Dear James: I recently bought an older house. It has beautiful cherry woodwork that needs to be refinished. I have heard about a French-polish finish. Is this a good finish to use and how do I do it? ...

For shellac finish users, good news: Shellac flakes have become more plentiful. Even those familiar with shellac may not know that it starts out as a crusty protective coating secreted on tree ...

Q: We just stripped six layers of paint off the front door of our 1820s house. I think the door is made of chestnut. We don’t want to repaint it, and we don’t like polyurethane. What’s the best ...

Dear James: We just bought an older house with lots of natural woodwork. Can we sand it down and refinish it with another natural oil finish? What are some tips to apply the finish? -- Tammy V. Dear ...

How do you get the perfect color on custom wooden works? Test samples! This show is completely dedicated to demystifying the finishing process. This episode shows the steps needed to finish with style ...

Should we try to remove the varnish? Or just apply a really good beeswax furniture polish and leave it at that? Q: We acquired a Knabe baby grand piano from a neighbor whose grandfather purchased it ...

Q. I recently bought a house where the previous owner had repurposed a sideboard/credenza to create the bathroom vanity. It has a waterproof finish on the top with a luster, but not as shiny as I ...

Is the chest of drawers in your bedroom finished in lacquer or oil? Will it damage the surface if you set a wet glass down on a waxed table? Should you use ammonia to clean a butcher block? Most ...

Q: We acquired a Knabe baby grand piano from a neighbor whose grandfather purchased it in the 1920s. The wood is really dull, and we’d like to be able to polish or refinish it without damaging the ...