{"id":9891,"date":"2017-12-01T12:28:52","date_gmt":"2017-12-01T19:28:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/?p=9891"},"modified":"2019-05-22T16:36:20","modified_gmt":"2019-05-22T23:36:20","slug":"7-fabulous-wood-finishing-tips-for-procrastinators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/woodworking-101\/tips-tricks\/7-fabulous-wood-finishing-tips-for-procrastinators\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Fabulous Wood Finishing Tips . . . For Procrastinators"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"video-container\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HA8NajJKGFk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen> frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Okay folks, we&#8217;ve been around long enough to know that you&#8217;re going to be building your holiday gifts right up to the night when all through the house not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And that probably means you&#8217;re gonna throw on a couple coats of finish a matter of hours before dawn. So, look,&nbsp;I know&nbsp;<em>all about&nbsp;<\/em>procrastination, I was an English major, I&#8217;m here to help!<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a little guidance on how to pick a wood finish when you&#8217;re running short on time:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Spray &amp; Wipe-on Finishes Are Fast &amp; Good Looking<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_9905\" style=\"width: 411px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/sapele-teaser-for-GIF-2.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9905\" class=\"wp-image-9905\" src=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/sapele-teaser-for-GIF-2.gif\" alt=\"applying oil finish to sapele\" width=\"401\" height=\"267\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9905\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A wiping varnish applies fast, and makes dark woods look beautiful.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Rattle cans of <strong>lacquer<\/strong> or <strong>waterborne acrylic<\/strong> apply and dry so quickly that, if you&#8217;re in a pinch, this is my first recommendation when a yuletide deadline draws near.<\/p>\n<p>You only need about 30 minutes between coats, and they can be scuffed baby-bottom smooth within moments.<\/p>\n<p>On the downside, they&#8217;re not very tough finishes. Down the road repairs and refreshing may be needed but are easy to do.<\/p>\n<p>Second in line is a <strong>wipe-on varnish<\/strong> like Danish oil or another oil-varnish blend. That&#8217;s because the wipe-on, wipe-off application is nearly fool proof to get right and they look good with very, very little effort.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>These types of finishes need about 6 hours to dry between coats, but for some decorative projects one coat will do the job just fine. BONUS: these finishes will make dark woods punchy with contrast and depth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>2. Avoid Brush-On Polyurethane<\/h3>\n<p>Brushing requires patient technique that you just don&#8217;t need with wiping finishes or spray finishes. Basically there are better choices when you need to finish fast.<\/p>\n<p>The closer you are to the deadline, the riskier brushing is. Most types need at least 6 hours between coats. And, considering other options, it takes a fair amount of work to fix streaks and brush marks after it dries.<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s not an advantage with brush on finishes when it comes to saving time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>3. Gel Polyurethane Has Some Upsides<\/h3>\n<p>If you want the toughness of polyurethane, get a <em>gel<\/em> poly. While its application is a simple wipe-on and wipe-off, it takes a little more attention than other wiping finishes to avoid streaks and drags.&nbsp; The good news is gel poly needs only about 4 hours to dry between coats. But keep your greasy paws off of it until it does, or you&#8217;ll fossilize a fingerprint.<\/p>\n<p>Once this finish dries, do a light scuffing* with a synthetic finishing pad or fine grit sand paper &#8212; and&nbsp; if you&#8217;ve got a little more time, do a second coat and scuffing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>4. Shellac Dries Even Faster<\/h3>\n<p>It&#8217;s not only fast, but it&#8217;s also one of the safest ones to work with.<\/p>\n<p>Shellac is so simple, you can apply it with a cotton pad, a brush, or with a sprayer. Give it a couple coats within an hour or two, and a couple hours later you&#8217;ll be able to scuff and polish with a paste wax to give it a gorgeous, classic look.<\/p>\n<p>Arguably shellac is not the best choice for a something that needs serious protection like a table top. But it is a good choice when you&#8217;re under the gun!<\/p>\n<h3>5. Forget High Gloss<\/h3>\n<p>The secret ingredient to achieving a mirror-like glossy finish isn&#8217;t in the product, but in your patience. Expect to spend at least a week building up coats and sanding between each one in order to build a good glossy finish.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s because a good gloss needs a lot coats, a lot of elbow grease, and a lot of time to work it in to submission.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you don&#8217;t have the time for that, consider a different finish. It just takes too long to do it really well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>6. Matte, Satin or Semi-Gloss Sheen?