Knowing the correct way to handle situation that arise will give you options to use when you inevitably come across unique situations in your own woodworking.

How to Finish End Grain

End grain is one of those things that can really bite you in the butt if you don’t prep your projects properly. Many times, you finish sanding and everything looks and feels great, but then you apply the finish and all of a sudden your project looks like it was made from two different woods! The end grain soaked up so much finish/stain that it now appears to be a much darker color.

How to Finish Quartersawn White Oak So the Figure Pops

Before you finish your quarter sawn white oak projects, you need to know how to make that beautiful ray figure jump out. The good news is that it takes no special hard-to-master technique, or an arsenal of chemicals, or a new set of tools to add to your shop. In fact, you can get a popping finish without even stepping foot into a “real” woodworking shop. You could do this within the tight confines of a veranda of a New York City apartment if you had to.

Match color under the right light

Not all lighting is the same. To match finishes perfectly, coordinate your workshop lights with the light where you'll place your project.

Mission Style Finishes

What is mission oak stain? There are many on the market, with hardly two alike in tone. The true mission oak stain may be said to show a dull gray, the flakes showing a reddish tint, while the grain of the wood will be almost a dead black. To produce such a stain take 1 lb. of drop black in oil and 1/2 oz, of rose pink in oil, adding a gill of best japan drier, thinning with three half-pints of turpentine. This will make about 1 qt. of stain.

Antique Mahogany Finish

Oddly enough, every time I have tried a finish that’s in the ballpark of that sort of “classic mahogany” look, I have tried something different. And each time the results were acceptable. So I don’t really have a favorite. But some of the techniques I used involved toners and lacquers, and it doesn’t sound like you have those on hand so I will skip them for now.

Four Piece Book & Butt Match

The idea is to take four consecutive leaves of veneer, find a pleasing symmetrical design, cut and seam them together to make a larger matched sheet.

French Polishing

French polishing is a method of applying shellac and has nothing to do with materials as the term may indicate. No polish is used in this method of finish.