Outdoor wooden furniture can look beautiful on a patio, porch, or garden, but sunlight, rain, humidity, and temperature changes can gradually affect its appearance and condition. The right wood sealer…
Lacquer, varnish, and polyurethane are three clear film finishes. All three form a protective layer on top of the wood. They look alike on a shelf, but they dry differently,…
Walk down the finish aisle and you will see mineral oil, tung oil, linseed oil, Danish oil, teak oil, and hardwax oil. They all say they protect wood. They do…
Sometimes, yes. But “oil finish” covers a lot of different products, and they do not all behave the same under polyurethane. A cured Danish oil may accept a topcoat without…
Polyurethane is one of the toughest clear finishes you can put on wood, and that is exactly what makes it hard to remove. Whether the finish is peeling, yellowed, scratched,…
A dining table takes more abuse than almost any other piece of furniture. It sees spilled drinks, hot plates, dragged dishes, homework, and cleaning sprays, often all in the same…
A finish that feels dry is not always ready for use. Many scratches, dents, and ruined finishes come from treating “dry to the touch” as “done.” Drying and curing are…
There is no single number that is right for every project. Most people want a quick answer, so here it is: many projects end up with two to three coats,…
Brush marks are one of the most common complaints with polyurethane. You finish a coat that looks fine wet, then it dries with ridges, streaks, or tiny bubbles. Most of…
Blotchy stain is one of the most common finishing problems. You wipe the stain on, and instead of an even color you get dark patches, pale streaks, and a muddy…
Sam Wood Worker