Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Finished To Perfection For Your Home
Wonder what converts joined pieces of wood into an exquisite piece of heirloom quality furniture? A lot goes into finishing a wooden furniture piece after it has been put into shape. The smooth finish with the bright shine is achieved after much effort and lots of procedures.
Here is how a wooden furniture piece is finished to perfection. Here is how the Amish Furniture gets its handcrafted heirloom quality.
Sanding:All unfinished furniture is sanded as smooth as possible before any finish is applied. This is the most important step and, to a great degree, determines just how perfect the finished project will be. Sanding is done with progressively finer grits of sandpaper, starting with medium or fine grades, and finishing with very fine. Rubbing is done with the grain to avoid scratches that may show through the finish. There are many different types of sandpaper available, but generally, open coat aluminum oxide paper is preferred for furniture, since it cuts faster and lasts longer. After sanding is completed, all dust is thoroughly removed. This is mostly done with a tack rag dipped into varnish that has been diluted with an equal amount of turpentine or mineral spirits and wrung until almost dry.
Bleaching:This procedure is necessary only if it is desired to lighten the wood's natural color, or to remove undesirable stains. Commercial wood bleach is used wearing rubber gloves and eye protection. The bleach is applied with a brush or sponge and allowed to dry overnight. Then it is sanded lightly with very fine sandpaper to remove raised grain. All dust is then wiped from the wood.
Staining:Stains are used to color the wood to emphasize its grain, to make one type of wood look like another, to create uniform color in a piece which is made up of more than one kind of wood, or to tint patched areas to match the rest of the piece. Most stains are used only over bare, smoothly sanded, clean, dry wood. Of the many types of stain available, the two most popular are penetrating resin stain and pigmented oil or wiping stains. Both these types of stains are available in a wide range of colors. Shades of the same type can be mixed to produce even more color variation. When an oil stain is used, a thin sealer coat is applied to the bare wood first. This gives a more uniform color effect.
Paste Wood Fillers:Open-pore woods, such as walnut, oak and mahogany, require the use of a paste filler if a super-smooth finish is desired. These fillers are available in neutral shades and different colors. The paste filler is brushed onto the clean and dust-free piece with a short, stiff-bristled brush. It is allowed to set until it loses its shine for about 20 to 30 minutes. The excess filler is removed with a rough-textured cloth and the piece is allowed to dry for at least 24 hours before proceeding further.
Finishing:There are many new, improved varnishes or clear coatings available for furniture finishing. Some are very pale for use on light colored furniture. Others offer resistance to foods and alcohol. Linseed oil finish is time-consuming to apply, but gives the wood a beautiful, mellow lustre. Although it is not highly water-resistant, this finish will withstand hot dishes. Also, it is less likely to show scratches than would a varnish finish. Often, this finish is applied directly to raw wood, but it tends to darken the wood in most cases. Every possible trace of dust is removed before applying the first coat of varnish with a good quality natural-bristle brush. The first coat of varnish is thinned with turpentine, mixing gently with a clean stick so that air bubbles are not formed. Successive coats are then applied as the varnish comes from the can. The varnish is allowed to dry completely for atleast 48 hours. Then it is lightly sanded with the finest grade of sandpaper or steel wool available.
Enameling:Enamel is also a good finish choice for inexpensive unpainted. Because enamels are available in a wide range of glosses — from elegant eggshell to the dramatic wet look — and in a rainbow of colors, almost any effect you want is possible. There are two types of enamel -- oil-based and latex (water-thinned). Usually, the oil-based type produces the best results on furniture. This type is available in both regular brush-on and spray formulas. Spray enamel is especially good for small projects and intricately patterned surfaces.
So after all these finishing procedures you get your Amish handcrafted furniture. All these and more efforts on the part of the artisans give you great looking furniture that lasts for generations.
Here is how a wooden furniture piece is finished to perfection. Here is how the Amish Furniture gets its handcrafted heirloom quality.
Sanding:All unfinished furniture is sanded as smooth as possible before any finish is applied. This is the most important step and, to a great degree, determines just how perfect the finished project will be. Sanding is done with progressively finer grits of sandpaper, starting with medium or fine grades, and finishing with very fine. Rubbing is done with the grain to avoid scratches that may show through the finish. There are many different types of sandpaper available, but generally, open coat aluminum oxide paper is preferred for furniture, since it cuts faster and lasts longer. After sanding is completed, all dust is thoroughly removed. This is mostly done with a tack rag dipped into varnish that has been diluted with an equal amount of turpentine or mineral spirits and wrung until almost dry.
Bleaching:This procedure is necessary only if it is desired to lighten the wood's natural color, or to remove undesirable stains. Commercial wood bleach is used wearing rubber gloves and eye protection. The bleach is applied with a brush or sponge and allowed to dry overnight. Then it is sanded lightly with very fine sandpaper to remove raised grain. All dust is then wiped from the wood.
Staining:Stains are used to color the wood to emphasize its grain, to make one type of wood look like another, to create uniform color in a piece which is made up of more than one kind of wood, or to tint patched areas to match the rest of the piece. Most stains are used only over bare, smoothly sanded, clean, dry wood. Of the many types of stain available, the two most popular are penetrating resin stain and pigmented oil or wiping stains. Both these types of stains are available in a wide range of colors. Shades of the same type can be mixed to produce even more color variation. When an oil stain is used, a thin sealer coat is applied to the bare wood first. This gives a more uniform color effect.
Paste Wood Fillers:Open-pore woods, such as walnut, oak and mahogany, require the use of a paste filler if a super-smooth finish is desired. These fillers are available in neutral shades and different colors. The paste filler is brushed onto the clean and dust-free piece with a short, stiff-bristled brush. It is allowed to set until it loses its shine for about 20 to 30 minutes. The excess filler is removed with a rough-textured cloth and the piece is allowed to dry for at least 24 hours before proceeding further.
Finishing:There are many new, improved varnishes or clear coatings available for furniture finishing. Some are very pale for use on light colored furniture. Others offer resistance to foods and alcohol. Linseed oil finish is time-consuming to apply, but gives the wood a beautiful, mellow lustre. Although it is not highly water-resistant, this finish will withstand hot dishes. Also, it is less likely to show scratches than would a varnish finish. Often, this finish is applied directly to raw wood, but it tends to darken the wood in most cases. Every possible trace of dust is removed before applying the first coat of varnish with a good quality natural-bristle brush. The first coat of varnish is thinned with turpentine, mixing gently with a clean stick so that air bubbles are not formed. Successive coats are then applied as the varnish comes from the can. The varnish is allowed to dry completely for atleast 48 hours. Then it is lightly sanded with the finest grade of sandpaper or steel wool available.
Enameling:Enamel is also a good finish choice for inexpensive unpainted. Because enamels are available in a wide range of glosses — from elegant eggshell to the dramatic wet look — and in a rainbow of colors, almost any effect you want is possible. There are two types of enamel -- oil-based and latex (water-thinned). Usually, the oil-based type produces the best results on furniture. This type is available in both regular brush-on and spray formulas. Spray enamel is especially good for small projects and intricately patterned surfaces.
So after all these finishing procedures you get your Amish handcrafted furniture. All these and more efforts on the part of the artisans give you great looking furniture that lasts for generations.
# posted by sunshinecity @ 10:18 PM 
