So you’ve just spent countless hours and dollars creating your first project. Now you want to know what to do for finishing. This is not an all encompassing guide, or even close to it. This is just intended as an intro to help you get going, that said there is a lot of information in here.

If you want to learn more there is a book by Bob Flexner called “Understanding wood finishing” that is worth reading and keeping. It will be helpful to read through this guide all the way once, if you are new you will save a lot of time reading up on finishing before you ever open your first can. Every technique touched on will have info online.

Safety: If you read nothing else in this guide read the part on safety, some chemicals are toxic. What is finish? “finish” is a clear coating applied as a liquid by brushing, spraying, or wiping with a cloth. Sometimes, “finish” can be an entire series of coats – stain, one or more coats of clear finish, or coloring steps in between.

It is the first thing anyone sees when they look at your work making it the most important aspect if you intend to sell it. Form and construction are critical, but often outside of the most people's grasp. Anyone can see a nice finish and be pleased by it. You can create the most beautiful piece, but if the finish is poor no one will want it.

Why do finish wood? Beauty, protection and preservation are the primary goals. Protection means both protecting the wood and the user: splinters are not a welcome guest at the dining table. Finished wood is also easier to clean and maintain. How do I prepare the substrate? Surface prep consists of filling/repair, sanding and cleaning.

Pore filling: What to use, what not to use. Gap filling, flaw treatment: Learning how to make mistakes vanish or blend, and choosing what to highlight separates the novice woodworker from the advanced. Tools for laying on your finish: Rags, brushes, rubbing pads and spray equipment.

What types are there? Oil base and film build are two main categories. Oil base finishes “protect from within”. A film lays on top and protects from the outside. ALL ARE FOOD GRADE. Once cured there is no finish that is harmful to ingest, it's a marketing tactic. If the highlight is “food safe” it must not have much going for it.

How is finishing different? It’s a separate discipline. Woodworking and carpentry is physics at work. Finishing is chemistry, invisible and all a novice has is what is on the can. This has led to a mythology, and marketers take advantage to sell their blend. There is a better way! Ever wonder how you could use that spoiled milk in the fridge?