Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13176 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 308 pages

From Library Journal
Given the abundance of titles on wood finishing published in 1993, librarians might be inclined to dismiss this one, which would be a definite mistake. Flexner, who has 20 years of finishing experience and has written for many woodworking magazines, assumes no experience in finishing wood. He provides comprehensive treatment of the various finishes, application techniques, chemical cautions, and reactions, convincingly overthrowing much of the conventional wisdom about finishing. His book gives readers a wood finishing consultant available whenever they need it for the price of an hour's time. Highly recommended. (Index not seen.)-- Alex Hartmann, Bloomsburg Univ. Lib., Pa.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Bob Flexner has written more than 300 articles on wood finishing, made two award-winning videos on repairing and refinishing furniture, hosted The Furniture Workshop—his own call-in radio show, and taught several hundred workshops and seminars. Before beginning his writing and teaching career, he spent 20 years running a woodworking and restoration shop. He lives in Norman, Oklahoma.

Customer Reviews

thorugh, detailed, factual and yet very readable.
I'm not a pro woodworker, but a serious hobbyist who spends many weekends in his garage. I've applied finishes with cloths, brushes, spray cans, spray guns and foam brushes. I've done about 10 pieces of furniture before buying the book, and about 7-8 since I've read it.

this book is one of the best I've ever read.
first of all, it is very comprehensive, from finishes easily available at home centers to more unique ones only available at specialty retailers. it details all types of application.Bob Flexner often speaks out against popular myths about finishing, check out popularwoodworking.com, which recently published an article by him on the topic. one of the main problems in the woodworking community is that it's not always clear what is the role and effect of different chemicals and additives in finishes. in this book, he gets quite scientific -yet clear and readable- explaining what are finishes made of, how they work, how they cure, and what pros and cons they have. he bases the books on facts, tried techniques and comparative tests. very important, he speaks a lot about wash coats, or sealing coats, and such, and emphasizes what steps are important for a good finish, and what are overstated. for example, when and how much to sand before application and between coats, when to use fillers and sealers, and more.
I find some of the information critical for various reasons: first of all, I find that finish manufacturers do not give you enough information on their product, and some of the info they do provide you is simply wrong!
second, Bob Flexner takes out much of the guess work and trial and error, plus he has many pictures showing side by side different effects of different finishes, applications and so on.
I like the section were he shows some projects and demonstrates the effects on different type of wood, I wish there was more of that.

this book is entitled UNDERSTANDING wood finishes, and it does just that: giving you a well balanced understanding of all to do with wood finishes, so that you can do a better decision when it comes to finish your own project.

what this book doesn't do? it doesn't twelve too much into painting, which in my opinion is a different skill, and it is not a shortcoming.

A Breath of Fresh Air
I couldn't resist the pun for the title, but it expresses my feelings about this book. I can actually say, for the first time, having read this book, that I understand the basics of finish materials themselves, how they work chemically, how they may be combined (alternatively, when they should not be), what processes each finish type is best suited to, the roles of solvents (thinners) and cleaners as well as the differences between them, sheen, dyes vs. pigment-based coloration, sealing and washcoats, finish leveling and rubout, and a score of other topics this book covers. I can tell you - precisely - the differences between evaporative, reactive, and coalescing finishes, how each builds a film, the strengths and shortcomings of each, the differences in repairability and protection, and more.

This book removes the BS factor from the horribly muddled world of commercially-available finishes, explaining along the way WHY it's as muddled as it is - reducing to history, marketing, and the role of finish manufacturers as middlemen - the finish chemists being employed not by them, but by the ingredient manufacturers. The author demolishes a lot of myths along the way, literally by listing myths and the corresponding truth in sidebars throughout the book.

There are specific topics and bits of advice that are priceless. Among them I would list the process for dyeing figured maple, pre-finish cleaning of oily woods, food-safe finishes, and a dozen or more ways to use shellac to solve problems.

I don't agree with everything in the book. I think the author is too generous to the polish manufacturers, for example, particularly as regards silicone. While he discusses fisheye and silicone issues mostly as a refinishing issue, for example, I think it is actually destructive to existing finishes due to its propensity to migrate under finishes by way of cracks and other surface flaws. I also think he comes off as a bit harsh on oil finishes, though I don't know if that was intended.

I found the book very readable. You will want to read it from beginning to end, as succeeding text builds on earlier concepts. The exception to that would be the final section, on refinishing and strippers.

Understand this book and you will be able to select and apply finishes with complete confidence. Be aware, however, that despite the title, it is not a step-by-step finishing manual. The focus is on understanding the materials.

The reference book on finishing materials
Excellent book on the fundamentals of finishing wood, including detailed description of the three major categories of finishes and their characteristics. You must do some interpretation to make it work for you, as Flexner does not give extensive details and options for each wood species. Instead, he explores the functional properties of finishes, dyes, stains, fillers, etc.