Q: Is there a wiping finish I can use that will retain the color after staining purpleheart purple? A: The problem with wiping finishes in general is that they are almost all oil based. Even some waterbased ones are actually oil and water emulsions. Thus, they tend to dry with a slight amber cast, and [...]
Q: I made a small box out of Purple Heart. What can I finish it with to get a brilliant purple color? A: Purple stain or dye. I realize that sounds like a strange answer, but it will make more sense if you bear with me a bit and let me explain a few things [...]
Q: The Rockler gel urethane I used to use is no longer available. Any suggestions? A: The Rockler gel was a private label product made by Lawrence McFadden. They went into bankruptcy and their formulas and remaining product was purchased by Seagrave Coatings. Peter Teppermann, the president of Seagrave, assured me that they will continue [...]
Q: Are there any of your books or DVDs that I can buy that would help me solve problems I am having with staining projects? A: All four of my books and my DVD cover various aspects of staining, both in how to apply stains evenly and how to correct for uneven staining. The best [...]
Q: When I try to stain a project like a bookcase that has both red oak plywood and solid red oak, the colors of the two parts come out drastically different. A: There are several steps that will help you deal with this, and you may need just one or many. First, sand both the [...]
Q: I am coloring wood with cherry stain. I left the stain on way too long, and now it is tacky and shiny. Do I need to correct this issue before I spray on satin polyurethane? A: Yep, you sure do. Most stains do not have enough binder to act as coats of finish. Thus, [...]
Q: I have a piano with what Kawai tells me is a polyurethane finish that was severely gouged. While I am a professional refinisher, I am at a loss as to how to burn-in the gouges and rub them out without having to re-coat. Is there a method to avoid the re-coating? A: Probably not. [...]
Q: I recently acquired an antique mahogany crib which I want to refinish for my one year old granddaughter. After some sniffing around on the web, no one seems to have a confident definitive answer on what finish would be safe. Can you help? A: Virtually all film forming finishes, that is, those that harden [...]
Q: My oak floor has a factory wax finish from 1982. Can it be refinished using a polyurethane? How do you know the wax is completely removed? A: Scrubbing the floor thoroughly with mineral spirits on a nylon abrasive pad and wiping the residue with paper shop towels will remove any surface wax. After that, [...]
Q: It been about six years since I’ve had my hardwood floors installed. I want to apply a couple of coats waterbased polyurethane sealer to the floor but I’m not sure whether the installer used oil or water. A: Several companies offer special waterbased floor finishing kits designed to go over any type of floor [...]
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