MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Diane Shattuck Instructor Diane has been finishing for over 38 years. Growing up in Detroit, she operated woodworking business as well as having a custom finishing shop where she did restoration work in many historical buildings Read More

Learn To Finish Furniture

This weekend finishing class provides a hands-on experience on finishing techniques and tools. Come learn why you finish, how to choose the right finish and explore all the different types of coatings available that will give your piece a professional grade finish.

By the end of the class, you will know how to color with dyes and pigments, how to apply varnish, shellac, and oil finishes as well as spray finishes while demystifying the many color and finishing products. You will also learn how to select the proper abrasives and sanders. The art of finishing is as simple as learning to cook. Once you learn the basics tools available to work with and how each element can shift the results you will marvel in the endless possibilities.  Repeating the successes are simply following the same steps of your step by step panel.

The class is a combination of lecture, demo and hands on.  All of the hands on will done on practice panels provided by the School, so that you will be able to have take home reference tools.

In this hands on class you will learn about:

• the importance of design,
• wood preparation
• creating step by step panels
• color, how to choose which stain or dye along
• what finish is best suited for the project
• how to apply three go to finishes (oil & wax, shellac, polyurethane)
• tricks, tips and troubleshooting methods

Tools Needed: Plan on bringing with you a face respirator with organic vapours filters

Materials & Books Needed: Understanding Wood Finishing by Bob Flexnor

Syllabus: Finishing Syllabus