Understanding Custom Woodworking: Finishing Custom Furniture

Finishing Custom Furniture Starts at the Very Beginning

Rick’s Custom Cabinet

There are many things to consider when designing custom furniture.  However, the bottom line is how it looks when it’s in your home.  Will it be a unique, stand-alone piece? Does it match existing furniture and the overall decor of the room?  The final look needs to be decided before the first piece of wood is cut. Thus, creating a piece of custom furniture takes vision, imagination, and communication with the client.

To begin your custom woodworking project, start by choosing the proper wood type:

• Red and White Oak have straight, porous, wide grain patterns.  If you like to see a lot of wood grain, this is a good choice!
• Maple has a distinctive grain pattern but is not porous like Oak.  Natural maple makes beautiful custom kitchen cabinets.
• Cherry has a fine grain pattern and smooth texture.  It’s natural color is ideal for custom office furniture and custom entertainment centers and shelving units.
• Poplar has a wide grain pattern and smooth texture that is suitable for staining or painting; and thus, is great for a variety of custom woodworking jobs.
• There are many other choices, but the type of wood mentioned above are the most popular for custom cabinetry and furniture.

Next step in your custom woodworking project is to choose the right finish:

• A clear finish allows the natural color and beauty of the wood to show through.
• Stain applied to bare wood penetrates the wood while allowing the wood grain to show through.  Because wood does not have the same porosity throughout, the color can be inconsistent. A pre-stain conditioner can be use to minimize the unevenness.
• Glazing is a very useful technique when attempting to match existing furniture or to bring out a special effect that stain alone can’t provide.
  • The first step is to seal the wood with a clear finish or shellac.
  • Then one or more applications of stain is applied to the sealed surfaced and manipulated to get the desired color, texture, or effect.
  • Glazing is very time consuming process and may take some trial and error to get the right look.
  • When you are satisfied withe the results, apply a clear finish to your custom cabinetry or furniture piece.

A little more time planning at the beginning of your custom woodworking project will result in a great looking piece of furniture in your home.

If you would like to have Chmura Custom Woodworks provide you with an in depth consultation and estimate, contact us anytime!

Rick and Bryan Chmura
Chmura Custom Woodworks
Independence, Ohio
216-533-3760
Serving the Cleveland Suburban Are and Northern Ohio for a Decade!
Rick@ChmuraCustomWoodworks.com

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