Jeff Jewitt - Homestead Finishing Products - Homestead Finishing Discussion Forums

 Jeff Jewitt and his company, Homestead Finishing Products, provide the closest thing to a one-stop-shop for finishing products and authoritative information that you will find. 

Jewitt is a regular contributor to Taunton Press'  Fine Woodworking Magazine , and has written 3 excellent books on finishing as well as videos all available through the Homestead website .  I highly recommend any of his books, but his newest, "Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing" is the most comprehensive study. It covers modern and traditional methods, material and equipment, and is organized for quick access so you can put it to use. The book features over 850 photos and drawings illustrating processes from sanding and surface preparation to applying topcoats and final polishing. 

Refinishing Steps

The following is basic step by step information that we provide to our customers who use our stripping service. It is assumed then, the project has been stripped to bare wood and any necessary repairs have been made.

Shopping List

Below is a listing of all the different materials associated with the methods discussed on this page

1. Stain
2. Varnish
3. Naphtha or Mineral Spirits
4. Brushes, poly-foam brushes for finishing
5. Sandpaper for wood: 80,100,120 grits
6. Sandpaper for finishing: 220,280,320
7. Sanding Sponge, medium coarse
8. Maroon scotch brite pads
9. stir sticks
10. Gloves
11. clean rags

Sanding Tips

1. The type of wood and it's condition after stripping will determine what sandpaper needs to be used.  Aluminum Oxide Paper is the most available and works well for bare wood sanding.  I recommend buying a few sheets of every grit available, so you can make sure you will have what you need. 

2. Sand only as much as is necessary to smooth the wood surfaces and to feather out rough areas, corners, etc. Below is a list of recommended sandpaper grits in Aluminum Oxide paper.. 

• 80 grit- For rough areas / hard open grained woods like oak
• 100 grit - General purpose, most woods
• 120 grit - General purpose, fine
• 220 grit - Very fine. For sanding between finish coats
• 280 grit and higher - Extra fine. For sanding between finish coats.

3. Other Sanding tips

• Sanding sponge: Use of a medium grit sanding sponge may be satisfactory in place of sandpaper. Highly recommended for smoothing carvings and turnings.
• "Fixx" or "Dap" brand putty is a good putty for filling small defects if you desire to. It comes in colors and accepts stain, so it shows less than some other brands. Simply fill the defect with the putty and sand it back when dry.
• Sand surfaces in a systematic way so you don't overlook anything or otherwise lose track of what you've done.
• Be consistent: If you sand one area aggressively, it may end up a different color than other surfaces not sanded the same.
• Do not sand across, or perpendicular to the direction of the wood grain.( Exception: lathe turnings, carvings are ok to sand across grain in small recessed areas/ end-grain areas )
• Several coats of finish, sanded between coats are what will achieve a smooth finish. Don't overdo the bare wood sanding. The advantage you gain by having your item commercially stripped is that you don't need to sand the finish off. A little smoothing of the bare wood is often all that is necessary and you're ready to finish.
• A 1/4 sheet sander is a good investment if you plan to do very much sanding. Porter Cable 330 Speed bloc has been very reliable for us. Cost should be around $90 or less. 
• Wear a good dust mask when sanding. Breathing wood dust can make you ill.
• Vacuum dust from the surfaces when you are done sanding

4. Staining 

• Our recommended brand is Benjamin Moore's penetrating wood stain. Minwax penetrating wood stains (called Minwax Wood Finish) can be substituted.
• These stains are simple to use. Some of the color has a tendency to settle out. Shake the stain well and stir frequently during use to make sure all pigments are mixed in.  
• Wipe or brush the stain on and wipe dry, using any soft absorbent cloth or disposable wipe. Be sure to hang rags until 100% dry after use to avoid risk of fire from spontaneous combustion. 
• Always test stain an inconspicuous area to make sure you like the results. If you don't like the result, remove the stain with rags that are wet down with Naphtha or Mineral Spirits. Repeat as necessary, allow to dry and lightly resand that area. 
• Stains can be applied and left for longer periods of time before wiping and usually this will cause the resulting color to be stronger or darker. 
• When a stronger or darker color is desired, the stain can be lightly or gently wiped, so as to leave more on the surface. Do not leave too much excess stain to dry on the surface as it may cause problems when you apply your finish.

