Understanding Wood Finishing, New Revised Edition: How to Select and Apply the Right Finish (Fox Chapel Publishing) Practical & Comprehensive; 300 Photos, 40 Reference Tables & Troubleshooting Guides

Take the mystery out of wood finishing!

Master proven wood finishing techniques with clear guidance, expert instruction, and real solutions for furniture, cabinetry, woodworking projects, and repairs. This trusted reference for DIY woodworkers, furniture makers, and restorers explains how to prepare wood, choose the best finish, and apply products for durable, beautiful results whether you are restoring antique furniture, finishing new builds, or learning cabinet finishing skills.

You'll learn pore filling, coloring techniques, removing finishes, matching tones, and more, and gain practical solutions for common problems like blotching, streaks, and adhesion.

• 350+ color photos to help you distinguish between products, make decisions, and solve problems
• 40+ reference tables and troubleshooting guides
• The latest updates on materials and techniques, from spray guns to French polishing
• Detailed instructions and explanations that take the mystery out of the science
• Oil finishes, wax finishes, film finishes, shellac, lacquer, varnish, two-part, water-based, and more are each covered in detail

For decades, Bob Flexner has been inspiring and informing woodworkers with his writings and teachings on wood finishing. His completely updated third revised edition of Understanding Wood Finishing is the most practical, comprehensive book on finishing ever published.

Long admired by wood technology professors, magazine editors, professional cabinetmakers, and other industry leaders since its original publication, Understanding Wood Finishing is widely regarded as the bible of wood finishing:

"We use Understanding Wood Finishing as the textbook for our students training to go into the furniture industry," says David Miles, wood technology professor at Pittsburg State University. "It's the best written, most accurate, and most thorough wood finishing book in print — by far."

This revised edition offers the latest technical updates on materials and techniques, detailed instructions and explanations, and must-have reference tables and troubleshooting guides. You'll learn everything you need to know about finishing, from preparing wood to applying wood stains and different types of wood finishes (from shellac and lacquer to varnish and water-based), coloring techniques, filling pores, removing finishes, and more.

With its clear writing and engaging style, this is "without a doubt the best researched, most authoritative, and easy-to-follow book on the subject," as noted by Steve Shanesy, former Editor and Publisher of Popular Woodworking magazine. "As professional finishers know and as amateurs will surely realize, finishing is easy once you know what you are doing," says Frank Klausz, a professional cabinetmaker. "Understanding Wood Finishing makes the science of finishing understandable."

Featured in this edition are a collection of recently published articles written by Bob, updated information on strippers and solvents no longer considered safe, information on finishing with soap — a fun and chemical-free way to finish furniture and small items — information on finishing a project in a day (or less), advice on matching colors and dating finishes, detailed info on working with wood filler, guidance on spray finishing, advanced techniques, and more! An easy-to-understand resource, this book not only offers valuable and expert information on a variety of topics surrounding wood finishing, it's also written in an approachable, conversational tone that's engaging and interesting to read.

Explore the book so complete, it has been nicknamed the wood finishing bible: Understanding Wood Finishing!

Before beginning his writing and teaching career, Bob Flexner spent 20 years running a woodworking and restoration shop. In addition to writing the first edition of Understanding Wood Finishing, Bob has made two award-winning videos, hosted The Furniture Workshop, his own call-in radio show, and taught several hundred workshops and seminars. In addition, he has written more than 300 articles and edited the leading magazine dedicated to the professional furniture-restoration trade.