanized metal its distinctive appearance is created by a molten zinc coating applied to prevent steel from rusting. Farmers have long relied on the durability of galvanized steel for feed buckets, roofing, gates, hardware, and work surfaces. It’s not surprising that galvanized tabletops have moved out of the barn and into the house, lending their rugged, rustic appearance to “farm-style” décor. I wanted to create galvanized tabletops and countertops, without the hassle of bending and fastening sheet metal. Faux finish was the solution. The technique I’ll describe can work on other projects besides tabletops. It can also be fun and effective to try on other objects too –like cake stands, picture frames, and serving trays. Finishes get you started. The paints you’ll need include primer, a silver base coat, and contrasting hues that are blended on the surface to mimic the mottled appearance of real galvanizing. (See Buyer’s Guide). The High Performance varnish provides protection for your faux finish. The Flat out Flat varnish leaves a true matte finish top coat that enhances the faux effect. First steps: primer, nails, and base coat MDF (medium density fiberboard) is a good tabletop material for this faux finish—it’s flat, dense, and fairly strong. But it does require good protection from moisture. After cutting your panel to size, give corners a slight roundover treatment with some 120-grit sandpaper. Then apply two coats of all-purpose primer to both faces and all edges. If necessary, knock down any fuzzy, raised grain areas with 220-grit sandpaper, so you’re working with a smooth surface. This gets you set for the silver-toned base coat. Create a realistic edge detail with roofing nails. To mimic the appearance of tacked-down metal edges, hammer 1" roofing nails into the edge of the MDF about every 6". To make the nail-driving easier and prevent splitting, I like predrilling the nail holes. A silver base coat for top and edges. Start by coating the edges, then use a roller to coat the top. You can also coat the bottom, if you want to use it as a practice surface. Start with stripes The mottled appearance of galvanized metal occurs when bare steel is coated with molten zinc. To imitate this look, I apply three different colors to the medium gray base coat, then blend and dab them together. To get set, fill three plastic mixing cups with white, dark gray, and medium gray paint. Make the medium gray by blending equal parts of white and dark gray. Start at one end of the panel, and work in sections about 12" wide. Your stripes of color can overlap slightly, but don’t attempt to blend them with your brushes. You’ll get a more realistic effect by spritzing and dabbing in the next step. Stripes of white, gray, and dark gray. Starting at one end of the panel, brush on stripes of white, gray and dark gray. Work quickly to apply separate swaths of color. Don’t worry about the ratios; you can always add more color as long as your paint stays wet. Spritz, blend, dab, repeat After applying the three colors next to each other, it’s time to blend them by dabbing with a paper towel. Keep your composition “molten” by spritzing water from a spray bottle. There are a few “tricks of the trade” you can rely on to get good results. First of all, keep plenty of paper towels on hand, because once a towel becomes saturated with paint, it loses most of its mottling capability. Avoid the common mistake of removing too much paint from the surface; puddling and layering will actually enhance the faux effect. A final tip: Don’t be afraid to redo an area by applying more paint, followed by dabbing and spritzing. Once you’ve striped, spritzed, and dabbed one section of the tabletop, repeat this sequence in 12"-wide sections, all the way across the surface. If you see lap marks, blend them in by spritzing and dabbing. You can also apply more paint if necessary. Mimic molten metal. Create the random dappling, puddling and layering of a real zinc coating by spritzing the stripes of paint, and dabbing the surface with paper towels. Work your way across the top. When one 12"-wide section is complete, start the next section by applying stripes of three colors again. Then repeat your spritzing and dabbing technique. Edges last, then varnish Once you’re done with the top, the edges will go quickly. Instead of applying stripes, dab on three colors, then mottle the finish with water and paper towels. Take care to blot away drips along the bottom edge, and give the paint plenty of time to dry. For metal-like durability, this faux finish deserves multiple coats of clear finish. I apply two coats of water-based, high-performance flat varnish, to protect the surface. Then, I apply a flat top coat for a true matte finish that enhances the faux effect. Metal edges, too. Repeat your technique to finish the edges. Buyer's Guide Grip-Rite #11 x 1" Steel Roofing Nails (1lb.-pack) — homedepot.com, $2.47 KILZ White Oil-based Sealer and Stain-blocker, qt. — homedepot.com, $9.27 WoodRiver 2" Wooden Handle Foam Brushes, 10-pack — #128731, $5.50 GF Argentine Pearl Effects, pt. — #160650, $35.99 GF Snow White Milk Paint, pt. — #825763, $17.99 GF Queenstown Gray Milk Paint, pt. — #159028, $17.99 GF HP Polyurethane Top Coat, Flat, pt. — #153520, $17.50 GF Flat Out Flat Water Based Top Coat, pt. — #161276, $16.50