5. Finishing: 

• Solvent based finishes are recommended. Regular solvent varnish is a very durable coating, but most varnishes available are polyurethane based varnish. I prefer a standard varnish, but if this is hard to locate, a polyurethane varnish will do. Polyurethanes are generally more durable, but that is only a concern where you are finishing a high traffic surface.
• Recommended brands are McCloskey, Pratt and Lambert, Sherwin Williams or Minwax.
• If you are comfortable using a brush to apply clear varnish, this is the fastest way to achieve a good finish. Brands of varnish will vary in thickness, but generally the varnish will brush better if thinned at least 10% You can thin a little more or less. The exact amount is not that important. I like to thin my first coat of varnish about 30% with Naphtha. This is just a personal preference.  Sometimes there are contaminants present within wood that is being refinished even after thorough stripping. Contaminants may cause the finish to dry slow, and in some cases requiring several days for a coat to dry. My feeling is that thinning the first coat assures it will dry faster. Once the first coat has dried hard, contamination problems are unlikely to present a drying problem. I also think the thinned coat of varnish is a little easier to sand than a heavy coat, and the first varnish coat should be sanded more than any other, to assure a smooth base. 
• As just stated, sand between coats of varnish using fine sandpaper, 220 grit or finer. Sand gently and evenly. The first coat is sanded a little more than successive coats. The fine scratches are what provide the mechanical adhesion between coats of varnish. Sand with the grain wherever possible, to avoid sanding scratches being visible after applying a coat of varnish.
• Maroon colored Scotch Brite Pads from 3M are sometimes very useful for smoothing between coats of finish. They are a little coarse to begin with, but wear down quickly to a point that is just right. 
• Genuine Steel Wool is absolutely not recommended for between finish coat sanding. Steel wool fibers are nearly impossible to completely remove and end up in your next coat of finish. 
• Use a vacuum or just a rag lightly damp with water or naphtha to remove fine sanding dust.
• In most cases, 3 coats of varnish is a good finish.  If it looks dry or like it needs more, put on another coat, but know when to quit.
• Be sure coats are not tacky before applying successive coats. If you apply a new coat over one that is tacky, it may take days or weeks for that next coat to dry. Dry time is affected by many things. Whatever dry time is recommended on the product, please be sure you do not apply a new coat of varnish over one that is tacky. If it takes a day, or two, or three, please be patient. 
• I like cheap poly foam brushes for varnish. Some complain they contribute to bubbles in your finish, but I have not had that problem. Maybe I have not had this problem because I tend to thin my coats more.  Thinned coats of varnish have less tendency to develop bubbles, which are simply air bubbles that don't find their way out of the finish before it begins to dry. Another factor here is to use a routine to get the varnish on the area quickly and finish brushing it out with the grain as quickly as you can. The longer you brush the finish, the more chance of bubbles and  brush marks. 
• Quite frankly, experience is the best teacher here. If brushing varnish is new to you, I strongly urge you to get some large sample boards and practice. You will also be well served to purchase a good book, such as the one by Jeff Jewitt that I recommended earlier

6. Alternative to Brushing Varnish - Wipe on Varnish

• Using any of the recommended brands of Varnish, thin these products approximately 50% with Naphtha. Apply coats quickly with a soft cloth or disposable wipe. Number of coats is subject to preference. I would suggest no less than 4 coats and as many as 8.
• Wipe the material on quickly and do not fuss with it. If you miss a spot, it is no problem as you will cover it on the next coat. 
• Wiped on coats are very thin, hence they should dry faster. It should be possible to apply at least 2 wiped coats in one day. 
• Gently sand every 2 coats that are applied

** Read what is here but check out my page about using dyes

There is no one type of stain that fits for all situations, much less any single brand name. However for the hobbyist finisher, I believe the penetrating oil stains made by Benjamin Moore, Minwax, McCloskey, or Watco are the most attractive of readily available stains. Except for Watco, these are stains made using both dye and pigment colorants. Watco as far as I know does not contain any pigment. Dyes are more transparent compared with pigment color and achieve bright, strong color on the wood without obscuring the wood surface. The heavier pigment color portion of these stains can be useful to enhance the grain variations on certain woods, particularly oak. These attractive stains give you a balance that is suitable over a wide range of situations. Many other brands of stain use strictly pigment colorants. These will tend to look much thicker in the can. They do not penetrate as deeply into the wood, and tend to achieve more of a solid, uniform look. Wood grain is more obscured than with the dye-pigment blend stains.. There are situations where the grain hiding quality of pigment-only stains are desired, but I would encourage you to try the dye-pigment blends first.

Where to start choosing a color of stain? Well the first thing is to decide if you need to stain at all. After you have prepared the wood, wipe down the piece with plain mineral spirits or Naphtha. When the wood is wet you are seeing what the natural, unstained color would be with only a clear finish applied. If this looks good then your choice just became easy. If your choice then is to use no color, you could go directly to applying your finish. Many finishers (myself counted) like to use a clear oil on the wood even when no added color is desired. It is my belief that the clear oil adds something to the natural color, though subtle it may be. My favorite woods to finish natural are Walnut and Cherry. These 2 woods develop such a deep and rich natural color on their own

If the natural color is lacking in rich tone a dye-pigment stain can add brightness and tone. A colored stain can really help define the grain of some woods, especially oak. Many older furniture items are made of a combination of woods, and a colored stain will help blend the woods together. You may simply prefer to change the natural tone of the wood.

