The Weekend Refinisher [Paperback]

Bruce E. Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 11, 1989

Bruce Johnson, author of the COUNTRY LIVING Column, "Antiques Across America," draws on ten years of professional refinishing experience to show you all the shortcuts and tricks of the trade. All you need are a few common hand tools and household supplies. Packed with charts, tables, step-by-step instructions, and easy-to-follow illustrations, inside you'll find the confidence you need to tackle any piece.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Anyone eager to restore a cherished piece of furniture will welcome this readable and informative guide. Comprehensive, jargon-free instructions demystify the refinishing process. Johnson, former owner of a refinishing shop, covers typical situations encountered by do-it-yourselfers: ventilation problems in basement workshops, selecting suitable tools and removing scratches or wax buildup. Even the experienced refinisher will save time and effort with Johnson's commonsensical tips. The chapter on repairing furniture gives straightforward directions for fixing such difficulties as broken drawers. Particularly useful is Johnson's advice on choosing the appropriate finish for a project. Detailed illustrations accompany descriptions of complex techniques, such as repairing chair-back supports. Also included are a list of mail-order sources for supplies and a glossary of woodworking terms.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

Bruce Johnson, author of the COUNTRY LIVING Column, "Antiques Across America," draws on ten years of professional refinishing experience to show you all the shortcuts and tricks of the trade. All you need are a few common hand tools and household supplies. Packed with charts, tables, step-by-step instructions, and easy-to-follow illustrations, inside you'll find the confidence you need to tackle any piece.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1st edition (March 11, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034535866X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345358660
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,376 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

171 of 172 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written book with invaluable how-to checklists, June 26, 1998

By 

Marilyn Matis ([e-mail]) (Boston, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Weekend Refinisher (Paperback)

I bought a chest of drawers in a consignment shop that was dirty, scratched and had old stickers slapped on the drawers. What drew me to it, however, was a carving on the top drawer of a lighthouse on the New England coast. I could refinish that, I thought, and I bought the chest. Once home with my treasure, I despaired. Did I need to rent a sander to get all the gunk off? How would I preserve the carving?

Bruce Johnson's book got me through it all. This book is very well-written explaining what techniques to use and all the materials you need to buy to do a good job refinishing furniture. The book takes you through making small repairs, removing old finish, staining, putting a protective coat on, and preserving the finish. Johnson has a helpful, humorous tone throughout telling about refinishing errors he made and how readers can avoid them.

The most invaluable part of the book is that each chapter ends with a list of the materials you need to perform each step of the refinishing process. I took the book with me to my local Home Depot when shopping; I kept the book in a plastic bag nearby me when I was working on the chest for "what-do-I-do-now?" guidance. Thanks to Johnson, I found I could remove bad waterstains from the top of the chest with simple household bleach.

I finished my chest of drawers in 3 weekends and it looks so good my husband is promising to fold his underwear so it won't stick out of the drawers anymore!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible for Refinishing!, June 12, 2003

By 

Quilter Gal "quilter_gal" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Weekend Refinisher (Paperback)

If you have only one piece of furniture you want to work on, you will still find this book invaluable. Everything you need to know about how to repair, when to restore, when to refinish and how to approach it, which tools to use, the dizzying array of products available, and what NOT to do- it's all their and with just a touch of humor to keep the author human.

I have read and reread mine!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars not the best, March 24, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: The Weekend Refinisher (Paperback)

I found myself nearly 80 pages into this book and still had not learned anything new. I put it down. I had a long weekend, so I picked up and read the rest. It was there I discovered a few factual errors that is likely to get a neophyte into trouble. Turpentine is not the same as mineral spirits. They work similarly, but are different products. Most every product labeled Tung Oil _FINISH_ is not tung oil and does not contain tung oil. They are either thinned varnish (wiping varnish) or oil-varnish blends (with linseed oil). Thrown into the mix is "Danish Oil" that is never really explained. To top it all off is the dreaded linseed oil + turpentine + vinegar concoction that is a disaster for furniture.

A reader at any level would be much better off getting Bob Flexner's Understanding Wood Finishes and cut through the myths and misleading labels.

The book's owner (a relative) offered it to me for free and I declined.