Sticky Finish Mystery
A newly-installed oak floor with oil-based polyurethane wouldn’t dry after five days. What was the problem? Bob Flexner explains.
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Category Archives: Finishing Problems
Re-Usable Tack Cloth
Micro fiber cloth picks up tiny dust particles as well as, if not better than, a tack cloth. Unlike a tack cloth, micro fiber cloths are washable and reusable. Rockler sells Norton’s micro fiber finishing cloth for $15, but any …
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Shellac: A Challenging Finish
This traditional finish can be tricky to apply. Editor’s note: The staff at Popular Woodworking received the news of Bob Flexner’s passing in December 2024 with heavy hearts. Bob was renowned for his expertise in wood finishing, and his con…
Read moreProblems in Wood Finishing
Once an inaccuracy gets started, it becomes almost impossible to correct. “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on,” said Winston Churchill (or others, if you believe different attributes). If …
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Chemical Ebonizing
A sure-fire recipe for turning any wood deep black. Remember the old ad slogan, “better living through chemistry”? When it comes to turning wood black—a process called ebonizing—I prefer the chemical approach, which uses solutions made from vinegar, st…
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