School me in glazes. S-W Illusions Oil Glazing Liquid

[Mike Monroe]

Picked up a quart of S-W Illusions oil based clear glazing liquid yesterday. Apparently S-W is discontinuing this item because it was on the discount shelf for about 1/4 what they wanted for the Illusions water based glaze.

Anyone have any experience with this product? I've been reading Jeff's book from Taunton "Great Wood Finishes" and it's inspired me to experiment with artist oil paints and glazing. Jeff's book is good, but I'm looking for real world hobby woodworker experiences. Thanks.

[Tony Bilello]

I use oil glazes all the time. I use it with lacquer and pre-catalyzed lacquers.
It is very simple to use. You can stain your piece or leave it natural depending on the look you are trying to achieve. Then apply your sealer or your first coat of clear finish. Some people don't use sealers as most finishes today don't require them. In either case, the glaze goes over some kind of hard finish - something other than bare wood or stain. Just brush the glaze into all the little nooks, cranies and cracks. The kind of places that usually collect soot, dirt and dark age marks. Remember, glaze is used to give an aged look or to darken some areas of trim on furniture that are usually cheap poplar and have to be darkened. Anyway, wipe off the glaze that comes off easily and leave the stuff in the cracks. When dry, cover with your finishing coats. Its best to spray so that you dont 're-melt' the glaze and move it around.
After you do this a time or 2, you will soon figure out other ways to use the glaze to blend in certain small areas.

[Mike Monroe]

Tony, you ever do any "specking" ala Jewett's toothbrush method? This finishing stuff has it's own learning curve.

[Tony Bilello]

I am not familiar with Jewett's toothbrush method but I have done it with a toothbrush. I used India Ink when I did it. Then I found that when I was using Star Finishing Products they sold fly specking in an aerosol can and it worked great. Star is no longer in business and specking is all but dead.
I just lightly dabbed the brush end of the tooth brush in India Ink and then just kind of flicked the bristles. I always tried it on scrap plywood firswt to see what kind of pattern I was getting and adjust my distance.

[Pete McMahon]

Mike,
Besides leaving glaze only in corners and crevices, there is another good reason to become familiar with the technique. Since glazing is done over a sealed surface, you can add a layer of color over your base stain to create depth. You'll be surprised at how much of a difference it will make in the final look.
Use a glaze sparingly and blend it well with a soft brush. There are brushes called "softeners" for just that reason. Look into Whistlers Brushes and you'll see different types.
The other great attribute of oil glazing is if you make a mistake or don't like what you see, it can be wiped off with mineral spirits before it dries. Few steps in the finishing process are as forgiving as that.
Another spattering technique is to lightly load a brush and tap it against stick over your work piece. Good luck.

[Mike Monroe]

That's pretty much the techniques described in Jewett's book; toothbrush specking, brushing out glaze, etc. I've got some experimenting to do.