Finishes On Wood
The finishing on wood for a woodworking project calls for artistic as well as realistic consideration and effort. Artistic consideration involves bringing the best appearance out of the final woodwork. Realistic consideration is more about the budget available to do the final touch up. After spending days and nights on your woodworking project, you will likely spend a bit more time to wrap up on its final appearance. Finishes on wood can be simple or elaborate, depending on the wood type, wood and surrounding color, expected durability, and the budget.
Wood type of your woodworking project determines the choice of final finishing. Not all wood types are suitable for all choices of finishing. Some woods are more receptive towards a wider selection of finishes, while others are limited to a few choices. Wood color as well as the color of the surrounding, where the woodworking project will be placed, also determine the choice of finishing. The end use of the project will determine the expected durability, which in turn determines how elaborate the finishing will be. The allocated budget will ultimately determine the choice of the finishing.
The finishing process begins from surface treatment and ends with the coating. Surface treatment or preparation lays the foundation for the other finishing procedures to take place. If the surface is not treated or prepared properly, the subsequent procedures may not give the desired results. Most, if not all, woods come with imperfection and blemishes. The imperfection may be natural, or due to human handling or transportation. The surface must therefore be prepared and ready for the subsequent procedures such as bleaching or color treatment.
After the wood surface is properly treated and ready, the next step will be color treatment. The color treatment procedures consist of various treatments, including staining, bleaching, and various other techniques to enable the expected color finishes on the project. The process of surface preparation may need to be repeated due to blotches and other side defects resulting from the touch up process. The procedures may be repeated several times to achieve the desired results.
The last and final step is the coating process, where shellac, paint, varnish or other coating is applied to the wood. Similar to the previous procedures, should the final result turn out undesirable, the woodworker may repeat the whole process from surface treatment to coating. So, the final finishes on wood do require patience and attention to details to achieve the expected level of quality and appearance.
Wood type of your woodworking project determines the choice of final finishing. Not all wood types are suitable for all choices of finishing. Some woods are more receptive towards a wider selection of finishes, while others are limited to a few choices. Wood color as well as the color of the surrounding, where the woodworking project will be placed, also determine the choice of finishing. The end use of the project will determine the expected durability, which in turn determines how elaborate the finishing will be. The allocated budget will ultimately determine the choice of the finishing.
The finishing process begins from surface treatment and ends with the coating. Surface treatment or preparation lays the foundation for the other finishing procedures to take place. If the surface is not treated or prepared properly, the subsequent procedures may not give the desired results. Most, if not all, woods come with imperfection and blemishes. The imperfection may be natural, or due to human handling or transportation. The surface must therefore be prepared and ready for the subsequent procedures such as bleaching or color treatment.
After the wood surface is properly treated and ready, the next step will be color treatment. The color treatment procedures consist of various treatments, including staining, bleaching, and various other techniques to enable the expected color finishes on the project. The process of surface preparation may need to be repeated due to blotches and other side defects resulting from the touch up process. The procedures may be repeated several times to achieve the desired results.
The last and final step is the coating process, where shellac, paint, varnish or other coating is applied to the wood. Similar to the previous procedures, should the final result turn out undesirable, the woodworker may repeat the whole process from surface treatment to coating. So, the final finishes on wood do require patience and attention to details to achieve the expected level of quality and appearance.
