Great Wood Finishes [Paperback]

Jeff Jewitt (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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.

About the Author

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

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press; illustrated edition edition (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561582883
• ISBN-13: 978-1561582884
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #155,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 85 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.

38 of 38 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.

41 of 44 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!