In Tricks of the Trade

We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations.

Looks good from here.

Nobody likes wrapping up the last bit of finishing on a project and suddenly catching a run or imperfection you missed earlier. You can either ignore it, or more likely sand it down and fix the blemish. Thankfully, it’s easy to avoid this problem with the correct lighting.

But the light reveals several issues that need fixing.

While having a well-lit shop with light sources at multiple angles is great for building, it unfortunately does a great job of hiding mistakes in polyurethane and other surface finishes. Next time you’re finishing a piece, dim the overhead lights and cast a light across the surface of each section before moving on to the next area. This direct light will highlight any imperfections and runs, giving you the opportunity to fix them while they’re still wet. –Collin Knoff


Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.

Recommended Posts

Start typing and press Enter to search