Paragraph 53. We have just learned that paint is used principally on outside work or on things that are to be exposed to moisture and weather conditions. For cabinet work, all lines of furniture and inside work, other styles of finishing are used. Since paint covers the surface of the wood entirely, the natural beauty of the grain of the wood is lost, and for that reason paint is not used in furniture work. Other styles of finishing are used which will preserve and at the same time bring out the natural beauty of the wood.

It requires even more skill to produce a fine finish than it does to do painting. Many men spend their entire time and thought in wood finishing, so you must not expect to do beautiful work in a careless, thoughtless manner. If, however, you will give the matter your very best attention and be careful in every step, you will soon be able to produce some very beautiful finishes. In producing any sort of finish it is very necessary that you should consider the nature of wood. All wood is porous; that is to say, the surface presents a great many tiny pores, mouths or openings, which are ready to drink up anything which touches it. You have no doubt noticed when a little water, grease or ink is spilled on a bare board that the moisture is quickly absorbed and the board is stained. This is because the liquid enters the pores of the wood and carries whatever coloring matter it may contain into the surface of the wood. Men have taken advantage of this principle in all kinds of wood finishing, and you must thoroughly understand this in order to be able to produce a satisfactory finish. Before taking up the detail of the preparation of the finish, we must think about the condition of the wood before any of the finishing material is applied. Some people have the idea that the finish will cover up tool marks, rough places and other imperfections in the wood. This is not at all true, for any derect in the work will quite likely show more distinctly after the finish is put on than before, so it is absolutely necessary that the surface of the wood should be made as perfect as possible before any of the finishing material is added. To do this, broad surfaces should be carefully smoothed with a scraper, as explained in Chapter II, Paragraph 16. The surface should then be carefully sandpapered with a very fine sandpaper, perhaps 00, as explained in Chapter II, Paragraph 17. If there are any holes where nails have been set, or any other openings which must be covered, they should be filled with putty made the desirable color so as not to show. They can sometimes be filled with glue mixed with some of the wood dust which comes from the sandpapering. The matter of patching defects in the wood is quite a problem; it requires skill and practice to do it perfectly.