Watco Danish Oil Problem: A Strange One
A woodworker friend emailed me with a problem. He had turned a face-grained bowl from what he described as “grainy” walnut. To finish it he was using Watco Danish Oil, and his problem was that [...]
Acetone: Understanding This Increasingly Available Solvent
You may have noticed that acetone is becoming more widely available. This is primarily because it’s the only commonly available solvent that is classified as an exempt VOC solvent. VOC is the [...]
Dents and Gouges: How to Deal with Them
If you’ve done much woodworking, it’s very likely that you have experienced some dents and gouges. Both are flaws in the wood. But they are not the same thing, so they should be treated [...]
A Method for Correcting Warps
Our finishing expert, Bob Flexner, describes the techniques he's been testing to correct warped boards.
Finishing Both Sides Does Not Prevent Warping
A persistent myth in the woodworking community is that you should finish both sides of wood, especially tabletops, to reduce the likelihood of warping.
Scotch Tape Adhesive: How to remove it using solvents.
How do you remove Scotch Tape adhesive without damaging the plastic underneath? Join our finishing expert as he finds a solution to this sticky situation.
Blotching in Relation to Beautiful Figure
Cherry is notorious for blotching, with all sorts of methods suggested for preventing it. But it’s important to keep in mind that “blotching” is simply the opposite of “beautiful figure.”
Woodworking Network: A good source for woodworking information.
Bob Flexner shares some resources the pros use when solving woodworking mysteries. These websites target factories and larger shops, but the information can be used by anyone.
Corning and How to Avoid It
What is corning and how do you prevent it from happening? Our finishing expert Bob Flexner tells you how to avoid this common sanding problem.
How to Repair Sun Damage on an Exterior Door
Bob Flexner explains how to repair sun damage on exterior doors and offers some tips on how to find finishes with UV protection.
Pinholes: A Fairly Uncommon Problem That Can be Difficult to Fix
I get a lot of questions about finish problems, and, as you can imagine, they are often difficult to diagnose simply from the description. In these situations, a picture can really be worth a [...]
Witness Lines: A New Name for an Old Problem
A woodworker asked me recently, “What the heck is a witness line?” Well, this opens up an interesting discussion. One of my pet peeves since I began teaching finishing, has been people creating [...]