Getting a good finish on a piece of furniture can seem daunting, thanks to a wealth of products and conflicting advice. While many have mastered the machines and methods of woodworking, they often approach the finish fearing they will either ruin their projects, or end up settling for something short of what they envision.

However, finishing is just like woodworking in that it merely requires a bit of learning to familiarize yourself with the tools and techniques of the craft. You had to learn about woodworking tools and methods; now its time to learn about the finishing side.  

In this series of weekend classes that combine demonstrations with hands on experience, author and noted finishing expert Michael Dresdner will teach you the techniques and guide you through the maze of options to create great looking finishes.

Come prepared with questions and feel free to bring samples of wood or pieces you want to experiment with, along with an apron or old clothes; after all, finishing can be messy work. You’ll leave with some samples, a lot of information, and a new found confidence that will let you approach finishing with pleasure instead of fear.

Fearless Finishing

Creating the right finish often strikes fear in the heart of even the most skilled woodworker – but it doesn’t have to. Michael Dresdner presents a no-nonsense course that will help you choose the right finish for each job, and learn to apply it successfully.  

Starting with simple, foolproof materials and methods that require little or no equipment, we’ll learn how to choose a finish, what’s actually in the can, and how to make it behave on your project. From there, we will move on to more complex tools, materials and techniques in order to give you a grounded base of knowledge about a wide variety of finishing skills, and a comfortable familiarity with an equally wide range of finishes.

Along the way you will learn how to work safely, choose good finishing tools and perhaps most importantly, make finishes do what you want them to do.

See this blog entry to get a sense of the class.

Class size:    16 
Cost:             $240

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Staining and Coloring Workshop

Coloring wood, whether for artistic expression or to match existing finishes, is one of the more troublesome aspects of finishing. Too often we end up with the wrong color, the wrong look, or an uneven blotchy mess.

In this class, Michael Dresdner will teach you what the various coloring materials are, when to use each one, and how to make them act the way you want. You’ll learn how to stain all sorts of woods without blotching or other problems, what to buy, and even how to modify and mix custom color stains to create exactly the look and colors you seek.

We’ll cover various types of dyes, pigments, chemical stains and the wide range of commercially available stains. You’ll learn to master techniques like glazing, dry brushing, layering and toning, and the tools that go with these techniques. Along the way we will look in on some of the newest materials, like foam stains and gel stains, and some of the oldest as well. There will also be a segment about color theory that will teach you how to match the colors you want no matter what materials you choose.

Class size:   12 
Cost:            $240

Touchup, Restoration and Refinishing

It’s all well and good to know how to finish raw wood, but that’s only part of what finishing entails. In this course, an adjunct to the Furniture Rescue course, Michael Dresdner will teach you how to repair finishes as well.

We’ll learn how to touch up minor damages, fill dings and dents, remove scratches and restore the sheen of an existing finish, whether new or old. Also covered will be restoration techniques, information about when to restore and when to refinish, where to get the specialized materials of the restorer, and of course, how to use them.

The refinishing segment will cover the steps of complete refinishing, including materials, tools and guidelines about what problems to anticipate and how to correct them when they show up. Feel free to bring one or more pieces to work on in class.

Class size:    12 
Cost:             $240