Customer Reviews

Brightwork: The Art of Finishing Wood

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm firmly resolved to hereafter always buy how-to-do-it books written by women. Brightwork tells you everything, unlike most h-t-d-i books that tell you everything except for that one elementary essential detail that you probably should know, but don't.

And when you just can't get up the energy to do yet more tedious prep work on your boat, you can just pull out the book, read some of Rebecca's engaging prose, drink in the beauty of the photographed boats, and next thing you know you can't wait to tear into your project again.

This is the book to buy.

This book is a delight to read and enjoy. The photos are spectacular and Wittman is a wondeful arthur. I found the book extremely educational on the subject of brightwork and entertaining to gaze through numerous times just looking at the incredible photography. It definatley has a place in any boating library.

We bought this book when we purchased our 1942 40' cruiser. Rebecca taught us what to do (and not do) to keep "September Morn" in excellent condition; what to use and the tools you will need to do the job right. We learned very quickly that if we followed her refinishing program, we could spend more time cruising and less time sanding.

Rebecca Wittman has obviously scraped, sanded and varnished many, many boats. But the whole time she has been thinking about ways of doing it better. Her advice is practical, effective and tested. I only wish I could get her to do my "brightwork". Failing that, her book is the next best thing. It is also a very beautiful book. So beautiful that you might need 2 copies; one to refer to while you are working, the other to read when you in your arm-chair at home.

I found the book absolutely engrossing. I am buying an older wooden trawler with lots of brightwork, and this book helped to ease my fears. I found it amazingly enjoyable and informative. I wish every how-to book was as carefully and thoughfully written.

I am a novice to brightwork and I most certainly enjoyed Wittman's photoessay of wonderful finished wood and beautiful wooden boats.

What puzzles me is why the author shows no images of the processes she describes. All photos are of finished results. As a novice, I'd like to see what bleached wood looks like and how stain brings the wood back to life, etc.

The companion book has exactly the same problem, by the way.

I told myself that I wouldn't do it. I promised myself, but I did it anyway. I read most (was getting too judgemental to finish) of her book only to come away dissappointed. I have been in the business for twenty years in San Diego, where we can varnish outside more than 10 days a year. Yes, I read her intended scope and reader experience criteria, but that still should not excuse her from some seriously flawed advice.

First, how much did interlux pay you to become their spoke person? Schooner varnish with a foam brush? I can see it now. If your intentions were to educate the novis, recommending a foam brush is a bad idea,for starters. I have used foam for too many years along with my "environmentally unfriendly" Badgers. Small foamers have there place, but your description of foams superiority to Badgers, is down right comedy.

If I had known that only ten years experience, varnishing mainly indoors(remember,Seattle) with foam brushes dipped in a third rate finish would make me an expert.....

I know this sounds harsh, but a beginner to varnishing should know what other professionals in the trade think about her advice. Refishers will always dissagree about various techniques, and best product to use. This book gave minimal print though, to what is recognized WORLD WIDE as the "the best". ( ox hair,badger brushes, Epifanes High Gloss ).

Proof is in the pudding. I would gladly invite you to come down here to San Diego, and demonstrate your expertise on a 16' wide caprail, 85 degrees, Santa Ana winds in full form, with 15% rel. hum. Yes, these conditions are extreme, but a variation of one or more of these, happen quite often almost everywhere. And, oh yeah, we can't go indoors.

In my opinion, the techniques, varnish, and brushes recommended in this book, fail to pass the most important test of all: what if I don't live in Seattle.

Rob W.

Nothing makes a cruising sailboat look more like a rich man's yacht than a couple coats of varnish applied properly. Sadly, the boat won't varnish itself, however it's not that much work, but work it is and work is something that should never be wasted, especially since you probably worked so hard to get that boat you work so hard to keep up. That's why it's important to do the job right the first time and Ms. Wittman tells you how to do just that. You'll also learn how to keep up your brightwork by learning when chipped, flaking or cracked varnish can be repaired and when it should be removed (now that's work). Lots of good advice in this well written book and if you have a little extra cash, Ms. Wittman has written an excellent guide to go along with it called appropriately "The Brightwork Companion" which is also a very good stand alone book.

I've never done varnishing or wood finishing before but this book gave me enough info to refinish the cabin sole on a 42' baltic. The result was beautiful - Rebecca saved my sole!

I found the detailed description of which paints, brushes, and tapes to use especially helpful. An excellent how-to book. Photos are lovely - it would be a nice coffee table book even if you don't own a wooden boat.

An absolute must for the novice, or even experienced DIY'er tackling the harder-than-you-would-think job of refinishing the wood (brightwork) on a boat. The author is very thorough on every aspect of the process, with examples and pictures that inspire one to do it right.