Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-2, страница 76

Finishing Hotline

Using the Right Stuff

By Michael Dresdner

ABOUT MICHAEL DRESDNER

Michael Dresdner is a

Contact us by writing to "Finishing Hotline," Woodworker's Journal, 4365 Willow Drive, Medina, MN 55340, by faxing us at (763) 478-8396 or by emailing us at: finishing@woodwork8tsjournal.com Please include your home address, phone number and email address (if you have one) with your question.

i^l I've been building high

quality jewelry boxes out of exotic woods and finishing them with aerosol lacquer from a can. I'm considering moving up to a spray gun for topcoating larger furniture. While having some car repair work clone, I noticed them using an airbrush with amazing results. Do you know of airbrushes that would work for spraying lacquer on wood furniture? Space is an issue, which is why I like the airbrush idea, if it works.

James Harding Mission Viejo, California

Michael Responds: Airbrushes will certainly spray lacquer. All you need to do is thin the lacquer enough for the particular air brush you choose. However, a true air brush applies finish slowly and in a very small pattern, usually smaller than an inch across.

I think a better choice would be what is called a touchup gun. These typically generate fan widths from four to six inches, just

spraying boxes and fast enough to leave your aerosol cans in the dust. They create very little overspray when adjusted correctly, and they have such a low air-volume draw that even the smallest shop compressor will have no trouble feeding them the required amount of compressed air.

i While I was remodeling my kitchen, someone placed a hot plate on a cherry coffee table and it left an ugly white mark. I recently purchased a wood refinisher, and, to my amazement, it removed the mark with minimal effort. It also worked on an old bed. I'm wondering if I should also try it on an old, alligatored bedroom set that I suspect is a shellac finish.

My game plan is to use mineral sprits to soften and remove the shellac, wash with TSP and then use the refinisher. Is this the proper approach?

Joe Murpliy Oceanside, New York

Michael Responds: Mineral spirits is great for cleaning

finishes of all sorts, but it will not remove any finish, including shellac. Trisodium phosphate is also an excellent product to use on a finish you want to clean but not remove.

Most things labeled refinisher are, in fact, specialized paint removers designed to strip primarily lacquer and shellac finishes. They're not generally used as water ring removers or finish rejuvenators because they actually remove the finish, which is not really your goal in this case.

Unless you've gotten one that is called refinisher but is actually something very different, you may be gleefully taking the finishes off your pieces. If that's what you want, great, but it strikes me as a rather draconian solution to a simple cleaning or rejuvenating problem.

f I made two sewing cabinets using ash lumber from my own property and ash plywood. The plywood is much lighter than the hardwood. How do I finish them so the color is uniform? Do I need to use two shades of stain?

Bill Deppen St Paris, Ohio

The touchup gun (left) sprays a broader fan width than the airbrush (right). It's the better choice for finishing small projects.

nationally known finishing expert and the author of The New Wood Finishing Book from Taunton Press. When not writing about woodworking, he is an active community theater participant.