© 2009 Joe Ball Inc.
Finish
My understanding of finish used to stretch as far as the products on the Home Depot shelving. Water based or an oil based stain goes on the wood. Then top that off with some clear liquid and I was good to go.
As I tried to achieve specific looks and colors combined with specific woods I realized
there was a ton of stuff yet to learn. When trouble arose with color matching attempts
and finishes gone wrong, I realized an important lesson. When you enter into the
realm of coating wood, you are entering the realm of chemistry. There is a science
attached with finishing that goes beyond the pre-
There are several ways of coloring wood that we use depending on the wood and depending on the look we’re trying to achieve. Most of the time we make our own colors and stains using a mixture of products and sometimes multiple processes. It’s fantastic to be able to use stain from the store and have it turn out looking the way you want, but this doesn’t happen as much as I’d like. So, when you understand the basic rules of the chemistry behind wood finish, then you know what rules you can break or bend.
I remember back about 7 years ago, I was trying to make a pine table look beautiful. I tried the standard first stain sealer first coat, but the result of the subsequent stain coats made me go into apathy and fall asleep on the cold concrete floor, the only warmth being the table that hovered a few feet above my body. Perhaps it was the fumes and perhaps it was the 4 o’clock in the morning hour that I was up till, but whatever it was, I wasn’t happy with the results. I remember several calls to the client to delay delivery and the borderline wrath that came through the phone line at around the 4th call. I did finally get it to look respectable, although not quite as dark and rich as I intended.
Many lessons formed the firm understanding that finish is a precision activity. The lacquers that we use molecularly convert to form a strong bond and withstand moisture. Lacquer is the easiest to work with finish I have used. Strict environmental standards have resulted in modified lacquer formulas that are better, or should I say, not as bad for the environment.
Water based finishes are definitely a better alternative for the environment and the formulas are becoming better and better. Soon we will make the switch to using only water based clear coats.
There are also other products we use such as polyurethane, varnish, wax and oil, depending on the look, location and purpose of the project.
Achieving the exact look for your project is key. Samples made and approved are a must. The floor sleeping, hair pulling out, wondering if there is a god, days are over. We can achieve exactly what you want. Also check out Jody’s site. He’s a finishing lunatic.
