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Hooker Furniture Dark Walnut and Mappa Burl
‘Starting furniture shopping? Consider not just the furniture’s appearance this time. Try to study how the piece was made by an artisan’s hands, why it is durable, and what method of finishing application was used to make it look awesome.
Woodworkers and Finishes
Finishing is one of the biggest concerns for a lot of woodworkers. They may be experts in joinery, machining, and other precision activities but woodworkers – a lot of them, in fact – still take a step back when they are about to apply the finishing.
Now you might ask what the best finish for your furniture is – and that’s one great question. Having the answer to this question will give you much more confidence in overcoming other hurdles in the coming days.
Finishing products may be grouped according to working qualities as well as the kind of protection that they offer ranging from oils, to waxes, shellacs to varnishes, water-based finishes and lacquers. No single finishing is considered the best as one that excels on one furniture may be a total failure in another.
Wood Finishing Classifications
All kinds of wood finishes may be classified into how they dry or how they cure. Finishes that evaporate such as shellac and lacquer become as a hard film once they dry and the solvents evaporate.
Reactive finishes like tung or linseed oil also have solvents that can evaporate yet they cure when they react with air. Such finishes undergo chemical change when they cure. This kind of finish tends to hold better when subjected to chemicals and heat (with the exception of pure oils).
Other Finishes
Wax may not be such a great idea for furniture finish. Carnauba wax or any paste wax can be used to polish furniture but it is advisable to use them over existing finishes like shellac or lacquer.
Varnish is comprised of tough synthetic resins that were modified using drying oils. If you take a look at the labels of varnishes, you would see a list of resins like phenolic, urethane, alkyd, and other oils such as tung or linseed.
Varnishes cure just like true oils through a process called polymerization. The resins heighten the durability. If you want durable finish for your wood furniture, then use any oil-based varnish. Even an average woodworker will be able to apply this finishing product for you. varnishes surpass a lot of finishes when it comes to heat, water, chemical and solvent resistance.
Long oil varnishes are varnishes that contain a huge amount of oil (e.g. spar, marine or exterior varnishes). These are more elastic because they are softer than the short to medium varnishes which contain just a limited amount of oil.
Another type of finish is the varnish and oil blend. This mixture contains a huge amount of oil plus some varnish. This is also an easy-to-apply product though they tend to dry a lot harder than true oil finishes.
Lastly, water-based finishes are often made with either an acrylic urethane blend or an acrylic resin. Adding urethane makes the product scratch-resistant.
Remember that choosing the kind of finish depends on a lot of factors such as temperature in your home, the level of dampness, and the overall environment. The least temperamental when it comes to cold environments are shellac and lacquer; in humid conditions, use oils and any oil-based product.
You would need a bigger budget if you would require spray equipment for your project. If it’s a DIY project that you’re after, then know that there’s a learning curve when it comes to spraying. It would require a lot of practice if you want to get decent results with sprayed on finishes.
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