Some time ago (2006??) John Paquay posted a very good article on finishing oak (really it was more about using a grain filler). I saved it and now have some questions as I am doing a project with oak. I have googled the name but I can never tell if the John Paquay in the output of google is the same person or not. I googled the name in newsgroups and there was someone in this newsgroup looking for him in August of 2008 but there was no reply.
Having too much time on my hands, I DAGS on "John Paquay oak finish" and got 68 responses. The first indicates a PDF file on finishing with oil and an email addy: snipped-for-privacy@belex.mdn.com.
I believe this same John Paquay also wrote and sold a very well-regarded booklet on constructing kitchen cabinets. I attempted (briefly) to locate any website for him or other source of this booklet not all that long ago and came up pretty much empty-handed. I did see some enquiry from someone who had ordered said booklet and not received a copy, but never any follow-up or resolution.
My unfortunate conclusion (which I hope is wrong) was that Mr. Paquay probably passed away. I don't have anything beyond circumstantial evidence to support this, though; it merely seemed like the most probable explanation.
(If anybody knows who holds the rights to this booklet, perhaps they could suggest to them that it be made available again. I'd think that a place like Lee Valley would jump at the opportunity.)
Andrew Erickson wrote: > My unfortunate conclusion (which I hope is wrong) was that Mr. Paquay
Unfortunately, I'm tending to think along those lines myself, or else he is infirm.
John has not participated here in a number of years, probably about four or five years back, IIRC.
The booklet is excellent, and runs along the same methods of an old English cabinet maker I worked for one summer many years ago, one of the reasons I took his method to heart. I do have a copy, and tried a few years ago to get another couple of copies for friends, but was unable to contact John.
For anyone wanting to try snail mail, his address in the book:
John E. Paquay
2564 Cambridge Rd. Lafayette, IN 47909-2424
If you do manage to get in touch with him, be sure and let us know.
You know, I always hate to see or hear of that. Not only because he was a good guy, but because he took the time to share his knowledge with others. Both of those traits seem to be in short supply these days.
And finishing? Well, try to find a "finisher". Someone that is conversant with many different method of application, sealers, top coats, and their applications... someone that is ready, willing and able to experiment.
Someone that doesn't simply parrot what they read on another site.
All but one of the finish applicators I know are happy with the stuff from the can these days and they don't go farther than the Borg(s). For me to get answers on certain application protocols, I have to go all the way back to the manufacturers to get what I want. Many times, the guys in "tech support" have no idea what their product will do, so that is a zero as well. It's the guys in the field that generally know the most about certain products. But those guys are pretty few and far between; no one wants to spend the time or money to learn good finishing techniques.
The last kitchen I did, I put a really nice Sherwin Williams product on the cabinets. NO ONE locally knew how to apply it, all they knew was that it was "damned difficult" to apply. They don't even stock the product here... I ran into a guy from SW that I knew that sent me a couple of gallons to try from his Austin store. Even the tech guys here didn't know how to use it.
How sad is that?
Worse, it's a great product! Not for the inexperienced, but not rocket science, either. The consider it their "commercial/professional line" and don't support it locally. What a load of crap. The guys from SW actually came out to my job to see what the product looked like after application and then asked me if I would spray some doors for them. Shouldn't they be the ones with samples, and not getting the samples from a finisher?
OK... starting to rant now... stop it...
I miss the guys like John, and sadly, his knowledge will probably pass into the great unknown once his books go away. Our loss. It is a rare bird that takes the time and effort to learn the processes and methods (as well as the correct products) to do really fine finishing work.
Very true, unfortunately. The second option available is to buy (and refer to frequently) one of the several finishing books out there.
formatting link
bought the Understanding Wood Finishing book and it's been very useful. The unfortunate part of using a book is that you can't ask it questions like you could do with a person.
You know, I always hate to see or hear of that. Not only because he was a good guy, but because he took the time to share his knowledge with others. Both of those traits seem to be in short supply these days.
And finishing? Well, try to find a "finisher". Someone that is
OK... starting to rant now... stop it...
I miss the guys like John, and sadly, his knowledge will probably pass into the great unknown once his books go away. Our loss. It is a rare bird that takes the time and effort to learn the processes and methods (as well as the correct products) to do really fine finishing work.
Robert
Well said, Robert. (both the rant and the sentiments)
========================================= The last kitchen I did, I put a really nice Sherwin Williams product on the cabinets. NO ONE locally knew how to apply it, all they knew was that it was "damned difficult" to apply. They don't even stock the product here... I ran into a guy from SW that I knew that sent me a couple of gallons to try from his Austin store. Even the tech guys here didn't know how to use it. =========================================
Have a "doesn't surprise me" to the above.
Had relatives who worked at S/W.
Had a next door neighbor who was a grain buyer for S/W.
S/W was an occasional customer.
The overall impression of of S/W is that they were cheap from the top down.
If they could save a dime today, forget about the $5.00 they could save over the next year by making a investing $0.20 today.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.