Rating: 
Summary: Incredible
Review: Here is the best advice I can give you if your thinking of buying this book. BUY TWO!!! This book is so well written, and easy to follow, you will want it next to you when your applying the finish to that new woodworking project you completed. Pages are bound to get torn, stained, and stuck together, that you'll need a second copy. Did you ever complete a project that you are so proud of, and then have to place it in a dark corner because the finish just didn't turn out right?? This book will teach you how to get that same finish that's on the store bought furniture that you simply can't afford. It takes all the mystery out of obtaining that high end furniture finish, and it does it in very simple terms. It will teach you how to take that old beat-up flea market find, and refinish it to almost new condition, sometimes without the need to strip it. This is simply the best woodworking book of any kind to own. It has taken my projects from looking like something that someone made in their Garage to something that looks like it just came from a high end Furniture manufacturer. The only difference is now, thanks to this wonderful book, I know exactly what to do when it comes to the finishing stage. Even if you are not a woodworker, this book will show you how to fix any damage to the furniture you now own. This book is so well written that it would be an enjoyable read for anyone, not just woodworkers. Congratulations Mr. Flexner.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't ask for a better book
Review: I am new to woodworking but am enjoying the process of beginning a lifelong journey. Prior to this book, I have no experience with finishing wood, outside of painting. I would gander that this is the most thorough book on wood finishing out there. The credentials of the author seem to be top notch, and I have learned more than I was expecting as I am only half way through the books. I won't need to ask for the advice of home depot for my future projects anymore. I have learned that they weren't always right anyway. Happy Reading to all.
Rating:
Summary: A Different Kind of Book
Review: I checked out a stack of wood finishing books at the library and took them home. It didn't take long to figure out that this was a different kind of book from the rest. The other books were all about "how", this one was all about "why". The library wanted their copy back, so now I am buying my own.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK
Review: I have been an amateur wood refinisher for about 30 years, doing mostly wooden stocks on rifles and shotguns, which I learned on my own. This is actually the first book I have taken the time to read, and I found it fantastic. It is detailed and simple to understand and follow. Answers to many of my questions were clearly answered, and I have certainly made use of the great information the author provided. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Rating: 
Summary: Understanding Wood Finishing
Review: I have bought a number of books on woodworking, as well as a few on wood finishing. This is by far the best book on finishing that I have come across. The book takes all the mystery out of all the different types of finishing materials and finishing processes. The author does a great job of explaining how each type of finish works as well as why certain stains and finishes work better on different types of wood. I would recomend this book to any woodworker who has ever screwed up a project by putting on a bad finish, or any woodworker who only uses one type of finish because that is all they know. This book will take the guesswork and fear out of finishing your projects.
Rating: 
Summary: Not clear enough
Review: I have read this book over and over to outline my wood finishes step by step. However, some techniques described in the book do not work. Besides, the errors I've got are not depicted in the pictures of possible flaws.
The book is ok but not the ultimate guide to finishes. It could also use more color photos. Everything is in black and white except for a few pages in the middle of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Not everything the other reviewers claimed
Review: I just recently bought this book - I've read it twice. My thoughts are as follows:
1. The book has some good information.
2. The book is lacking in some important respect. After having twice read the book I still had numerous questions about finishes that the book did not answer. I though this book would answer all my questions.
3. I find the layout of the book so so - I could of thought of at least a couple of ways to improve the user friendliness of the book.Overall a reasonable book. Not a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Not everything the other reviewers claimed
Review: I just recently bought this book - I've read it twice. My thoughts are as follows:
1. The book has some good information.
2. The book is lacking in some important respect. After having twice read the book I still had numerous questions about finishes that the book did not answer. I though this book would answer all my questions.
3. I find the layout of the book so so - I could of thought of at least a couple of ways to improve the user friendliness of the book. Overall a reasonable book. Not a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Tough questions, easy answers
Review: I purchased this book a few years ago on the recommendation of a friend and my wood technology professor (I am retired and took up woodworking about 6 years ago). Once I started using it, I gave away all of the other woodfinishing books I had purchased. It is that good. I find the modularization of the book one of the most helpful aspects. If I look up a problem I'm having or concerned about, I can find a short section that seems to deal directly with that problem. The book is no-nonsense and no-mystery and tries to explain why as well as how. This fits my need to know perfectly. I've also been to a two day seminar put on by Flexner. If you can imagine two, exciting days of this book with lots of color, that's the seminar. Bob wrote the book after getting years of nonsense and BS from finish "manufacturers." This book is the straight scoop, written with a real concern to demystify finishes and put the control into the hands of the woodworker.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive How and Why of Finishing Wood
Review: I wish I had read this book years ago. It gives a logically set out description of the pros and cons of every different way to finish wood, telling you how to do it and giving the chemistry and science behind what is going on as well. Amateur wood workers will need no other book on this subject. I especially like the commercial experience examples, such as "this is the finish you typically find on tables from Sweden" or "standardisation in grades of steel wool is non-existent so do not switch brands when finishing one piece of wood".
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