About
Class postponed on 7/6 until KC gets P3 approval.
Note: This class is being offered simultaneously online and in person at BARN. To register for the in person class, please click here.
Did you ever wonder how to get a really professional-looking finish on your woodworking project? In this hands-on class, you will learn about different types of wood stains and clear finishes. You will learn how to prepare the surface to help ensure an excellent finish, which stains and finishes work best on different types of solid wood and plywood, and which tools and techniques to use when applying stains and finishes by hand (ie, without spraying). You will also learn which products are compatible with one another — and which ones aren't.
Students participating in person at BARN will be able to experiment with numerous products on a sample board to take home and use for future reference. The class is four sessions to allow drying time while going through all of the steps, from preparing the surface to applying stain and finish, to rubbing out the finish.
Students who enroll for online participation will be able to ask questions, get the instructor's advice and learn from the experiences of the in-person students as they work on their sample boards. Online students who want to make sample boards can request a kit with wood and appropriate grits of sandpaper, but they will need to supply the stains and finishes they want to explore.
Any student who has a project that needs finishing is welcome to bring it or to share a picture of it during the class and to consult with the instructor on the best approach. (A later class will focus on refinishing — it is not the topic of this class.)
Details:
- Open to beginners but also suitable for experienced woodworkers.
- Ages 14+ are welcome.
- Tuition assistance is available. Click here to apply.
- In-person students must wear closed-toe shoes and a face mask. Students will be working at least 6 feet apart.
- Online students will participate via the Zoom video conferencing program. An email will be sent one day before each session with the Zoom link to join the class. Please watch for this email. For a great video on how to use Zoom, watch this tutorial.
Feedback from an earlier class:
"With her professional background, Carol provides you with information that takes you beyond the easy way out of Minwax products at the big box store to the world of waterborne finishes vs alcohol-based or petroleum-based products. You get to see and work with a variety of wood species and grain patterns using penetrating and topical finish products and — what was most exciting — dyes. Most importantly you get the instructions in what not to do as well as what works for you. This is a level of information and hands-on trial that every serious woodwork needs to experience."
— Jeff Williams, former BARN woodshop lead
Instructor:Carol Fiedler Kawaguchi is a professional woodworker who specializes in restoration of antique furniture through her business, C-Saw, on Bainbridge Island. She also makes custom furniture, including the slab coffee table in the Commons at BARN.
