Finishing Wood with Alan Noel Archive
FREE Wood Finishing Tips for Woodworkers
- October 2017 — Rules for Recycling Sandpaper
- September 2017 — Finishing Repairs
- August 2017 — Spar vs. Traditional Polyurethane Varnishes
- July 2017 — Plywood Edges and Glue
- June 2017 — Oil Based vs. Waterborne Pore Fillers
- May 2017 — Gel Stains
- April 2017 — Glass Scrapers
- March 2017 — Color Triangles
- February 2017 — Aerosol Finishes
- January 2017 — Wooden Story Boards
- December 2016 — Shading Wood
- November 2016 — Wax Finishes
- October 2016 — Hide Glue Putty
- September 2016 — Wet Sanding with Penetrating Oils
- August 2016 — Removing Pet Stains from Finished Floors
- May 2016 — Finishing with "Crackle"
- March 2016 — Silicone Contamination
- February 2016 — Furniture Touch-up Markers
- January 2016 — Curlin' Burls and Swinging Flames
- December 2015 — Inpainting
- November 2015 — Painting Laminates
- October 2015 — Removing Mold
- August 2015 — Aging Brasses
- July 2015 — Clamping Tricks
- June 2015 — Epoxy Putty Sticks
- May 2015 — Rolling and Tipping
- March 2015 — Useful Everyday Items Used for Finishing
- December 2014 — Finishing in Cold Weather
- November 2014 — Sanding Between Coats
- October 2014 — Blotching
- September 2014 — Spontaneous Combustion
- August 2014 — Gilding Powders
- July 2014 — 3D Finish
- June 2014 — Chemical Safety
- May 2014 — Stripping Basics
- April 2014 — Painted Finishes
- March 2014 — Finish Durability
- February 2014 — India Ink
- January 2014 — Wipe-On Varnish
- December 2013 — Reversible vs. Non-Reversible Finishing
- November 2013 — A-B Bleach
- October 2013 — Wet Sanding
- September 2013 — Spray Finishing
- August 2013 — How Many Coats of Finish?
- July 2013 — Selecting the Right Finish
- June 2013 — Distressing Techniques
- May 2013 — Using Wood Putty
- April 2013 — Using Milk Paint
- March 2013 — Wipe On Finishes
- February 2013 — Fading Finishes
- January 2013 — Smashing Repairs
- December 2012 — Steaming Mars
- November 2012 — Cleaning a Finish
- October 2012 — Decorative Painting
- September 2012 — Wood Glue
- August 2012 — Using Touch Up Powders
- July 2012 — Contamination in Antique Restoration
- June 2012 — Prepping for the Top Coat
- May 2012 — Satin Finishes
- April 2012 — Working with Putty
- March 2012 — Preserving Patina
- February 2012 — Wet Sanding
- January 2012 — Protecting Finishes
- December 2011 — Keeping it Safe When Spray Finishing
- November 2011 — Oxalic Acid in Furniture Restoration
- October 2011 — Distressing a Finish
- September 2011 — Off Gassing and Wood Finishes
- August 2011 — Bleaching in Furniture Restoration
- July 2011 — Shabby Chic Finishing
- June 2011 — Simple Veneer Repairs
- May 2011 — Touching Up Hardwood Floors
- April 2011 — Cleaning Your Finishing Brushes
- March 2011 — Using Soft Wax
- February 2011 — Using Paste Wood Fillers
- January 2011 — Environmentally Friendly Finishing
- December 2010 — Holiday Finish Cleanup
- November 2010 — Choosing a Wood Finish
- October 2010 — Builders and Finishers
- September 2010 — Stains, Dyes and Glazes
- August 2010 — Avoiding Furniture Damage
- July 2010 — Color Matching Basics
- June 2010 — Stripping the Finish
- May 2010 — What You Might Not Know About Sandpaper
- April 2010 — Finishes on Veneers Bonded to MDF
- March 2010 — Overwhelmed by Finishing
- February 2010 — Versatile Varnish
- January 2010 — Preserving Patina
- December 2009 — Distressing
- November 2009 — Choosing a Finish
- October 2009 — Water Damage
- September 2009 — Spray Finishing with the Earlex Spray Station
- July 2009 — Epoxy Putty
- June 2009 — Touching Up Furniture
- May 2009 — Why Finishes Fail
- April 2009 — Dyes vs. Stains
- March 2009 — Spring Cleaning
- February 2009 — Applying Wax
- January 2009 — The Real Secret to Better Wood Finishing
- December 2008 — Protecting Finish from Holiday Spills
- November 2008 — Stripping Wood Finishes
- October 2008 — Spray Finishing
- September 2008 — Differences Between Stains and Dyes
- August 2008 — Understanding Wood Finishing
- June 2008 — Coping with Grain Reversal
- May 2008 — Finishing Chopping Blocks
- March 2008 — Food Safe Finishes
- February 2008 — Lead Based Paint
- January 2008 — Restoring with Sanding
- October 2007 — Preventing Bubbles from your Finish
- September 2007 — Exterior Finishes
- August 2007 — Getting Dents Out of Finish
- June 2007 — Blushing
- May 2007 — Painted Decoration
- April 2007 — Controlling Color
- March 2007 — Satin Finishes
- February 2007 — Water Damage to Finish
- January 2007 — Slow Down the Deterioration of Wood Finishes
- November 2006 — Shop Storage for Finishing Products
- October 2006 — Brass Replacement
- September 2006 — Add Depth to Your Finish
- August 2006 — Wood Finishing in High Humidity
- June 2006 — Good Sanding Habits
- April 2006 — Spring Cleaning Finishing Tips
- March 2006 — Stains Vs. Dyes
- February 2006 — Buying Finishes in Small Quantities
- January 2006 — Repairing Common Blemishes in Finishing
- November 2005 — Touching Up Repairs and Defects
Alan Noel Finishing Class Reviews and Kudos!
I took Alan Noel's "Furniture Restoration" workshop this past weekend, and greatly enjoyed it. Alan is an affable gentleman and effective teacher. He took great pains to ensure that we knew WHY we were doing a procedure or used a certain finish and how finishes interact. This is the second of your workshops I have taken, and I plan to take others. By the way, I was able to do a little shopping at your store, and you have an excellent sales staff. - H Anderson
Highland Woodworking, you have a very special workshop instructor. Alan Noel has a exceptional depth of knowledge and a superior level of skill. I inherited several old pieces of furniture from my family, and I thought I would just sand or strip them and then stain them back to their original condition. Let me say I'm happy I didn't start that adventure in almost total ignorance. Alan's Antique Restoration workshop rescued my furniture, and me. I was totally amazed by the quantity and quality of information he shared with us. Not a single question was left unanswered and he also addressed topics beyond the expectations of this workshop. Alan has a special talent for teaching by helping his students remember and understand the basics. I can now appreciate the challenges and the importance of true professional workmanship and the knowledge of proper techniques for a perfect antique restoration. I look forward to attending his other workshops, and I look forward to restoring some of my own pieces. Thank you for this awesome class. - R Ghia
This is a short email to tell you how much I enjoyed the French Polish Class I attended last night at your store. Alan Noel did a fantastic job of sharing his knowledge during the class time, and I am definitely planning to take additional courses from him on furniture restoration. I have several pieces of family antique furniture in addition to clock cases from my collection that need special attention, and this training is exactly what I need to do it correctly. Of course, I will be buying tools and supplies from Highland Woodworking as I move ahead with my projects. Thanks again for providing first class classroom space and instruction to "kick start" my new learning curve! - S Daniel