I am curious about woodworkers and their finishing habits. One reason is that I get more questions about finishing than any other topic. And yet, when I tell people you should check out this book or watch that DVD to learn how to really do a good job finishing — there is really no interest. (Eye contact is lost, their voice gets quieter, and the discussion soon ends.) “I just want to know how to fix this problem …” A problem which may have been prevented with a little bit more knowledge in the first place.
But I should not really judge … I’ve developed a few “go-to” finishing processes, and it takes quite a lot to get me out of my rut. This is the case even though I have some skills in the finishing field.
So what about you? Do you do the same finish on every project you make? Are you interested in learning more and different finishing techniques? Or is finishing just the thing you have to do after you’ve completed the fun part?
Let me know, and I will share the results.
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
