Yesterday, I gave a presentation to the woodworker's club on color matching.  Of course, this is just the PPT with lots of talking points.   Hope this might help and I'm here if you have any questions.

 

http://cincinnatiwoodworkingclub.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=GA8a1G6ICb8%3d&tabid=107

Interesting read, Thanks. Six tips, #5 are words to live by.

Thanks! I'm the world's worst finisher. I can use all the help I can get.

3 hours ago, lew said:

Thanks! I'm the world's worst finisher. I can use all the help I can get.

There are two difficulties with finishing:

1. The labels don't often tell you the truth about the product inside.   How many Tung Oil FInishes are tung oil?   None, and most if not all do not even contain any tung oil.  And "water based lacquer" that is not lacquer at all?  And "Oil and Urethane Blend" that is merely telling you the formula for the product within, varnish.   It's like buying a loaf of "flour and yeast blend" in the bread aisle.  And there are lot of just plan "junk news" (AKA myths) about finishing.

 

2. It's chemistry, not physics.   You can measure the thickness of tenon and see that it either fits or does not fit into the mortise.   With finishing, you put on a product and somehow, chemically, it does it's thing, whatever that is.

 

I highly recommend Bob Flexner's "Understanding Wood Finishing"     The first edition was the first time I really started to understand finishing.

Jeff Jewitt is also a very good author.

4 hours ago, Michael Thuman said:

Jeff Jewitt is also a very good author.

Yes, I know Jeff, too and have most of his books, had a class from him, and been to his shop (which is at the back of a decrepit old industrial building in Cleveland).

 

I've actually had dinner with both of them (separate times).