How to Finish Your Wood Furniture at Home
Hi folks! Just wanted to say a quick hello and check that everyone is keeping safe and healthy. Like many businesses, we stopped all workshops and classes in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, but we’re back in the workshop and hosting new classes every month! If you’re looking for more opportunities to continue after your woodworking class we hope you’ll enjoy this article on how to finish your wood furniture at home! — Lluis
Challenging times can foster a lot of creativity. Which is why we thought it would be nice to still talk about what you can do with your woodworking projects, even from home!
You may be looking at items you’ve had at home for a while. Or maybe you’re looking at a lovingly crafted new piece of furniture from a Woodwork Academy class and thinking about getting it sanded, smoothed and looking great. Either way, you may want to customize it further to fit the style of your home. This is where ‘finishing’ your piece can really make a difference, so this article is dedicated to different options to finish your wood furniture or other woodworking projects at home!
The Most Important Question for Finishing Wood at Home
Would you prefer to enhance the existing natural colour of the wood? Or would you prefer to change the colour entirely in your? Below are some of the best finishes for wood furniture that you can do at home.
Keeping things natural.
If you, like me, are already happy with the natural colour of the wood and don’t want to change it completely, you can just go ahead and jump straight to applying a finish. There are three main finishes you can use.
Varnish
Varnishes create a very durable protection on wood, but leave a somewhat artificial look. Polyurethane in particular is a very protective resin. Varnishes in general prevent wood from ‘breathing’ and can protect pieces from changes in humidity. Stained varnishes are available and can be matte, semi-gloss or glossy.
Although varnishes do not penetrate wood, there is a varnish made from the segregation of the female lac bug that comes as dried flakes. When dissolved in alcohol, it creates a thin liquid shellac. This type of varnish is available pre-mixed and is often used in high-quality furniture and musical instruments. A quick note: It is very slow to apply!
Wax
The perfect, natural product for finishes – wax – is typically sourced from beeswax. Easy to apply, a wax finish for wood furniture can be painted directly onto the piece with a scraper. You’ll just need to remove excess and brush until it shines. Wax for finishing your wood can be used as paste or liquid – simply spread evenly and clean any excess with a clean, wool or cotton cloth before it dries.
Oils
There are several different types of oils for finishing wood. Most of them have a base of linseed oil and are mixed with other components to change characteristics, like being thin and runny in order to dry faster.
What I find is that oils tend to be versatile and are especially good for use in a dusty environment. They are also very forgiving (perfect for a workshop). If you have done a good job sanding and making sure that there are no scratches, you will likely be happy with the result.
Each oil finish has unique properties, and you may find that certain finishes are better for some projects than others. Be sure to follow the instructions for any and all finishing product you do end up choosing. Remember that once applied with a cloth, brush, or sponge, wait a little while, and then be sure to mop up any excess with a clean, dry cloth before the finish dries completely. An old t-shirt works well!
An important note! Oil can be highly flammable so you have to be careful in how you dispose of the cloth. After completing your oil finish, set out the cloth to dry completely and place in a metal can before you get rid of it.
Changing the colour of the wood with staining
When talking about changing the colour of your work, this doesn’t mean painting over the piece itself (which you can do of course. You can also still maintain the natural grain from the wood itself and simply enhance it by using a transparent stain. Here you can really let your creativity shine and use anything mixed with water such as rust, tea, coffee, wine, curcuma, red beet, essentially anything that will stain the wood.
You can also use natural earth colours mixed with water or alcohol (I prefer alcohol as it dries quicker and requires less sanding afterwards).
Step by Step Guide to Finishing Your Wood Furniture at Home
- Choose the kind of stain you would like to try.
- Collect some scrap of the same wood. You’ll want to test it first!
- First coat the piece you’re working on with water in order to get the fibres raised. Allow to dry.
- Sand with a high grain sand paper (first with 180, then brush clear and again with 220).
- Using a sponge or brush, coat the entire piece with your water-based stain. (Experiment with various dilutions to achieve the saturation you want)
- After applying your chosen stain, be sure to use a clean, dry cloth to dry the work so it doesn’t look patchy. The idea is to allow the wood to absorb what it needs, and to remove all excess.
- Once your piece has dried, if the wood feels coarse, you can lightly sand it again with 220 grain
Now that the wood has been stained and dried fully, you can apply a protective finish using oil, varnish or wax. You can also find all-in-one finishes that are oil-, wax- or varnish-based that are already stained.
The process for this follows the same basic structure: apply evenly with a sponge, roller or brush, being sure to remove any excess with a dry, clean cloth, than allow time for each coat to dry before lightly sanding if it does not feel smooth. Repeat if necessary.
I cannot recommend using wood varnish when staining wood, as it stays on the surface and does not penetrate the wood grain, which makes it harder to leave an even surface – be sure to use clear varnish instead and if you want to stain do it into two steps.
Those are our tips tips and tricks to finish your wood furniture or other woodworking piece at home!
Have any questions or comments about finishing wood furniture at home? And if you know of any tips and tricks, let’s get a discussion going in the comments.
