Natural Looking Finish? – Viewer Question
This week’s question comes from Eric who asks:
“I’ve got a finishing question….I bet you get tired of hearing that! I have your Go-To Finish DVD and it is definitely top-notch…excellent work. I have started using the Arm-R-Seal and I agree that it is a great product. My question stems from the need for protection on wood furniture, especially on the table I am building, but I really prefer the way wood looks raw, right before putting on finish. As I understand, Arm-R-Seal is a pure wiping varnish, so it is technically a clear finish. However, there is no denying that even this clear finish really changes the look of the raw wood (makes it darker like when you wet the wood). Do you have any suggestions as to how I can provide some good protection for the wood without really making it much different than the light, soft look of the raw wood?”
And this was my response:
Hi there Eric. Thanks for the kind words. So we have two issue to discuss here: film thickness and color. Any oil-based product is going to give the wood some kind of an amber color. So if your goal is to keep the wood as natural-looking as possible, you might want to avoid oil-based products. What you want to go for is a finish that is known as “water-white”. This means that when it dries on the surface of the wood, it won’t bring any color to the party. Just about any water-based finish fits into this category. There are also water-white lacquers that work very well. One of my all-time favorite finishes is Sherwin Williams CAB-acrylic lacquer, which imparts little to no color to the wood.
But remember, if you put enough coats on, even a water-white finish can look “unnatural”. So you want to avoid a super thick film. Also, you will most definitely want a finish with flatteners in it, so a satin or matte finish would be appropriate. If it shines, it won’t look natural either. The key for you Eric is to experiment on scrap. There are a lot of variables at play here like the type of finish and the number of coats, so some experimentation is in order. Good luck!
The Formula for Success? – Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from SGT Grigsby, a Serviceman in Italy who asks: “I am exiting the Military in a couple of weeks and on to Furniture-making school (Thank you GI Bill), My questions are: when you decided to start your own business, what was your formula for self success? How did you balance income versus new tools before the WW’er fame? Did your market shift (meaning did you start out doing finishing work and then ease into furniture design?) I guess i just need to know if it’s just a little luck and a lot of effort or is it just being in the right place at the right time?”
And this was my response:
First off, congrats on the furniture school. That is awesome. And of course, thank you for your service to our country.Now I try not to get into the habit of giving business advice, since my experience is rather limited. I only ran my business for about 2 years before I started The Wood Whisperer. And obviously that changed everything. So I can’t really offer you the wisdom of years of experience. But I did learn quite a bit in that time and I will share some of that with you.
So my formula for success? Hmm…not sure I had a formula or even a definitive plan. If there was any secret, it was remaining flexible and going where the money was. Now I don’t know if that would have been sustainable over a long period of time, but that’s what led me where I am today. So obviously mine is a unique case.
First, I learned to juggle. Meaning…I became a jack of all trades. Finishing, refinishing, on-site repair, cabinetry, built-ins, commercial jobs, and of course, studio furniture. They were all fair game for money. Keep in mind that the crap jobs can always lead to new builds. Several of my refinishing customers eventually turned into custom furniture customers. And nearly all of my custom furniture customers were repeat customers over time.
The next thing I learned was that not everyone wants your “best” work. Your best work is very expensive and should be reserved for the customers who are willing to pay for the time and effort you will put into it. So figure out ways to scale back the cost, without making tremendous sacrifices in quality. But sacrifices will need to be made in order to keep your doors open.
Another thing I had to do was stop thinking like a hobbyist. Hobbyists buy tools and supplies because the want them. A business-owner buys tools because he needs them. And in many cases, this can be more fun because when you do buy a tool, you should buy a GOOD one that will not cause you more expense over time. Also, hobbyists tend to work a lot in small bursts. When I finally had a full 8-10 hour workday to utilize, I had trouble adjusting. It wasn’t until I worked in a refinishing shop and started partnering with other craftsmen, that I realized just how much I could accomplish in a full day.
Also, make sure you get to know some of the other craftsmen in your area. Not only can you pass work back and forth to each other, you can also collaborate on major projects that you could never accomplish on your own. And leave your business cards everywhere! Nicole was a master at this. lol Make sure you target the markets that have the most money. It may sound shallow to say this, but people with more money are more likely to spend it on custom furniture.
Oh and the final piece of advice would be to learn how to run a business. You should not take this lightly. Without a solid understanding of how a business should be run, you are much more likely to fail. Look for either continuing education night classes or even free seminars given by the city that will help you choose what kind of entity you want to be and how to run it. That’s about all I can come up with right now. Good luck my friend, and keep your nose to the grindstone.
Sander or Scraper? – Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from Jeff who asks: “Marc, generally speaking, when would you advocate using a sander, and when a scraper to finish a surface?”
And this was my response: “Well to put it bluntly, I never use a scraper for final finish preparation. My scrapers are tuned so that they take a pretty aggressive cut, which makes them useful for leveling. But I don’t really like the surface they leave behind when compared to a nice 180 grit sanding. That’s not to say you can’t get a killer finish prep with a well-tuned scraper, its just not my preferred way of doing it. Call me lazy, but I would much rather sit there and let the sander do all the work while I daze off into space and think about whats for dinner.” :) But, I know people that swear by the scrapers and as a result, save money on sandpaper. So there is definitely some merit to it. To each his own I suppose.”
Does anyone out there use scrapers before finishing?
Finish for a Plywood Bathroom Vanity? – Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from Gordon who asks:
“Hi Marc. I have a customer who has requested a bathroom vanity, where the sink sits in the middle. My problem is that she is requesting it be made all of wood and I am worried about a top that could be exposed to sitting water. Is there a finish you would recommend that would hold up under those conditions as well as something that might not be too hard to apply? I talked my customer into a plywood top versus all solid wood. I assume this is the best way to go to prevent expansion and contraction. My second worry is sanding through the veneer if I have problems with the stain and getting a perfect surface.”
And this was my response:
“This is one of those cases where you have a tough decision to make. True standing water protection just can’t be done without the use of a thick film finish. But most folks don’t want their vanity top to look like a bar top. So you need to do something with a thinner film. But the thinner you go, the less protection you have. So, that’s the game you have to play. In cases like that, I let the customer make the decision, since ultimately they have to live with the results. If you want the beauty and look of true wood and wood grain, you simply can’t pile on the finish. So it might not be a bad idea to make up some sample boards so the customer can see the look she will get from each level of protection. You can start with maybe a simple wiping varnish, 3-4 coats. Then move up to a full-strength varnish, 3 coats. Then move on to a spar (marine varnish), 3 coats. Then move up to a poured epoxy finish, which will make it look like a bartop. I think this is probably the safest approach and will help you deliver the product with confidence.”
“Using plywood here seems to be a wise choice. With the humidity swings in a bathroom, you want as much stability as possible. Just be careful when you trim it out, because that’s where you will burn through the veneer if its going to happen. Flushing up the trim is always the risky part. As for the rest of the ply, a light sanding with 180 grit is all you should have to do before finishing.”
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