Understanding Wood Finishing

Bob Flexner

Reviewed by:

Charles L. Driggs

This is one of several readily available modern books on wood finishes, and it is a good one. This one was written just as water-borne finishes were becoming available, so it does include some information on those as well as on shellac, oils, varnishes, and a variety of other types. A fair amount of effort was put into providing not only a description of how to apply a finish, but also what to consider in choosing one as well as the pitfalls in using it. A section on finish repair is also helpful. I personally have tended to use this in conjunction with Jeff Jewitt's (see elsewhere) and Michael Dresdner's (see elsewhere) books, as each of the three has a different emphasis and at least one is going to address some point I was exploring. This book tends to place emphasis on "modern" finishes and even spray application, but Flexner does provide considerable information on hand applied finishes that have been topics of discussion on the OldTools Porch.