Final sanding (grit) before finishing.

[Jay Windley]

Me too. I use Old Dad's wipe-on polyurethane, thinned just a bit.

| I usually prefer shellac or an oil/varnish mix

I'm still working getting good results with shellac, but I also use varnishes when I'm in the mood. I've never tried an oil/varnish mix, but now I'm intrigued. I've used Resistovar with good results, but you can only get it in bulk so unless you're a professional it's best to go in with like ten people on an order.

The local unfinished furniture guys recommend putting on Old Dad's with a foam brush, but I've never had pleasing results with anything I've put on with a foam brush. Foam brushes, I'm convinced, are tools of the devil. But I get good results wiping it on with cotton rags.

The people who try to wave me off of polyurethane have typically been the advocates of rubbing out film finishes, and poly doesn't rub as well as a varnish. I think a lot of backlash against polyurethane comes from the truly atrocious formulations commonly available that muck up everything they touch. I tried a lot of formulas before I settled on Old Dad's, and I'm sure there are even better formulas out there.

[Brian Henderson]

I rarely go past 180 and don't remember ever going past 220, simply because you'll never know the difference once it's stained/polyed. You get to a point of diminishing returns around 220 grit.

[George M. Kazaka]

Sam Maloof Is nothing but a Commercial Enterprise

[Steve Knight]

He uses tung and linseed and poly in equal amounts. far different then straight poly.

[Larry Jaques]

On Fri, 3 Oct 2003 12:39:42 -0700, "George M. Kazaka" pixelated:

Why would you say that to me and not him, George? Staining and polying otherwise decent, unsuspecting wood? He's the one who's cruel.

Heck, I wouldn't even condone treating -pineywood- that harshly.

[George M. Kazaka]

Well Larry to a certain degree I agree with you, that is with the poly not staining, Yes the woodis beautiful in its natural state, so was the tree before we cust it down to make something elso of it. I have seen posts here about the objection to stain and there is a few woods that i do not ever like stained but there are times when the natural color just does not do it. That said which i have the feeling is going to cause another backlash.

I'm a pro and have had hundreds of guys work for me over the years and have taught as many many differant things. As their Employer when working I would never object to telling someone they screwed up. Have been know to pick cabinets up and throw them at a cemment block when I was younger.( Damn did I really do that) Because the quality of the work did not stand up to that man's potential. But one thing I would never do is to break down a mans pride in his personall accomplishments. We all have differant levels of skills and knowledge and each one of us has a differant level of proudful accomplishments. Woodworking is a labor of love Always has been Always will be. I've been at it for 48 years and I live by the statement that I do not work, I happen to do something I love and have been very fortunate to be able to make a living at it. Have turned out some good stufff and my share of crap also. So when one of you is at home in your Garage workshop Hand planing and hand dovetailing and nailing things together and slapping Black ink on it because you heard somewhere this makes the wood darker and then you preserve that peice with "Poly" Unsaturated Motor Oil #30 weight of course. Walked out of that garage door with a head as big as the goodyear Blimp proud of what you have accomplished.

WELL what can I say isn't that what it is all about ??

Hmmmm !!!!! Black Ink haven't tried that one yet. Hmmmm !!!!

I have looked at many peice's of shit IMHO, and never once would I take the glow in the presenters eye away from them.

Therefore henceforth My remark to your remark.

Good Luck, George

[Larry Jaques]

On Sat, 4 Oct 2003 07:54:56 -0700, "George M. Kazaka" pixelated:

-snip-

If asking him "why sand if you stain/poly?" is breaking down a man's pride in his personal accomplishments, I stand guilty as charged, but I COULDN'T have taken the presenter's glow away because he hasn't even put a finish on it yet. (Nor would I in person. I usually just shut up if I don't have anything good to say.)

Anyway, I suppose I was attempting to make him rethink his processes so we could all be proud of his work.

.-. Life is short. Eat dessert first! ---

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