Understanding Wood Finishing: How to Select and Apply the Right Finish

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Review by Bob Heim, 2010-05-01

This author knows woodworking and wood finishing. His comments about wood finishing myths and his explanations about the real chemistry of finishing wood is spot on. I had to read it a couple times because there is so much to absorb ;-). His history lessons about old techniques and materials are fun to read as well, and they help when refinishing older pieces (oh the horror, don't lose the petina).

Review by Charles in Boston, 2009-11-19

A superb book, every woodworker should own it. I don't understand how anyone could possibly rate it less than 5 stars. I'd give it 6 if I could.

Review by Don R. Huber, 2009-10-01

i have gone thru 5-6 finish books and spent 5-10 hours just to narrow that list down to 5.
i read many reviews such as i am writting now. i am refinishing a 100 yr old victorian
and have used wood for everything, wood beams,trim,baseboards,floors,built in. so i wanted
to be dam sure about the how and what i used to finish approx,20,000 worth of hardwood. i have done everything from raw lumber. this is the best book b/c its disscusses the chemistry of the
different finishes and what many of the different products actually contain. this is imo the biggest
problem with any finish(you have no idea whats in it) 90% of the products dont contain what the lable says. example tung oil most have a little tung oil and mostly mineral spirts and varnish.
most of the new finishes are not very good, they are driven by epa concerns not quality of use and product. ie water based poly sucks,imo. you will have to sand your wood 3 times instead of one. thats imo not bobs. try it on a sample board. it will raise the grain so bad you have to use a belt sander to take it down. i would love to see a new addition thats up dated and spends some time on wood trim. almost all of these books only refere to furniture. and imo, many more of us work on doors,trim,built ins,shelves floors,etc.
for me i am using oil varnish,pure tung oil,mineral spirts, its excellent for woods that are difficult to stain like oak. its hard to find and expensive but the most expensive finish is the one you screw up and have to redo. try striping and sanding a botched up poly job and you will know what work is. bob thank you for doing the work that others couldnt or wouldnt do. bob if you send me a picture i will gladly display it on the fire place i stripped and restored.

Review by Nicholas G. Mccleery, 2009-09-28

This is a great book on how to finish wood. It's easy to understand and very interesting. It also seems very acurate to my industry and up to date.

Review by Michael D. Alexander, 2009-09-17

In order to make our kitchen remodeling dollars go further we bought unfinished oak cabinets. After looking at lots of recomendations online I found some tips by Bob Flexnor. They were so well written that I decided to buy this book before attempting to finish them. I was not disappointed. Bob writes from much experience and his techniques are easy to understand. I would highly recommend this book for anyone considering finishing their own cabinets or furniture. BTW, the cabinets look great and it was easy.