Wood Finishing Fundamentals

Finishing is an incredibly important part of woodworking–one that can make or break your project after hours and hours of work! Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about the finishing process, and very few woodworkers are ever taught the actual science of how finishes work. In this 2-day intensive, we will dive right in and learn the proper application of a variety of different wood finishes. You will learn best practices for sanding and surface prep before going in depth into oil, varnish, shellac, and wax finishes. We will go through the science of how these products work, discussing pros and cons so that students leave the class with a good grasp of what the best finish is for any given project. The workshop will also cover other surface ornamentation such as paints, stains, and dyes. Experimentation will be very much encouraged, and no prior woodworking or finishing knowledge is required.

TOPICS COVERED:

WHAT IS WOOD FINISHING?

• Physics vs chemistry

• Why finish wood?

• Confusing and contradictory labelling

• Safety/PPE

PREPARING YOUR MATERIAL

• Milling/machines

• Sanding

• Handplanes & scraping

• Raising the grain & knocking it down

• Low-angle light

• Glue/demo a glue stain

• Dents and gouges

• DNA

TOOLS FOR APPLYING FINISHES

• Rags, brushes, etc.

OIL FINISHES

• Possibly one of the most confusingly labelled finishes

• Oil finishes as “penetrating finishes”

• How oils work:

• What is actually in the oil finishes we use?

• Oil vs. varnish

VARNISH

• What is varnish

• The food-safe myth

• Characteristics of varnish

• Types of varnish

• Thinned varnish

• Full-strength varnish

SHELLAC

• What is shellac?

• Pre-mixed shellac and “cuts”

• Mixing your own shellac

• Why use shellac?

WAX

• What is wax?

• Kinds of wax

• Wax as a finish vs. wax as a polish

• Best uses for wax

STAINS

• Basics of wood coloring

• Characteristics of stains

• Colorant: pigment vs dye

• Wiping on and wiping off (or not)

• Controlling blotchiness

• Washcoats

MILK PAINT

• What is milk paint?

• Characteristics of milk paint

• Best practices for mixing

• Application

• Sanding/layering

EXTERIOR FINISHING

• How wood degrades

• How to protect wood from water and UV

• Best finishing practices

Class fee: $375

Material fee: $50 

Jamie Herman bio