Staining and Finishing

[boxers]

I feel pretty confident in being able to produce a reasonable project but I am concerned about the finish of any project I may attempt. I reckon the finish is half the battle. Reading all the terms in the forum like "tung oil" etc leaves me scratching my head.I am looking for an easy to follow ( if there is such a thing) book on all things staining and finishing. I have seen "A Polishers Handbook" advertised in U Beaut Enterprises. Any comments on the book or another? any other advice.

[Gumby]

Yeah, one comment on that book....buy it.

As for your finishingh needs, buy some Hard Shellac, Traditional Wax, EEE Polish and if you can, get a swansdown mop from Neil as well. That will get you started but remember, finish is all about preparation. If it isn't done properly like sanding through the grades etc, it doesn't matter what you apply as a finish, it will be s'thouse.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Finish is more the half the battle; it's the first thing people see and if it looks good then they'll have a closer look. If it's a terrible job few give a second glance even if the item is otherwise a work of art.

Get the book. It's a good start, but keep in mind there's no such beast as a "book on all things staining and polishing." If there was, it'd make the Encyclopedia Britannica look like a supermarket flyer.

Hell, ask 100 blokes how to join two planks together and you'll get 100 completely different answers... and finishing's a wee tad more complicated than that.