As all of the areas have their tiny or bigger “secrets” , so in wood finishing we have some “secrets” and techniques we should never do , because they have proven wrong during time .

The knowledge never stops and no matter how experienced you’re or how professional you’re , you never stop learning .

So let me start a helpful list with some of the things you should avoid to do , or don’t do in the wood finishing area .

1) Never Neglect your safety measures , you’ll Regret it in the future .

I’ve seen noses cut from serious surgeries , because of the contantly wood dust breathing .

I’ve seen old woodworkers faces with extremely serious health problems , because they’ve neglected their face mask , or to do the small and minor things that “will take only few minutes” .

Never neglect your safety measures and don’t let the most dangerous factor , destroy your health .

What is this factor ? The bad habits , from routine .

2) Try to avoid to sand , Wet wood .

The sanding of wet wood is easier than to sand dry wood , but this isn’t correct for your woodworking project .

After the drying of the wood , you’ll face deformities and shrinkings .

3) The Manual sanding provides top Precision in difficult designs , than power sanders .

Your power sanders , your orbital sanders and whatever , are very nice sanding helpers , but in difficult woodworking designs and spots , the sanding by hands , are the most efficient .

You hands moves can reach and “follow the design” even to the toughest and most difficult areas , when the other carpentry equipment cannot .

4) Never make a Last wood finishing with a new material , you don’t know .

If you have a new material for your last coating and you don’t know its features , don’t use it immediatelly to your wood plan , before you try it to a small area or a piece of the same wood .

We make experiments to stuff we don’t know and then we act with them .

5) Above a Crust type of finish , we don’t add anything more usually .

Above the crust – shield of our last finish – coat there is no meaning to add something extra .

It cannot penetrate inside and if it’s not for beautiness reasons or something like that , you should not put anything above it .

What’s the meaning to put something extra on a lacquer finish ?

Ok , if you like you can paint your lacquer for your personal apetite , but it’s kind of no meaning .

I’ll constantly update this list with things i learn and things that i experiment , in order to give you info .

Keep woodworking and stay safe , maximizing your happiness .