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by Paul Jordan (4/24/01)
This past weekend, close to 30 members of RWS had the privilege of attending a finishing workshop put on by Jeff Jewitt of Homestead Finishing Products in Cleveland, Ohio.
Jeff and his wife Susan drove in from Cleveland to share their process and product knowledge - and to offer a discount on finishing supplies with RWS (hint: the RWS discount runs until May 4th, so if you need any finishing supplies contact Jeff or Susan at 216-631-5309 or http://www.homesteadfinishing.com and mention you are a member of RWS). Jeff did this as a favor to the RWS organization and RWS remains grateful for his willingness to visit Rochester and share his knowledge.
Jeff started the day where one should start contemplating the finish – at final stock prep. We spent a fair amount of time discussing final stock prep, sanding techniques and supplies and how each effects the final finish. There were a surprisingly large number of questions from the audience, which was time well spent because as Jeff points out, the best finish job in the world won’t make up for poor final stock prep.
From there we went on to the differences between stains and dyes and how pigment size and solution affects the final look of the wood. Many specific materials, techniques and products were covered and demonstrated, with some of the most dramatic being the ability to effect final wood color by utilizing primary color dyes. If you had interest in one or two “finishing sequences” required to pull off a certain look, Jeff covered it here. Suffice it to say this was the busiest time for attendee pencils and notebooks!
Topcoats were next, and with Jeff’s natural fondness for shellac we spent a fair amount of time discussing the different shellac products. Attendees were able to get some “hands on” time in, using boiled linseed oil and shellac on their own test pieces during this part of the workshop.
After a quick but hearty lunch from Tom Wahls, Jeff started in on spray finishing.
All the current methods and spray equipment were covered in detail during the afternoon session. Jeff had examples of each style of product and disassembled each piece of equipment to show how each product functioned. After the equipment review, which included critical information on cleaning and maintenance, he went on to “sprayable” finishes, including dyes, toning your work and of course, topcoats. Types of products, as well as the differences, benefits and drawbacks between waterborne and lacquer-based finishes were discussed along the way. After Jeff performed spraying for the audience, attendees who had not tried spraying before were able to “belly up to the bar” and give it a shot.
All in all it was a fast-paced but informative day. Many positive comments were a result, and all attendees walked away with more information than they walked in with and discovered just how easy and successful spray finishing can be. Many thanks to Jeff and Susan for making the effort to help RWS members learn more about our craft.
See page 1 of the photos
See page 2 of the photos
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