Customer Reviews

UNDERSTANDING WOOD FINISHING by BOB FLEXNER

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I know little about finishing and I can rarely make sense of the products I see in the store, or even of the products I see categorized online. Turns out, it's not just me. In a surprisingly readable work, Flexner systematically covers the essentials of finishing, taking the reader past the marketing-speak and poor product instructions, and laying out the basic finishing approaches, tradeoffs, and tools.

As just one example, I was planning on using a particular MinWax finish which calls for a next coat within two hours. Flexner actually shows this particular finish, what happens if you follow the (incorrect) instructions, what happens if you wait longer, and why it works like that. He presents many, many options, but at the same time, lays out some basic techniques for the beginner.

I read the book from start to finish, skipping just a very few parts, but the book is written so you can start at pretty much any chapter; the text has many embedded references so that you can get more details on related topics.

In short, this is just a very readable and useful book. I'm so glad I got it.

This book has lots of helpful info that not only tells you what finishes to use in your circumstances but how different finishes work, where you can go wrong and how to repair finish problems. He debunks a lot of popular myths and tells you why they are wrong.
My facilities coworker who is a whiz at finish carpentry has borrowed this book so many times I've decided to get him his own copy.
If you have ever wondered which finish to use and why...this book is for you.

if you are interested in finishing this is the only book you need. don't look any further just by this book you can think me later :-),,,

Flexner's book explains in detail the different finishing options along with their characteristics. He also debunks all the old myths and hype while giving the reader the straight story on wood finishing. Get this book if you work with wood, you'll be glad you did.

Great book ...touches on about everything you would want to know to get started in the right direction. The rest is practice practice practice.

An excellent book filled with information that explains why I've had the problems I've had with finishing my projects - If only I had known! I've waited a couple of months to submit this review and now that I've finished a couple of projects using Bob's book, I can honestly say this is great stuff!

Bob goes to great lengths to explain everything from chemical and physical makeup of finishes to how (and what to do about it) different woods accept various finishes.

I'm sure I was like many novice woodworkers - using poly for most everything, now I know better and am getting excellent results and great protection for my projects, not to mention his advice has cut down on wasted materials. And one (of many)great eye opener was Bob's comments on Gel Stain - this is great stuff!

Get this book!

Bob Flexner does an outstanding job explaining all facets of wood finishing. His style of writing is though he is in the room talking to you. He has a wonderful grasp of what confounds the nonprofessional wood finisher and he does a wonderful job explaining how to sift through the various finishing products on the market. I was pleasantly surprised how easily the book is to read and follow. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has struggled with trying to get a grasp on the proper materials and techniques of wood finishing.

This is an excellent book. Detailed and useful. Pictures are great. One can learn alot, and will. The Combination of this book and Jewitt's book are all anyone really needs. This book gives lots of background and substance, Jewitt's is also great but more a very handy reference. Read both books and you'll be well on your way.