Showing posts with label finish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finish. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Invisible Scratch Repairs

Scratches happen. That's wood for you. But unless they're really bad, they can be fixed well enough to become invisible. Ted Raife, at Woodsmith Magazine, uses this technique which he shared with the Woodsmith Weekly E-Tip subscribers a while ago.
"My repair system started with an investment in an assortment of touch-up markers. You can get these from many woodworking and finishing supply companies. My set includes about a dozen different colors and this gives me a good shot at finding a close match to the project. But the trick is finding the best color match without relying on a lucky guess."
"To help make a more informed choice, I created a sample sheet on a piece of clear acetate. The sheet contains a small, labeled swatch from each marker. As you see in the photo, I simply hold the sheet up to the project to find a good match. After choosing a marker and performing a quick touchup, the project looks as good as new and I feel a whole lot better."

You can get useful tips and techniques delivered to your computer each week from Woodsmith Magazine. They're free, sign-up here.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Best Workbench Finish

In the current issue of Workbench, a reader asks, "What's the best finish for a workbench? The answer:

"The best finish is one that soaks in (a penetrating finish) rather than one that sits in top (a film-building finish). That's because a bench invariably gets beat up and scratched as you use it. A film finish will get chipped and will have to be removed entirely before you can apply a new coat. With a penetrating finish, you can simply spot sand and touch-up as needed. Choose either a straight oil or a finish that blends oil and urethane. Just make sure it says 'penetrating' on the label."

You'll find lots more useful info on woodworking and homeowner DIY in the current issue of Workbench. You can find it on the newsstand, or better yet, get a free preview issue.