If your choice is to stain, there is no way to be certain how any stain will look until you try some on your particular project. Mostly, the samples that may be available at the store can only be useful as a guide to narrow your choices. Always remember the resulting color you get on any wood is a combination of the natural color of the wood and the wood stain. Often, the natural wood color is the most dominant factor, especially if you are choosing a light colored stain. Benjamin Moore gives away small packets of their wood stains for testing purposes, but this amount may not be adequate for a proper test. Usually, it comes down to making your best guess at the color you want. If you are feeling unsure, buy the smallest can of stain possible.

Something else to consider here is that some woods (like Pine, Cherry, Poplar, Birch, Maple) do not absorb stain evenly. Penetrating dye-pigment stains can result in some very strong variations on these woods which you may not like. Some people refer to this as a "blotchy" effect. Personally, I don't mind a certain degree of this. If you think this could be a problem for you, it may be necessary to pre-treat the wood before you stain with what is called a "wood conditioner". Now I do not recommend you purchase a "wood conditioner" because it is so easy to make this yourself for less money. Purchase "natural" color in the oil stain line. This is clear oil without any colorant. Thin this down with mineral spirits about 50/50. The idea is to flood this on the surface first and wipe it off. Then apply your colored wood stain. Since the wood is somewhat filled up with the natural oil, the penetration of the colored stain will be more even. An even less expensive way to make this is to substitute "boiled linseed oil" for the natural stain in the mix. Here I would go with a mix of at least 2 parts mineral spirits to 1 part linseed oil, since the linseed oil is heavier to start with. The trade-off using this "conditioner" is that you are not going to get as strong a color overall on the piece.

There is another effective, age-old finisher's method of reducing the uneven penetration of stains. This is to apply a very thin coat of finish to the wood first. After it has dried, then stain. This is very effective at limiting the penetration of the stain, but the results are not as easily predicted. If you were to do this, and then discover it limited the penetration of the stain too much, you would have to strip off the sealer coat. I have found the method of using conditioner as described earlier achieves similar results without this potential for trouble.

It should also be noted here that the pigment-only stains I referred to in the first paragraph may be an option if "blotching" is a significant problem. Pigment-only stains sit more on top of the surface and will give a much more uniform appearance. Benjamin Moore has a separate line of pigment-only stain they have named "Interior Stain" or "Masking stain". As stated earlier, many other well known brand stains will be a pigment only type stain.

As you prepare to test the stain, bear in mind that usually you will be able to wipe off the stain if you don't like it with Naphtha or mineral spirits. If I am really unsure if a color is the right choice, I will look for a very inconspicuous area to test it on first. Then when I am more comfortable, I'll test it on a major show surface, such as the top. Often, the inconspicuous areas are not really similar to the prominent surfaces, so your test is not going to be certain until you try it where it counts. Underneath surfaces, such as under a table top, are rarely a very good place to test a stain, though it would seem they would be. These areas usually are more rough, and have a different color than the show surfaces because they have not had the exposure to light that the show surfaces have had. When you do your testing, make your judgment quickly while the stain is wet. As soon as it begins to dry, the color will appear to change. This is not really the case since as soon as you put some finish over it the color will return to the "wet" appearance. Don't let the color change after it dries mislead you.

If you're happy with the stain color, just apply the stain generously and wipe dry. Allow at least one day dry time before you apply a finish over it. That is all there is to it. You can use a foam or other type brush to apply the stain or just use a rag. Apply the stain quickly, working from bottom to top. If stain is applied from the top down, be careful should the stain run in streaks down the sides, it is not allowed to sit very long this way. Given time, the stain will penetrate deeply, and these "runs" may end up being visible after completion.

WARNING: When you are finished staining, be sure to hang stain wet rags to dry or put them in a container of water when finished. Stain rags can start on fire spontaneously if left in a pile anywhere, even on a cold concrete floor. This is not to be taken as a casual warning.

If the color is not what you want at all, wipe it off quickly with a generous amount of mineral spirits. If the stain does not come out enough you may need to let it dry well after trying to wash it out, then resand the affected areas. If you like the color but it is too strong, wipe some "natural" color stain right over it. If that works, then you can use a similar process over the whole piece, or you may want to just mix some "natural" stain into the colored stain and apply over the whole piece. If you like the color but it is too light, I suggest you look at similar colors in the stain line that are stronger. It is not my experience that you can increase the color by applying a second coat of stain. These stains for the most part, redissolve when more stain is applied over a previous stain coat. There is one way this can be done though. If you apply a thin coat of varnish over the stain and that has dried well, you can reapply the stain and it will not lift the previous coat. You will not get much penetration though, hence not much increase in the color. It might work if you only needed a subtle increase in color shade. Do not try to leave a heavy thick coat of stain on the surface, especially between coats of finish, or the finish may not bond well (poor adhesion).