Customer Reviews

The Weekend Refinisher

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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!

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.

There is just to much information in this book to cover in one review. Chapter highlights include learning from the author's mistakes. What supplies you'll need to accomplish that particular task. Explanation of various stains, finishes, repairing techniques for comtemporary and antique furniture. I read about it on an internet message board and I couldn't have repaired and refinished my forty year old danish modern bauhaus dining table and chairs without it. I even went to a woodworking store and bought a combination tung oil/varnish finish that I just wiped on! No brushes; no spray!!! I saved $1000 by doing it myself!!! It looks so professional!!!!

I finally found a source with all the "secrets" to refinishing and restoring for the occasional woodworker. An easy and lighthearted read. A well organized reference. It will be the only refinishing book I will ever need.

I bought this book after reading the reviews on Amazon.com. While I found it helpful, I felt the author spent too much time writing about himself. Being a writer myself, I found the book too wordy. I want more direct information without all of the anecdotal stuff. Please get to the point! And while some of the points were good, many of my woodworking friends disagreed with some of the information.
I also bought "Finishes & Finishing Techniques" published by Taunton Press. It was a more expensive book, but I thought it was money better spent.

This book was written years ago and the author is now an "advisor" to Min Wax. We could only wish Mr. Johnson would have offered at least one update to make his fine book a little more current to include products on the market now that didn't exist 20-years ago.

With that said the reader/user of this classic book on refinishing won't be disappointed if they are willing to read, study and use the book as a reference to what they are attempting to accomplish.

I refinish old trunks and doing is learning; its practice makes perfect. Many times I wonder if there is a solution to a problem that is new to my experience. Bruce Johnson's book and his expertise offer that in a quick, handy and fairly concise manner.

If you're a weekend refinisher or professional you can always learn new things if your honest with yourself.

The Weekend Refinisher was written many years ago but the knowledge set forth is current enough to ensure your finishing projects go well and remain fun. As a professional, I highly recommend this book. Indeed!

Way, way back, before DIY and HGTV and do-it-yourself shows, there was Bruce Johnson. This book is a reissue of an older version of the book, and it's still as relevant today as when I first bought it.

I've refinished furniture (including antiques), refinished a room full of kitchen cabinets, redid all the woodwork in my house, all with this book as a guide. It's well written, simple enough for a beginner (as I was), and makes SENSE. Nothing silly or extraneous here. Just all good, solid information, written in an engaging style, and easy for the beginner to master.

I'm also now the Tung Oil Queen because of Bruce Johnson. It's simply his favorite finish, and mine, too (easy to apply, non plasticky like urethane, and it's a "living" finish; you rub it in, as many coats as you want, and it's easy to redo.)

Especially for the beginner, but even the expert can cull great tips and info from Bruce Johnson. I can't recommend this book highly enough, or Bruce Johnson, either!

No photo's to accompany text. Very cheaply put together as the paper that is used seems to be the type used in kindergarten class. Very dissapointing.

This book has excellent practical information in a useful format you can't find anywhere else. The book is about REFINISHING, not finishing, so comparing it to other books like Flexner's books isn't appropriate. No, there aren't any color pics to look at, just useful information. It was printed somewhat cheaply, but my copy has held up through ten years of regular use.