Book on Finishing

[Greg Just]

If you were going to buy someone a book in finishing wood, what would tou recommend? This person is primarily a wood turner so ideas about food safe finishes is a plus. Thanks - trying to find a gift.

[Bill Davis]

I heartedly recommend Bob Flexner's book "Understanding Wood Finishing". I think it's all a woodworker needs.

[Jim Rimmer]

Bob Flexner has several books. I would recommend "Understanding Wood Finishing" as the first. It is less about technique and more about how finishes work. In my own expereince, reading this and understanding how the different finishes work has been a great help.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_20?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=flexner+on+finishing&sprefix=flexner+on+finishing

Bill beat me to the punch - he posted while i was typeing. So +1

[Steve Schoene]

I agree Flexner is a great book. The next one to own is Jeff Jewitt's Finishing in the Taunton series of The Complete Illustrated Guide To ......

As far as food safe finishes, Flexner is going to tell you that all clear finishes in the US are food safe.

[Prashun Patel]

A caveat here. I love Flexner's book, but I do find there's a difference between finishing in the flat world and the turning world. There are a lot of differences in the sanding/prep of turned pieces and the application and types of finish. Turners also have to deal with things in the wood that reveal themselves late in the turning process like inclusions and cracks, so some knowledge of how to fill and what to fill with is helpful.

I have not found a good book on finishing turned pieces yet, and if anyone knows one, I'd love to know...

The Flexner book is still a great primer, and remains one of my favorite ww books.

[Scott Holmes]

Bob Flexner's book "Understanding Wood Finishing".

[Chris Padilla]

Bob Flexner's book "Understanding Wood Finishing".

I think this is the definitive book to have. Like a good chisel or a nice saw, this book should be right there with your spray gun and brushes.


What do folks think about having a sticky note of maybe the top 2 or 3 books one should have or read in regards to finishing?

It could save reanswering a lot of basic questions.

[Chris Padilla]

A caveat here. I love Flexner's book, but I do find there's a difference between finishing in the flat world and the turning world. There are a lot of differences in the sanding/prep of turned pieces and the application and types of finish. Turners also have to deal with things in the wood that reveal themselves late in the turning process like inclusions and cracks, so some knowledge of how to fill and what to fill with is helpful.

I have not found a good book on finishing turned pieces yet, and if anyone knows one, I'd love to know...

The Flexner book is still a great primer, and remains one of my favorite ww books.

Well, a caveat on your caveat is that I wouldn't consider that fixing cracks, inclusions, what have you necessarily belongs in a finishing book or forum. Otherwise, turners still use wood and the finishes will react the same on a cabinet vs a bowl.

But, it is a different bowl of soup so to speak. :)

[Prashun Patel]

Ok, we'll agree to disagree. It's not so much the chemistry or compatibility (for which Flexner's book is fantastic) I'm talking about, it's the application and techniques.

I've just had a pretty big learning curve in terms of finishing on the lathe. Finishing while spinning adds a lot of possibilities to the polish and sheen you can put on things, but also has implications for how you have to sand.

For the voids and inclusions, I was thinking specifically about ca glue which is frequently used to harden spalted wood, keep bark in tact on natural edge turnings, and to fill cracks; it's also used as a finish itself.

Anyway, I'm just saying that if yr looking for a book on finishing TURNING work, the OP might be wise to search some more titles before committing to Flexner...

[Jim Rimmer]

I think this is the definitive book to have. Like a good chisel or a nice saw, this book should be right there with your spray gun and brushes.


What do folks think about having a sticky note of maybe the top 2 or 3 books one should have or read in regards to finishing?

It could save reanswering a lot of basic questions.
I think if your going to create a sticky on books how about one on the top 5 or so books for a woodworker:

1. Duginski's Bandsaw book
2. Flexners finishing book
3. Tage Frids Essential Woodworking techniques (1&2) books

Care to add others?

[Greg Just]

thanks for the feedback. Seems like the Flexner book is the most highly recommended.

[Chris Padilla]

I think if your going to create a sticky on books how about one on the top 5 or so books for a woodworker:

1. Duginski's Bandsaw book
2. Flexners finishing book
3. Tage Frids Essential Woodworking techniques (1&2) books

Care to add others?

Jim,

That is a fine idea but not for this particular forum for Finishing. We should stick to this particular topic of ww'ing. :)

[Jim Rimmer]

Jim,

That is a fine idea but not for this particular forum for Finishing. We should stick to this particular topic of ww'ing. :)
You're right. I forget to look at which forum the post is in but maybe we could make a sticky for books in a general forum.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I agree Flexner is a great book. The next one to own is Jeff Jewitt's Finishing in the Taunton series of The Complete Illustrated Guide To ....

+1. Steve's a smart guy. Too much at stake in "the final step" to sweat details like the cost of owning both. Both are valuable reads.