Great Wood Finishes [Paperback]

Jeff Jewitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000

Finishing wood surfaces can be tricky and time-consuming, and all that effort and time may not yield the beautiful product envisioned at the start. Great Wood Finishes is written by an expert in the field to help the occasional finisher/refinisher or hobbyist woodworker avoid that problem. The book uses simple instructions and a wealth of illustrations to make the process easy and rewarding.

Great Wood Finishes begins with a thorough discussion of tools and materials. It moves on to instructions and photo essays covering every technique, including staining, glazing, and rubbing out. The final section, primarily photos and captions, covers specialty finishes that can easily be created by combining the techniques presented earlier in the book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeff Jewittis the author ofHand-Applied FinishesandGreat Wood Finishes.He lives in Cleveland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561582883
• ISBN-13: 978-1561582884
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In addition to running a full-time finishing supply company, Homestead Finishing Products, Jeff finds time to re-finish, write and teach. He has written extensively for FINE WOODWORKING Magazine for over 14 years and has written articles on finishing for other magazines and Professional Journals. He has developed finishing products which are sold all over the world under the "Homestead" name and is the author of 5 books: HAND APPLIED FINISHES, GREAT WOOD FINISHES, THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO FINISHING (Taunton Press), FURNITURE REPAIR AND REFINISHING (Handyman Club of America) and SPRAY FINISHING MADE SIMPLE, as well as 3 videos: COLORING WOOD, APPLYING TOPCOATS and SPRAY FINISHING MADE SIMPLE (Taunton Press).

I've written 5 books about my passion for woodfinishing and refinishing. Below are some personal comments about each book.

"Hand Applied Finishes" 1997. My first book and written in response to my first generation of students. The first book you write is always the hardest because you never know if it's the only one you'll write. This book was targeted towards the myriad of amateurs, novices and home warriors who dread finishing. Covers the "classic and traditional" techniques like brushing varnish, French Polishing and will introduce you to some intermediate techniques like glazing and using dye stains. The best part was doing the video which is now avaialable as a DVD. It doesn't appear on this page but you can search "all departments" on amazon with the keyword "Hand Applied Finishes DVD".

"Great Wood Finishes" 2000. My second book and Randy O'Rourke did the photography. Randy has done photography for everyone from Martha Stewart to "Houses on the Water" and is one of the best woodworking photographers in the field. This book covers 14 popular finishes from start to finish, and was the design impetus by the Taunton Press to utilize this concept. What followed was their "Complete Illustrated Series" with authors covering everything from tablesaws to routers. My best selling book and uses some of the basics covered in Hand Applied Finishes and expands on them. Covers both spraying and hand application techniques.

"Furniture Repair and Refinishing" 2001. The only book I've ever written on refinishing and repair techniques. You'll have to get this by joining the Handyman Club of America or using the re-sellers listed on amazon.com. Don't tell anyone but I actually consider myself a much better repair/refinisher than a straight finishing guy.

"The Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing" 2004. This book took 2 full years of my life to write. It's everything I know about finishing and in one sense was what I wanted to write for the first book but couldn't because the subject had to narrowed somewhat. I was given complete freedom to write all that I knew. My wife Susan assisted by doing all the photos. If I'm asked "Which one of your books should I buy? (assuming you ignore my response - "all of them") this is the one book to get. In fact this book along with the DVD, "Hand Applied Finishes" makes a nice set for anyone. At this point I had a better technical grasp on the chemistry of finishes as I was well into my current career as a finish and stain formulator for the business I own today, Homestead Finishing Products.

"Spray Finishing Made Simple" 2010. My latest book and one I've wanted to do for the past 5 years. I probably would have published this myself if Taunton hadn't generously offered the idea. Bottom line - if you are thinking of spraying a finish, or have a spray gun, get this book. It's a downright steal for under 20.00 for a 125 page book and 50 minute DVD. Great step by step action covers everything from spraying stains and sealers to clear lacquers and latex paint. As the troubleshooter for my business, I know all the in's and out's of the problems you'll get into spraying. Plenty of advice on solving problems and cleaning/maintaining your spray equipment.

----Jeff Jewitt---- 3/10/2010

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference, February 10, 2000

By 

Dennis N. Schmidt - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Wood Finishes (Paperback)

This is an excellent guide to producing high-end wood finishes. In particular, the section on dye staining, a method often used by pros and underutilized by amateurs is outstanding. This book ranks with Understanding Wood Finishes by Bob Flexner as the two premier treatises on the subject. Flexner focuses on the materials and Jewitt on the application. The example finishing schedules provided at the end of the book easily justify its price. Highly recommended.

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent guide for the intermediate to advanced finisher, December 27, 2000

By 

Keith Mealy (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Great Wood Finishes (Paperback)

Jeff spends some time covering the basics of materials and equipment then gets right into the application. Especially helpful are use of professional-grade products such as dyes, glazes and toning. He shows you how to make your own for a lot of the material.

The book is profusely illustrated with color plates, close ups and step-by-step photos of procedures. It makes it easy to see the difference between alternatives. There are also a number of charts that cover various materials properties, and problems and their solutions. Line drawings are used to show detail of surfaces and results.

The book wraps up with a chapter on specialty finishing techniques - for example, liming, distressing, arts & crafts, filled-pore, and ebonizing.

This book is well worth it for the finisher or woodworker that wants to break out of the Danish Oil & Polyurethane routine. I agree with Dennis Schmidt's review in that it, along with Bob Flexner's classic, in the two must-have finishing books for any serious finisher. It's a high quality book consistent with Tauton Press's reputation.

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Finishing from Start to... Well... You know..., March 27, 2002

By 

Jeffrey A. Smith "jasncompany" (Athens, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Great Wood Finishes (Paperback)

Here's another invaluable reference for anyone wanting to apply a professional-quality finish. Jeff is a fountain of information, and this book is the foundation for one of the best finishing resources available. He is one of the few authors I know who not only produce excellent written resources, but are available for one-on-one consultations at his web site.

I love Bob Flexner's finishing book as well, and the difference between the two is hard to pin down, but overall, I'd say that Jeff's focuses a LITTLE more on technique. In my opinion, he explains spraying equipment, brushes, etc. in a little more detail than Flexner... Flexner focuses a little more on the actual chemical composition of finishes.

Jewitt wins out on the photographic quality of the book. There are lots of excellent illustrations that will give you tips on the materials, techniques, and equipment used. He shows everything from how to make a spray booth to how to hold a brush. Both of these books are an excellent resource, but with Jewitt's book in hand, you can call him on the phone and get recommendations straight from the horses mouth... and if you want, he'll even sell you the finishing materials.

Super guy, super book, super resource... all around, an excellent investment.

5-stars!