Photo: Painting cabinets with General Finishes Seagull Gray Milk Paint and Pitch Black Glaze Effects gave this kitchen a more modern, yet welcoming farmhouse look. Furniture, bookcases, cabinets, and doors present opportunities to add or change color throughout a home. Woodcraft offers an extensive line of furniture paint, tools, and supplies necessary for successful painting projects. Plus Woodcraft retail store associates are always ready to help customers, and extensive how-to material is a click away at woodcraft.com. Lori Harper, Woodcraft public relations manager and blogger offers some advice about updating a kitchen: “Painting kitchen cabinets is a big job, but it can transform the look of your kitchen at a fraction of the cost of new cabinets. It may sound daunting but breaking it down into bite-size steps can take away the fear factor.” To see Lori’s “Kitchen Cabinet Conundrum” project. Paint & Color Selection Three easy to use and easy to mix paints are:•Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint, a water-based, low VOC, matte finish paint for indoor use that requires only cleanup before painting, except in the case of chips and scratches, and adheres to wood, metal, glass, ceramics and plastic.•General Finishes Milk Paints, premixed water-based acrylic paints suitable for a variety of interior or exterior applications from furniture to crafts.•General Finishes Gel Stains, heavy-bodied gels formulated to flow evenly for consistent color control. Photo: Woodcraft graphic designer Tara Piggott painted this bookcase with Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint in Galvanized and Clean Canvas colors. Before you pick up a paint brush, spend time considering what colors are best for the area you plan to “refresh.” Choices will need to complement wall color and colors of other pieces or accents in a room. Two handy color guides are the 36-page General Finishes Milk Paint Fan Deck that includes 170+ milk paint formulas to mix your own colors for indoor and outdoor use and the Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint Color Recipes. General Finishes Milk Paint Fan Deck includes 170+ custom color formulas. Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint Recipes, like this one, may be downloaded at woodcraft.com. Take Advantage of the Diverse Paint Options For more than just a change of color, consider creating decorative effects such as distressing, antiquing, faux marble, or rag rolling. Choose General Finishes Pearl Effects to make it easier to create specialty finishes. The two updated dresser projects described below illustrate the use of a variety of paint products to create custom looks. Peacock Dresser Blushing Pink Dresser Peacock Dresser – Lori Harper mixed Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint – 2 parts Keep It Teal and 1 part Blue Ridge – to create the Peacock color she used to paint the lower part of this dresser. Next she applied General Finishes Gray Gel Stain over the Peacock color. She painted the top with Black Dog Salvage Dog Bone as a base and then dry brushed layers of Driftwood General Finishes Milk Paint and then Black Dog Salvage Clean Canvas and Dog Bone, brushing and layering until she liked the results. To bring out the detail on the two doors, she chose General Finishes Pitch Black Glaze. Click here to see the Peacock Dresser project blog. Blushing Pink Dresser – For the base, Lori used General Finishes Seagull Gray Milk Paint. To create the Blush Pink, she mixed up Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint in Clean Canvas and Appalachian Sunset, adding in some General Finishes Extender to make it a thinner consistency. She created a custom gray glaze using General Finishes Glaze Effects in Clear Base with Seagull Gray and Driftwood Milk Paint. To add a little “fairy dust shimmer,” Lori chose General Finishes Champagne Pearl Effects. Repair Photo: ChaiRX in action! If furniture, cabinets and other surfaces need repair prior to painting, the Mohawk PermaFill Wood Touch-Up and Repair System is an easy answer. Just pop in a color cartridge (six color families available), power on the battery-operated dispenser, aim, fill and level this durable repair. Briwax ChaiRX is perfect to fix loose parts in chairs. Drill a small hole, inject ChaiRX, and in 12 hours the thin unique formulation will penetrate the wood cells and permanently swell the joints and bond them together. For more extensive repairs, use the Kreg Jig Kit to reinforce weak parts with pocket holes and avoid complete disassembly of your project. Clean and Prep Use Krud Kutter TSP Substitute to remove dirt, grease, mildew, food