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, any will do, and will be much easier to do with less time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>7.&nbsp;If it was my project . . .<\/h3>\n<p>If I&#8217;m in a hurry, I&#8217;d go for<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>one coat, maybe three if possible, of any wiping oil-varnish finishes (Arm-r-Seal by General Finishes, Tung Oil Varnish by Old Masters, Watco Danish Oil, etc).<\/p>\n<p>I would get a coat on at least 3 days before the big day, too. One coat gives you an elegant&nbsp;flat sheen &#8220;in-the-wood&#8221; look, but also makes most medium and dark woods look gorgeous. Just needs a light scuffing with a synthetic finishing pad after it&#8217;s dry &#8211; and if you prep sanded the project really well, it&#8217;ll come out great.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a low-risk finish, meaning it&#8217;ll make the wood look beautiful. And you don&#8217;t have to worry about brush marks, or working out drips, runs or other flaws that aerosol lacquer or padded shellac might bring.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/easy-simple-finishes.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive alignnone wp-image-9918 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/easy-simple-finishes.jpg\" alt=\"easy simple finishes for woodworking projects\" width=\"1500\" height=\"312\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/easy-simple-finishes.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/easy-simple-finishes-150x31.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/easy-simple-finishes-400x83.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/easy-simple-finishes-768x160.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/easy-simple-finishes-800x166.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9908\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/scuff-sanding-finish.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9908\" class=\"wp-image-9908 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/scuff-sanding-finish.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9908\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Between coats of finish, use steel wool, fine grit sand paper, or a synthetic finishing pad to knock down flaws in your wood finish &#8211; and to make it baby-bottom smooth<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><em>*What is scuffing?<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>That&#8217;s the act of lightly sanding a finish after it&#8217;s dry. It&#8217;s best to do this between each coat of finish, regardless of the type &#8211; even if the can assures you with, &#8220;No sanding between coats!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Sure, you <em>can live without<\/em> scuffing between coats, but you get a better looking (and feeling) finish if you do.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The point is to knock down dust nibs, streaks, or runs that happened during the application.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To scuff, you can use:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>steel wool, or<\/li>\n<li>fine grit wet\/dry sand paper (400 grit or higher), or<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/sanding-paper\/mirka-abrasive-sanding-sponge-2-sided-soft-foam-choose-your-grit.html\">fine grit sanding sponges<\/a>, or<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/search.html?Search=synthetic\">synthetic finishing pads<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/finishing-pad-gray-3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-9916 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/finishing-pad-gray-3-400x267.jpg\" alt=\"gray synthetic steel wood finishing pad\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/finishing-pad-gray-3-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/finishing-pad-gray-3-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/finishing-pad-gray-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/finishing-pad-gray-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/finishing-pad-gray-3.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>frameborder=&#8221;0&#8243; allow=&#8221;accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture&#8221; allowfullscreen> Okay folks, we&#8217;ve been around long enough to know that you&#8217;re going to be building your holiday gifts right up to the night when all through the house not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse.&nbsp; And that probably means you&#8217;re gonna throw on a couple coats <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/woodworking-101\/tips-tricks\/7-fabulous-wood-finishing-tips-for-procrastinators\/\">&#8230;<br \/><small><em><strong>Read More<\/strong><\/em> <i class=\"fa fa-arrow-circle-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/small><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9902,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[137,5,181,84,83],"tags":[61,67,114,110,73,112,109],"class_list":["post-9891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ask-us","category-tips-tricks","category-videos","category-wood-finishing","category-woodworking-101","tag-finishing","tag-help","tag-polishing-wood","tag-spraying-lacquer","tag-tips","tag-tung-oil","tag-woodworking-basics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9891"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11913,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9891\/revisions\/11913"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woodworkerssource.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}