Wood Finishing (1956)

[Music] suppose you have just completed this piece of work you're now faced with a question of how is it to be finished do you want an opaque finish or a clear natural finish should it be darker than it is will it be subjected to rough usage or excessive moisture or perhaps you want it to appear as a more expensive material there are wood finishes that can meet any or several of these requirements but if the Finish is not selected wisely all the hours that have gone into your project will have been wasted and the potential beauty of a fine piece of craftsmanship will not have been realized however before any finish can be applied you must have a smooth surface on which to work to smooth a piece of wood select an abrasive that is just finer than the coarsest scratches in the wood too fine an abrasive will do the the job but will take much longer the abrasive you should use will take out the coarse scratches in the material and leave finer scratches the next finer abrasive you use will take out the scratches left by the preceding abrasive and leave still finer scratches and so on until the piece is as smooth as you desire dents may be raised by repeatedly applying a cloth so soaked in hot water until the dent is raised slightly above the surrounding surface then it may be sanded down flush if there are small cracks called checks or nail holes they may be filled with stick shellac or wood repair that matches the color of the wood any such repairs must be sanded smooth all sanding should be done with the grain this process is easier if the Sandpaper is wrapped around the block power Sanders such as this one are fast and efficient but rotary Sanders tend to leave scratches across the grain the corner where a flat surface meets an edge is called an ays the Razor Edge should be taken off however avoid excessive or un even rounding of the ayses curved edges should be sanded only with a forward motion with the grain after sanding clean the work first with a brush and then with a clean cloth and it is ready for the finish the simplest finish to apply is paint and if the wood is not attractive or if you want to match other furniture or cover it for some other reason paint is a very effective way of doing so and paint can be obtained in any color however before painting cover knots and pitchy places with shellac or if you're using a pitchy wood such as Pine it should be given a first coat of shellac this seals the pitch in so it will not penetrate and discolor the paint if you are using an open grain wood such as fur you may want to apply a first coat of some commercial sealer whatever material is used the first coat will act as a primer and will raise the grain so you need to sand this coat with very fine sandpaper the object should get three coats of paint with each coat getting progressively thicker be sure that each coat is Thoroughly dry before applying the next if you like the grain pattern in your wood there are a variety of finishes you can use to show yet protect this pattern the piece can be bleached with one of the commercial bleaches on the market to lighten it however these are strong chemicals and should be handled with care if you want the wood to be darker or if you want a color change there are wood stains there are three types of stain in common use oil stain water stain stain and spirit stain any of these will bring out the Grain and enrich the color or change the appearance of an inexpensive wood such as red gum to that of a more expensive wood such as walnut oil stains while they do not penetrate the wood deeply and have a tendency to fade are the easiest to apply and they come in a variety of colors water stains penetrate the wood deeply they are transparent inexpensive and give best results when used on hardwood however they raise the grain which makes sanding necessary between coats Spirit stains are pigments dissolved in alcohol they penetrate more deeply than other stains but will fade on long exposure to Light Spirit stains are most commonly used in refinishing old furniture since they will penetrate a surface where some other finish has previously been used all stains are applied in much the same way Begin by testing the stain on a scrap of the same wood to be sure you will get the color you want for best results apply two coats this test should be run with all finishing materials since end grain takes stain more rapidly than side grain it should be treated with a dilute solution of the stain or in the case of oil stain with a coat of Lin seed oil this prevents the end grain from becoming too dark stain the UND surfaces and lower parts first brush or wipe the stain on evenly and rapidly going with the grain brush toward the edges to avoid runs if runs occur brush them out immediately excess water stain can be mopped up with a brush but if the coat is smooth it should be allowed to dry into the wood if you are using oil stain wipe the surface with a clean cloth before drying begins this will help produce an even shade if the color is still too light apply another coat allow sufficient drying time before a filler or sealer is applied in the case of oil stain at least 24 hours if you using a close grained wood such as Pine