stains, crayon, wax and more from surfaces to be painted, so paint will adhere better. For sanding chores, consider the Porter-Cable Restorer Handheld Drum Sander with attachments that is designed to remove paint and finish from wood, brick, and fiberglass, as well as remove rust and polish metal. The Porter-Cable 382 5" Random Orbital Sander and the Norton 5" Random Orbital Sander are other good choices. For sanding with hand power, the Preppin’ Weapon Sanding Block Kit and Norton 4-1/2 " x 5-1/2" SoftTouch Sanding Sponges are handy helpers. Porter-Cable Restorer Handheld Drum Sander easily removes paint and finish from wood and other surfaces. The Preppin’ Weapon offers a comfortable hand-sanding option. Application & Topcoat If spraying is your preference, HOMERIGHT® Finish Max Fine Finish and HOMERIGHT® Super Finish Max HVLP Sprayers are easy to use for everything from furniture to fences with oil- and water-based products such as chalk-style paint, latex paint, milk paint, enamels, primers, polyurethanes, stains and varnishes. Large and Small Spray Shelters make furniture painting easier. Photo; A handy home improvement duo: the HOMERIGHT Finish Max HVLP Sprayer and the HOMERIGHT Large Spray Booth. For painting by hand, Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint Round Brushes, made from both natural and synthetic bristles, and Redtree Matey Synthetic Bristle Brushes work well. Give paint extra protection with Black Dog Salvage Guard Dog and Show Dog Topcoats and General Finishes Gel and High Performance Polyurethane Topcoats. Lori chose General Finishes High Performance Topcoat for both the Peacock and Blushing Pink Dressers featured in this blog. Happy Painting . . . I hope these suggestions inspire you to paint a new look at your house – maybe just a piece or two of furniture in one room, or maybe doors, cabinets and furniture! For more information about our products, visit your local Woodcraft store, call (800) 535-4482 or visit www.woodcraft.com. And remember, you will find lots of helpful how-to articles, blogs and videos at woodcraft.com.

I love a bold front door. You can make a huge impact on your house with just a few coats of paint in a stunning new shade. Here’s the color I chose to repaint mine — General Finishes Klein Blue Milk Paint. Isn’t that the most amazing blue? I also used General Finishes Seagull Gray Milk Paint on the inside of the door and Driftwood Milk Paint for the gridwork. General Finishes Klein Blue Milk Paint - Available in Quarts or Pints General Finishes Driftwood Milk Paint - Available in Quarts or Pints General Finishes Seagull Gray Milk Paint - Available in Quarts or Pints But first – here’s the before. Not a great shot of the door, but you can see it’s just a plain ol’ white door. Pretty nondescript. The first step when painting any project is cleaning, and sanding if necessary. You can clean with a 50/50 mix of denatured alcohol and water, or use a product like Krud Kutter to get all the grime off. If the door is slick or has any rough spots, sand and remove dust before painting. I chose to leave the door on the hinges to paint it so I could work on both sides as needed. Some people might prefer painting it horizontally. Tape off anything you don’t want painted, or if you are adept with an angle brush, dive right into painting. The Klein Blue was a tad bright for inside the house, so for the back of the door I went with a soft gray color, Seagull Gray. I also painted the window gridwork, which had become yellowed over time. We had to remove the grids and paint the fronts and backs of both pieces because there is a piece of glass between them. Anything that wasn’t painted would have been visible. I gave them two coats of General Finishes Driftwood Milk Paint. Front door before - inside Painting door gridwork with Driftwood I ended up with four coats of the Klein Blue since it was against white and I wanted good, even coverage. Typically GF Milk Paint doesn’t require that many coats. A great feature of General Finishes Milk Paint is that it is self-sealing, meaning it doesn’t require a topcoat. However, GF Exterior 450 is an extra protectant that helps minimize fading if your door is in the direct sun. GF High Performance Polyurethane works well also. AFTER (below) – Front door in Klein Blue and inside in Seagull Gray, with freshened up grids in Driftwood. Bright, fresh Klein Blue front door with Driftwood grids and new door handle Inside - Seagull Gray door with Driftwood grids (We also changed door knob, not pictured) The shutters need to be refreshed next. (Yeah, oops, one came off.) What color do should I paint them? The same Klein Blue as the door? Repaint the current Black? Dark Gray? Decisions, decisions. Stop by your local Woodcraft store or shop online to see the many choices of General Finishes Milk Paint colors for your front door makeover. From Tucsan Red to Persian Blue to Coral Crush...you'll find a color (or two) that you love! We hope you'll be inspired!