Customer Reviews

Understanding Wood Finishing: How to Select and Apply the Right Finish

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A friend loaned me a copy of this book when I was trying to figure how to stain a cherry cabinet without the typical splotchy results one usually gets with this difficult-to-stain wood. This book not only addressed that problem, it gave several techniques to deal with it. Flexner even explained why different brands of stain would have different results. I was so impressed I bought my own copy. No other book I've seen does such a great job of explaining the technical aspects of how finishes work, and what protection each kind of finish provides, while keeping the text easy to follow and understand. This makes it a great book for learning about the many different stains and wood finishes.

Plus, it is more comprehensive than other wood finishing books I've seen. It explains in detail the different application techniques, when and how to use them. There are plenty of helpful illustrations, including color photo examples of different stains and finishes on various woods. So it is a great reference source when working on a particular project and trying to decide the best finish or application technique to use.

I keep looking for other books on wood finishing that would add to what is in this book. But I haven't come across any yet.

This book is a GREAT place to start your journey into wood finishing.

Bob starts by systematically explaining the logic and science behind different types of finish, including oils (varnish "oils" too, polyurethane and such), shellac, lacquer, conversion, waterbase, waxes, and more.

He also explains application methodology IN DEPTH, such as, french polishing, brushing, spraying.

He explains shaping tools (these include scrapers with sharpening methods, spokeshave devices, steel wools, rubbing compounds, sandpapers (all types)) and how to use them to achieve results.

He then goes in depth into suggestions for different woods, limited exotics and many domestics, as well as good rule of thumb's.

Main positives to this book: Mr. Flexner has given in depth and yet layman's explanations of how finishes work and the chemicals involved. This is integral to applying a good finish, in my opinion. This book could stand alone as everything a fledgling finisher needs to tackle any project.

Main negatives: Mr. Flexner is very informative and systematic. That said, he is obviously not a writer by trade. You WILL find yourself treating this as a reference book, its not a "sunday read" for the woodworking inclined. Several times (not many, but a couple) he contradicts himself (there is a passage that "debunks" the myth of better protection from thicker film build of a finish, and then later he suggests building the finish to a thicker film for "better protection...")

These negative in my opinion NO way detract from the book. It is an incredible reference tool for the amateur, and marks a necessary item for the professional finisher's bookshelf.

JTAcoustics

I have bought a number of books on woodworking, as well as a few on wood finishing. This is by far the best book on finishing that I have come across. The book takes all the mystery out of all the different types of finishing materials and finishing processes. The author does a great job of explaining how each type of finish works as well as why certain stains and finishes work better on different types of wood. I would recomend this book to any woodworker who has ever screwed up a project by putting on a bad finish, or any woodworker who only uses one type of finish because that is all they know. This book will take the guesswork and fear out of finishing your projects.

I purchased this book a few years ago on the recommendation of a friend and my wood technology professor (I am retired and took up woodworking about 6 years ago). Once I started using it, I gave away all of the other woodfinishing books I had purchased. It is that good. I find the modularization of the book one of the most helpful aspects. If I look up a problem I'm having or concerned about, I can find a short section that seems to deal directly with that problem. The book is no-nonsense and no-mystery and tries to explain why as well as how. This fits my need to know perfectly. I've also been to a two day seminar put on by Flexner. If you can imagine two, exciting days of this book with lots of color, that's the seminar. Bob wrote the book after getting years of nonsense and BS from finish "manufacturers." This book is the straight scoop, written with a real concern to demystify finishes and put the control into the hands of the woodworker.

Understanding Wood Finishing is aptly titled. Unlike most books I have read on wood finishing, Flexner's work gives a great deal of attention to understanding the subject. Other books I have read, including one of my favorites, Finishing Methods of Work, are compilations of methods and instructions. Flexner explains the mechanics of the finishes instead of just the properties and dogmatized applications. Make no mistake, he provides instructions on those areas as well, but he leaves the reader with an understanding of the products that will allow him or her to improvise with a high likelihood of success.

Another strength this book has is the classification he provides of many finishing products. I especially appreciate the breakdown of "oil" finishes, an area of consternation for many woodfinishers. This arrangement allows Flexner to provide more accurate definitions and instructions for application than if he had grouped them all together.

Furthermore, Flexner provides troubleshooting sections for most chapters covering various finish types. As a bonus for beginners, many of the problems are well illustrated with vivid photographs (vivid photographs and illustrations being commonplace throughout the entire book). The problem is always accompanied by at least one potential problem and at least one potential solution, giving the wood worker a number of options. There are also photos of examples the author has prepared to show the difference in different finishes and techniques. In some pictures, he'll divide one board into four sections and apply a different finish to each as a demonstration of the end result, a handy teaching aid to those who haven't been around the wood finishing block

I, for one, do not see the "bias" some have claimed Flexner holds against certain finishes. Almost everything he has written about certain finishes, I have seen echoed by other authors. Perhaps his succinct presentation of pros and cons makes it look like he's bashing certain finishes.

