Q: What is the best protecting coat over gilded projects and how do we get an antique look?
A: There are two types of gold leaf; real gold, which is pure gold hammered to thin sheets, and imitation leaf, sometimes called Dutch metal. Generally speaking, real gold is not antiqued, nor top coated. If you are [...]
Q: There’s a method I want to try; waterbased dye, seal, gel stain left dark in corners and wiped to simulate wear, top coat. How can I brush top coat using varnish without screwing up the gel, since varnish needs scratches to hold to?
A: No it doesn’t. Just let the gel dry thoroughly so that [...]
Q: Can I add dry pigment to lacquer to color it?
A: In theory, yes. In practice, it is almost impossible to get pigment powders to disperse uniformly in liquids. When we add them in the industry we use tools specifically designed for forcing pigments to combine with liquids, such as ball mills and high shear [...]
Q: I have a lot of tubes of various oil paints on hand. Could I use oil paints as a pigment to add to lacquer?
A: If you are talking about concentrated oil colors in paste form in tubes, yes you can mix a small amount into lacquer, but don’t try to add too much. Even [...]
Q: Where can I get information on custom color stain? We can’t find the color we want for an entertainment center. Can you teach us how to mix our own?
A: I can indeed, and in fact, have done so in all four of my books on finishing and many times in magazine articles. However, there [...]
Q: I’m having some problems getting dye to take evenly on soft maple.
A: I’m not surprised. Soft maple is notorious for growing with twisted and wavy fibers. That means when you cut a flat surface, you are actually getting flat grain interspersed with end grain. When you stain, whether with pigments or dyes, the end [...]
Q: I’m going to be finishing some cabinet doors with a water soluble aniline dye. The doors are simple frame and panel. Should I pre-stain the panels before assembling?
A: I would. It is much easier to stain the panels before assembly, no matter what type of stain you are using. Staining first means the stain [...]
Q: Can I leave a very small amount of dye in the edges of a raised panel door to create a glazed effect?
A: Nope. Dye does not work that way. That’s why we use very specific materials for glazing. Dye is absorbed by the wood, but because it usually contains no binder, you can not [...]
Q: I have completed the woodwork on a white-oak table and need to color it dark brown. I tried the usual commercial stains, which colored the grain cathedrals on the face sides, but hardly colored the long grain at all. So I went to The New Wood Finishing Book and checked out your pages on [...]
Q: After getting married, I picked up a piece of wood up here in Alaska and had all his family write a message on it. I am planning on adding a photograph with spray adhesive, then clear over it. Will the clear hurt the photograph, what should I use, and how should I apply it?
A: [...]
Powered by eShop v.4
