All About Wood Finishes In Woodworking Patterns
When you are working on a project it is natural to think about it from beginning to end. You can visualize the type of wood finish you want but then when it comes to that time you maybe having second thoughts. The best way to get a true idea of the various types of wood finishes is to visit your local supply store. When we are referring to finish we are talking about that final end to your project, which is the clear protective coating. This is what is going to protect all your hard work. It means making some decisions though as there are about five types of finishes that you have the choice to work with. These are oil, varnish and polyurethane, shellac, lacquer and those that are water based.
When you are choosing your finish remember the job it is suppose to do which is be strong enough for what the project is determined for and to protect the wood. You want to find something that is easy to use and you will need rags, brushes and ideally a spray gun.
Most often novice woodworkers dread this stage of their project afraid they are going to mess it up. It?s actually an easy task to do if you take your time and know a little about the various finishes. You can use a brush for slow drying products like polyurethane and varnish. Your faster drying finishes really demand the use of a spray gun. The drawback with the slow driers means more chance of dust settling into the finish. There?s no problem with this with oil finishes because they immediately soak into the wood.
How strong the finish is particularily important when objects are going to be set on the finished piece. Another area you want to be sure of is that your finish will be moisture resistant.
Oil finishes have their advantages. They will treat and preserve the wood because they penetrate it. You aren?t able to create a build up with these finishes because of this. They don?t give as much protection as the other finishes but they are easy to work with. You need to decide which type of oil finish you want to work with such as one that will cure or one that doesn?t. Ideally, though you don?t want to use the non-curing ones because they continue to seep into the wood and weaken the protections.
For oils that cure, you can use linseed or tung oil. The linseed oil comes from the flax plant but you want the boiled type because it dries in a day where the standard oil can take a week to dry. Tung oil comes from the Tung tree and dries in a few days.
Applying the oil finishes are easy, as you just wipe it on wait ten minutes then allow it to cure. Your project will need a light sanding in between coats, which is usually about three for linseed oil and five to six for tung oil.
