Hello again and welcome to Eric Johnson’s Furniture web log, makers of 17th and 18th century tiger maple and cherry antique reproduction furniture.
This is part 2 of furniture finishing. Originally I took pictures of each stage of the finishing process with the thought of writing a description under each photo and step. When I looked over the pictures I saw that they pretty much all looked the same. So what I decided to do is to describe what goes into my finish and add just a few pics for fun.
Many times I hand plane and hand scrape a piece of furniture, but the last step before the actual finish is sanding. If the wood isn't scratch free and perfect then the finish will just accentuate the blemishes. I sand the wood to 150 grit then wet the whole thing down with water. This will raise the grain. When dry I lightly sand off the "fuzzies". I do this for a couple of reasons. I once finished a butcher block with walnut oil if I remember correctly forgetting to raise the grain. I delivered it to the customer and I got a call from them the next day saying that the wood was really rough. I guess they just wiped the wood with water after using it and the grain just popped up. I had to take the piece back and sand down the wood and refinish it. Easy enough but not good for my pride. I also raise the grain because when dry scratches that I missed show up extremely well, making it easy to sand off.
After wet sanding I apply the dye. I use water base aniline dye that I normally apply with a spray gun. You will notice that I am applying by hand here because the piece is small and I didn't want to set up the spray gun for a 3 minute job.
When applying by hand you have to work quick because the dye dries fairly quickly and you can end up having lap marks and different shades. When the dye is wet, the piece looks really great however when it dries it looses its shine. The first time I used dye I thought I really made a mistake because it was so drab and dead looking. However once you apply the next finish it looks like it did when wet.
Next step is oil. I started using oil a couple of years ago and found that it adds a deeper glow then anything I have tried. I use just your regular boiled linseed oil from the hardware store cut with a bit of mineral spirits. I look for a consistency maybe a little thicker then water. I flood the wood with the oil, letting it take as much as it wants. I then let it dry for 20 minutes or so then I wipe it down with a dry cloth. (A word of caution. Always discard the oily rags properly because if you just throw them in the trash there is a good likely hood that is will catch on fire through spontaneous combustion. Some people lay the rags out flat and let them dry and then discard them, others soak them in water. I figure if it wants to catch on fire, then I will go a head and light it off in my fireplace. This eliminates any worries for me). I have a finishing room that I crank up the heat to about 80 degrees and let the piece dry for a good 24 hours, the longer the better. I then lightly sand the piece down with 400 grit wet and dry sandpaper.
My final finish is lacquer, but I can't apply lacquer over oil because if I do I will get pin holes in the final finish. The two don't go together, a sealer coat needs to be applied. I use Zinnsler 2 pound cut shellac. Don't use 3 pound because it has wax and that doesn't work under lacquer either, but 2 pound does beautifully. I usually spray two or three coats. I want to make sure this is thick enough so that I can level it with sandpaper. 
In the picture I am using a brush to apply the shellach instead of the spray gun. Again, I was to lazy to set up the spay gun for such a small project.
Once dry I sand the shellac again with 400 grit wet and dry sandpaper. I use either mineral spirit or soapy water as a lubricant. This keeps the sandpaper from clogging with finish and I believe it cuts faster also. I sand till it is nice and smooth and mostly level, meaning that it is uniformly dull with little shinny spots. I then put it back in the spray room and spray 3 more coats of lacquer. It is a good idea to leave the piece to dry for a week before rubbing it out. Rubbing out has a few step to it also. First I again start with 400 grit sandpaper using mineral spirits or soapy water. I again sand till it has a uniformly dull sheen. I then go at it with #000 steel wool until it is again uniform. Then #0000 steel wool with wax. All steel wool is rubbed with the grain and when the wax is dry I use a dry cloth to buff it out. You are now done. Sit back and enjoy the glow of the finish. These steps won't get you a high gloss finish but one that is a step or two from there. The gloss is low enough to not show every flaw in the wood or the finish or on the finish such as a scratch or a water mark. But gives the piece a nice glow and a very protective finish.
This is the method I use on virtually all my furniture. It is very labor intensive and I have tried other methods looking for a simpler, faster and easier way. I keep coming back to this because it gives me the look I want and because people always comment on the silky feel and beautifully glow of the piece.
I hope this has been an informative article and maybe even answers some questions. Again, I always look forward to your comments and questions. Thanks for stopping by.
Eric Johnson
