Woodworking is a passion for many people around the world. The feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment when they make an art piece just like they dreamed about, that feeling is addictable.
However without the talent to choose your wood finish for each project, you will never get the perfect look. Many factors control which finish will be the fastest, easily repaired and sustainable.
We like to categorize wood finishes as two main categories: Semi permeable finish and Non permeable finish.
Semi-permeable finish means a wood finish which doesn’t seal the wood completely, but rather partially block them deeply into the grain, allowing slow exchange of relative humidity. Boiled Linseed oil , Waxes, Danish oil are all considered semi-permeable. They provide faster penetrative finish, more durable and gets mature by time. When its a outdoor furniture Danish oil is the best option as it contains polyurethane that cures deep into the wood, providing water and scratch resistance.
Non-permeable finish means a wood finish film that coats the wooden piece isolating the wood from the relative humidity of the environment. Well, sounds like the perfect finish, however if this finish is chipped or a spot is missed, problems start to show up. NC varnish / Polyester varnish / Polyurethane varnish are all considered non-permeable finishes. Since all of these finishes need spray guns, they are efficient on large areas only like wooden doors. All of these finishes need special safety equipment as all of them are nasty harmful chemicals before they cure up. Once they are cured, they are safe for users.
Surface preparation is a key master for a good finish. If the wood surface is not silk smooth before applying any finish, you waste more wood finish, get dark blotchy finish and waste more time than a well prepared piece.