sycamore maple or Locust it may be filled and sealed with a liquid agent such as shellac if you are using an open grained wood such as mahogany white oak or walnut a paste filler should be used the paste filler should be colored to match the wood or stain and should be thoroughly stirred and thin with Benzene or a thinner recommended by the manufacturer to the consistency of a thick paste the filler is brushed on with the grain and let stand until the gloss disappears this requires from 4 to 10 minutes the filler surface is now r hand in a circular motion to pack the filler into the pores the excess is then removed by rubbing across the grain with a rag streaks May then be removed by rubbing lightly with the grain after you have attained the proper color and filled and sealed the wood with a coat of sealer or thin chellac it is time to select your final finishing material shellac varnish and lacquer are the materials most commonly used white shellac is best for General use it sets quickly and becomes quite hard when dry however it becomes soft and turns white when exposed to excessive moisture or heat shellac can be applied over stained or natural wood it is used as a liquid filler or sealing coat or it can be used alone building up a smooth protective finish with several coats after cleaning the object thoroughly prepare the first coat of shellac made up of one part alcohol and one part shellac lay the shellac on in narrow strips with a good quality varnish brush about 1 and A2 in wide use long fast even Strokes working toward the ayses if any spots seem to have been missed leave them to be covered by the next coat after at least 8 hours drying rub the project down lightly with very fine sandpaper and steel wool use a small piece held lightly with the fingertips and work only a small area at a time clean the project thoroughly and apply the second and third coats in the same manner as the first using progressively thicker shellac for a fine finish use a felt pad and rub the final coat with pmus stone and rubbing oil and then with rotten Stone and rubbing oil always rubbing with the grain lacquer dries quickly and produces a hard surface and a fine finish that is not affected by changes in temperature it is comparable to good Spar Varnish when exposed to moisture in most cases it is wise to apply one or two coats of lacquer sealer before lacquer is applied because the ingredients in some lacquers May dissolve shellac paint and similar materials used as undercoats lacquer may be obtained clear or in a variety of colors lacquer may be either sprayed or brushed on however spraying type lacquer is not the same as brushing type lacquer and the two should not be interchanged be sure you have the correct one brushing type lacquer should be applied over a smooth coat of lacquer sealer with a good quality camel's hair or Fitch hair brush Flo p on the brushing type lacquer with the brush and do not brush over the same place more than once lacquer must be applied as rapidly as possible and the brush Strokes finished out to the ayses after 3 or 4 hours for drying sand the rough spots lightly with very fine sandpaper and you're ready for the second coat two coats are usually sufficient when applied over a surface that has been sealed sand the final coat lightly with very fine waterproof sandpaper and rubbing oil for a smooth velvet finish rub and polish the final coat with rotten Stone and oil flat varnish dries in about 4 hours it acts as a preservative and retains the beauty of natural wood it produces a soft dull finish without rubbing and is used on interior Woodwork and Furniture in applying varnish great p PS must be taken to avoid dust the brush must be perfectly clean buy small cans of varnish and use a new one for each operation if possible as the scum will cause a rough surface do not apply Varnish in the shop but find a more dust-free room and never lay the brush down anywhere during the operation allow 20 hours for drying and sand with a small piece of very fine sandpaper do not do this sanding in the finishing room apply the second and third coats as you did the first sanding between each coat use a new can for the last coat and a new brush if possible rub on finishes are relatively new they can be applied over natural or stained wood they are fast drying and have an oil or wax base the rub on finish must be applied on a clean surface but unlike resin based finishes while this finish is wet it is relatively free from the ill effects of dust this dust free quality makes it possible to rub it on in a busy shop and still get a fine finish and finally to add polish and protection to any project apply a coat or two of paste wax in brief then be sure that your project is ready before you apply any finish decide what you want in colors and textures and experiment to be sure that you can produce them for safety's sake be sure to put all oily rags in a closed metal container take pains with every step of the finishing process so you know that everything will be just the way you want it Wood Finishing is difficult but if you handle these finishing materials in a skilled manner they will work for you and the resulting product will be worthy of a true Craftsman [Music]