AboutGreg Scholl Expertise Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.
Experience Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.
Publications Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")
Education/Credentials Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.
Past/Present Clients Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.
Question Hello. I want to glaze over new, finished pickled oak cabinets with a soft brown shade. After testing on an inconspicuous area with thinned out oil-based glaze (dragging technique) I've noticed the glaze gets in every little wood grain and it looks terrible. Would using a toner coat reduce or eliminate that effect and just leave the soft glazing look I'm going for? Thanks for any advice you might have!!
Answer Hi Tina, unfortunately with Oak, it will get in all the pores, (depending on the finish, as some will fill the pores more than others) typically glazing over this type of cabinet isn't an "all over" thing, and it's wiped off and just left in the recesses, moldings, etc. to simulate age, patina, etc. Your inconspicuous area may not have been finished completely either, which would leave more open grain than the fully finished exposed areas. Are you trying to change the color of the cabinets? This is what you would use a toner for. These are dye (usually) based clear coats that can change or deepen colors/hues. etc., but won't help you with the porosity of the Oak. Trying to tone over a pickled finish is definitely NOT recommended, and any toning coats also need to be done BEFORE the final clear coats. Also, glazing and similar techniques are done BEFORE the final clear coats are applied, usually at the sealer coat level. The sealer is flatter and therefore "holds" these applications better than the clears, and if you do something like glazing, it needs to be sealed in with yet another clear coat, or your final effect will be blotchy, and the sheen of the finish will be very uneven and streaky. I wouldn't suggest you do this on newly finished cabinets, as you're dealing with catalyzed finishes that are so hard, they do not lend themselves to additional finishing effects after the fact. If you wanted this look, it should have been part of the finishing schedule.......hope that helps, even though it's probably not what you want to hear- regards- Greg
