Creating the Perfect Wood Finish with Joe L Erario

by Joe L'erario

Finishing Secrets From One of "The Furniture Guys" Joe L'Erario , (you'll remember him and his partner Ed Feldman as the Furniture Guys), has some astonishing ideas about finishing: It doesn't have to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1558707441
• ISBN13: 9781558707443
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Popular Woodworking Books
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.5" x 11.3"

Customer Reviews

average finish book

i gave it 4 stars to be nice. its your average informative type book large type alot pictures in most cases basic info. you can fiy though this book in 2-3 hours its a nice easy read. has a few tips and tech. you dont see else where. but i gave it 4 stars for 1 reason. there are 4-5 pages on how to strip old finish. that were worth the purchase price alone. if you are stripping any type of a project larger than a cigar book those few tips will help alot. yes ive stripped and done many misc. projects. but the author gives you a specific order of how what and why. yes stripping is still amajor pain, no quick easy fast way. but even worse is spending 20 hours $200.00 and still not having a clean piece of wood. i was stripping 2 fireplace mantels right when the book arrived. they are the same in 2 diff. rooms. same size same wood. first one took 35 hours second one i did after i read the book took 20 hours. note there was alot of detail and 8 or more layers of every paint and wood finish known to man. plus the second one turned out better the bare wood looks so good i am using a clear finish only. those 5 pages plus about 6 good finish types or tips made the book 4 star.

Fantastic Finishing Book

When I saw that Joe L'Erario had written a book on finishing, I had to pick it up. I had stumbled across the Men in Toolbelts show many years ago and thought it was the funniest home improvement show I had ever seen (oddly, funnier than the comedy show). He and Ed Feldman knew what they were doing and knew how to explain it in a fun way. And his book didn't fail to impress. The day I received it, I sat down and read it cover to cover. The first section is a comprehensive volume on removing and repairing existing finishes. I had expected this to be a book on finishing woodworking projects, so that was a pleasant surprise. The second section includes several techniques for finishing, including some I had never considered before, such as using lye to age cherry. He also includes a diatribe on hand-rubbed finishing which is the most comprehensive explanation of a finish I've ever seen. The final section goes through 2 projects, a refinishing project and a finishing project. These are mostly application of knowledge, but do show the techniques in action.

how it's really done

This is the book to get. I used to watch Joe on the PBS series, and let me tell you that the "spit coat of shellac" is the trade secret that makes all the difference. This book is truley instrunctional and fun to read.

Most informative and comprehensive

This is the first book I've purchased on finishing. I found it to be extremely informative and well written. I have watched the author previously on TV as one of the "Furniture Guys". He injects just enough humor to not detract from the subject, and he puts a lot of emphasis on safety which can be critical with not only finishing but all woodworking.