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Rating: 
Summary: Enough Books for the Weekend Refinisher!
Review: Aren't there enough finishing books written for the hobbyist? How about a book that shows the hobbyists how they can get professional looking finishes by using professional tools, techniques and materials? Books like this keep the hobbyist at hobbyist levels, never raising the stakes or the standards. The big fault is the publisher, Taunton Press because this publisher is not interested in focusing on the true craft of wood finishing.If other crafts were treated as immaturely as wood finishing, weekend woodworkers would build nothing more complicated than popsicle stick houses. Only the craft of wood finishing gets this bay treatment approach when it comes to publishing books.
Rating: 
Summary: Surface Values
Review: Finishes & Finishing Techniques is part of Taunton Press' essentials of woodworking series. It is the first of two compilations from Fine Woodworking that cover a wide variety of finishing techniques and styles. This wide spread of material, and the variety of opinions that a collection of articles can present make this a valuable resource for the woodworker, although I think that a good introductory book is still a necessity. Fine Woodworking articles are written for practitioners with a certain amount of experience and confidence, exploring a lot of the variations that are possible. This can be overwhelming for someone who just wants to put a nice finish on that all-important first project.
The structure of the book is straightforward - sections on surface preparation, coloring wood, hand finishing, spray finishing, water-based finishes, and special techniques. I found the special techniques particularly interesting in that it provided an approach to blotch free cherry finishing that has become the basis for most of the finishing I do. There are also some articles on aging, antiquing, and repairs. And even an article on not finishing at all which is a bit eye-opening.
This is all good, well-written material, but don't expect to absorb it in one sitting. When you are contemplating a new project this is one of the best resources for finding solutions and coming up with a new approach rather than the same old rubbing finish.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Useful Book
Review: I found the book quite comprehensive, including information on how the "pros" do it. I was not interested in obtaining the finish found on most medium-quality furniture (lacquer applied with a hvlp spray gun). I wanted to learn about French polishing, finishing with shellac, dying vs. staining wood - generally, how to create fine hand-rubbed finishes. This book explains how. It also told you where to obtain hard-to-find materials.
Rating:
Summary: We can all learn new tricks
Review: The book is filled with secrets, tips, tricks and techniques of the all elusive perfect finish.
Even after 35 years in cabinet making I found the chapters well researched and extremely informative.
Did you ever find yourself saying, "Oh yeah... that's how that works!"? You'll say that a few times when reading this one.
Rating:
Summary: Enough Books for the Weekend Refinisher!
Review: This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to get started in woodworking, or is just unsure on proper techniques of finnishing. Finnishing is often thought of as its own hobby by itself, and with the numerous options and approaches to make beautiful furniture, the confusion ends here with this book. Its easy to understand, takes out the guess work, even also covers such tricky problems as dents and holes, and explains how to fool someone's eyes into thinking that there was never such a defect. Recommended for all ages!
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