More Finishes and Finishing Techniques: The Best of Fine Woodworking (The Best of Fine Woodworking)

Rating:
Summary: Potent Miscellany
Review: It is a suspicion of mine, probably unfounded, that there are more books about finishing wood than there are possible ways to finish wood. My experience is that most people buy these books not because they want to find a new way of doing things, but because they want to find THE way of finishing wood. Once we find something that works we are likely to apply to every surface we can. 'More Finishes and Finishing Techniques' is intended for those who really want a larger arsenal when confronting a recalcitrant wood surface.

This is a set of articles drawn from the pages of 'Fine Woodworking,' a magazine noted for deep dives into woodworking technique and are. As expected, these are well written and illustrated efforts that cover a wide spread of subjects. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage, as the order of articles is only one step removed from haphazard.

You will find 5 articles on spray finishing (with an article on finish removal right in the midst of them). Another large group cover painting, staining, and toning. The rest focus on the tradition world of lacquer and shellac - sealing, padding, and rubbing out (or in). Most are written for people who have at least tried and failed, rather than complete beginners. Some of the articles are quite esoteric, or address the use of equipment that are more the domain of the dedicated woodworker than something to which a week-end warrior would have access. Of course, any good woodworking book will contain things to dream about as well as things to do.

I've noticed that Taunton has recently brought out a finishing book in their 'Complete' series, which you may want to check before looking into this book, or its predecessor. I've found that series tends to be well grounded and orderly. But if it's fine tuning that you are looking for, then 'More Finishes...' may be just perfect for your purposes.