Charles Neil Finishing class

[Minnesota Steve]

In case nobody else saw this... Charles Neil has been posting his entire class on finishing over the last several days.   There's 71 videos so far.    

A ton of information on spraying, wiping, brushing, sealing, sanding, filling, you name it...

 

[Coop]

Steve, sounds like Charles put a lot of time and effort into this. I’m going to check him out for a month. Thanks for posting. 

[Minnesota Steve]

49 minutes ago, K Cooper said:

Steve, sounds like Charles put a lot of time and effort into this. I’m going to check him out for a month. Thanks for posting. 

Yeah I don't know the full story, this used to only be available through his online website.   There's a mention on his facebook page that they posted this content.   Maybe it's a little marketing to try to draw people over to his website?

I just subscribe to his channel and saw this. He doesn't post regularly, but when he does it's great knowledge being shared.

 

[bglenden]

Charles Neil is a finishing master. His presentation style is a bit meandering (I used to be a member of his paid site), but his information is second to none.

[WBG]

Does anyone have any idea if there is somewhere else to get his Blotch Control beside his website? He only has USPS shipping and I can't justify paying $20 for the product and another $20 for shipping. Would really love to try out his product. As I am sure I am not alone in experiencing poor results staining projects. I have been using dyes almost exclusively, but the results still are not guaranteed to be consistent. I have been using alder for hope chests for my granddaughters and really like working with it until it comes to finishing! Would appreciate any ideas you might have on the subject.

[Chestnut]

Us a wood that doesn't blotch, save youself the money and stop staining all together, or spray your dyes / tinted finishes with an hvlp.

[Mark J]

Sorry, I don't know where to get Blotch Control.  You might try a gel stain like the Bartley product line.  This is a gel polyurethane varnish with pigments.

 

The Bartley products are alkyd resin, not poly urethane.

Edited August 11, 2019 by Mark J
Correction

[WBG]

Thanks Chestnut and Mark J! Unfortunately sometimes you just need to use a species that you'd rather not and provide a color i stead of clear. In a perfect world!

I may have to give the gels a try. Not really set up for spraying either, but maybe it's time.

[Chestnut]

Yeah i get that. If you want to stain use a species that accepts stain well. When you change the color it doesn't matter what the wood is. People don't understand diffuse porous, vs ring porous, vs semi diffuse porous woods.

I've not found gel stains to work. The best way to tint is to spray, or use a wood that doesn't blotch.

The blotch control methods just seal the surface which block the absorption of dye into the wood. If you do that then you need to use a dye that will sit on top of the sealed wood surface and uneven application because a problem. I've tried a few of the wood conditioner products as well as dewaxed shellac and tinted shellac. The only real way to get pro results is to spray, or deal with blotch or don't stain. It really is 3 options. Any other option would be very well known documented and readily available. You don't think Minwax or Rustolium wouldn't offer Charles Neils millions to make his product available in every home center across the country?

[Byrdie]

I've always thought blotch was just part of the character of what you were working with.  Try to make everything even just flattens it for me.

[drzaius]

I've probably only tried gel stains a dozen times, but have never found the result to be anything close to acceptable. At best they just seem to make the surface look like it's been covered in watered down paint.

[wtnhighlander]

I'd suggest a multiple pronged attack. Sand the surface to a higher grit, 400 or even 600. This helps 'burnish' the end grain pores of the blotchy areas, allowing them to absorb less color. Use a seal coat, thin shellac or the like. Sand again AFTER sealing, at least the highest grit. Most stains will appear much smoother after this, but may require more applications or longer soak time to achieve the shade you want. Consider a tinted shellac to darken or color-shift before applying a clear top coat.

Many say to flood the surface with stain, wait a few minutes, them wipe away the excess. I prefer to use a folded rag and work the stain into the surface, 'wax on, wax off' style. Seems to be less waste, and I see the results immediately.

[chapeleastland]

The older I get the less I'm inclined to go for stains and dyes on just about anything. I've never been a fan of high gloss top coats as it's as artificial as an aluminum Christmas tree.

For the past 30 years, I use shellac- nowadays it's flake shellac with garnet, ruby, amber or blond undertones always in a one pound cut. It's easy to apply several coats at one time as it drys so fast. An hour later I can lightly sand with 320 paper, and apply another round.

The shellac seals well, allows the natural wood to show, and then is an excellent undercoat for varnish or oil.

My work is inviting to touch and doesn't have the appearance of a cheap motel nightstand sprayed with a gloss finish.

The way so many things are finished today, it might as well be pasteboard because the wood has become secondary to the shiny, but fake finish.

I know some people like that look, and more power to them, but it's not my cup of tea as I find it very sterile.

That said, Charles Neil is an excellent craftsman and a good teacher though I wish I could condense him down to the essentials in his presentations as a thirty-minute video has at most about ten minutes of meat.