Still, at 300-some hardbound pages, this isn't exactly a "handbook" that one could slip into his or her apron pocket--barring the possibility of a very large pocket...or a very large apron. My suggestion to purchasers of this book is to study the book and write down an action plan on a pocket notepad. It would be easier and safer than to lug this thing around a finishing area.

The book certainly focuses on finishing for furniture manufacture, which is fine if that happens to be the reader's area of interest, but I happen to be more interested in small projects like gun stocks. This leaves my needs as a bit of an afterthought in the autor's mind. Still, a small price to pay for an excellent resource.

I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in getting into wood finishing. It is never too technical nor is it too remedial. Flexner expertly blends science and experience so his readers can reap a windfall of beautiful finishes.

Flexner's book is a gem. It answered 98% of my wood-finishing questions and dozens more I did not know enough to ask. I generally learn through books and am interested in the science behind processes. This book explains the chemistry behind different finishing products, their pros and cons, and how to best apply each one. It is well organized, easy to read and includes a complete index. Previously, my projects ended up with the finish they had when I gave up trying to improve things. Since reading this book, I have achieved the wood-finish I wanted.

Back in the dark ages when I thought my worst problem in woodworking was finishing I bought about 5 books on the subject. Of course, once I had developed some effective finishing strategies (and realized I had a few other problems), they all went on the shelf, never to be read again. Problems come in circles, and now I needed to understand a bit more about shellac and polyurethane, and Understanding Wood Finishing was the book I grabbed first.

Bob Flexner has written a surprisingly interesting book about the mysteries of getting wood to look like something else besides lumber. While there's plenty of material on various techniques, it's the time he spends on how finishes actually work that is really the outstanding value to this book. This is a great place to start figuring out the why's as well as the how's.

The style is straightforward, as it takes you from preparing surfaces through all the variant finishes (oil, stain, film, water-based. Conversion, etc., etc., etc.). At each step we find out exact what the finish does and use that knowledge to determine the best way to go about the job. There's a long chapter on finishing different woods that I found very useful. And, coming fill circle, there's even a chapter on stripping finishes.

Whether you're a beginner or heading out into parts unknown, this is an excellent addition to the woodworking library you would want with you if you were stranded in a woodshop on an island forest.

Quality wood finishing is my strength more than woodworking itself. I have several good books on the subject and wanted an up to date book that includes the newer finishes. Also, I needed something that was practical and would demystify so many of the choices. This book explains the basics of many finishes and gives good reasons why some are better than others for particular situations. I am actually buying several additional copies for friends who share my interest in good finishing.

This book dispels many myths and misleading thoughts about wood finishing. I've done a few simple finishing projects over many years, daunted by confusing and conflicting instructions, poor results when precisely following the instructions, etc.

Many reviews state that Bob is opinionated. Yes, he is, and we, the readers of this book, can benefit from it. He dislikes manufacturers misleading statements or missing ingredients lists. Or how about "salad bowl finish" is nothing but thinned varnish. During his professional career, he has questioned everything, researched and found the truth, and presented it here in easily understood language and images.

He focuses heavily on the chemistry of the various types of finishes and puts them in layman's terms to allow the reader to be able to make the overall best choice for type of finish based on a number of factors.

I had the opportunity to sit in on one of Bob's classes. He used a mix of product brands, only one of which was "professional", and simple techniques for hand applying the products. Several times, in a matter of an hour or less, with nothing up his sleeves, he produced better first coats (sometimes over stain) than I've ever achieved as a final finish. He also demostrated a few techniques, including showing how following the instructions for a pre-stain sealer provided poor results. He showed that tung oil is not always tung oil. He had many more examples crammed into 6 hours.

I feel that I now have a much better grasp of techniques and options that will not only allow me to achieve much improved results, but also with less work.

The long-awaited second edition is availble in June 2005.

The new edition displays the same clarity in writing, but includes 50% more pages and clear full-color photos. Also included are additional topics on newer technology finishes.

The first edition was a seminal work in wood finishing, exposing and debunking the myths (and product labels) and explaining why things work the way they do. Bob faced the same confusion early is his career, figured it out, and shared it with the rest of us.

This is a great book for someone that is trying to figure out finishes and is getting stymied. If you automatically reach for the same old can of finish all the time and want to expand, this is a great choice.

I have two copies of first edition and refer to them regularly. The second edition will be used likewise.